Accra, Nov. 23, GNA-Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) Ghana, an International organisation, has partnered the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to champion environmentally friendly and climate –smart agricultural practices.
The partnership will also lead to the promotion of agribusiness enterprises in the country.
CAMFED Ghana signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MOFA at a brief ceremony in Accra to cement the partnership.
Mr. Robert Patrick Ankobiah, Chief Director, MOFA, signed on behalf of the Ministry while Sally Ofori Yeboah, National Director of CAMFED Ghana signed for her organisation.
Mr. Ankobiah, Chief Director, MOFA recalled that the Mnistry was mandated to improve food security, promote agribusiness and nutrition in the country.
The Chief Director said the collaboration between CAMFED Ghana and the Ministry was a laudable one because the partnership would create an enabling environment to boost and transform agriculture in the country.
He said the MOFA through Women in Agriculture Development (WIAD) a Directorate of the Ministry was poised to provide the maximum support in the area of monitoring of programmes within the agriculture sector.
Madam Pauline S. Addy, Director of WIAD- MOFA, said the Directorate had managed to use virtual means to compile database on 60 per cent of women engaged in the agricultural chain.
Madam Sally Ofori Yeboah, noted that the establishment of a working partnership with MOFA through WIAD had been within the framework of a number of programmes that CAMFED was implementing in partnership with Mastercard Foundation.
She said CAMFED was an implementing partner of Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Work Strategy which focused on finding solutions to youth employment challenges well as reducing poverty in Africa.
“The target is to enable 30 million young people in Africa, especially women, to secure dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.”
According to her, as part of the strategy, young women who want to start and grow businesses, mostly in agriculture and agribusinesses would create jobs for themselves and others.
On CAMFED partnership with WIAD, the National Director of CAMFED said the two institutions would cooperate to create avenues for providing technical support to clients of CAMFED.
“We would cooperate to train CAMFED clients and champions in basic production and post –production techniques to maximize returns on investments.
We will work to champion the entrepreneurial rights of young women through advocacy and policy engagement.”
She was optimistic that the partnership with the Ministry would unlock the full potential of the agricultural sector, create work and entrepreneurial opportunities for young Ghanaian woman and men who would fulfil national and international developmental goals.
CAMFED is an international organisation dedicated to eradicating poverty in rural Africa through the education of girls and empowerment of young women.
The WIAD, is one of the seven Technical Directorates of MOFA, transforming livelihoods and promoting the wellbeing of especially women in the agricultural sector.
It was set to also develop effective policies that promote delivery of improved technologies and information on agricultural production and post-production in an environmentally sustainable manner.
GNA