Photo Journal – My Time in Ghana Consulting With Sekyere Odiasempa Cooperative Farmers and Marketing Society (SOCFMS)

I went to Ghana to consult with the Sekyere Odiasempa Cooperative Farmers and Marketing Society (SOCFMS), a union of five farmer based organizations located in five districts of the Ashanti region of Ghana. SOCFMS was formed in 1984 under the initiative of the FAO and UNDP. At the time there was a total membership of 2,500 with seven executive committee leaders who managed the cooperative.

The cooperative undertook various responsibilities on behalf of its members, including lobbying for institutional and project support, assisting members to market their goods, gaining access and training on good agronomic practices, facilitating the provision of tractor services and fertilizers, and providing improved seed and agrochemicals.

I provided training to increase the capacity of the cooperative leaders to more effectively manage their organization, particularly assisting with increasing their understanding of their cooperative’s decision-making process, division of tasks, work flow, and communication exchange.

Geography

Sekyere Central District is located in the northern part of Ashanti Region and shares boundaries with five districts namely, Mampong Municipality, Ejura-Sekyedumasi, Amantin-Atebubu, Sekyere Afram Plains and Sekyere East Districts.