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MULTIFUNCTIONAL

PLATFORMS

(MFP’S)

THEIR SOCIO –ECONOMIC IMPACT ON

RURAL LIVELIHOODS

A CASE STUDY OF SIX COMMUNITIES

IN THE NORTHERN REGION

BY

BERNICE AGYEKWENA

AUGUST 2009

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………3

1.1 Background of the Multifunctional Platform Programme………………5

1.2 What is a multifunctional platform………………………………………6

1.3 Which are the MFP beneficiary communities?...........................................6

2. How beneficiary communities experienced the MFP’s………………….....10

3. Impact of MFP on economic lives of beneficiaries………………………..25

3.1 Changnayili

3.2 Zosali

3.3 Chera

3.4 Nyerigiyili

3.5 Chalaam

4. Impact of MFP on academic lives of beneficiaries…………………………27

4.1 Changnayili

4.2 Zosali

4.3 Chera

4.4 Nyerigiyili

4.5 Chalaam

5. Impact of MFP on social lives of beneficiaries……………………………..28

5.1 Changnayili

5.2 Zosali

5.3 Chera

5.4 Nyerigiyili

5.5 Chalaam

6. A study of a Voggu-Botingli, a community without MFP …………………..30

6.1 Economic life

6.2 Academic life

6.3 Social life

7. Summary of findings…………………………………………………………...33

8. Recommendations……………………………………………………………..35

9. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………..37

10. Appendix……………………………………………………………………....38

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‘The Energy available to man limits what he can do and influences what he will

do’ Fred Cottrell: Energy and Society

1.1 Introduction

With a landmass of 70, 383 square miles, the Northern Region is the largest

of the ten regions that make up the political divisions of Ghana, occupying a third

of the country’s

landmass. It is

bordered by the

Brong-Ahafo and

Volta regions to the

south and the Upper

East and Upper West

Regions to the north.

It also shares

boundaries with Togo

to the East and Ivory

Coast to the west.

Map of Ghana showing ten

political regions including the

Northern Region

The region has been

subdivided into 18

districts for

administrative

purposes and has

Tamale, which is also

the third largest city in

Ghana as its regional

capital.

Precipitation in

the region is generally

low. It has a short

rainy season that

usually begins in May and gives way to torrential monsoon rains characterized by

thunder and lightning in June, July and August. The rainy season tapers off in

October to give way to the hammattan season during which the region comes under

the influence of the North-East Trade Winds. Its vegetation is typically savanna,

suitable for a lot of shrubs and trees such as the silk cotton tree, cashew, the

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baobab, sheabutter, dawadawa, mango, and neem. The vegetation also supports a

lot of cereals and tubers such as

maize, millet, guinea corn, rice,

yam, cassava, and potatoes as well

as legumes such as groundnuts

and beans.

The region is sparsely

populated, with its population of

1,820,806 comprising only 9.6

percent of the country’s total

population of 21.7 million as at

2000, and a population density of

26 persons per square kilometer.

With a growth rate of 2.9 percent,

the population is projected to rise

to 2,090,399 in 2005 and

2,522,000 in 2009 giving it a

population density of 35 people per square

kilometer for the year 2009. Populations of

settlements are often very small, with most of them ranging between 200 and 500.

In fact, 54.4 percent of the over 5000 settlements in the region are less than 200

while settlements are often situated very far from each other. While this settlement

pattern allows its inhabitants, whose mainstay is agriculture, to have access to vast

areas of land surrounding their villages for farming purposes, it impedes

government’s efforts at providing social amenities such as electricity, water and

health facilities to the inhabitants due to the absence of the economics of scale.

The vast majority of people in the region, 73percent, live in the rural areas

while 16.1 percent live in Tamale, the regional capital. The rest of the population

live in other urban towns such as the district capitals. l

About 71.2 percent of the population aged 15 years and above are engaged in

various forms of agricultural activity ranging from farming and hunting to agro-

forestry. However, the region continues to be poor with seven out every 10

inhabitants living in abject poverty. This is mostly due to a myriad of reasons that

prevent the farmers from reaping the real benefits of their occupation. These

include lack of access roads to marketing centres, lack of storage faculties as well

as technical knowhow on how to preserve their farm produce. They also lack

opportunities to process their produce so as to add value and also prolong their

shelf life.

Map of Northern Region of Ghana, showing

the regional capital Tamale

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This perpetual state of poverty that has gripped the region as a result of the

inability of the rural poor to break out of their poverty cycle has translated into

high infant mortality rates due to poor nutrition among nursing mothers and

children as well as lack of access to health facilities since only 18 percent of the

rural population live within 60 minutes of a formal health centre. The adult literacy

rate in the rural areas is less than seven percent while 40 percent of school age

children are out of school due to the inability of parents to enroll and keep their

wards in school. Above all, the region also has a high rate of rural urban migration

because the youth cannot find lucrative jobs in the rural communities.

