Training farmers in the preparation of Bokashi fertilizer

Happy International Day of Rural Women!

The United Nations’ (UN) International Day of Rural Women celebrates and honours the role of rural women on October 15 each year. It recognizes rural women’s importance in enhancing agricultural and rural development worldwide.

Rural women and girls are leaders in agriculture, food security and nutrition, land, natural resource management and unpaid and domestic care work. They are at the frontline when natural resources and agriculture are threatened. It is time we recognize the immense role played by rural women and girls and grow their capacities to respond to climate change through agricultural production, food security, and natural resources management.

Happy international Day of Rural Women in Ghana and all over the world, Kudos!!

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Promoting Organic Agriculture

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) is conducting trials at four (4) different sites (locations) in Ghana on ISO NPK Organic Fertilizer manufactured by CHEMICO for certification use by farmers. 

The Coalition for the Advancement of Organic Farming (CAOF) carried out the ISO NPK fertilizer trial as one of the sites on green pepper and cabbage, led by Tumam Ghana organic farmers at Beo Tanko in the Bongo District of the Upper East region.

Following Farmer Field Schools, a big field day was organized to harvest the mature green pepper. The event also facilitated on-farm discussion and knowledge sharing among stakeholders. Participants included farmers, MOFA staff from the Headquarters, Accra led by Esther Agyekum – Senior Organic Agriculture Officer, regional agriculture extension agents (AEAs), representatives of CHEMICO and CAOF. 

Artisans receive training on entrepreneurship and business management

Entrepreneurship development training intended to enhance the capacity and willingness of 24 apprentices to develop, organize, and manage their business ventures under the Tools for Self Reliance (TFSR) and Trax Ghana partnership project has ended successfully. Over the course of the five day training, participants gained knowledge on entrepreneurship and business development, marketing plans and product development, product and organization management planning, financial planning, record keeping, financial resource mobilization using the Village savings and Loans Association (VSLA), marketing skills and business registration among others. They were also taken through Life skills training to develop their social and interpersonal skills for a responsible lifestyle and also to cope with the demands of everyday life. The training’s practical approach to instruction, knowledge-sharing and guide through the process of making individual business plans for their respective chosen ventures over the course of the training meant that the participants gained hands on experience. After the end of the training, participants were extremely grateful to TFSR and Trax Ghana, some of the participant’s remarks “This training will help me better manage my business and live a happy family life.”, “the knowledge acquired in business planning will help me gain clarity in terms of my expenses and income. It will also help me figure out how to reduce cost and garner better profits as self-employed for a better life”. “This training has invigorated me and added value to my dream to become self-employed to cater for myself and my family, this will really change my life!.”

Presentation on field work by UDS practicum students

The practicum period of the two UDS Students, Sarah and Joshua at Trax Ghana came to an end with a presentation on their field work. The delivery was so engaging, enlightening and stimulating. Congrats!

Presentation

UDS students with Directors of TUMAM Ghana (extreme left) and Trax Ghana (extreme right)

Group photograph of some participants at the presentation

Agriculture is the backbone of human existence and for any civilization to prosper; agriculture has to be healthy and sustainable. As a country, we need to focus on promoting organic agriculture and agricultural practices that provides healthy food for the society and combat climate change by cutting down greenhouse gas emissions.

Post Project Evaluation

Trax Ghana and Tools for Self Reliance, UK partnership project – Field visits and post project evaluation meeting – also, finalizing discussions on the next artisans project

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Solar Panel arrives on Trax-Kavli Scholarships farm

Trax Norway shipment of solar panels for cheap, green electricity and assorted items for charity finally arrived on the Trax-Kavli scholarships farm located at Kabusgo, Bongo district in the Upper East region.

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FIELD WORK BY UDS STUDENTS ON PRACTICUM/INTERNSHIP

University for Development Studies third year B.A Development Education practicum Students; Sarah Frimpomaa and Joshua Kojo Bonzo are gathering data in the Beo-Tankoo community, Bongo District on the designed project “Strengthening resilience of rural farmers, especially women through organic dry season farming”. The women constitute about 77% of the farmers who are into organic vegetable farming in the community using a mechanized borehole as perennial water source.
The aim of the project is to: improve the family nutrition, increase household income through the sale of vegetables in commercial quantities, sustain soil productivity and make farming more drought-resistant and more resilient to extreme events. The field exercise of the practicum students is to engage grassroots actors and collect relevant data to help establish how the organic vegetable farming has contributed to environmental conservation and wellbeing of the farmers, especially women.

interacting with organic vegetable seller

Interacting with organic vegetable buyer

Talking to TUMAM Ghana Director

TRAX GHANA PLAYS HOST TO TWO (2) UDS STUDENTS ON PRACTICUM/INTERNSHIP

Trax Ghana is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working with rural communities in Northern Ghana. We are working to reduce poverty and increase food security through sustainable agricultural and livelihood interventions. We use the principles of agroecological production to support health and sustainable food systems in Northern Ghana.

Over the years, Trax Ghana plays host to both local and international students undertaking research and practicum/internship. Currently, two (2) University for Development Studies (UDS) third year B.A Development Education Students, Sarah Frimpomaa and Joshua Kojo Bonzo are with the organization for nine weeks Practicum/internship starting May  27 to July 26, 2019.

The Practicum is an integral part of the Development Education programme of the UDS which aims at giving hand-on practical skills in lobbying and advocacy, mass mobilization and engagements, community facilitation and training, participatory research and appraisal techniques to students.

As part of their schedule at Trax Ghana, the students will undergo orientation on the organization activities and partnership projects, training in ICT, planning and field work and finally presentation of reports.

ICT training

Planning for field work