MASO is a five year programme, focused on creating employment opportunities for the youth (aged 18-25) in Ghana’s cocoa communities.
Most youth in rural areas complain about lack of opportunities to undertake any gainful economic activities beyond farming. A venture they are also not too keen on going into because they say, it involves a lot of hard work. The MASO Programme over the last three year developed various training models to motivate and train the youth in cocoa producing areas to pursue viable economic ventures.
As a result, the youth are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to identify economic activities in their communities.
Derrick Amanfo shares his story
One such young person is Derrick Amanfo, a 26-year resident of Sefwi Kofikrom near Sefwi Wiawso in the Western Region.
Being the last child of his 70-year-old father who is also a farmer, Derrick had no option of moving out of Kofikrom when he completed Senior Secondary. There was no other sibling in the village to take care of his aging father and his vast cocoa farm. Through skills acquired from his father, he started maintaining the family cocoa farm.
When the MASO Programme entered his community in 2016, Derrick joined with the view of polishing his cocoa agronomic skills. But he has since gained more.
“When MASO came to our Kofikrom, they didn’t only take us through training in cocoa production but in life skills and financial literacy. We learned how to manage our finances which helped me a great deal”, Derrick said.
The training offered Derrick an opportunity to look beyond cocoa farming as the only source of income.
Derrick currently is a sub-purchasing clerk of cocoa in his community. He buys cocoa beans from other farmers on behalf of Cocoa Purchasing Clerk and earns a commission based on the number of cocoa beans he buys.
While buying cocoa from the farmers, Derrick was confronted with a challenge. He struggled to transport the cocoa beans to his shed for storage. As a result, he realized, he could make additional money from owning a tricycle known locally as “aboboyaa”.
He started saving in 2017 towards buying an “aboboyaa”, a tricycle to help transport the cocoa beans to his shed and also provide general services to other residents of Kofikrom.
Saving towards the future
“I had a lot of money from managing my father cocoa farm as well as commission from buying the cocoa beans. But I had no savings”, he lamented.
However, following the financial literacy training he received, Derrick started saving his money.
He recounts how he managed to buy the “aboboyaa”.
“In 2017, planted cassava, plantain, and maize which I harvested sold and saved the money. My father also paid me for managing his cocoa farm. I saved all that money. This year, I made some additional savings. I wouldn’t have achieved this previously. MASO taught me to save and use the money for projects that will enhance my life and future”.
Derrick is now a transport owner in his community. In June this year, Derick bought a new tricycle to use for transporting various farms produce. Adding another livelihood activity to his farming and cocoa purchasing activities.
Derrick Amanfo on his Aboboyaa
Conclusion
Derrick also owns a 3-acre cocoa farm which he hopes to expand in the near future. He grows various food crops for sale as well. He is not relenting in his desire to increase his income from the activities he is engaged in.
“Farming indeed is tough but if you persevere you can make so a lot of money from it. I cannot wait to start harvesting cocoa from my own farm in the very near future”.
