Take Best Practices to Farmers in Rural Ghana

It has been a common practice to see children helping their parents on the farm during weekends and after school. Produce from these farms serve as the major source of food and income for the local market and families. One major challenge has been low yields, which could be attributed to lack of adherence to good agricultural and environmental practices.

Sometimes, it is difficult to teach adult rural farmers how to access new or best-practice information, so they do not always know that modified practices could positively impact their yield. Their children grow up and either migrate to the cities or take over the farming business, continuing to utilize the old farming practices they learned from their parents.

Equipping rural children with science-based, good agricultural and environmental practices plays a vital role in improving the quality of agriculture in these communities because they are directly involved in agriculture activities from a very young age.

To help, Self-Help International introduced the Youth in Agriculture Program through the Agriculture and Entrepreneur Program in 2018. Currently, eight schools are enrolled in the program, and membership is composed of students from the upper primary to Junior High School. The eight schools are located in rural communities in the Ashanti Region where SHI operates: Nkontomire, Nyamebekyere, Kyereyase, Timeabu, Bedabour, Beposo, Nkawkom and Kukuboso. These students are equipped with resources, knowledge in good agriculture practices and entrepreneurship skills training. Emphasis is placed in hands-on and experiential learning methods. Each club identifies and implements a field project to practice what they are learning throughout the year and to generate income to sustain the club.  Lessons learned during the club activities and field visits are carried on to their parents’ farms and communities. Some of the students have even started their own individual projects with support from SHI and their club advisors.

Knowing that the future of our country depends on the quality of agriculture, the training we are giving to the youth in partner communities will sustain the food chain in our local market.

Children in developing countries like Ghana face different barriers in accessing basic education. Some of these include school fees, access to learning materials, books, among other things. The government of Ghana introduced the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) program in 1995 which promised universal education by 2005. This policy, however, did not achieve the target goal due to many reasons and could not offset all fees.

Many countries including Ghana have eliminated school fees. However, there are still other significant costs like school uniforms. Access to school uniforms by school children has been a major barrier to education, especially in the rural part of the country including Nyamebekyere, a rural community in the Atwuma Nwabiagye Municipality of the Ashanti region of Ghana. This community has an estimated population of about 1000 people. The community has one school with a student population of 145 from nursery level to grade 6.

According to the headmaster, 4 out of every 5 students have only one school uniform which they wear from Monday to Friday. This has led to most uniforms getting torn and worn out due to regular washing. Absenteeism is a norm in the school and the situation affects teaching and learning activities. Also, only a few privileged students with good uniforms benefit from activities such as educational tours, march pass, games, etc.

In July 2021, the Parents and Teachers Association met and agreed on introducing a uniform that will be worn on Fridays and special occasions for a cost of $4.12 USD. The SHI Agribusiness Club in Nyamebekyere decided to help with this cost. The club has 28 members and none of them had fully paid for the new school uniform as of October 2021. The club produced vegetables as a project for the year 2021 and made a revenue of over $170 USD. The club agreed to support each member with an amount of $2.47 USD. Every member of the club now has a set of new uniforms and this is anticipated to help curb student absenteeism in the school. The club also has plans to support its members with exercise books and pens for the next academic year.

Matthew Kunadu, the club advisor in an interview said, “I think every one of us should have a free mind to study and none should be left behind. The issue of school uniform should not be a reason for absenteeism.”

Emmanuel Amoah, the headmaster of the school also reiterated the impact of Self-Help International’s interventions on the school. He said, “ SHI’s school feeding program and agribusiness club are having a great impact on the school, the students, and teachers. Students, teachers, and the entire community are learning good agriculture practices through the club and the students have proven that they can make good money to support their education and parents. The future is bright for them with SHI’s interventions. Kudus to Justice, and the club advisor for their unflinching support."