The Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), an international economic development organization based in Canada whose mission is to create business solutions to poverty, has signed a Matching Grant Agreement with 10 shea processing groups and enterprises under a cost sharing arrangement.
The agreement, being implemented through the MEDA’s Farmers’ Economic Advancement Through Seedlings (FEATS) project in the three regions of Northern, Upper East and Upper West seeks to advance shea butter production and enhance the livelihood of shea processors.
Funded by Government of Canada (GoC), the project, seeks to improve the economic well-being of farmers in export-linked tree crops industries, by supporting the expansion and completion of existing but stalled shea processing structures, establishment and stocking of new processing centres with storage facilities and equipment as well as building the capacity of shea cooperative executives to increase production of quality shea butter in the project beneficiary regions.
At separate ceremonies in Bognaayili, Bolgatanga and Wa in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions respectively, the Country Director for MEDA FEATS Project, Robert Austin, said the underlying philosophy of the project is to create business solutions to poverty. He stressed on FEATS Project’s commitment to support women and small businesses to grow through “sustainable initiatives and partnerships that have the potential to outlive the life of the FEATS project itself”. This, the Country Director added, will be guaranteed if local structures put in place strong support systems and ensure proper record keeping throughout such initiatives. It is for this reason that MEDA FEATS Project actively engaged all beneficiary groups to arrive at the specific type of support each group or enterprise needed to improve their business and in effect, improve the livelihood of its members and their families.
The Matching Grant Agreement, a mutually beneficiary collaborative partnership, outlines targets for each stakeholder group. Beneficiary shea processors will contribute up to 60% of the cost with MEDA FEATS Project providing the remaining 40% percent of the total cost. A major condition precedent to the provision of the needed support by MEDA is grant beneficiaries acquisition of land and the construction of processing centres.
Beneficiaries expressed their excitement during the signing ceremony, indicating that some enterprises and cooperatives had already acquired land and were expecting the delivery of building materials by the end of 2019 to enable them to commence work early 2020. The groups were also appreciative of MEDA FEATS Project and Government of Canada’s efforts and commitment to improving the lives of shea processors in Ghana.