The Cocoa Farmers’ Co-operative Society at Brofoyedru, a farming community in the Sekyere East District of Ashanti, has donated a GH¢ 23,000.00 mechanized borehole for the community.

The donor, a branch of the Sekyere East Mondelez International Cocoa Life (MICL) Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union Limited, used its 50 per cent share of the District’s total premium received from Mondelez International.

Nana Kingsley Omane, the General Secretary of the Brofoyedru Cocoa Farmers’ Co-operative Society, speaking at a commissioning ceremony, said the motivation for such a gesture was to contribute to meeting the unmet needs of their community such as access to potable water.

“As farmers living in the same community, we feel obliged to discharge our social responsibility to help make life better for everyone so as to promote a better environment for socio-economic development.

Nana Omane said the water system restrained school children’s lateness to school, because they have to trek some distances to fetch water, before they can go to school.

The MICL Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union Limited, is an initiative established by the Mondelez International Cocoa Life Programme in over 15 cocoa growing districts across the country.

It works to mobilize and empower farmers to seek redress on issues and challenges confronting their families and livelihoods in the communities.

The Sekyere East, Wassa East, Asunafo North, Amansie West, among other Districts, where cocoa farmers are benefiting from the initiative.

Annually, each of the MICL Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union Limited in the various Districts receive a premium from the Mondelez International, through its Cocoa Life Programme.

The premium received is an appreciation from the Mondelez International to the cocoa farmers in Ghana for their invaluable contributions to the quality and premium of the Ghanaian cocoa bean traded on the international market.

It is also to ensure a continuity of the sustainability of quality and premium of the Ghanaian cocoa beans by the cocoa farmers.

Madam Yaa Peprah Amekudzi, the Country Lead of the MICL Programme in Ghana said the premiums received by the cocoa farmers from MICL programme through their farmers’ group bank account, were geared towards strategic development areas of their farmers’ group, individual famer’s business and their communities’ development.

“Breakdowns of the utilization of the premiums received by the farmers are into four areas-farming inputs, bonuses to the individual farmers, their community development and administrative costs of the various offices of the farmers’ district and communities’ offices.

“This distribution and shares of the premiums received, are at the discretion of the farmers’ group members”, she noted.

The Country Lead of the MICL Programme commended the Brofoyedru Cocoa Farmers’ Co-operative Society for assigning higher percentage of 50 of their total premium received to the development cause of their community as outlined in their community action plans.

Mr. Paul Akuamoah Boateng, Development Facilitator at the Sekyere East Cluster of World Vision International in Ghana, said his outfit being part of the implementers of the MICL programme in the District facilitated the training of members of the farmers’ group and community on sustainable action planning and prioritization of their needs.

Mr. Samuel Adjare, the President of the Sekyere East Farmers’ Union commended the Brofoyedru Farmers’ Group for the gesture and urged the other farmer societies in the 24 MICL communities in the district, to emulate the example.