3. PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND INTENDED RESULTS

2.1.1 Background and Problem Statement

Opei-Kuma and Loye communities are located within the Kasoa Area of the Awutu District. They do not get much income as a result of the methods used in farming; they are mainly peasant farmers, who have one farming season in a year, thereby pushing most of the youth to the cities and urban centers and even migrate to nearby countries during lean seasons in search of greener pastures where there are no jobs.

Although the communities are not far from Kasoa, they are purely rural and farming communities, they have lost most of their trees to domestic use, building and most as fire wood, most of the trees were not for consumption and not knowing any other uses of the trees. Petty trading is very little, they do not have any market, not even where two or more people gather and sell, they send their farm produce to Kasoa market, which is among one of the popular places where a large number of people purchase goods in large quantities to retail and also for household consumption. The market offers attraction for young people who are eager to earn ready cash by selling their labor power; this has gained a negative effect on the school going child, not having continuation school after Junior High School and not having successful indigenous farmers in the communities to attract youths and young women into farming. Idling, gambling and engaging in serious alcoholism and polygamous marriage have become achievement among the youths.

Indeed, land degradation in the community is caused by wildfires, sand winning, unsustainable farming practices, inappropriate wood fuel extraction and inappropriate charcoal production .In the past, the land was very fertile and people relied on it for their daily sustenance. The land could regenerate itself after damage because there were no large numbers of burrowed pits created in the name of re-gravelling and reshaping of roads. Farming activities were at a smallholder level and not mechanized. The biodiversity situation in the past was one of the best and it was easy to get non-forest wood products such as indigenous fruits, medicinal herbs, material for basket weaving and grasses to roof homes. Today the area is a degraded savannah grassland.

Currently, the land is degraded at a speedy rate with wildfires at the top of the list. Indiscriminate felling of trees for fuel wood and charcoal production, bush burning and unsustainable farming are very high in these communities. Each year over 1,000 trees are uprooted with impunity and hundreds of hectares of natural bushes are set on fire. If actions are not taken immediately to safeguard the situation, most of the land would be degraded in future.

The two communities experiences high food insecurity annually as a result of poor yield. Farmers do not get fair prices for their produce because they lack processing machines to enable them to process their produce and add value to attract good prices. Worse of all, farmers do not have readily market for their produce and as such they do not get adequate reward for their labour. Thus farmers lack basic marketing information about their produces which couples with lack of storage facilities to store their produces to enable them sell at high prices during scarcity.

Fig.1 Project Location





2.2.1 Project Goal

The overall goal of the project is to contribute to developing the capacities of rural women farmers in Opei-Kuma and Loye communities to sustainably manage land and to invest in profitable enterprises that will ensure food security, good nutrition and increased incomes thereby eliminating constraints that contribute to poverty.

2.2.1 Objectives of the project

The specific objectives of the project are as follows:

? To build and sustain the capacities of women farmers especially in the identification of innovative strategies, approaches and models in sustainable land management.

? To introduce women farmers to sustainable agricultural practices for the sustainable management and restoration of degraded lands through integrated water and soil management, community based forest woodlot/agro-forestry practices, wildfires management, natural regeneration establishment and enrichment planting.

? To support sustainable livelihood enterprise development and market access as compensation for the provision of ecosystem goods and services through the processing of natural resources to enhance sustainable land management

3.3.1 Project Intended Results

3.3.2 40 women farmers from Opei-Kuma and Loye communities trained and supported to identify innovative strategies, approaches and models to sustainably manage land whilst conserving the natural environment.

3.3.3 20 ha of degraded lands in the Opei-Kuma and Loye communities placed under sustainable land management through, agro forestry practices, soil fertility techniques water conservation practices, enrichment planting and woodlot establishment

3.3.4 30 women farmers supported to invest in small business enterprise - small ruminant rearing, fowls rearing and cultivation soybeans and groundnuts with processing and marketing initiatives in order to sustain their livelihoods


4. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Intended Result 1:

40 women farmers from Opei-Kuma and Loye communities trained and supported to identify innovative strategies, approaches and models to sustainably manage land whilst conserving the natural environment

Planned Activities

4.1.1 Form community sustainable land management committee to organize community fora in the project area

The project will form a seven member land restoration committee with membership drawn from each sections of the community. The women representation should be four and the remaining given to the men. The committee would be trained and empowered to organize periodic community fora to promote environmental awareness, change attitudes and behaviours of the people to address the environmental problems. At least one community fora will be organized in each section of the community by the project to introduce innovative strategies, approaches and models in sustainable land management to the people. Using the Assets Based Conservation strategies, the project will enable the communities to identify opportunities, plan and invest in sustainable land management. Resource persons will come from EPA, MOFA, FSD and GNFS.

