Adaptation Climate Fund Sub Projects launched in UE

Four Adaptation Climate Fund Sub Projects made up of dry season gardening, Integrated Beekeeping and Environmental Protection (IBEP), Fishing and Tree Growing Projects have been launched at the Aliba Community in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region.

The one year sub projects which are climate change adaptation focused aimed at increasing households incomes and reducing food insecurity with much more emphasis on women is to benefit communities including Yidongo, Gorigo, Adaboya, Vea, Amanga, Kukua and Aliba.

Four Non-Governmental Organizations including META Foundation, LINK Ghana, Rural Education and Agriculture Development International(READI) and the Community Self Reliance Centre (COSREC) are implementing each of the above mentioned sub projects.

Whilst the Adaptation Fund Project (AFP) of the United Nations Development Programme( UNDP) is providing funding support for the implementation of the projects , the Ministry of Environment Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) through the Upper East Regional Directorate of Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) is in charge of monitoring and supervision of the projects implementation.

Launching the projects on last Friday at the Aliba Community in the District, the District Chief Executive for the area, Mr Peter Ayamga Ayinbisa, lauded the projects and stated that the District was one of the hardest hit when it comes to climate change.

He expressed the optimism that not only would the interventions help empower the communities to adopt to climate change, but would also help contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals of ending hunger, poverty and Climate Change.

The Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional area who is also the Vice President of the Regional House of Chiefs impressed upon the beneficiary communities to embrace the project and stressed that the selected projects for the District had the greatest potentials of wealth creation.

The Programme Manager of META Foundation, Mr David Amozebega, said his outfit which is charge of the dry season gardening project would build the capacity of the communities to establish seedlings in the areas of tomatoe, pepper and onions and also support them with modernize agricultural practices to conduct farming activities on dry season farming.

He indicated that considering the role of women in food security and household livelihoods interventions, the project have target at least 60% of the beneficiaries to be women and added that the project would also consciously work to ensure that the youth and vulnerable groups such as the physically challenged persons become an integral part of the project.

The Northern Regional Manager of LINK Ghana, Mr Daniel A Kansake, stated that LINK Ghana with its Bee Project, would implement some key activities including the procurement of beehives and accessories for the beneficiary communities, conduct beekeeping training, site, clear and install hives, building the capacity of the communities in trapping of bees, management of hives, harvesting and marketing and also conduct Gender Baseline Analysis

He said the project which would target 150 farmers made up of 100 female and 50 men had the overall objective to improve environmental sustainability and household income of over 150 farmers through bee keeping.

The Regional Manager expressed worried about the situation where many farmers set fire in grass in attempt to trap bees for honey and indicated that this often leads to the contamination of the honey and bush burning.

He said the project would promote environmentally friendly methods of honey production and apiculture and also in increase the production of high quality honey for both the local and international markets.

Some Of The Women Beneficiaries Of The Project At The Project Launch