NFASIMDI Development Association (NDA)
Micro-credit support for women’s livelihood and enterprise development in the Tolon / Kumbumgu district of Northern Ghana
Aim: Ensuring sustained livelihood and income for rural women.
Background: Northern Ghana is the poorest region in the country. Only three out of ten people in the area can afford all three meals daily. In Daasuyili and Kpalsogu, women’s main economic activities involve small- scale agro-processing related activities with some engaged in petty trading. Prominent among these trades are shea nut collection and shea butter processing, groundnut oil extraction and related products processing such as rice, and other foods . Although the area has great potential for such enterprises, lack of sufficient funds has been an obstacle in the development of women’s businesses.
The poverty situation is stifling the women’s ambition of expanding their activities and improving their income levels as well as their living standards. Some, in frustration, are abandoning the processing activities, to engage in charcoal burning and fire wood selling, despite the negative effects these have on the environment and their health.
The programme: The programme is providing microfinance loans to women in self-help groups in two communities. It also provides training on financial management..
Outcome: 72 women will directly benefit from this project by gaining access to low interest rate loans and management training.
Partners: Nafasimdi Development Association was founded in 1997. Since then, they have been engaged in supporting vulnerable and marginalized poor rural communities to promote and improve their socio-economic well being. They have been involved in different activities including: tree plantation, advocating for women’s full political participation, water and sanitation projects and micro credit schemes. This latter has been a success with repayment rates of 100% and has provided good earning potential.
Evaluation: Periodic evaluation is carried out by the organisation in order to guarantee goal accomplishment. Projects are normally evaluated by the stakeholders within and without the communities through interviews and consultations with the beneficiaries and interested non beneficiaries in the community. Donors have also been invited to either employ the services of experts to evaluate or do it themselves. Evaluation reports are sent to Tzedek periodically.
Required Funding: £7,000 granted over one year.
If you would like more information about NDA or make a donation towards this project or another similar project please click here or call 020 7443 5121.
