Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Aug 12, 2013 0:00:33 GMT 1
The grasscutter rearing as an alternative livelihood for the people in the Kumasi peri-urban interface (KPUI) has followed on from the DFID funded Boafo Ye Na (BYN) project. Seen as poverty reduction project for the poor in the KPUI, the French Embassy under its Fund for Social Development agreed to support the uptake of the grasscutter rearing as alternative livelihood for the poor. With an initial support to CEDEP for the Kumasi Grasscutter Cooperative Society, this project is to run for one year after which CEDEP will see to its continuation to a second and third year.
Aim/Objective of the Project
The project seeks to promote the rearing of grasscutter as a reliable alternative livelihood in the peri-urban communities to reduce poverty among members and to fight against bush burning. This is believed to contribute towards the achievement of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Goals in particular, and in general, towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals one, seven and other linked goals. This is to be achieved by constructing the GTZ-type hutches that enhances security and protection of grasscutters against the vagaries of the weather while providing the captive breeders for the farmers to enhance the survival and multiplication of the animals.
Summary Activities Proposed
The main activities outlined to be carried out within the project life included but not limited to;
• Refresher training for the Boafo Ye Na Grasscutter Cooperative Members;
• Construction of hutches for the members;
• Distribution and stocking with captive weaners;
• Selling of animals
The Refresher Training
The refresher training aims at improving results in the domestic production of Grasscutters in the Kumasi peri-urban area as a means to fight bush burning and poverty.
The Society members have in the previous project- Boafo Ye Na- obtained some form of training in the rearing of Grasscutters. However, given the delicateness of the rearing of the animals, the three-day refresher training programme was organised to deepen their knowledge and get practical solutions as they go through the training and interact with resource persons who themselves are Grasscutters promoters.
The programme was organised in flexible, interactive and participatory manner, with the main focus on addressing issues of concern with the farmers. Four main issues discussed were housing, feeding, mating (crossing), and weaning.
Challenges
Housing
Housing of the parent stock has been one of the problems the project has had to grapple with. There are some technical details with the GTZ-type hutches, which not all masons had the confidence that they could build. However, with concerted effort twenty members of the Society have completed the construction of the GTZ-type houses for the animals.
Stocking
A delicate work!! Getting the right breeders at an affordable cost was a big challenge. Getting the right proportions of males and females was even more daunting. We learnt from the suppliers that naturally the average female grasscutter gives birth to more male grasscutters than females, for what reasons not yet know. Consequently, our suppliers could at best give us 50:50 (females: males). When we insisted on increasing the number of females delays were caused which we had to contend with.
Transporting of the breeders
The greatest of the challenges!! About fifty breeders were lost because of several factors including principally the mode of transport. The animals were transported in a big wooden cage over a distance of not less than 300km. We realised that they were traumatised by the mode of 'catching into the transporting cage' and 'discharging into their permanent houses'. Later when we used smaller transporting cages, the survival rate was great.
Death of a beneficiary
Mr. R.K Acheampong, one of our beneficiaries died on January 1 st 2006 and progress on his work had to wait till after 40 days before any work could proceed in keeping with the customs and traditions of the people. CEDEP and the Cooperative members attended the funeral and made donations to the bereaved family. Meanwhile, his son who has been assisting the deceased all this while has been accepted by the group to continue with the work.
Lessons
1. Increasing cost overruns on the construction of the hutches was recorded. Consequently, a few changes were necessitated in terms of the number of people the project could serve and materials that have to be used to finish the project.
2. Increasing emphasis on producing 'neat' housing for the animals among the farmers; causing some delays but bringing in some healthy competition and enhancing value for money.
3. An increased awareness created among farmers in the urban and peri-urban communities. This is noted by the number of visits and calls received from less active members and non-members who would want to join the Society. There is a great potential for this project to be the hub for promoting grasscutter rearing as a business in the Kumasi region. Consequently, one essential part of the project, which the proposal missed, was communication. Quite a number of issues can be communicated (using such means as brochures, posters, newspaper articles among others) with stakeholders.
Source: www.cedepghana.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=97&Itemid=74
Aim/Objective of the Project
The project seeks to promote the rearing of grasscutter as a reliable alternative livelihood in the peri-urban communities to reduce poverty among members and to fight against bush burning. This is believed to contribute towards the achievement of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Goals in particular, and in general, towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals one, seven and other linked goals. This is to be achieved by constructing the GTZ-type hutches that enhances security and protection of grasscutters against the vagaries of the weather while providing the captive breeders for the farmers to enhance the survival and multiplication of the animals.
Summary Activities Proposed
The main activities outlined to be carried out within the project life included but not limited to;
• Refresher training for the Boafo Ye Na Grasscutter Cooperative Members;
• Construction of hutches for the members;
• Distribution and stocking with captive weaners;
• Selling of animals
The Refresher Training
The refresher training aims at improving results in the domestic production of Grasscutters in the Kumasi peri-urban area as a means to fight bush burning and poverty.
The Society members have in the previous project- Boafo Ye Na- obtained some form of training in the rearing of Grasscutters. However, given the delicateness of the rearing of the animals, the three-day refresher training programme was organised to deepen their knowledge and get practical solutions as they go through the training and interact with resource persons who themselves are Grasscutters promoters.
The programme was organised in flexible, interactive and participatory manner, with the main focus on addressing issues of concern with the farmers. Four main issues discussed were housing, feeding, mating (crossing), and weaning.
Challenges
Housing
Housing of the parent stock has been one of the problems the project has had to grapple with. There are some technical details with the GTZ-type hutches, which not all masons had the confidence that they could build. However, with concerted effort twenty members of the Society have completed the construction of the GTZ-type houses for the animals.
Stocking
A delicate work!! Getting the right breeders at an affordable cost was a big challenge. Getting the right proportions of males and females was even more daunting. We learnt from the suppliers that naturally the average female grasscutter gives birth to more male grasscutters than females, for what reasons not yet know. Consequently, our suppliers could at best give us 50:50 (females: males). When we insisted on increasing the number of females delays were caused which we had to contend with.
Transporting of the breeders
The greatest of the challenges!! About fifty breeders were lost because of several factors including principally the mode of transport. The animals were transported in a big wooden cage over a distance of not less than 300km. We realised that they were traumatised by the mode of 'catching into the transporting cage' and 'discharging into their permanent houses'. Later when we used smaller transporting cages, the survival rate was great.
Death of a beneficiary
Mr. R.K Acheampong, one of our beneficiaries died on January 1 st 2006 and progress on his work had to wait till after 40 days before any work could proceed in keeping with the customs and traditions of the people. CEDEP and the Cooperative members attended the funeral and made donations to the bereaved family. Meanwhile, his son who has been assisting the deceased all this while has been accepted by the group to continue with the work.
Lessons
1. Increasing cost overruns on the construction of the hutches was recorded. Consequently, a few changes were necessitated in terms of the number of people the project could serve and materials that have to be used to finish the project.
2. Increasing emphasis on producing 'neat' housing for the animals among the farmers; causing some delays but bringing in some healthy competition and enhancing value for money.
3. An increased awareness created among farmers in the urban and peri-urban communities. This is noted by the number of visits and calls received from less active members and non-members who would want to join the Society. There is a great potential for this project to be the hub for promoting grasscutter rearing as a business in the Kumasi region. Consequently, one essential part of the project, which the proposal missed, was communication. Quite a number of issues can be communicated (using such means as brochures, posters, newspaper articles among others) with stakeholders.
Source: www.cedepghana.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=97&Itemid=74
