Ghana Country Director visits the Small Ruminant Project

for women groups in Jawia

The Village Savings and Loan Associations in Jawia requested for a small ruminant production in their community to challenge the age-long tradition that women can not rear animals. With the help of Plan Ghana, the women have successfully formed an association which is into the rearing of livestock. The associations: the Laane Association now has 18 nannies, 1 Billy goat and 8 kids while the Kayeriwori Association has 18 nannies, 2 Billy goats and 10 kids.

On Tuesday, a team from the country office of Plan Ghana made up of the Country Director, the National Administrator, the Southern Sector Manager, Program Area Manager and the Livelihood Advisor visited the women groups in Tumu (in the Upper West Region of Ghana) to see how they are faring. As per tradition, the team first paid a courtesy call on the chief of the. The team was later on met with a rousing welcome by the two women groups in the community. Joyously, the associations led the team to see the success of the project.

The Country Director, Samuel Paulos was impressed with what he saw. He was particularly happy that the project was been constantly monitored by Plan Ghana staff and other government agencies.

The ruminant project is aimed at helping the women in rural areas to find means of survival. In this case the project is to rear animals so that as they multiply, the women can sell some as a source of income. Part of the income could also be channelled into their Village Savings and Loan (VSLA) funds so that they can get more loans and more interest.

The association has its own constitution that governs their activities. The women were proud that they initiated the project, provided labour and Plan Ghana provided funds for the housing, the animals and veterinary services.

One woman told Plan Ghana ‘’ formally, I could not rear animals in the community. However, this project has disproved the idea and now I can go to the market with my animals to sell when the need arises to increase my income’’.

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A section of the women interacting with the team at Jawia ( Samuel Paulos in the baseball cap)

Date :20/05/09

About Plan

Founded over 70 years ago, Plan is one of the oldest and largest international development agencies in the world. We work in 49 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas. Plan directly supports more than 1,500,000 children and their families, and indirectly supports an estimated further 9,000,000 people who live in communities that are working with Plan. Plan is independent, with no religious, political or governmental affiliations. Our vision Plan's vision is of a world in which all children realise their full potential in societies that respect people's rights and dignity. Our mission Plan aims to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries, through a process that unites people across cultures and adds meaning and value to their lives, by: enabling deprived children, their families and their communities to meet their basic needs and to increase their ability to participate in and benefit from their societies building relationships to increase understanding and unity among peoples of different cultures and countries promoting the rights and interests of the world's children

Brief on Plan Ghana Plan has been working in Ghana since 1992, helping poor children to access their rights to health, education, food security and protection. Our programmes benefit 28,379 children in 300 communities across the country.  Having completed the construction of 8 irrigation dams in the dry Tumu programme area, Plan Ghana is now focusing on strengthening community-based water management structures to ensure effective use of the dams to enhance livelihoods.  This goes hand in hand with supporting Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA) which are spreading in the communities; helping villagers to become financially independent.

Plan Ghana is operational in these areas: Asesewa Bawjiase Mankessim Tumu Volta Wa