Organic Farming and Livelihood Improvement

How can we improve the food security and livelihood prospects of vulnerable rural communities in Ghana, especially for children? Avalon and SOS Children’s Villages are trying to answer this question by bringing organic agricultural techniques to children and teaching them how to produce their own food.

In Ghana, SOS Children’s Villages combined their family and community approach with the technical organic agricultural expertise of Avalon, in one comprehensive action. This project wants to empower rural communities to build sustainable livelihoods in food production. By ensuring their own food security and contributing to local food production, they will lessen their dependency on fluctuating food prices. Therefore vulnerable families and their children, as well as the youth within these communities, are targeted to work on this project to build their own better future. 

Three Components

The project consists of three components:

  1. a Familiy Strengthening Programme (FSP);
  2. an Organic Farmer Field School (OFFS) for senior youth;
  3. an Organic Junior Farmer Field and Life School (OJFFLS)

FSP
The existing FSP Programme of SOS Children's Villages offers assistance to orphans and vulnerable families to enable them to become as self-supporting as possible. They receive various kinds of help, including food, shelter, clothing, education, health care, psychological and social support, training to increase their talents and income and judicial support.

OFFS
The Organic Farmer Field School trains senior youth on different aspects of organic farming and provides a modest starting capital to enable the youth  to start their own crop or livestock farm. 

OJFFLS
The OJFFLS programme trains young people from 12 to 18 years old on the principles of organic agriculture. The meetings take place twice a week after school.

Facts:

Financed by: The Millennium Fund of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and SOS Children’s Villages
Country/region: Ghana
Duration: 2009 - 2011
Partner: SOS Children’s villages