1.0 PROJECT BACKGROUND

Pelungu is currently under the Talensi/Nabdam district, one of the districts carved from the Bolgatanga District Assembly (now Bolgatanga Municipality) in August 2004 with Tongo as the district capital. However, with the recent proposed creation of new districts by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Pelungu will fall under the Nabdam District with Nagonde as the District capital. The population of Pelungu is currently difficult to establish since it has to be extrapolated from the composite figures that constituted Bolgatanga district of which Talensi/Nabdam (including Pelungu) area was a part.

The inhabitants of Pelungu, the project community are Nabdams and are predominantly subsistence farmers (crops and livestock) and belong to the Nabs speaking with average farm size ranging between 6 and 8 acres (bush farms) and I and 2 acres (compound farms).

Pelungu has been subjected to increasing erosion as a result of deforestation, the natural sloppy topography, inappropriate farming practices, bush burning and over grazing among others. Soils have become increasingly poor over the past years and this has reduced crop yield, resulting in seasonal food shortages in the community.

One of the major challenges in the area in the past is that the community has not been involved in the implementation of sustainable land management practices neither are they involved in the implementation of forest nor land policies. There is inadequate collaboration between major stakeholders. There are less income generation activities and investment opportunities, resulting into low household income levels and extreme poverty, this situation, undoubtedly has led to severe destruction of farm lands through current illegal surface mining activities, loss of soil nutrients and low agricultural productivity, seasonal hunger and migration, drying up of streams and water bodies and high animal mortality rates.

The project design builds on the concept of stakeholder mapping of the social and cultural issues of the local community. These have been considered through participatory exercises (Needs assessment). The strategy details a programming framework that focuses on three core and complementary areas, all consistent with international (UN), national (Ghana) and in focus with GEF/SGP strategy viz. Sustainable farming and environmental conservation, alternative sources of livelihood (off season) & rural enterprise development and strong community organisations to ensure project sustainability beyond the project phase.

From August 2008 to December 2009, TRAX Ghana with funding from GEF/SGP promoted collaborative sustainable land management practices among 6 farmers groups made up of 168 direct beneficiary farmers (131 women & 37 men) in the Pelungu community through capacity building on innovative strategies for sustainable land management, introducing farmers to sustainable livelihood activities and developing access to market opportunities. Capacity building training sessions carried out enabled beneficiaries to acquire practical skills and knowledge in nursery establishment, management and tree growing activities such as potting, seed treatment and nursing, lining and pegging, transplanting of tree seedlings and tree protection. As a result of these interventions, farmers planted different species of tree seedlings (e.g. grafted mangoes, leucaena, moringa, cashew, cassia, etc) both on their individual and common lands. In addition beneficiary farmers acquired practical skills and knowledge in improved energy saving stoves construction and usage, contour identification and stone bunding/grass stripping for erosion control on their farmlands, compost manure preparation and application for increased soil fertility and bush fire prevention and control. The interventions helps in prevention of soil erosion, conserving soil moisture to support crop growth, increasing soil fertility and reducing excessive heat within the community.

The project also promoted some interventions which contributed to improvements in the livelihoods of beneficiary farmers such as provision improved breeds of goats as well as soybeans, groundnuts and grafted mangoes. This enabled the beneficiary farmers especially women who previously did not own goats and cultivate groundnuts and soybeans to have access to these facilities which guarantee them some income. Also, those cultivating groundnuts and soybeans are guaranteed stock of seed for planting every year which previously was not the case. Some of the women now fry groundnuts, extract the oil and prepare “kulekule” (a local delicacy) for sale. The project also develops the capacity of 20 identified Community Trainers (CTs) as “lead farmers” towards local level institutions strengthening to sustain the project. The 20 CTs consisting of 11 women and 9 men were trained on various development themes such as role of CTs in community development, Gender role analysis, effects of HIV/AIDS on community development, leadership styles and Conflict management in groups. Each CT was supported with a bicycle and inflator to facilitate their movement in the community for the implementation of development and self-help activities.

Notwithstanding the modest achievements of the project, due to financial constraints some livelihood activities identified by the community during participatory needs assessment such as dry season gardening that will serve as source of income and improve family nutrition, provision of farming inputs such as bullocks and donkey ploughs to speed up preparation of cultivable lands and facilitate transport of farm produce between farmlands and homes for group members and as source of income especially for women and apiculture to help in environmental conservation and as income source were not implemented.
Also, although the project design and planning was participatory involving all the nine (9) sections of the Pelungu community, due to limited project funds, only 6 sections, comprising 168 direct farmers (131 women and 37 men) were direct beneficiaries of the project.

2. PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED RESULTS

Soils in the project area are very fine sand with less clay component, with occasional stretches of rocky area giving rise to soil erosion and leaching of plant nutrients. The area has been subjected to increasing erosion as a result of deforestation, the natural sloppy topography, inappropriate farming practices, bush burning and recently illegal surface mining which is being carried out at a very alarming proportion with conversion of productive agricultural lands to degraded marginal lands. Soils have become increasingly poor over the past years and this has reduced crop yield, resulting in seasonal food shortages in the community. In attempt to find solution to especially the hunger problem, there is seasonal migration of some youths to Southern Ghana usually between January and April to offer their labour for cash, which is brought back to purchase grains to supplement what has been harvested by the household.

Continuous cropping on poor soils, unpredicted climatic conditions e.g. rainfall due to climate change with low crop yields necessitated increasing dependence on chemical fertilizers which have become more expensive, unavailable and unsustainable. Livestock raised include goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, while poultry include chickens and guinea fowls.
The Project is building on previous project experience and focuses on increasing Pelungu and nearby communities’ participation in development processes and offering practical and sustainable training in farming techniques and alternative income generation at household level. The project intends to help reduce the number of people living in absolute poverty and suffering from hunger in the target communities (sections).

The purpose of this project is to promote collaborative sustainable land management practices among 6 new farmer groups (225 direct farmers) within 3 sections of the Pelungu community through capacity building of farmers on innovative strategies for sustainable land management, introducing and supporting farmers groups to sustainable livelihood activities and developing access to market opportunities locally and globally. The project will support some already trained (existing) groups under the first phase of the project with inputs for (i) sustainable (revolving) dry season gardening (2 groups), (ii) apiculture (2 groups) and (iii) donkey carts and ploughs (2 groups) to ease drugery of especially women and as income source.

The specific objectives of the project are:
? To promote sustainable agricultural practices among new farmers groups in Pelungu Community to enable them restore the degraded lands through integrated water and soil management, community based forest woodlot/agro-forestry, wildfires management, natural regeneration establishment and enrichment planting;
? To support sustainable small ruminant rearing, groundnut and soybean cultivation, honey production, dry season gardening and provision of donkey carts and ploughs as a livelihood supplement and supporting farmers to access fair and ready markets for their produce in order to increase their incomes;
? To build and sustain capacities of new Community Trainers as lead farmers towards local institution strengthening to lead sustainable land management interventions, investment innovative strategies and self-help approaches with continuous local community commitment and participation after end of the project period.

2.1 Expected Results

• 30 ha of degraded lands within 3 sections of the Pelungu Community demarcated and put under sustainable land management through soil and water conservation, tree growing and natural regeneration interventions to enhance soil fertility regeneration.

• 225 farmers from Pelungu community received training and support to identify innovative strategies, approaches and models to link trade and livelihoods to sustainable land management. Also Two (2) each of the already trained farmer groups received input support for dry season vegetable and honey production and linked to trade, and donkey carts and ploughs for timely land preparationts, transport of farm inputs/products for especially women and as alternative income source.

• 15 indigenous farmers identified, trained and supported as Community Trainers (“lead farmers”) to lead sustainable land management interventions, investment opportunities and promote local institution strengthening towards self-help with continuous community commitment and participation after end of project phase.

2.2 Description of Project Activities
RESULT 1:
30 ha of degraded lands within 3 sections of the Pelungu Community demarcated and put under sustainable land management through soil and water conservation, tree growing and natural regeneration interventions to enhance soil fertility regeneration.

Planned Activities:

1.1 Facilitate and prepare participatory community land-use plans
The three sections within the community of Pelungu would be assisted to prepare land-use plans within the first quarter of the project phase using participatory tools such as resource mapping, community mapping, transect diagram and group discussions. The focus of the land-use plans would delineate clearly agricultural lands from grazing lands, woodlot plantations, settlement lands and lands for natural regeneration. The Peoples Initiatives for Community Transformation would provide resource persons for the implementation of this activity. Resources persons would come from EPA, MOFA, FSD and Survey Department


1.2 Facilitate the formation of sustainable land management committee
To ensure a successful implementation of the project and a total ownership of the project by the people of the community, a fifteen member land management committee would be formed within the first quarter of the project phase. Sbsequently, members of 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 environmental problems. 60% of membership of the committee would be women with the remaining 40% being men. The committee would organize at least one community fora in each of the sections of the Traditional Area to introduce innovative strategies, approaches and models in sustainable land management to the people. Resources persons would come from EPA, MOFA and FSD

