PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR FUNDING
PROJECT TITLE
: SKILLS TRAINING AND LIVESTOCK
REARING FOR 100 WOMEN FARMERS
PROJECT LOCATION
: UPPER WEST REGION
BENEFICIARIES
: 100 WOMEN FARMERS
PROJECT DURATION
: ONE YEAR
PROJECT COMMENCEMENT
: JANUARY 2014
PROJECT COMPLETION
: JANUARY 2015
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Wa MunicipalPTA/SMC Coalition champions basic quality education and quality health for
all children of school going age and also for individuals enjoy their rights and assume their
responsibilities in respect of a sustainable and healthy environment, gender balance, social
inclusiveness and good governance.
This project is geared towards empowering the parents especially women who are dominantly
farmers and impacted by cultural practices of a very patriarchal society. This project aims to
create rural opportunities geared towards increasing income based on the needs of the women
farmers groups to improve and support their families and children in school through sustainable
agriculture.
100 women farmers from identified districts namely Wa Municipal, Jirapa, Lawra, Lambussie,
Wa West, Nadowli, Sissala East and Sissala West will benefit from this intervention. Various
skills training have been identified to include soap making, pomade making from shea nut, soya
utilization, tie and dye making, groundnut and rice processing, shea butter processing, rearing
of small ruminants, goat, fowl, rabbit, piggery, sheep, local poultry and beekeeping.
Rearing of small ruminants (sheep and goats), fowls and rabbits as well as value-adding
processes of shea nuts holds great potential for generating employment and increasing rural
prosperity. Small ruminants are generally reared by farmers in the rural communities for
subsistence.They provide to the society meat, milk, wool and manure. At the same time, these
animals have wide adaptability to suit many of the agro-climatic conditions. On the otherhand,
shea nuts grow wild in the area and often considered as a source of additional income of
women farmers.
This project will be implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture –
Women in Agricultural Development and Voluntary Service Overseas-Ghana.
BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM ANALYSIS

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION: Upper West Region, Ghana

PROJECT LOCATION: 8 districts in Upper West Region, Ghana
 PROBLEM ANALYSIS
The targeted women farmers are in dire need of assistance as they are faced with cultural
challenges. Most of these women are uneducated due to the lack of interest of their parents to
send female children to school and their old school of thought that women’s role is in the kitchen
and getting married as soon as she attains adulthood. Some are even abducted and forced in
early marriages compelling them to drop out of school. Moreover, it still remains a taboo for
various communities for women to acquire and own properties including lands. In cases, where
lands are released to women for farming purposes, such lands are often taken back after
farming season leaving no option for women but to look for another opportunity elsewhere.
Majority of women in Upper West Region are engage in smallholder farming despite the
challenges at hand. These women farm ensures that their families are fed and some sell their
produce to pay for children’s school fees. As most men refuse to support their endeavors due to
certain negative traditional practices, cultural misapplications and misinterpretations, these
women continually suffer from stereotyping, male dominance and abject poverty.
Thus, economic empowerment of these women farmers through providing them with
sustainable economic opportunities to reverse the effect of the negative cultural trends will pave
the way to improve their livelihood. However, these women lack the capacity to provide the
appropriate inputs to start normal production activities which includes breeding stocks, materials
and supplies for skills development and small capital to engage in business.
OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of this project is in accordance with Ghana’s Shared Growth and
Development Agenda and Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy specifically food
security and increased growth in incomes through creation of institutional support at all levels of
government to reinforce awareness, technology transfer and implement field programming
within forming of agricultural production and creation of rural opportunities.
Specific Objectives
o
o
o
o
o
To develop livelihood related skills of women to increase their income
To raise and encourage small ruminants, goat, fowl, rabbit, piggery, sheep, local
poultry and beekeeping for farmers for commercial rearing rather than subsistence
farming
To increase value addition production of shea nuts and cash crops
To develop and strengthen the productive capacity of the farmers especially
women
To create a sense of awareness for the women folk towards sustainable
agriculture production.
METHODOLOGY
The methodology adopted for the project is the participatory approach. Trainings and
interventions provided are based on the result of needs assessment conducted earlier.
Interventions will be provided to women farmer groups through skills trainings and provision of
breeding stocks using the recovery scheme approach. The project will distribute the seed
heads of breeding stocks to the selected group members. Seed heads recovered will be
recycled to other beneficiaries until all the group members will be serviced.
The various skills trainings will be conducted to the organized group of women farmers and
inputs will be provided to the groups as a whole.
BENEFICIARIES PARTICIPATION AND CONTRIBUTION
The beneficiaries will contribute the following during the project implementation:




