Management of community fields

The project aimed to avoid child emigration by increasing the economic capacities of families in three rural villages in Ghana (two in the north, one in the south) through the development of income-generating activities. The project supported the development of community fields for food crop production, provided training in market analysis, and supplied the farming equipment and tools needed to reinforce production capacities.

Sixty small holder farmers and their families benefitted directly from harvests and income from the communal fields. In each of the three villages, a women’s management committee played an instrumental role in the management of harvest yields and revenues. The new agro-ecological methods introduced enabled a significant increase in the quantity and bio-diversity of produce. Over 300 children, exceeding the initial expectation of 120 children, benefitted from improved nutrition and their parents were able to pay for their schooling. At the end of the project, parents had the resources for their children’s immediate needs, reducing the migration from rural to urban areas of young children attending school.

The Swiss Foundation of the International Social Service (SFISS) is a network of social workers and lawyers globally active in favour of children and young people in vulnerable situations. On the ground, SFISS works with Recfam (Research & Counseling - Foundation for African Migrants), which specialises in community development and the fight against human trafficking.

60
producers

Type

Environment / Community Development

Duration

July 2012 - June 2014

Location

Ghana

With whom

The Swiss Foundation of the International Social Service (SFISS)

Website

www.siss.ch

Ghana

Population
28.8 million (2017)

Per Capita Income
USD 1'880/year (2017)

Poverty rate *
23% (2017)

Literacy rate
71% (2016)

Human Development Index
140th out of 189 countries (2018)

Renowned for its stability and democratic governance Ghana has made great progress over the past 20 years in reducing poverty and hunger among its population. Its economy is growing ahead of the average for the Africa region. This is reflected in gradual improvements in the efficiency of public institutions. Although primary school enrolment has reached 100 %, secondary school enrolment lags at 60% for male students and 47% for female students. Health care varies widely across the country with huge inequalities between the north and south of the country and between urban centres, generally well served, and rural areas often with no health care at all. Similarly, water supply and sanitation still face a number of challenges, mainly due to neglect until the 1990s.

Sources: World Food Program, UNICEF, World Bank, 2016 Human Development Report, Human Development Indices and Indicators (2018 Statistical Update)

*The percentage of the population living below the national poverty line.