EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH KEYHOLE GARDENS

EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH KEYHOLE GARDENS

Posted on by Fadel-Rahman Arimeyaw

We are thrilled to share the inspiring journey of resilience and empowerment unfolding in the vibrant community of Kpaling, nestled within Savelugu. Here, women are spearheading a movement towards sustainable food solutions, igniting hope and change through their unwavering determination. Through the transformative support of the GROW 2 project, a collaborative effort between URBANET and MEDA Ghana, generously funded by Global Affairs Canada, these women have embarked on a profound journey, establishing Keyhole Gardens that yield an abundance of dry season vegetables right in their backyards.

Meet Nimatu Yussif, whose radiant smile mirrors the joy and fulfilment she finds in her Keyhole Garden. With newfound skills and resources, she’s one of the many women championing a positive change in the community, not just for herself, but for her entire community. Nimatu’s enthusiasm knows no bounds as she recounts the profound impact of her garden on her family’s daily life.

“This journey has been truly transformative,” shares Nimatu Yussif. “I am deeply grateful to URBANET and MEDA GROW2, as well as to Mr. Haruna and Tidoo, the Agricultural Extension Agent and Village Agent, for their exceptional dedication and assistance throughout the training process. Thanks to their support, these women have embarked on a profound journey, establishing Keyhole Gardens that yield an abundance of dry-season vegetables right in their backyards. Our Keyhole Garden has not only enabled us to achieve self-sufficiency but has also significantly reduced our household expenses. The availability of fresh, leafy vegetables right at our doorstep has alleviated the financial burden of sourcing scarce produce during this year’s dry season.”

Nimatu’s story echoes the resilience and determination of countless women in Kpaling, who are forging a path towards a brighter, more sustainable future. Each Keyhole Garden stands as a testament to the power of community-driven initiatives and the profound change that can blossom from empowerment and support.

Join us in celebrating the remarkable achievements of the women of Kpaling as they cultivate not just gardens but hope for resilience and a thriving future for generations to come. Together, let’s continue to sow the seeds of empowerment and nourish dreams into reality.

URBANET FACILITATES VISITS WITH THE MEDA REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF WAMENA AND MEDA GHANA

Posted on by Fadel-Rahman Arimeyaw

Monitoring and measuring the impact of projects on beneficiaries is imperative to ensuring their success. Ensuring that projects meet their set targets, and make a positive impact in communities and among beneficiaries is something project coordinators and officers under URBANET take keenly to every project.

The Greater Rural Opportunities for Women 2 (GROW2) project is one of the current projects with the most operational zones and components, which demand more effort in order to be successful. It is always a privilege to lead donors and partners to operational zones for monitoring, considering the proper execution by project officers in their places of operation.

This week, URBANET was honoured to host a field visit to the Zoggu community under the Nanton district by Dr. Pierre Kadet, the Regional Director of MEDA for the West Africa, Middle East, and North Africa (WAMENA) regions, Mr. Francis Essuman, the Project Manager for GROW2, and his team. The MEDA team engaged and interacted with the women smallholder farmers under the project, who were excited to share with them their experiences and the benefits they have enjoyed since the inception of the project.

Aside from the clients’ experience sharing engagement, the other highlight of the visit was a tour of the threshing centre owned by one of the women who were able to purchase a groundnut thresher and tricycle, thanks to the GROW2 project Price Discount Scheme (PDS). Many women within the district and other districts have shown great perseverance and a zeal to be economically empowered. They take advantage of every opportunity provided by the project to elevate themselves each time, a trait that was appreciated and commended by the MEDA team.

The GROW2 project’s primary focus is to alleviate poverty by providing economic and market solutions to women smallholder farmers within the two food crop value chains, soybeans, and groundnut. URBANET’s team is working tirelessly to ensure this goal is achieved successfully and is continually applauded for that.

GROW2 CLIENTS UNDER URBANET PARTICIPATE IN GMF SUMMIT

Posted on by Fadel-Rahman Arimeyaw

Gender Model Family (GMF) is a programme that encourages and gives husbands the knowledge and tools to live equally with their wives and to ensure that their boys and girls are given the same opportunities to develop their potential. It influences how couples and partners share household chores, how family members communicate, and how parents interact with their children.

Urbanet, in partnership with MEDA as part of the GESI component of the GROW2 project, organized the GMF annual summit. The summit began with the administration of criteria to help select the best practicing model.  Each couple was chosen from the Zoggu and Jegun community based on their demonstrable examples.

Objectives.

  •  Awarded best-practicing couples.
  •  Best practicing GMF couples shared experiences to motivate other couples.
  • Stakeholders’ views on how to sustain the GMF concept.

In attendance, were two GESI officers for URBANET and ACDEPT, the GESI team at MEDA, staff of SEND Ghana, and other key stakeholders including gender desk officers, planning officers, social welfare/ community development officers etc.

These selected couples were allowed to share their experiences on how best they are practicing the GMF concept and how well it’s helping to transform the lives of their household and its cascading effect in the entire community. Some of the experiences shared include but are not limited to helping reduce unpaid care for women and girls, improving communication among couples, help to boost the economic activities of women.  A framed family picture was presented to the selected couples as a form of motivation and encouragement as they continue to be of good standard and serve as role models.

The Gender Module Family program is currently running in most of the operating zones of Urbanet Ghana. Through our GESI coordinator and project officers, as well as projects, we are putting in place measures to ensure gender equity within households to reduce SGBVs, and unpaid care work, increase opportunities for women and create a healthy environment for women and children to thrive.