1.3 Demarcate 30 ha of degraded/common land and place it under natural regeneration and enrichment planting
The project has already organized community sensitisation meetings at Pelungu where discussions were held between the chiefs and people about this activity. The chiefs and people indicated their willingness and commitment to the implementation of the activity to rejuvenate the already degraded lands, especially abandoned degraded sites after illegal mining activities. A 30ha of degraded lands of marginal and unproductive areas within the 3 project target sections would be demarcated and place under natural regeneration. Tree species like neem, teak, cassia and leucaena seedlings would be nursed and distributed to the farmers to plant on such degraded lands. The community (sections) has agreed to protect the demarcated area from annual wildfires and encroachment by farmers for farming activities. The activity would be implemented with technical assistance by the Forestry Service Department, Ghana National Fire Service and Community Facilitators to be selected by community project beneficiaries and trained as “lead agents” of community development. The community would be assisted to formulate policies to manage trees planted on common lands so that the benefits that will accrue, will be for the entire Pelungu community. Resources persons would come from EPA, MOFA, FSD and Survey Department.

1.4 Establish one flying Tree nursery
The project under phase 1 has established one central nursery of 100,000 seedlings capacity at Pelungu. However, this nursery is far from the remaining 3 sections being targeted. This project will therefore establish one flying nursery capable of producing 40,000 seedlings a year. A ten member committee made up of leaders of the groups will supervise the production and distribution of seedlings to the local groups.
The flying nursery will provide multipurpose and economic tree seedlings (indigenous and exotic; organic mango, cashew, shea, dawadawa, moringa etc) to be supplied to interested farmers with available land. Project groups of 9 (3 men, 3 women and 3 mixed) comprising 135 women and 90 men (25 per group) will be trained as nursery managers to look after the nursery. The flying nursery will generate additional income for the project from the sale of economic tree seedlings. The project will also assist local level entrepreneurs with training, materials, simple tools and equipment to operate their own nurseries to produce the needed planting material. The project would support the introduction of improved planting materials. The activity will be done with resource persons from EPA and FSD.

1.5 Promote Agro forestry including economic tress among indigenous farmers
In order to protect the surface soil from annual gully erosion and also to enhance soil fertility regeneration, the project will support indigenous farmers of the project area to incorporate agro forestry on their farms using multipurpose and economic tress such as moringa, grafted mangoes, leucaena and other nitrogen fixing plants. The idea is to protect soils erosion and provide economic value to the farmers as well and so the moringa and grafted mango plants would be encouraged for the activity. The moringa plants would reduce malnutrition among children and increase incomes among farmers. Resource persons would come from MOFA and FSD.

1.6 Promote multipurpose woodlot plantations
This activity is necessary to reduce the pressure on the remaining natural forest or few scattered trees in the community. The project would demarcate a 5ha of the degraded lands and place it under multipurpose woodlot plantations where households, especially women would harvest fuel wood and allow sloppy and very fragile area trees and shrubs to rejuvenate with time. The activity would be implemented in collaboration with the FSD.

1.7 Train farmers on construction and use of energy saving mudstoves
This activity is intended to reduce the rate of fuelwood consumption as energy source through harvesting for cooking thereby reducing the rate of depletion and pressure on the natural forest cover or established woodlots. Majority of households in Pelungu use woodstoves (mudstoves) for cooking. The traditional woodstoves currently in use promotes fast depletion of tree cover. Women and children especially of households travel very long distances in search of head-load of firewood that lasts for less than a week. One hundred (100) women of the project would be trained in the construction and use of improved woodstove that uses less fuelwood and time conserving, produces less smoke and therefore less hazardous, cooks faster and less darkened cooking pots. The activity will be implemented by TRAX staff trained by our counterparts TRAX Togo and has since trained other women and using the technique in other project communities where TRAX Ghana operates. The activity would be implemented in collaboration with MOFA & EPA.

1.8 Train and Provide support to farmers to undertake soil and water management practices along contours
The project would assist the 9 new farmer groups to identify contours which will be replicated on individual farms using different levelling materials of spirit level, “A” frame or water tube. The essence of using different levelling materials is to enable farmers to use available levelling tools in contour identification. Farmers will then be thought how to plough across contours in order to conserve water and reduce gully erosion on their farms. The project would provide technical support to farmers to use locally available materials such as stones, earth or grass stripping to make bunding, trenches, and burrow on their farms along identified contours to reduce surface runoff (erosion) and conserve water on their farms. Because of the undulating nature of the land, this activity is necessary to reduce the impact of run-offs. The project will place 30 ha of degraded lands within the 3 sections of the Pelungu Community under stone bunding and train farmers on the use of LEISA, Soil and Water Conservation and sound environmental management techniques/practices such as compost making, Farm Yard Manure application, cover cropping and green manure, crop residue management and fodder banks among others. The action will be carried out in collaboration with MOFA frontline staff.

