By
Gideon D. Ebbah, GNA
Brofoyedru (Ash),
Oct 22, GNA – The Cocoa Farmers’ Co-operative Society at Brofoyedru, a farming community in the
Sekyere East District of Ashanti, has donated a GH¢ 23,000.00 mechanized
borehole for the community.
The donor, a branch
of the Sekyere East Mondelez International Cocoa Life (MICL) Co-operative Cocoa
Farmers and Marketing Union Limited, used its 50 per cent share of the
District’s total premium received from Mondelez International.
Nana Kingsley Omane,
the General Secretary of the Brofoyedru Cocoa Farmers’ Co-operative Society,
speaking at a commissioning ceremony, said the motivation for such a gesture
was to contribute to meeting the unmet needs of their community such as access
to potable water.
“As farmers living in
the same community, we feel obliged to discharge our social responsibility to
help make life better for everyone so as to promote a better environment for
socio-economic development.
Nana Omane said the
water system restrained school children’s lateness to school, because they have
to trek some distances to fetch water, before they can go to school.
The MICL
Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union Limited, is an initiative
established by the Mondelez International Cocoa Life Programme in over 15 cocoa
growing districts across the country.
It works to mobilize
and empower farmers to seek redress on issues and challenges confronting their
families and livelihoods in the communities.
The Sekyere East,
Wassa East, Asunafo North, Amansie West, among other Districts, where cocoa
farmers are benefiting from the initiative.
Annually, each of
the MICL Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union Limited in the various
Districts receive a premium from the Mondelez International, through its Cocoa
Life Programme.
The premium received
is an appreciation from the Mondelez International to the cocoa farmers in
Ghana for their invaluable contributions to the quality and premium of the
Ghanaian cocoa bean traded on the international market.
It is also to ensure
a continuity of the sustainability of quality and premium of the Ghanaian cocoa
beans by the cocoa farmers.
Madam Yaa Peprah
Amekudzi, the Country Lead of the MICL Programme in Ghana said the premiums
received by the cocoa farmers from MICL programme through their farmers’ group
bank account, were geared towards strategic development areas of their farmers’
group, individual famer’s business and their communities’ development.
“Breakdowns of the
utilization of the premiums received by the farmers are into four areas-farming
inputs, bonuses to the individual farmers, their community development and
administrative costs of the various offices of the farmers’ district and
communities’ offices.
“This distribution
and shares of the premiums received, are at the discretion of the farmers’
group members”, she noted.
The Country Lead of
the MICL Programme commended the Brofoyedru Cocoa Farmers’ Co-operative Society
for assigning higher percentage of 50 of their total premium received to the
development cause of their community as outlined in their community action
plans.
Mr. Paul Akuamoah
Boateng, Development Facilitator at the Sekyere East Cluster of World Vision
International in Ghana, said his outfit being part of the implementers of the
MICL programme in the District facilitated the training of members of the
farmers’ group and community on sustainable action planning and prioritization
of their needs.
Mr. Samuel Adjare,
the President of the Sekyere East Farmers’ Union commended the Brofoyedru
Farmers’ Group for the gesture and urged the other farmer societies in the 24
MICL communities in the district, to emulate the example.
GNA
