Partner:
The iMPACT Consortium (a partnership including AFRICARE, GTZ, ICI, IFESH, MARS Inc, Rainforest Alliance, and STCP)
Period:
December 2007 – January 2012
Country of Operation:
Ghana
Category:
Agriculture & Community Development
Project Snapshot:
The iMPACT Project, funded by Mars Incorporated as part of the Mars Partnership for African Cocoa Communities of Tomorrow, targeted rural cocoa-dependent communities in Ghana. Piloted in 18 communities across two districts—Wasa Amenfi West (Asankrangwa) and Assin North (Assin Fosu)—the project aimed to demonstrate that an integrated approach combining agriculture, environment, education, and health can transform community incomes and welfare. By enhancing the capacity of cocoa farming communities to identify and improve their social, economic, and environmental conditions, the project sought to make cocoa farming a profitable, socially rewarding, and environmentally sustainable livelihood, while also positioning it as an attractive occupation for future generations.
Project Objectives:
- Capacity Building: Empower cocoa farming communities to assess and improve their social, economic, and environmental conditions.
- Integrated Development: Demonstrate the benefits of integrating agriculture, education, environment, and health interventions.
- Sustainable Livelihoods: Enhance the profitability and sustainability of cocoa farming, making it an appealing and viable livelihood for families.
- Stakeholder Synergy: Strengthen collaboration among community members, local NGOs, and other stakeholders through participatory processes and evidence-based planning.
PDA’s Task:
PDA was responsible for providing capacity-building support throughout the community engagement process. Key tasks included:
- Training Community Engagement Partners (CEPs) and key district stakeholders in participatory methodologies.
- Facilitating dialogue and sensitization sessions to raise awareness about community issues.
- Supporting the participatory planning process and the development of community action plans.
- Coordinating, backstopping, and monitoring the implementation of these community action plans by the CEPs.
How We Went About It:
- Training & Capacity Building: Organized workshops and training sessions to equip CEPs and district stakeholders with participatory tools for dialogue, sensitization, and planning.
- Facilitated Community Engagement: Conducted interactive sessions that enabled communities to voice their challenges and collaboratively design action plans.
- Participatory Planning: Guided communities through the elaboration of comprehensive action plans that integrated agriculture, education, environment, and health strategies.
- Ongoing Support: Provided continuous coordination and monitoring support to ensure that CEPs effectively implemented the community action plans and adapted strategies based on feedback.