Help Fund Women Farmers in Ghana

According to a USAID report, global food production must increase by 70 % in the next 40 years to meet the growing population. Agriculture is needed in rural areas of developing countries and accounts for 86 % rural population's livelihoods. Women make up 43% of the agricultural workforce yet women farmers are LESS productive than men because they have decreased access to land, water, seeds, training, credit. If women had equal access to these necessary tools, the world would benefit. 70% of legal owning farmers in Ghana are men, Opportunity Ghana is working to provide equal access to agriculture tools and loans. 

Opportunity makes agricultural loans to support women farmers in Ghana to enable them to employ seasonal workers to help plant and harvest crops. As part of the agricultural loan program, Opportunity also provides improved seeds, helping each client's crops to thrive. Opportunity clients can also take advantage of other financial products, including weather-indexed crop insurance, which helps our women farmer's protect themselves and their families from the effects of climate change and inclement weather. Regarding crop insurance, one of our client's has said: “Before, I harvested three oxcarts of maize. Now I am harvesting six. I will be food-sufficient and also be able to lease additional land to plant cash crops. I am planning to introduce irrigation.”

We are customizing our financial products to meet the needs of small-scale farmers  

Opportunity’s growing footprint of service points is bringing banking to the families we seek to serve. In the first half of 2011, Opportunity’s banks in Ghana, Malawi, Uganda, Mozambique and Rwanda increased their combined access points to 314, many of which are in rural regions and are enabling previously unbanked communities, like cocoa farmers in Ghana, to finally access the financial tools they need.

We are leveraging technology to reach the most marginalized families in rural regions

Mobile bank vehicles, cell phone banking, ATMs and point of sale devices allow Opportunity to deliver customized services virtually anywhere, enabling us to extend our reach to rural and remote areas with efficiency and affordability. Increased delivery channels means improved access for thousands of families. Opportunity Ghana has brought the bank to the doorstep of rural poor families with two mobile banks and have issued biometric smart cards making it possible for clients to access their accounts within their local markets and shops. In addition, Opportunity Ghana has also implemented cell phone banking, allowing clients to conduct transactions right from their business or home.