1.2 Background of the Multifunctional Platform Programme

The Multifunctional Platform is the brainchild of the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP). The idea behind the programme is to use

simple and inexpensive technology that can be manufactured and serviced locally

in beneficiary countries to provide energy to run a variety of end-user equipment

aimed at cutting down the amount of time and energy expended by people in the

rural areas in the performance of simple everyday tasks.

The technology was first pioneered in the West African Country of Mali in

1994 under a UNDO/IFAD regional programme and by 1999 had spread to

Burkina Faso, Senegal, Guinea and the Ivory Coast.

The development and promotion of the use of Multifunctional Platforms by

the UNDP forms part of an integrated development approach aimed at enhancing

local capacity in developing countries to have access to sustainable energy. This is

because the availability of energy is essential to sustainable development and

efforts at poverty reduction. The UNDP has realized that, without an improvement

in the quality and accessibility to energy among rural communities in Africa, the

Millennium Development Goals (MDG) earmarked for the continent would not be

achieved. Under MDG 1, UNDP is expected to cut down by 50 percent the number

of people living in poverty by 2015.

Between April 2005 and March 2008, the UNDP established the

Multifunctional Platform Programme in Ghana through its Regional Energy and

Poverty Programme. Funding for the programme was provided by the UN Trust

Fund for Human Security under the Government of Japan.

A total of 40 multifunctional platforms were established in rural

communities around Atebubu in the Brong/Ahafo Region and around Salaga and

Tamale in the Northern Region.

In the Northern Region, the programme was carried out in conjunction with

a consortium of Non-governmental Organsations, including New Energy, which is

based in Tamale. New Energy set up eight Multifunctional Platforms in selected

communities in the region with the sole aim of providing sustainable energy

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services to these communities to revamp the agro-processing industry, strengthen

human capacity and enhance community –led energy services provision.

1.3 What is a Multifunctional Platform?

A Multifunctional Platform, as the name implies, is a multipurpose device

that provides several services from one basic unit. The platform is made up of a

diesel engine fastened unto a chasis on which it is possible to mount a variety of

devices such as a grinding mill, a rice huller, a sheanut crusher and battery chargers

among others.

The main objective of a multifunctional platform is to bridge the energy gap

that is normally peculiar to rural African communities by providing them with an

alternative

source of

energy which is

under their own

management

and control.

The

energy provided

by

multifunctional

platforms is

normally

utilized in the

area of the

processing of

farm produce

such as millet,

maize, rice,

beans and

guinea corn

which constitute the staple food of most rural communities as well as sheabutter

and groundnuts.

1.3 Which are the MFP beneficiary communities?

Since Multifunctional platforms are meant to meet the energy needs of rural

communities that lack electricity and other sources of energy so as to reduce the

drudgery associated with everyday tasks such as processing grains for food which

is peculiar to energy poor rural communities, the beneficiaries of this project were

Sheanuts being crushed on a sheanut crusher on a multifunctional platform

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all energy poor

rural

communities.

Those that form

the subject

matter for this

exercise include

Changnayili,

Zosali,

Challam, Chera

and Nyerigyili,

all rural

communities in

the Northern

Region of

Ghana.

Changnayili –

Changnayili is a

peri-urban

community

situated just 15 kilometres from Tamale, the regional capital. However, in spite of

its proximity to the capital, the community lacks electricity and other utilities that

are taken for granted in Tamale. The community submitted a letter of request to be

part of the Multifunctional Platform Programme to New Energy based on which a

pre-study was conducted followed by a participatory feasibility study in July, 2005.

The study revealed that women in the area have to make a round trip of eight

kilometers to Zuo, to process maize, cassava, groundnuts, or a round trip of 22

kilometres to Tugu to process rice. Anytime they failed to access the services of a

grinding mill at Zuo, they had to travel further to Tamale for these services.

With a population of just 374 comprising only 36 households Changnayili does not

meet the criteria under which rural communities are considered for the provision of

basic services such as electricity by Central government.