4.1.2 Organize natural resource management workshops for selected farmers

The project will organize practical hands-on-training for 50 farmers on natural resource management, agroforesty and sustainable land management. These farmers will serve as trainer of trainers for the other community members within the project area. These workshops will help the farmers acquire skills and knowledge on judicious use of natural resources for sustainability, proven technologies in sustainable land management and assets that can be processed for income generation. Resource persons will come from EPA, FSD and MOFA.

4.1.3 Introduce improved soil fertility technologies to trained farmers

Four (4) hands-on-training will be organized for 30 women farmers to acquire knowledge in improved soil fertility technologies and organic farming. Each farmer would be taught Soil/water management/ Integrated water management; assisted to invest in compost preparation and usage. Each farmer will establish at least 1 ha of farm using the new technology. Resource persons may come from SARI and MOFA.

4.1.4 Embark on intensive wildfire prevention and management

All the project beneficiaries would be given training in wildfire management. At least five (5) persons would be trained from each section of the community as wildfire management coordinators. They will be trained in fire fighting and first aid techniques. After the training, they will be issued with identification cards and Wellington boots. The coordinators will also help the communities to formulate their own environmental rules and regulations to govern the environment. Resource persons will come from the GNFS.

4.1.5 Support the functioning of community learning centre

The community learning centre would be refurbished and made to functioning in the training of the farmers.

Intended Result 2
20 ha of degraded lands in the Opei-Kuma and Loye communities placed under sustainable land management through, agro forestry practices, soil fertility techniques water conservation practices, enrichment planting and woodlot establishment

Planned Activities

4.2.1 Support farmers to place 20 ha degraded farmlands under sustainable land management

The project will support the trained farmers to place at least 20 ha of the degraded lands under sustainable management in the two communities. Each of the four sections of the community would be supplied with farm implements that will assist the farmers to plough the land and construct ridges, bunds and other water conservation technologies. The project will draw resource persons from the MOFA and EPA.

4.2.3 Support agroforestry farms of interested farmers

The project will encourage 30 interested women farmers from the two communities to establish agro-forestry on their farm lands using nitrogen fixing plants including moringa to reduce pressure on the forest as well as improve soil fertility. Fruit trees like mango and cashew will also be encouraged to be planted by interested farmers. The activity will cover 5 hectares. Resource persons will come from MOFA.

4.2.4 Prepare participatory land use plans

All the communities involved in the project will be helped to draw a participatory land use plans for land use for the project. The land use plans will delineate agricultural, commercial, woodlots plantations, grazing lands as well as lands for natural regeneration. Resource persons will come from the NGO

4.2.6 Train and support farmers groups with mechanized farming

20 women trained farmers would be introduced to mechanized, soil fertility and improvement management, organic farming and agro forestry farming technologies. The farmer would be assisted to hire tractor services to plough their land prior to planting. Resource persons will come from MOFA.

Intended Result 3

30 women farmers supported to invest in small business enterprise - small ruminant rearing, fowls rearing and cultivation soybeans and groundnuts with processing and marketing initiatives in order to sustain their livelihoods

Planned Activities

4.3.1 Put farmers into trust groups and animate them

The project will identify interested farmers and put them into trust groups based on the existing social capital in the communities. Each trust group would range from 15 to 20 members. Each trust group will have a chairperson, a secretary and a treasurer.

The trust groups would be animated on group dynamics, functioning and operations. A precondition for this activity would be that groups should have elected officers including chairperson, secretary and treasurer. The animation activity would also include group record keeping and regular meetings.

4.3.2 Provide revolving credit scheme to women farmers

A revolving credit will be provided 30 farmers. In the first year of the project, 30 interested farmers will be reached with credit to embark on one of the activities in which they have been trained.

4.3.3 Assist women farmers to invest in small ruminant rearing

4.3.4 Provide training to women farmers on animal farm management

4.3.4 Provide training to women farmers on basic book-keeping

4.3.5 Link women farmers to fair markets


4.3.7 Train women farmers to make compost manure from farm residue, domestic waste and dropping from ruminants