The farm is modeled around the framework of a social enterprise, where it is concerned with the well-being of all its stakeholders, especially the vulnerable, including people living with disabilities, children, women and youth in rural Ghana. The following are the pillars of social impact envisaged by the project.
Sustainable youth job creation
The project is redefining agriculture in the volta region. Through its outgrower scheme, the project is supplying farmers with improved seeds and fertilizer coupled with training in good agricultural practices. Thus, providing both inputs and output markets for farmers in and around the region. Few years ago, one could not find yellow maize being farmed. Currently due to the support of the project, yellow is now visible, and with ready market for farmers. This is generating a lot of jobs. The project envisaged a total job creation of about 1500, comprising the farmers on the outgrower schemes, workers of the nucleus farms, workers in the poultry farm and feed mill, the egg traders, other farmers benefiting from the feed mill as well as project management staff.
Women and Youth empowerment
A key objective of the project is to enhance livelihood in the project communities. This can only be done by empowering the households in these communities by empowering the women. The programme is currently supporting various activities; including training of women in Gender Action Learning System, a community-led empowerment methodology that uses principles of inclusion to improve income, food and nutrition security of vulnerable people in a gender-equitable way. Trainings have also been conducted on sexual reproductive life and general health issues for women in project communities. The company has also laid out to have at least 50% of its labour force as well as interventions allocated to women. Additional trainings and capacity building will be conducted to develop village and savings associations within the communities of operations.
Access to finance
As part of efforts to make capital available for members of the outgrowers and traders of company’s product, the farm will be cooperating with a microfinance institution to be providing affordable short-term loans to farmers and traders. This is to enhance their business and support urgent needs at household level.
Support to community school
Education is a right and no child irrespective of location should be deprived from school. It is for this reason that the project is supporting various community level educational activities. The farm provides an egg to the lower primary pupils of Adegblevi twice in a week. This has increase school attendance over the last two years. The farm also supports debates as well as field excursion of pupils from the community school. Part of the school is still under a shade rendering academic activities at the mercy of the weather. The farm has initiated efforts with some NGOs, including contacting the Rotary Club to support the school in putting a three-classroom block facility. Another support for the community is inviting models to come and mentor pupils to aspire to reach higher levels of education.
