CARE International in Ghana, in partnership with Cargill, has officially launched the fourth phase of the PROSPER project at inception events held in Sefwi Akontombra, Bibiani and Sefwi Wiawso.
The event brought together a broad coalition of stakeholders, including representatives from district assemblies (Coordinating Directors, Planning Officers, Head of Departments), government agencies (Ghana Education Service, COCOBOD), traditional leaders, farmer groups, and community members, to formally introduce the project’s goals, implementation plan, and community engagement strategies for the next three years.
PROSPER, which first launched in 2016, has been implemented successfully in three phases as one of CARE Ghana’s most established cocoa-sector development programs.
The third phase of PROSPER III (2022–2025) made significant impacts, reaching over 364,000 people across 265 communities in four regions and delivered measurable improvements in women’s economic empowerment, food security, market access, and community development. After successfully closing from 157 communities in the Western and Western North regions, the project focused on 108 communities in the Ashanti and Central regions.
The project, in this fourth phase is adding 20 more communities in the Western North region specifically in the Sefwi Akontombra, Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Districts and the Sefwi Wiawso Municipal.
The goal of PROSPER IV is to “Enhance cocoa community resilience by promoting gender equality, strengthening child protection, and advancing diversified livelihood opportunities” with a focus on five core areas -Financial Inclusion, Livelihood Diversification, Education, Child Protection, Gender Social norms – that will drive change in the 128 cocoa communities. The 3- year (2025-2028) project expects to reach 16,850 people, 60% women.
The inception event served as the official starting point for the fourth phase of the project, setting a collaborative tone from the outset.
Participants were taken through the project’s strategic framework, change areas, and the community-driven approach that has defined PROSPER’s success over nearly a decade of implementation.
Speaking at the event, Zakaria Yakubu, the Head of Programs, CARE International in Ghana, underscored the significance of the continued partnership with Cargill and the shared commitment to reaching these cocoa-farming households.
The Sustainability Coordinator at Cargill Ghana, Joshua Quansah also reaffirmed the company’s long-standing commitment to community development and child protection in Ghana.
The event also provided an opportunity for district assembly officials and government partners to outline their expectations and areas for collaboration, while community members shared their aspirations for the new phase.
A representative from the Western North Regional Coordinating Council, Patrick Atubga noted the importance of the project’s integrated approach to community development and pledged continued support for the implementation of community action plans.
About CARE International
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty.
CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls. Equipped with the proper resources women and girls have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. In FY25 CARE directly reached 58.7 million participants, 57% of which were women and girls through the implementation of 1,467 projects and initiatives.
About CARE International in Ghana
CARE began operations in Ghana in 1994 and for over 30 years, has been working with partners and communities to improve livelihoods and achieve social justice through interventions that address the underlying causes of poverty.
CARE Ghana works with strategic partners to implement a portfolio of projects across the country, from our main office in Accra and sub-offices in Kumasi, Sunyani, and Tamale. Our programming focuses on food and nutrition security and social and economic empowerment, with women and youth as our impact group. In FY25, CARE Ghana reached 522,639 number of people. To learn more, visit www.care.org
About Cargill
Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, we help people thrive by applying our insights and 153 years of experience.
We have 155,000 employees in 70 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where we live and work. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.
About Cargill in Ghana
Cargill has been buying cocoa from Ghana for over 40 years and in 2008 opened its state-of-the-art cocoa processing facility in Tema. Today the company has over 400 permanent and contracted employees processing cocoa products to service food and confectionary customers locally and around the world.
Additionally, our animal nutrition business provides aqua feed which is supporting Ghana’s tilapia fish industry. In 2016 we added a licensed buying company (LBC). Our LBC operations bring innovative ways to trade with our farmers, placing emphasis on our sustainability and traceability efforts and build on our long-term commitment to the country and our relationship with the government.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com