THE MENNONITE Economic Development Associates (MEDA), a Canada-based economic development organization, has signed a matching grant agreement with 10 shea processing groups and enterprises under a cost sharing arrangement.
The agreement, being implemented through MEDA’s Farmers’ Economic Advancement Through Seedlings (FEATS) Project in Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions, aims at advancing shea butter production and enhancing the livelihoods of shea processors.
Funded by the Government of Canada, the project sought to improve the economic wellbeing of farmers in export-linked tree crop industries, by supporting the expansion and completion of existing but stalled shea processing structures, the 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 was to create business solutions to poverty.
He stressed the project’s commitment to support women and small businesses to grow through “sustainable initiatives and partnerships that had the potential to outlive the life of the FEATS project itself.
That, the country director added, would be guaranteed if local structures put in place supported systems and ensured 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.
By the Matching Grant Agreement, beneficiary shea processors will contribute up to 60% of the cost with MEDA FEATS project providing the remaining 40% of the total cost. A major condition precedent to the provision of the needed support by MEDA was to 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 to enable them commence work this year.
BY Melvin Tarlue