Canadian government supports food security project

A Canadian government-funded food security project through cooperatives in the Northern Region is positively impacting on the livelihood of residents in the East Gonja district.

The project, implemented by SEND-GHANA -- a non-governmental organization and poverty alleviation fund manager -- is focusing on the four thematic areas of improving food security and sustainable economic growth for small-holder farmers; improving production, better marketing of products; expansion of household activities into off-season businesses; and access to finance. 

The five-year project being implemented under SEND-Ghana’s Livelihood Security Programme is benefitting over 42,000 women and men within the eight districts along the eastern corridor of Northern Ghana.

Over 331,800 individual food crop smallholder farmers including family members from 5,400 households are expected to benefit from the project.The 8,032,149.00 million Canadian dollar project is being implemented in eight districts of the Northern and Volta Regions and is expected to reach 130 communities with funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada (DFATD) the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA).

The communities in eight districts of the Northern Region are East Gonja, Kpandai, Nanumba South, Nanumba North, Krachi-Nchumuru, Zabzugu, Tatale-Sangule and Chereponi.

The Gender Model Family (GMF) component of the project has succeeded in gradually discarding socially constructed modes of reproduction, production and community management associated with women. This practice as witnessed in the past excluded women from decision-making, particularly in the Kalande community of the East Gonja district.

Through the GMF component some families in the Kalande community have appreciated the need to perform their roles simultaneously, thereby promoting gender equality.

During a field visit to the community one of the beneficiaries, Sebewie Mohammed Lawal, said SEND-Ghana’s interventions have improved livelihoods of the families.

With emphasis on the Gender Model Family component, he appreciated the fact that the family serves as a catalyst for promoting gender equality. According to him all his nine children, made up of five females and four males, are in school.

Agriculture: With the objective of improving food security and sustainable economic growth for smallholder farmers, there are a total of 130 demonstration fields under the project.

Each demonstration field has 40 members with equal gender representation. These are functional in the eight districts where the project is being up-scaled. The beneficiary farmers are cultivating diversified soya beans in large quantities for domestic consumption and for export. At the Kalande Npentem demonstration field, some of the beneficiaries including Esther Mensah and Mahama Fuseini touted the project as their hope of survival.

According to Mensah, the soya bean is enhancing their dietary needs. This, she said, has reduced malnutrition, which was characteristic of their children. She said there is a ready market for their produce, which attracts fantastic profit margins.

Esther Mensah added that the demonstration farm improves the members’ interpersonal relationship. Mahama Fuseini said benefits the family continues to gain from the project are immeasurable.