BAWJIASE FARMING PROJECT
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Gye Nyame Development Foundation (Ghana branch) has planned to undertake a long-term sustainable income generating agricultural, vocational training and economic development projects in the deprived rural town of Bawjiase in the Central Region of Ghana, on a 10-acre land (leased on a 15 years’ renewable clause) and is located about two hours from Accra, the capital. Bawjiase has a population of about 10,000 people. A town in which individuals experience a lack of access to basic human needs (BHN), which commonly includes food, water, sanitation, clothing, shelter, healthcare and education. Our project will help the community and its people in the overall poverty alleviation agenda.
Approximately half of the residents are farmers, growing a lot of local fruits and vegetables, especially sugar cane, pineapple, cassava, yams, cabbage, and carrots. NGOs have been involved in Infrastructure Projects, including connecting electricity to rural areas and running water but this approach runs the risk of creating dependency – GNDF believes NGOs would better serve the community through supporting active groups, and through investing in projects that promote long-term sustainability.
Most of Bawjiase’s population are not privileged to afford basic human needs let alone a formal education and are therefore left handicapped in both vocational, formal skills and education. Our aim is to train at least 20 people a month creating small scale jobs and income generating agricultural development projects aimed towards alleviating poverty in Bawjiase by training/supporting the participants in:
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Crop farming (corn and cassava)
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Starch Extraction from cassava and corn
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Local production of gari (local food commodity) from cassava
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Poultry farming
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Fish farming
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Plant fertilizer management programs
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Marketing / sales techniques (creating avenues / ready markets for raw materials, processed and finished products)
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Construction of grain stores
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Using irrigation methods in farming
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Our project every yearly, is expected to have provided about 240 individuals with skills to equip, better and give them a more positive outlook on life to be able to feed themselves and families directly from their farms and proceeds of the small scale jobs and income generating activities created as a result of them partaking in this project which in all benefits the community as a whole.
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Vulnerable people are far from passive and are constantly seeking ways to prepare for and cope with the daily challenges of poverty that surround them. GNDF aims to support such empowerment, importantly by ensuring access to life skills, education, livelihoods, promote and support self-sustainability, so that poor women and men of Bawjiase have the skills and knowledge to develop their personal economy and that of the community.
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