The Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA) through its sub-unit, the Community Life Improvement Programme (CLIP) has implemented an agro-pastoralism project known as Strengthening the Resilience of Agro-pastoral systems in West Africa (PASAO).
The project is a product of a partnership GDCA signed with Acting for Life (AfL), a French NGO based in France to implement the PASAO project in the northern and upper east regions of Ghana. In the northern region, the project is being implemented in the Gushegu municipality, Karaga district, Tamale metro and central Gonja district. In the Upper East Region, Bawku municipality, Bawku west and Pusiga are the beneficiary districts.
Speaking to Zaa news at Gushegu, the programs manager, Mr. Yussif Lukman, stated that the project aims to improve the well-being of agro-pastoral communities in West Africa and promote sustainable economic development of the livestock sector throughout the ECOWAS region.
He further noted that the project in the short-term will concentrate on strengthening the resilience of up to 5,000 agro-pastoral households, by securing, servicing and promoting trans-border livestock mobility between Sahelian and coastal countries, through the provision of basic services to the sector and through support to livestock marketing within the trans-border zones interconnecting southern Mali, Eastern and western Burkina Faso, south-western Niger, and northern Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Benin.
The target beneficiaries and stakeholders, Mr Lukman mentioned, include the district assemblies, traditional authorities, crop farmers, herders/livestock producers and livestock traders. Others are the department of Agriculture, agro-pastoral communities, forestry commission, NADMO as well as Veterinary services.
The project in the first phase has adopted advocacy, capacity building, sensitization and awareness creation to correct perceptions and misconceptions about the activities of herders. In the second phase the project will include some provisions such as the construction of livestock markets, water points for livestock, demarcation of livestock movement corridors, veterinary services and fodder supplement to improve animal health.
BY: LILIAN D. WALTER
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