Notes from the Field
You can about our projects in greater depth through our series of publications, “Notes from the Field”.
Empowering Women and Tackling the Roots of Child Labour Through Village Savings and Loan Associations
VSLA-CHILD brings together the idea of village savings groups with the importance of child protection. Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) are formed amongst 15-30 community members who meet on a weekly basis to collectively save funds and take out loans at low interest rates from their collective savings. We use this community-based platform as a safe space to organise discussions and trainings around gender empowerment and child labour, opening a window for dialogue as to how such problems can be tackled.
Read more about this project here.
Creating an Eco-Corridor along Côte d’Ivoire’s Hana River
The Hana River passes between Côte d’Ivoire’s Tai National Park and neighbouring Grebo-Krahn National Park in Liberia. We are working with farmers in the area to create a 20-metre natural barrier between their cocoa farms and the river to promote biodiversity and the regeneration of natural ecosystems. With innovative approaches such as Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), farmers receive in-kind compensation in the form of fertilisers and seedlings and can thereby increase yields while leaving the 20-metre barrier untouched.
Read about the experience of one of our farmers here.
Income Diversification Through Cocoa Juice
Currently a typical cocoa growing household in Ghana earns around USD 2,290 per year – less than half of a living income. Our cocoa juice project is raising incomes for farmers by up to 30% per kilo of cocoa beans, providing an additional income stream by turning cocoa pulp (usually an overlooked waste product) into fruit juice. This juice is already being sold to consumers across the Netherlands by our partners Kumasi Drinks.
The project also has a strong emphasis on women’s empowerment, as women are specifically targeted as collectors, processors and marketers of this new cocoa juice.
Read more about this project here.
Improved Cookstoves Supporting Forests and Farmer Livelihoods
Our ProcarBOOH project in Côte d’Ivoire aims to support forest conservation and improve livelihoods for farming communities by stimulating the commercial distribution of improved cookstoves.
The cookstoves we distribute not only reduce the risk of deforestation as they require 45% less biofuel, but they also reduce household air pollution by 70%, leading to improvements in health. Further, they help households save money on fuel expenditure and reduce the time spent collecting firewood.
Read more about this project here.
A Landscape Approach to Sustainable Cocoa
Our Accessible Soils and Sustainable Environments (ASASE) project is working towards a climate-smart cocoa sector where forests and natural ecosystems can thrive alongside sustainable cocoa production. Over the course of four years, we are working with 5,000 farmers in Ghana’s Ashanti and Eastern regions to tackle deforestation, rehabilitate aging cocoa farms, and restore natural forests.
Read more about this project here.