Agrihouse Foundation as part of its Women in Food and Agriculture Leadership Training Forum (WOFAGRIC) and Gold in the Soil Awards initiative together with its partners and sponsors have built the capacity of women farmers and women farmers with disabilities, especially from the Western and Western North Regions whiles guiding the priorities for the future of women farmers.
About 300 women farmers, women-led agribusinesses and women farmers with disabilities participated in the 2-day event which began with the training forum consisting of about 60% women farmers who own between five (5) to seventy (70) acres of farmland within the Western and Western North Regions.
The majority of the participants are into the production of Cocoa, Maize, Rice, Cassava, and Millet among others with 30% of them being into the processing of Cassava and the remaining 10% being more into extension services, distributors and marketers of fertilizers and other related input materials.
There was a Corporate-Impact Dialogue where partners shared five key programs and policies facilitated by their organizations that further opened-up opportunities and develop women in Agriculture, including women farmers, living with disabilities.
There was also Development Awareness for Growth sessions in thematic areas such as Highlighting the challenges we face in linking the market, building capacity and investing in women in agribusiness – How do we move forward?
Principles and practices, that should be adopted by women in Agriculture to increase yield and meet quality standards for community consumption and international buy-in (export), and Agri-Woman Lifestyle, Total Well-Being and Brand Building – How I can take care of myself and balance my role as an Agri-working woman – wife – single other.
Breakout capacity-building sessions were also made with a focused-group discussion, mentoring and training session, with a powerful ambition to train, interact, discuss, empower and groom women and farmers, building their capacity to scale up their businesses.
The concept and outcomes identified, through this model, were expected to shape a road path towards engaging and developing women farmers and Agribusinesses. Mentors, Trainers and Resource persons were rotated from group to group to ensure the desired outcomes were achieved.
The forum also came with technical field demonstrations on the appropriate use and application of equipment, one-on-one mentorships, empowerment talks, and case study presentations on modules and practices that have worked, and how beneficial they are or can be for women farmers.
Miss Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa Sarpong, Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation in an address said the event has over the past 3 years brought over 2000 women farmers, to one stage, where knowledge, ideas and relevant skills required for business expansion and development are bequeath to women within the agri-value chain.
She added that the Women in Food and Agricultural Leadership Training Forum and the Gold in the Soil Awards have supported the strengthening of women’s agribusiness enterprises across Ghana, motivating a paradigm shift in projecting women achievers in agribusiness.
“The program, which has been of benefit to over 20,000 women directly, and over 225, 000 women indirectly, has also assisted to venture into various agribusinesses that cut across the value chain”, she emphasized.
She was thankful to the partners and sponsors such as Yara Ghana, RDF LBG, Absa, Ocp Ghana, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, NFFAWAG and Global Affairs Canada, for working with the Foundation in the past four(4) years to ensure such intervention was sustained.
“Finally, in these two days, let us leave here, challenging ourselves to be the best of ourselves – Let’s grow – Let’s stand out! Thank you, for being here, as we support ourselves to Recover – Grow and Standout! Let us as women make waves in Agriculture”, she implored.
