Take Best Practices to Farmers in Rural Ghana

Ground has been broken on the acre of land at Nkwakurom in the district of Atwima Nwabiagya for the young adult farmer training center. According to Benjamin Kusi, interim country director in Ghana, four giant poles
were mounted around the perimeter of the land. “Staking the land with these poles secures the area and announces to would-be trespassers that the land is off limits,” reports Kusi.

Kusi has also been busy identifying and obtaining the support of key Ghanaian stakeholders for the building project. “Notifying the appropriate authorities and acquiring their blessing is very important,” says Kusi. In addition to the chief of Nkwakurom and the Ghanaian district director of education, the district chief executive and the principal of the Kwadaso Agricultural College have been approached.   

Now that the site has been selected, Ministry of Agriculture extension personnel and veterinarians are being identified to work with Self-Help staff. Instructional materials are under review and will be edited and purchased soon. 

The process of acquiring land and obtaining permission to build from the appropriate people in Ghana is a painstaking process, says Merry Fredrick, Self Help Director. “It is so different than how we do things here in the U.S.  but fortunately, we are steadily moving forward". 

We are grateful for the support coming in to move the project forward!  It is a very exciting time for young farmers.