Unskilled labor
Local materials (sticks, stones, sand etc.)
Land for the cultivation and construction of animal sheds
Animal feeds
The seed heads available for distribution is of limited number, thus only members who will
qualify based on the criteria set for the construction of animal sheds and commitment will be
provided with the seed heads.
ACTIVITIES
1. Project Planning and Management with key stakeholders
2. Women Farmers Group Assessment
3. Community Mobilization and Sensitization
3.1
Project Community Entry
3.2
Women Farmers Group Organizational Development Training (management and
records keeping)
3.3
Group’s Final Evaluation and Assessment
4. Purchase of seed-heads (sheep, goats, guinea fowls and rabbits) and supplies skills
training
5. Training on production Techniques of small ruminants, goat, fowl, rabbit, piggery, sheep,
local poultry and beekeeping
- Livestock Farming
- Reproduction
- Health and Diseases
- Nutrient Requirement and Feeding
6. Skills Training (soap making, pomade making from shea nut, soya utilization, tie and dye
making, groundnut and rice processing, shea butter processing)
7. Distribution of seed heads to beneficiaries
8. Supervision, monitoring and evaluation of activities
- Recovery of livestock
- Post- assessment of women farmers group
9. Documentation and reporting
PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY
The training and inputs provided to these women are based on their needs and the capacity of
their groups to sustain the project. Part of the assessment entails that the women farmer groups
have established a common fund to sustain and use the skills gained during training to produce
and sell in the local market. On the otherhand on rearing of various farm animals, women
farmers including their husbands and the community itself are ensured to accept the project as
their own as this is based on their common needs. As the methodology of the project is through
participatory approach, the voice and needs of the group is given paramount consideration as
well as the community in determining the assistance to be given. Moreover, it is also important
that the group and the community have an equity and will put the groundwork for the project
implementation.
BUDGETARY REQUIREMENTS
ACTIVITY COSTING
1. Project Planning and Management with key
stakeholders
2.
Women Farmers Group Assessment
3.
Community Mobilization and Sensitization
3.1
BUDGET
IN GHS
IN US $
4,000.00
2,000.00
3,500.00
1,750.00
-
Project Community Entry
5,460.00
2,730.00
3.2
Women Farmers Group Organizational
Development Training (management and records keeping)
4,000.00
2,000.00
Group’s Final Evaluation and Assessment
2,000.00
1,000.00
4. Purchase of seed-heads and supplies skills training
(Refer to a separate costing below)
15,540.00
7,770.00
5. Training on production Techniques of small ruminants,
goat, fowl, rabbit, piggery, sheep, and local poultry
8,000.00
4,000.00
6. Skills Training (soap making, pomade making from shea
nut, soya utilization, tie and dye making, groundnut and rice
processing, shea butter processing)
6,000.00
3,000.00
3.3
7.
Distribution of seed heads to beneficiaries
2,000.00
1,000.00
8.
Supervision, monitoring and evaluation of activities
7,500.00
3,750.00
9.
Documentation and reporting
5,000.00
2,500.00
TOTAL
63,000.00
31,500.00
COST OF SEED HEADS AND MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES
PARTICULARS
Rabbit Rearing
2 Doe
UNIT
COST
QUANTITY
(IN GHS)
LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION
5 members
(1 male: 2 female
ratio per member)
10
20.00
BENEFICIARIES
(Pilot)
1 Buck
5
20.00
TOTAL
COST
(IN GHS)
200.00
100.00
100.00
50.00
Goat Rearing
9 Females
3 members
1 Male
27
60.00
1,620.00
810.00
3
100.00
300.00
150.00
Sheep Rearing
9 Ewe
1 Ram
Guinea Fowl
Rearing
2 members
30 Females
3 members
(2 male: 10 female
ratio per member)
6 Males
Pig Rearing
10 Female
18
80.00
1,440.00
720.00
2
200.00
400.00
200.00
5 members
(1 male: 3 female
ratio per member)
15 Females
5 Males
Local Fowl Rearing
TOTAL COST
(IN US $)
2 members
1 Male
15
20.00
300.00
150.00
5
20.00
100.00
50.00
30
20.00
600.00
300.00
6
20.00
120.00
60.00
20
90.00
1,800.00
900.00
2
180.00
360.00
180.00
7,340.00
3,670.00
1,300.00
650.00
1,400.00
700.00
1,500.00
750.00
1,000.00
500.00
TOTAL
SKILLS TRAINING
A. POMADE
MAKING
B. ROUND SOAP
MAKING
C. SOYA
UTILIZATION
10 women farmers
15 women farmers
15 women farmers
10 women farmers
D. TIE AND DYE
E. GROUNDNUT
10 women farmers
AND RICE
PROCESSING
F. SHEA BUTTER
PROCESSING
TOTAL
GRAND TOTAL
1,600.00
800.00
1,400.00
700.00
8,200.00
4,100.00
15,540.00
7,770.00
15 women farmers