V/R: 48 households get solar lamps

Forty-eight households engaged in cocoa and coffee farms in Adofe and Dzogbedo in the Ho West District of the Volta region have received complete sets of solar lamp from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and Light A Village, a Non-Governmental Organization.

It formed part of interim measures to light up cocoa and coffee growing communities which are yet to be connected to the national electricity grid to help the children study in the evening.

Deputy Director of Research at COCOBOD, Owusu Manu, who presented the items, stated that the gesture formed part of a larger education support programme by the two organisations in aid of the educational aspirations of the wards of farmers in remote communities.

Mr. Owusu Manu noted that cocoa and coffee were important to Ghana’s economy, assuring that COCOBOD and its collaborators will make efforts to support its development adding that, “It is in view of this that we support schools and communities without light.”

Farmer groups

He entreated the farmers to form groups to make them stronger in seeking for support and building a better managed market for their produce, saying “to get the best outcome of your activities, your best bet is to form groups”

The President and Founder of Light A Village, Dr. James Quartey expressed his delight in being part of a project aimed at mobilizing resources in support of communities that do not have electricity.

He was particularly happy about the close collaboration with COCOBOD and expressed confidence about the growth of the partnership to continually help children access education by providing them with solar lamps for studies.

Ms. Benedicta Tamakloe, the Founder of Bean Masters coffee told the gathering that her organization sources and roasts Ghanaian coffee from women owned farms and disclosed that her outfit was committed to using 10% of their net profit in the development of the farms from which they source their coffee.

She encouraged other farmers who are actively in coffee farming to join the association, adding that combining skills, knowledge and other abilities help them develop together while sharing skills and opportunities and to overcome challenges collectively.

Free Chocolate

Mr. Owusu Manu later presented bars of chocolates to the school children in the two communities and explained their nutritional and health benefits to them.

He noted that cocoa which forms the base of every chocolate product has the propensity to boost the cognitive ability of humans especially children in their formative years while providing the highest source of anti-oxidants for the human body.