Ghanaian woman farmer receives Hunger Project Award

Taido (C/R) May 5, GNA - Madam Theresa Assan, a 66 year-old farmer of Oboadze in the Mfantsiman District of the Central Region was on Friday the proud recipient of the "Torch for Woman Food Farmer".

"The Torch for Woman Food Farmer" forms part of the Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger Project (HP), a non-governmental organisation working to end hunger and poverty.

Madam Assaan also known as Madam Adwoa Kwaba received the prize on behalf of all women food farmers in Africa in recognition of their contribution to food production.

Mrs Leonie Donhou of the Republic of Benin presented the torch, which is being passed from country to country in the "Olympic Torch fashion," to Madam Assan at Anomabu Taido.

The handing over of the prize to Madam Assan forms part of activities marking the weeklong national celebration of the "African Woman Food Farmer", under the theme: "Recognising the role of the Ghanaian Woman Farmer".

Madam Assan, who cultivates oil palm, cassava, plantain, pineapple and cashew received the prize for her hard work as well as for the proficiency she exhibited at an Adult Literacy Class organised by HP, as part of its assistance to the two communities of Taido and Pomadze.

Handing over the torch, Mrs Donhou commended the HP for its assistance to African woman food farmers and said receiving of the torch brought happiness to women in Benin. She urged Madam Assan to endeavour to tour the countryside to exhibit the torch to portray the fact that the work of the African woman farmer has gained due recognition. She entreated all women farmers to take the literacy classes offered by the HP seriously to enable them to become literate particularly in their local dialect.

Madam Assan thanked HP for assisting women in the area in various ways, especially in their farming activities, development of education and the establishment of processing plants for cassava. She said she fell particularly proud to have participated in the adult literacy classes and told her counterparts that as women and key to the development of their communities they should endeavour to avail themselves of the opportunities offered by the HP.

Mr Ingver Jensen, a representative of the HP observed that the most fundamental need of every nation is food security, which he said, could only be achieved by having a strong agricultural set up. He commended women food farmers in the country for their hard work and emphasised that they needed to be empowered to enable them to increase their income for the benefit of their families and society at large.

Mr Jensen said the HP has been operating in the country for the past five years and was inspired by the commitment the women had shown towards projects initiated by the HP.

Mrs Lorraine Osei Mensah, National Co-ordinator of the 'Women Farmer Initiative - Ghana', said she was unhappy about the fact that in spite of obstacles and the drudgery women go through to provide the need of their family their work was not appreciated.

She said for instance available records indicated that women in Africa own only one per cent of the land, received less than 10 per cent credit assistance and get little help from agricultural extension services. She said it is in this regard that the women food farmers' initiative has put in place various interventions such as the formation of self-help savings groups and technical support for cropping and access to credit to empower the farmers in the country.

Dr. Mrs Esther Ocloo, a Ghanaian industrialist and the first women recipient of a Hunger Project Award in Africa, described the award for the African woman food farmers as belated but said she was happy that their efforts were now being recognised. She appealed to district assemblies to make some money available to intermediary institutions, which provide assistance to women peasant farmers and to help ensure easy access to land.

Dr Ocloo called on women farmers on the continent to encourage the youth, especially the girls to take interest in farming in addition to their formal education to enable them to take over from them when they become old.

Mr George Kuntu-Blankson, District Chief Executive, commended the HP for its support and assistance to women farmers in the districts and gave the assurance that the assembly would create land bank to facilitate more investment in the districts particularly in the agricultural sector.

Nana Amonoo XI, Omanhene of the Anomabo Traditional Area, who presided commended the HP for the development projects it has established in the area.