FOSTERING Photovoice Project
Agenda 1. About CDF Canada and housekeeping (David Dern, CDF Canada) 2. FOSTERING overview (Frewengel Wolde-Michael (Fre), CDF Canada) 3. My experience as a CDF Canada volunteer in Ghana (Nermisa Omerovic, Servus Credit Union) 4. ‘Through our Eyes’ --photovoice project (Rebecca Sivel, CDF Canada) 5. Q & A, wrap up
Since 1947 CDF Canada has worked with partners to create and grow community-owned co-operative enterprises, helping small producers and their families achieve prosperous, self-reliant lives.
The big picture Duration: 5 years (2013-2018) Budget: CAD 8.4 million Funders: Government of Canada (GAC), CDF Canada Partners: SEND Ghana and Credit Union Association of Ghana Location: 8 Districts in Eastern Corridor of Northern Ghana Helped: 51,959 (29,244 women, 20,954 men) - we exceeded our target by 24%
The Challenge: Erratic weather Poor harvests High food costs • Currency depreciation • Few services and tools available to farmers • Growing farmer vulnerability • Chieftancy conflicts • Growing farmer vulnerability owing to widespread • food insecurity FOSTERING Districts
Our approach TO FOS OSTER ER: : - Institutions - Relationships - Skills & knowledge FOSTERING Guide Relationship between FOSTERING and farmer co-ops & credit unions ends with the Credit Unions Zone Coops project. (9) (8) Relationship among farmer co- ops, credit unions and small holder farmers continues even Small Holder after the project ends. Farmers
Our mission 1. TO INCREASE AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION, NUTRITION, MARKETING AND ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE 2. TO DEVELOP FARMER-OWNED CREDIT UNIONS AND CO-OPERATIVES 3. TO ENCOURAGE GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS FOOD SECURITY CONCERNS While: ✓ Promoting gender equality ✓ Increasing the number of women leaders ✓ Improving literacy & numeracy levels ✓ Reducing deforestation & bush burning ✓ Promoting conservation farming
IMPROVING PRODUCTION, NUTRITION, MARKETING & ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE Demonstration plots Row planting, Improved seeds spacing (soya) Promoting conservation farming Reducing Applying fertilizer deforestation & (composting) bush burning
Stor Storage ge Post harvest Nutrition and cooking training management, aggregation Deworming
77% of farmers reported of using new farming methods and technologies 90% of farmers have reported diversified their crop production
86% of farmers are employing IMPROVED POST-HARVEST handling and marketing strategies 89% of families are adopting IMPROVED food preparation and fortification METHODS
DEVELOPING CREDIT UNIONS AND CO-OPERATIVES 8 Zonal co-ops 47% of co-op and credit union 9 District credit unions LEADERS are women
30,000 WOMEN + 22,000 MEN have taken LOANS for production and small businesses 23,000 women and men have started NEW BUSINESSES to augment their farm incomes
Engaging Government ✓ Government has increased its commitment to food security in every district 100% of community-based Food Security Concerns are included in district GOVERNMENT PLANS. 50% of district assemblies have IMPLEMENTED the food security plans
Has The Proj oject ect Achiev ieved ed it its Com ommit itment ment of of S ustainable, gender equitable, food security for women and men??? ✓ Up to 98% of households report they are now food secure for up to 12 months of the year (From 70% to 98%) 10x increase in women’s annual INCOME 7x increase in men’s annual INCOME ✓ Malnutrition is down: Underweight: from 22% to 14% Stunting: from 32% to 12% Wasting: from 13% to 10%
Through Our Through Our Eyes Eyes Photovoice Evaluation
Through Our Eyes
Photovoice Photovoice What is it? Why are we Using it? • Qualitative and participatory • Capturing qualitative evaluation tool information to accompany household • Disposable cameras were survey data distributed to 40 men and women small producers in • Participatory and Northern Ghana innovative
Results Strengthening Resilience and Closing the Gap on Gender Promoting Financial Sustainability Inequality Inclusion "A member of my "The climate has microfinance group got changed. We can't farm support from credit all the time but we can union to process soya rely on animals." beans." -Francis Talin -Veronica Gbande "I am helping to pound fufu. Previously I was not doing this activity with my wife." -Emmanuel Balore
Stre rengthening Resilie ience and Sustainabilit ity Meet Veronica… “ Nobody fears when there is development. There is development going on here. Anybody who is coming, they will not have the fear there is conflict. No, everybody is free to move.” Just under 100 Community Peace Animators received training in household and community conflict management
Stre rengthening Resilie ience and Sustainabilit ity Meet Soale … “We notice a lot of improvement in the health of the children. Before the deworming exercise, the children used to complain about stomach problems, at times you see that some of them are growing late, they don’t look healthy. But now those complaints have reduced drastically and they all look healthy now.” Over 2,600 Children were dewormed in 7 districts
Clo losing the Gap on Gender In Inequality Meet Sarah… 1,850 Women learned to read and write “I can now sit with a group of men and woman and raise my voice and people will abide by it. Now, because I can read and write I don’t have to go to any man to write loan application for me.”
Clo losing the Gap on Gender In Inequality Meet Moses… “GMF taught me many, many, many roles you are supposed to play in the home so that you can live happy. Before, I was doing house work small small but hiding it because it is taboo for man to sweep and clean. GMF empowered me, I came out boldly.” 1,636 Families received Gender Model Family training in 130 communities. 88.5% of households reported shared decision making
Pro romoting Fin inancia ial In Inclusion Meet Basibli … “I now have money on my own. When my children’s school call me, I have money. I don’t go to anybody to beg. I can directly send money to my children’s school.” Women’s annual income has increased 10X
Pro romoting Fin inancia ial In Inclusion Meet Matilda… 8,383 women joined microfinance groups to access credit union services “Some of them {group members} used loan to improve their farming but some change their business totally. There was one woman, I took her picture, she is now brewing pito beer. There is another one too, instead of the farming she is now buying yam to sell.”
Thank you!
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