1.9 Organize training for farmers on intensive wildfire prevention and management
A fifteen member wildfire management volunteers’ squad (5 from each section) will be formed and trained to serve as watchdog committee to ensure responsible environmental behaviour. They will be trained in fire prevention, fighting and first aid techniques. After the training, they will be issued with identification cards, torchlight, cutlass and Wellington boots to facilitate their work. The squads will also help the Pelungu Community to formulate their own environmental rules and regulations (byelaws) to govern the protection of their environment. Resource persons will come from the GNFS and EPA.

RESULT 2:
225 farmers from Pelungu community received training and support to identify innovative strategies, approaches and models to link trade and livelihoods to sustainable land management.

2.1 Facilitate Community Enterprise Development
When households involved in the production of a particular commodity, there is scope to improve production and increase income. For this reason, the project will facilitate business opportunities in the area; local products with high potential will be identified. Detailed value chain studies will be commissioned to assess the economic and business environment for specific commodities. The studies will identify critical areas in the production and marketing chain of the product which can be addressed and will make a significant difference.. In general, the project will promote value adding initiatives such as agro-processing and quality improvement, by providing training for the entrepreneurs. These are the most effective means of improving marketability of commodities and enhancing returns to small scale businesses. Some examples of activities likely to be developed with already trained (old) farmer groups under the phase 1 project include:
• Honey production and its by-products
• Dry season gardening - Pepper, onion, cabbage and leafy vegetables
• Donkey carts and ploughs for services to generate income and ease drudgery

Effort will be made to link groups to fair trade i.e. SFMP, SPHC and with micro-financial institutions for credit to expand business. Resource persons will come from NBSSI, TRADE AID and MOFA.

2.2 Train farmers on simple book keeping
The capacity development training will assist 225 farmers to have the basic skills needed to start their own business, specifically: cost-benefit analysis, pricing, profit and loss, basic money management including record and book keeping, banking procedures and credit management. Resource persons will come from NBSSI & TRADE AID, Bolga.

2.3 Provide revolving groundnut and soybean seed scheme to farmers
A revolving groundnut and soybean seed credit will be provided to 40 farmers to plant in year one. Each farmer will be given 10kg (4 bowls) each of groundnuts and soybean and expected to repay back 12kg (5 bowls) each of same species after harvesting to enable other interested farmers next on the line to be reached in the second year. Resource persons will come from MOFA and SFMC, Tamale.

2.4 Provide farmers with improved breeds of small ruminants on credit
Small livestock provide a valuable source of nutrition and a resource to sell if cash is needed to buy food or for health / education purposes. Besides, droppings of these animals would be used as farm manure for sustainable crop production. At present breeds are not disease resistant. The project aims to increase and improve the stocks of small ruminants. Forty (40) individual farmers per year will be assisted to construct standard pens and supported with improved breeds of small ruminants through the pass-on-the-gift scheme. Beneficiary farmers will be given 3 goats or sheep (2 nannies and one billy) to rear. The beneficiary farmers will be expected to pay back the three goats or sheep (irrespective of sex – to avoid in-breeding) to be passed on to other interested farmers on the list. Resource persons would come from the MOFA.

2.5 Train farmers and provide inputs on Apiculture (Beekeeping)
Beekeeping is a potential diversified source of income as well as a strategy for environmental conservation. The project will provide training for 2 beneficiary groups (approximately 56 individuals) of the phase 1 project in beehive management, harvesting, processing and marketing of honey. The beneficiary groups, who benefited from business management skills under phase 1 of the project, will then be provided with inputs such as beehives, veil, torchlight, solar extractors and wellington boots, etc for production. The beneficiary group will be monitored and will pay back the cost of materials under contractual agreement to enable other group members also benefit from the project The action will be carried out in collaboration with a consultant of Integrated Apiculture and Environmental Protection Programme (IAEP), Bolga.

2.6 Train farmers dry season gardening and support with inputs
In direct livelihoods terms, the project will provide training in dry season vegetable cultivation for 2 beneficiary groups with water source (approximately 56 individuals) under the phase 1 project and provided with inputs such as water pump, snapsack prayer and seeds (pepper, onion, cabbage, etc) for production. The dry season garden is a potential ro supplement food stocks and improve food availability. It can further improve the family nutrition and serve as potential source of income from market vegetable sales. Beneficiary groups will be monitored and will pay back the cost of materials under contractual agreement to enable other group members also benefit from the project
Resource persons would come from the MOFA.