Zosali- Zosali is a farming community located 59 kilometres from Tamale on the

Bolgatanga road. Following an expression of interest in the Multifunctional

Platform Programme by Mrs Abigail Afishetu Dery, a member of the community,

New Energy conducted a study in the community to assess its viability in July

2006. It was considered for the programme because it was found to be viable.

The study showed that the community suffered from energy poverty, a

Rural communities were the beneficiaries of the Multifunctional Platform Programme

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factor that had led to a drastic reduction in the cultivation of cassava, which was

once vibrant in the community, as a result of post –harvest losses suffered by

farmers due to lack of agro-processing facilities to process and preserve them. In

addition, the study revealed that children are often taken out of school to assist

their mothers to process their farm produce in other communities.

As at 2006, the community had a population of 1,255 with a total of 68

compounds. Children were found to constitute half of the population. The people

indulge in a myriad of economic activities including farming, trading, tailoring,

charcoal burning, masonry and transport business. However agriculture dominated

their income generating activities with their highest income originating from

sheanut picking and processing, farming, rice processing, and groundnut

processing.

The community’s primary school at the time of the study had enrolled 104

pupils, with boys constituting 40 percent and girls 60 percent. The school had an

attendance rate of 70 percent and a dropout rate of 10 percent. It was discovered

that lateness to school, absenteeism and drop out were caused by the heavy work

schedule of children in the area.

Chera- Chera is a small farming community with a population of only 165 as at

December 2006. It is located in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region

and is 135 kilometers from the regional capital. It is also 30 kilometres from

Walewale, the district capital and nearest source of electricity.

The women of Chera engage in a number of income generating activities,

with the most lucrative being farming, sheabutter processing and groundnut oil

extraction. Men in the community also derive their best incomes from farming,

animal rearing, charcoal burning, hunting and honey tapping.

When Mr Joseph Wuni, a farmer and member of the community approached

New Energy to be considered for the Multifunctional Platform Programme, a study

was conducted in the community to assess the viability of the project. The study

revealed that Chera had a large valley suitable for large scale rice cultivation but

processing was a big challenge for them since the community had no single

grinding mill. As at the time of the study, the applicant had 150 bags of unmilled

rice for sale from which he could have earned more money if he had been able to

process them. The community members, who were very enthusiastic about the

prospect of having their own milling facilities, expressed their willingness to

expand agro-processing activities once they had their own mill. They intended to

increase the quantity of weanimix produced from five to 20 bowls, triple rice

processing and increase the quantity of sheanuts and groundnuts that they process

into oil and butter.

The study also discovered that there was very little energy available to the

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people for both domestic and business ventures, with each household spending an

average of 2.2 Ghana Cedis on dry cell batteries to power equipment such as radios

and tape recorders. The low population of the community was at first considered an

obstacle to the viability of the project but it was discovered that satellite

communities had a higher population of 2,155 which would serve as an additional

market for the project.

In the field of education, Chera had a nursery and primary school with a

population of 317 pupils which served it and other nearby communities.

Nyerigiyili- Nyerigiyili is situated 16 kilometres near Savelugu in the

Savelugu/Nanton District of the Northern region. It has a population of 300 people

comprising 25 households. The people are predominantly farmers and cultivate

cereals such as rice, maize, guinea corn and millet, tubers such as yam, legumes

such as beans and groundnuts with the major cash crop being sheanuts which is

picked from the sheanut tree that grows wild. The people also engage in poultry

keeping by rearing fowls and guinea fowls and also keep livestock such as goats,

sheep and cattle. The community lacks a lot of infrastructure can boast of only a

mosque while it shares a school with Sandu, a neighbouring community. However,

the Non-formal Education Division (NFED) has been running an adult literacy

programme at the community for about 15 years now which is attended by both

men and women in the community.

Nyerigiyili is an energy poor community which had no grinding mill prior to

participating in the Multifunctional Platform Programme. The nearest grinding mill

was situated at Sandu, three kilometers away. Inspite of this, community members

engaged in agro-processing activities such as rice and sheabutter processing and

sold the products at Savelugu market.

Following a request made by Mr Iddrissu Iddi, a farmer and a member of the

community to be a participant in the Multifunctional Platform Programme being

implemented in the region by New Energy, a number of studies were conducted in

the community. After satisfying the criteria for selection, Mr Iddi was admitted to

the programme thus making a grinding mill available to his community.

Challam- Challam is a predominantly farming community, a reality that caught the

attention of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) which assists

them with tractors to plough their fields. The major crops cultivated in the

community are rice, maize, yam, beans, groundnuts, millet, guinea corn and

several other crops suitable for the savanna climate. It has a population of 400

comprising 29 households and is situated in the Savelugu District. It is 18 miles

from Tamale. The dominant economic activities for women are sheabutter and rice

processing, groundnut oil extraction and paste making, as well as the sale of maize

flour. Men in the community derive their major income from farming, grain

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banking, livestock keeping and the sale of meat (butchering).

