Projects/Agents

Description:

This is the 3rd iteration of a series of projects Funded by CHF and Lundin for Africa . SPRING currently works with 4 partners/stations:

EPDRA (Evangelical Presbyterian Development Relief Agency) at 3 stations (Yendi, Saboba and Chereponi- all NR))

LAP (Lassia Tuolo Agricultural Project) in Upper West nr Wa.

Although each of these partners normally acts with around 15 communities, but within SPRING they are working with a maximum of 6 each. This is a key differentiator against previous iterations (the previous one SLING had around 11 stations) with a decision being made by the funder that the focus of assistance should be magnified in a “deep rather than broad” type approach. This iteration also includes work around climate change adaptation and gender mainstreaming.

ACDEP as managing partner is responsible to CHF for the delivery of SPRING and the stations are the primary implementation partners. ACDEP also do some of the implementation work by building the capacity of field staff working in various stations. The Project Officer also goes into the communities to identify new opportunities for improvement.

Project Goal:

SPRING is aimed at maximising existing opportunities around food production, food security and incomes as well as looking new opportunities in these areas. They may vary from introducing new crops like Soya as a cash crop to introducing newly developed varieties of existing crops. It also covers work around introducing improved livestock and community livestock workers to improve the existing gene pool or to deliver greater capacity along with best practise to improve yields and intensify the food production process.. A smaller, yet key component of this work is around what is termed “non-Farm” activities. These are targeted at improving incomes by bringing in non-traditional activities such as shea nut processing, general trading and bee-keeping. This work often targets women in particular using loosely bound cooperative groups. When this is successful the downstream benefits include improved standing for the women in the community as key contributors and a consequent improvement in their self-esteem. This in turn contributes to a reduction in Gender Exclusion. Such generated income also remains largely under the control of the women which means that any surplus is “invested” in areas such as education and healthcare.

Description:

Prolinnova Ghana is an NGO-led initiative that seeks to Promote Local Innovation in ecologically oriented agriculture and natural resources management (EA/NRM).

Objectives:

Focus

The focus has been on learning from and encouraging field activities that strengthen the capacities of small holders, livestock keepers and fisher folks to adjust to changing conditions to continue to develop and adapt their own conditions into appropriate systems and institutions of resource management. The approach is built on scaled-up existing practices focussed on promoting local innovations.(See Sciella Case Study)

Achievements

Lots of Participatory Innovation Developments(PID’s) have been at the community level. Some examples include:

Local salt lick production at Wapuli and Zokoli in the Saboba & Yendi Districts
Neem oil extraction for pesticide use at Dulizugu in The Tolon-Kumbungu District
Ficus biscuit for dry season livestock feed at Funsi
Ethnovet (locally produced natural veterinary products) products at Gollinga
Using Indigenous knowledge to improve Guinea fowl production at Tilli

Local Innovations Support Funds (LISF)

LISF is pilot project under the auspices of Farmer Access to Innovation Resources (FAIR) sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation (RF). The pilot begun in Ghana North in 2008 in four Zones (Bolgatanga, Walewale, Tamale and Yendi) in two regions (Upper East and Northern). The aim is to fund innovation in the sector and is managed in conjunction with NGLWG.

This first stage is up to 2010. In 2009 the Bolgatanga zone had 10 applications (3 groups, 5males and 2 females) approved out of 33. The highest amount given was GH¢500.00 and the lowest GH¢100.00. The Walewale zone received 18 applications from individuals with 8 approved applications from 5 male and 3 female. Here as there was no applications from groups and the highest amount given was GH¢200 and the lowest GH¢100.

Some of the innovations sponsored included the following:

Preservation of onion seeds using barikuk, a local herb
Use of liquid manure to fertilize crops
Use of local herbs to control worms
Water treatment using moringa
Use of Mahogany bark as insecticide when storing grain
Use of local herbs to control/prevent livestock diseases
Use of honey to reduce guinea keets mortality
Reintroduction of endangered local millet species (Naara)

Lessons learned

The LISF since its inception has chalked up successes with the partners working cordially together
Some partners have too much to do and are slowing down activity implementation
Farmers and innovators are keen to share knowledge and experiences with others for the benefit of all.

The 2010 LISF applications have been received and vetting/screening has been completed. The reports and budgets are yet to be finalized by The NGLWG and the funds disbursed to the zonal fund management committees before the year ends.

More about Prolinnova/LISF.

For more information on Prolinnova in Ghana contact John Lambon (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Description:

The Farmers Capacity Development Project (FCDP) is a three (3) year project with funding from AGRA –FOSCA . FCDP overall goal is to enhance the business capacity of FBOs for improved business orientation, service delivery and food security in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Its specific objectives are:

Project Goal:

The FCDP project builds on the collaborative work and experiences of IFDC/AGRA Farmer-to-Market (FtM) project of IFDC and FAMAR Project of ACDEP over the years in these four districts. It seeks to strengthen the business capacities of the FBOs at both the community and district levels to become strong and viable enterprises, business oriented and be able to negotiate for services for their members. It is anticipated that this will further enhance district FBOs capacities to improve the coordination of their member FBOs activities in the communities.

Objectives;

To enhance the knowledge and skills of 350 FBOs on business plans development and implementation for enterprise upgrading by 2015.
To improve FBO marketing structures and linkages in the four targeted districts by 2015.
To strengthen the institutional capacities of 350 FBOs to meet the needs of their smallholder farmers in the four targeted districts by 2015

Target Group:

The FCD Project will directly benefit 350 farmer organizations made up of 7,000 men and women smallholder farmers in the Wa East, Wa West, Sissala East and Sissala West Districts of the Upper-West Region of Ghana. The project will build a delivery platform through FBOs that can reach many more of farmers in the Upper West Region The target beneficiaries are members of traditional households with an average size of 10 people per household. The illiteracy rate in the targeted communities is over 80% and even higher among female farmers. These are mainly the membership of primary and secondary district level farmers’ organizations. The project will initially target 209 primary FBOs, 4 secondary FBOs and 1 tertiary/regional FO that were facilitated by ACDEP in the Upper West Region. FCDP will then scale-up to reach additional 141 primary FBOs facilitated by ACDEP under NRGP in all the target districts by December, 2015.

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Objectives;

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