Greater Rural Opportunities for Women (GROW 2)

Overview

The Greater Rural Opportunities for Women (GROW 2) project builds on the success of the initial GROW project, aiming to further enhance women’s access to land, labor-saving, climate-smart technologies, affordable inputs, and sustainable business development services. The project promotes best practices in agriculture and nutrition, alongside fostering community engagement for women’s economic empowerment. ACDEP serves as the Key Facilitating Partner for seven districts in the Northern Region, including Mion, Yendi, Zabzugu, Saboba, Nanumba North, Gusheigu, and Karaga.

Project Objective

The Greater Rural Opportunities for Women (GROW2) project, implemented by Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) in collaboration with the Association of Church Development Projects (ACDEP), aims to increase the economic and social empowerment of women smallholder farmers, entrepreneurs, and agribusinesses. The project focuses on increasing agricultural productivity, improving the business environment, and enhancing gender equality within families and communities. The project prioritizes two value chains—soybeans and groundnuts—and also supports dry season farming.

ACDEP’s Role

ACDEP plays a crucial role in the GROW2 project by:

• Conducting value chain analysis to identify agribusiness opportunities within the selected value chains.
• Identifying market actors in each value chain/enterprise to inform interventions.
• Addressing challenges to improve access to financial, production, and business services, as well as market access.
• Facilitating linkages between women farmers and relevant financial institutions
• Assisting women entrepreneurs in accessing finance to enhance technology uptake through a counterpart funding arrangement.
• Providing technical and financial support to local/community-level agents (village agents) to establish and operationalize Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs).

Financial Inclusion and Savings Culture

The establishment of VSLAs contributes significantly to financial inclusion and promotes a savings culture among rural women. These associations provide women with access to part of their savings as loans, enabling them to invest in their farming activities and meet household needs, including education and healthcare for their children. Additionally, the VSLA strategy facilitates e-banking, reducing the risks associated with keeping cash at home.

Target Beneficiaries

The GROW2 project targets smallholder women farmers and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), focusing on the inclusion of those generally at the “bottom of the pyramid.” By empowering this target group, the project aims to create sustainable economic opportunities and improve livelihoods within these communities.

The GROW2 project is a comprehensive initiative designed to empower women in northern Ghana through increased agricultural productivity and improved business practices. By addressing key challenges in the agricultural value chains and enhancing financial inclusion, the project aims to create a more equitable and prosperous environment for women farmers and entrepreneurs.

For more information about ACDEP’s role, contact: Simon Gaab, GROW 2 Project Coordinator, ACDEP, Ghana. Email: simongaab@acdep.org