2.7 Support farmer groups with donkey carts and ploughs
Four (4) donkeys with carts will be purchased for 2 beneficiary groups (one male and one female) with a total of 50 members under the phase 1 project to help in easy land preparation for group members at reasonable fee and also to ease drudgery of the farmers, especially women in carrying out project/farming activities. The donkeys and carts will provide agreed fee services for both group and non-group members in the community such as carting of farm inputs, produce, fuel wood, building materials (water, sand, stones, etc). The donkeys will be managed by group leaders and be accountable to members. Beneficiary groups will be monitored by TRAX staff and will pay back the cost of materials under contractual agreement to enable other group members also benefit from the project.

2.8 Form Farmer Trust Groups and animate
For the start, farmers will be encouraged to form business (Trust) groups around readily available market commodities of soybean, groundnuts, vegetables and honey. They will be supported to improve their production methods and in business aspects of trading their commodity including bulking up for marketing. Each farmer trust group would range from 25 to 30 members. Every farmer trust group will have a chairperson, a secretary and a treasurer. Resource persons will come from the NBSSI and MOFA.

2.9 Link farmer Trust Groups to market access
The project would assist farmers to source for, identify and exploit market opportunities for their produce. The emphasis will be on creating access to market information and linkages with existing marketing organizations such as Savannah Farmers Marketing Company (SFMC), Tamale that provides ready market for soybean and groundnuts as well as Savannah Pure Honey Compacy (SPHC), Tamale that provides ready market for honey. Market surveys would be conducted and fair market options identified to provide ready market to farmers produce. Resource persons would come from MOFA, TRADE AID, SFMC and SPHC.

RESULT 3: 15 indigenous farmers identified, trained and supported as Community Trainers (“lead farmers”) to lead sustainable land management interventions, investment opportunities and promote local institution strengthening towards self-help with continuous community commitment and participation after end of project phase.

Planned Activities:

3.1 Organize sensitization workshop on grassroots institutions development
Participatory community meetings would be held to promote the concept of Community Trainers (CTs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs), and to explain how these are essential to the sustainability of benefits after end of the project.
The CTs would be used as a vehicle for the formation of Community Based organizations (CBO) in future, strengthening civil society in the entire Pelungu community through capacity building trainings on various modules such as advocacy and lobbying, community action planning, effective governance and leadership among others. The CBO when in place will be able to access the services to which communities are entitled and to overcome the challenges they face into the future in the absence of external development agents. The action would be implemented in collaboration with CENSUDI.

3.2 Facilitate identification of 15 CTs
The idea is to provide appropriate training and support so that a committed core of community members can act as a catalyst for development in their own communities
Project beneficiaries would be encouraged to nominate among themselves CTs as volunteers up to a maximum of 15 (Five per section), preferably 3 men and 2 women. The CTs should bee ‘lead farmers’ able to be trained to organise colleague farmers for meetings and continue support other colleague farmers by passing on acquired skills in SLM, natural resource management, business development, etc and to help develop a community-based organisation in the community. The CTs would lead project beneficiaries to carry on with activities to be promoted and designed to continue beyond the life of the project. TRAX and MOFA frontline staff would carry out the activity with project beneficiaries.

3.3 Train 15 CTs on development themes
Once the CTS are selected by project beneficiaries, CENSUDI and TRAX would facilitate and identify training needs of the selected CTs and modules developed to commence trainings. The modules will be regularly reviewed and updated together with CTs. Trainings would start focusing on technical and group formation skills, and then builds up to broader community development skills. TRAX and CENSUDI would carry out the activity.

3.4 Assist 15 CTs with Phoenix Bicycles to facilitate their work
CTs would operate as community Volunteers but may accept in-kind gifts from the project beneficiaries or community members they support. The CTs would be supported with bicycles to facilitate the work of organising beneficiary group meetings, support and pass on acquired skills in SLM, business development, etc to colleague farmers. The bicycles will also support community actions or errands. To ensure proper use and management of the bicycles, project beneficiaries would be encouraged to open group accounts and periodic levies or contributions made towards the upkeep of the accounts to help take care of common expenses such as bicycle repairs and maintenance. The beneficiaries will establish how the bicycles would be managed to ensure harmony among users. The CTs with support of TRAX will develop their own work-plans with other project beneficiaries for possible assistance. The CTs would quarterly review their work-plans and problem solving and organise quarterly CTs meetings with other project beneficiaries to discuss their work and common issues which in turn can be raised with TRAX and other partner project implementers.