PROJECT BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

Increasing number of women in extreme and abject poverty in the Ga East Municipality and its environs has rendered a vase land marginalized. About eighty percent (80%) of such women are single parents resulting from teenage pregnancy or school drop-out. They thus eventually become care takers (bread winners) of the whole family shouldering the entire burden. In their quest to face the ordeal, they tend to over use the only available resource-land to farm or collect firewood and/ or wild fruits for sale to earn a living. This practice does not only destroy the fertile agriculture land, but also leave more and more women poor as their only resource is made unproductive.

Women Action Group (WAG) through support form other organization has established a vocation centre at Abokobi. This centre is being developed inot a climate innovation centre to teach the women about new technologies in energy conservation practices, sustainable land management and biodiversity conservation. Already the centre has trained 100 women in biodiversity-based small scale business enterprises thus wants to reach out to more of such under-privileged women and build their capacities in small business enterprises and at the same time conserve the scarce land through agroforestry.

PROJECT GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

The overall goal is to support and empower rural women to respond to climate change by investing in renewable energy conservation practices, sustainable land management and biodiversity conservation utilizing agroforestry technology development and sustainable agriculture and sustainable livelihood enterprises.

3.1 Project Objectives

The specific objectives of the project are:

1. To mobilize the women to create awareness on climate change whilst investing in agroforestry, sustainable agriculture and conserving biodiversity in the Ga East Municipality.
2. To establish Climate Innovation centre to sustain public awareness on the impacts of climate whilst training the women in new technologies that will minimize the impacts of climate change.
3. To train dropouts and teenage mothers in rural enterprises for sustainable livelihoods.

Expected Output

1. Four Poor and vulnerable single mothers groups assisted to establish agroforestry farms and practice sustainable agriculture in Abokobi and Pantang communities

2. Climate Innovation Centre established at Abokobi to educate the communities on the climate and biodiversity and train the women in appropriate technologies renewable energy, climate mitigation measures and biodiversity based livelihood enterprises development

3. 100 dropouts and teenage mothers trained in rural enterprises including dress making, beads, processing and packaging of food and fruits for sustainable livelihoods.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

OUTPUT 1 Four Poor and vulnerable single mothers groups assisted to establish agroforestry farms and practice sustainable agriculture in Abokobi and Pantang communities

Planned Activities
1.1 Organize three community fora in the Ga East Municipality to create awareness in Biodiversity conservation and Climate change.
1.2 Organize poor and vulnerable single mothers into groups to undertake agroforestry to increase the quality of vegetation in the area.
1.3 In collaboration with Ministry of Food and Agriculture organize integrated soil fertility and organic farming to women?s groups
1.4 Assist women?s groups to practice organic farming on their farms
1.5 Assist the women groups to integrate farming of non-timber product such Aframomum melegueta (efom wisa); Piper guineense (?soro and ?fom wisa); passion fruit, moringa, and orange with the agroforestry.


OUTPUT 2 Climate Innovation Centre established at Abokobi to educate the communities on the climate and biodiversity and train the women in appropriate technologies renewable energy, climate mitigation measures and biodiversity based livelihood enterprises development

Planned Activities

2.1 Re-designate the existing Vocation centre in Abokobi as Climate Innovation Centre with appropriate curriculum and management plan
2.2 In collaboration with relevant institutions acquire facilities and equipment to set up demonstration technologies in improved cook stoves, compost preparation, agroforestry, soil and water management and cultivation of NTFPs
2.3 Mobilize women who are interested to offer themselves for practical training
2.4 Offer non-residential courses for the women groups
2.5 Assist trainee women to establish preferred businesses

OUTPUT 3 100 dropouts and teenage mothers trained in rural enterprises including processing and packaging of food and fruits for sustainable livelihoods.

Planned Activities

3.1 Identify 100 needy, poor and vulnerable teenage and drop outs single parents in the Municipality.
3.2 Identify their training needs and classify them according to trade
3.3 Identify resource persons and organize training workshop to train them in selected activities at the Learning Centre.
3.4 Train the women groups in processing and packaging of black pepper, moringa, orange and pineapple for the local and export market.
3.5 Training interested women groups in construction of efficient wood fuel stoves as a business