Kuapa Kokoo
Ghana
Drying Cocoa Beans (Credit FTAANZ)
Purpose
Kuapo Kokoo is one of the suppliers of cocoa for Trade Aid's chocolate. Kuapa Kokoo's mission is to effect:
- increased power and representation within the market for the farmers
- social, economic and political empowerment
- enhanced women's participation in all its affairs
- environmentally sustainable production processes.
Producers
Kuapa Kokoo is comprised of 1,200 village societies in Brong Ahafo, Ashanti and the northern part of the western region with a total number of about 45,000 farmers and over 200 members of staff.
The operational area of the organisation covers 28 areas within 60 cocoa districts.
Benefits
Kuapa Kokoo has been able to significantly improve the livelihoods of its members; projects undertaken by the organisation have helped the farmers, especially the women, empower themselves, build confidence and independence, and ensure a sense of community participation and ownership. The extra income from fair trade sales has been used for:
- direct payments to farmers in the form of an end-of-year bonus
- dozens of social projects including the provision of wells and bore holes for drinking water, and construction of public toilets
- a mobile health programme which visits members villages
- funding for various activities including the construction of two day-care centres, a block of six classrooms and purchase of two mobile cinema vans for a farmers' education programme
- construction of warehousing at Tema port
- employment of development officers to advise farmers on good agricultural practices, set up training programmes in management and leadership skills, and organise HIV/AIDS workshops
- initiation of alternative income generating schemes, particularly for the empowerment of women, such as tie-dye textiles, soap making, corn milling, and snail farming for local and export markets.
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