Fairtrade Certified Producers support  communities to fight COVID-19

Fairtrade Certified Producer Organisations in Ghana and La Côte d’Ivoire are supporting the fight against COVID-19 by providing their members with personal protective equipment and sanitary items, as well as helping to create public awareness in their communities.

Fairtrade Africa (FTA), an international Non- governmental organisation, committed to improving the lot of farmers in 33 countries on the African continent, is currently operating in eight countries in West Africa including Ghana, La Coted’ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, Benin, Senegal and Cameroon, with its West African Network (FTA-WAN) Regional office in Accra, Ghana.

In Ghana, cooperatives like Asunafo North Farmers Union, West Akyem and ABOCFA cooperatives have embarked on a series of sensitization efforts in their communities to help prevent the spread of the disease. In Cote d’Ivoire, cooperatives have also embarked on education campaigns partly with support from the Conseil Café Cacao, according to the Regional Communications Team of Fairtrade Africa (FTA) West African network.

The Asunafo North Farmers Union, with a total of 8,108 members spread across 67 communities, adjudged the 2019 Most Formalised Cooperative of the Year for the Ghana Cocoa Awards and a beneficiary of Fairtrade’s West Africa Cocoa Programme, has donated cash and sanitary items to the Municipal Health Directorate of the community in the Ahafo Region of Ghana, Regional Communications Team of Fairtrade Africa (FTA) Wear African network  has  announced  in a  statement.

The cooperative also donated items and a cash amount to the municipal office for the National Commission on Civic Education to be distributed to the communities around Asunafo with funding from Tony’s Chocoloney and Mondelez’s Cocoa Life.

Tony’s sponsored the cooperative with funds that supported the purchase of 1,200 pieces of 200ml sanitizers and 1375 pieces of 500ml of liquid soap.

The union also sponsored the procurement of 250 gallons with a tap that allows fetching water, and 600 bottles of 500ml of locally produced liquid soap for hand washing with funding from their Fairtrade premium. The Asunafo North farmers’ cooperative union also donated some of the items to members of the union to be given to individual farmers for use in their homes as a preventative measure aimed at sensitizing the farmers on the disease.

The farmers were also given educational materials in the form of posters and a demonstration of hand washing to help sensitize their communities and other fellow farmers.

Asunafo North Farmers Union also sponsors a local radio talk show on Success FM, which now focuses on educating about 25,000 listeners and farmers on preventative measures against the corona virus disease, sensitising them on measures to keep safe and helplines to contact.

Mr. Daniel Amponsah Gyinayeh, President of Asunafo Union, said expressed its commitment about welfare of its members hence complementing efforts by local health authorities to create more public awareness and education.

In another development, ABOCF, also a Fairtrade certified cooperative that deals with both organic and inorganic cocoa has donated soaps, hand sanitizers and other sanitary equipment to the more than 900 members of the society.

Meanwhile, the West Akyem has also embarked on community sensitization and education through the Mondelez Cocoa Life Programme, supported its members and the community with posters and other educational materials on corona virus prevention.

In La Cote d ‘Ivoire, the Regional Communications Team of Fairtrade Africa (FTA) West African network has  disclosed that  the Société coopérative des jeunes producteurs Agricoles de Bangolo (SCJPAB) in Bangolo has also provided sanitary items to its members. The cooperative also organised sensitisation awareness for its members.

By Sebastian R. Freiku / www.thechronicle.com.gh

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