The Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocesan Development Office (NABOCADO), has constructed a solar mechanized farm for rural women in Gorogo in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region.
The intervention is to empower rural women by providing them with an alternative livelihood, through irrigation farming, to enhance their income levels and reduce rural-urban migration.
Speaking at the commissioning of the project in Gorogo, NABOCADO’s Human Development Coordinator, Dr. Joseph Ayembilla, described the project as a game-changer and appealed to other investors to support the socio-economic development of women to end poverty.
“The project is targeting the children by empowering their mothers to focus on cultivating local vegetables for improved food security and nutrition. The excess vegetables cultivated would be sold to generate income for the women to provide other basic necessities in the home.
The project covers 18 communities across the diocese and targets 12 communities for the provision of solar mechanized water systems for irrigated vegetable cultivation.
“If women are supported to cultivate vegetables without cost all-year-round, our children will be healthy; their performance will improve, and it will improve the human resource capital of the area,” he said.
Bishop of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese, Alfred Agyenta, urged the women to eschew negative behaviours and work in synergy to achieve their common goal.
He expressed his gratitude to all donors who supported NABOCADO to provide the solar irrigation equipment and appealed to the women to take proper care of the facilities.
Some women told the project will help alleviate the poverty in the area.
Diana Zong said, “the benefits from this irrigation farm is that vegetables grown here are organic, and that protects us against diseases and makes us healthy. We can also sell some vegetables to support our children in school and reserve some for the upkeep of the home.”
“Initially, we used to cook dry vegetables which were sometimes tasteless, but with this irrigation farm, we will have fresh vegetables all-year-round to eat and remain healthier than before,” Mrs. Joana stated.