The community lacks a lot of infrastructure and can boast of only a primary

school and a mosque. In addition, despite the fact that it is an agrarian community,

it has no facilities to process its agricultural produce. The Alzarsi women’s group

in the community applied to be part of the Multifunctional Platform Programme

after they were informed about it by the group’s secretary, Mr Abdulai Alhassan.

Following investigations conducted by New Energy, the community was

recommended for the programme and was provided with a platform in the year

2005.

2. How beneficiary communities experienced the MFP’s

2.1. The grinding mill a peacemaker? (The experience of Changnayili)

When the Presbyterian Church of Ghana decided to establish a primary

school at Changnayili six years ago, people in the community were very happy that

at long last, their children would be able to school in their own community. But not

the people of Pagazaa, the neighbouring community where their children used to

school. They saw the siting of a school block at Changnayili as a factor that would

undermine their own school, which hitherto, had served the two communities as

well as other nearby communities. Thus begun the conflict between the two

communities. Members from both communities stopped visiting one another’s

villages. They even quarreled about which community owned the baobab tree that

stood at their boundary. So for the sake of peace, it was agreed that the baobab tree

and other trees and shrubs at the boundary should be declared a ‘no man’s land’

and a forest reserve..

The stalemate or cold war between the two communities continued unabated

until three years ago when a multifunctional platform was established at Chanayili’

with the assistance of New Energy in partnership with the Tizaa-Dini Women’s

group under a UNDP programme aimed at alleviating poverty, especially in the

rural parts of Africa. The people of Pagazaa, who in the past had had access to a

diesel grinding mill that was no longer operational had no choice but to swallow

their pride and bury their differences with the people of Channayili in order to mill

their farm produce there.

Narrating how the multifunctional platform has impacted upon the lives of

the people of Chanayili, Mr Ibn Baako Ibrahim, Assistant Head teacher of

Chanayili Presbyterian Primary, said “the mill has come to unite the two villages

where other peace initiatives has failed. Pagazaa and Changnayili were always at

loggerheads but now the people of Pagazaa are forced to come here to mill their

produce and the situation has changed today, thanks to the mill”. The mill also

promoted marriage among young men in the community; “More young men are

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marrying. The young women from other communities did not want to marry our

young men because of the hardship associated with travelling several kilometers in

search of a grinding mill. But today, they agree to marriage proposals from our

men without hesitating”, Mr Ibrahim said.

Mr Iddrissu Mohammed, Head teacher of the school, was pleased that school

children no longer had to abandon classes to go to Tamale or Zuo to mill grains for

the family. “In January 2005, I was on my way to school when I met four girls

riding bicycles. I asked them why they were not in school and they told me they

were going to Tamale to grind grains for their families. But since we had the mill,

absenteeism from school amongst girls has reduced as well as truancy among the

general student body since some of the pupils used to skip classes for as long as

three days under the pretense that they have been sent to the mill.”, Mr Mohammed

said. Even the relationship between the school’s staff and members of the

community is now cordial. “Parents used to send their children to mill grains

during classes hours without telling us. So we used to confront them and this

sometimes led to unpleasant situations”, Mr Mohammed explained. He said

generally, discipline among schoolchildren has improved since they no longer have

reason to loiter around during teaching hours.

Madam Martha Napari, Makazia (women’s leader) of the community said

the establishment of the multifunctional platform has released ample time for

women to indulge in other activities by reducing the time spent on milling grains to

a mere thirty minutes or less. This is in contrast with the past when they had to hire

a bicycle to Zuo or make

a round trip in a taxi to

Tamale at the cost of 1.40

Ghana cedis. “Before the

mill came, if you leave

here in the morning to

grind your grain in

Tamale, you return at

2.pm if the lights are on.

If the lights are off, you

may have to stay for a

longer time”. Madam

Napari, who is a farmer

and petty trader, said she

now uses the time she

would have to travel to

mill her grains on her Martha Napari uses her extra time on her farming activities

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farming activities which has led to an increase in yields.

Salamatu Sayibu, a community member, said, in the past community

members experienced a lot of hardship due to the absence of a grinding mill. She

recalled that once, she went to Tamale to mill maize to prepare dinner but failed to

do so because the mill encountered some problems. She was therefore forced to

carry her maize back home unmilled. She said because she did not want her

children to sleep on an empty stomach, she had to use a mortar and pestle to

process some rice to boil for them to eat before going to bed. “But now, the

situation is different. I can grind maize and prepare food for the children before

they even arrive from school because the grinding mill is right here in the village”,

she said.

Samantha Buguli, another resident of the community also had a similar story

to tell. “When we did not have a mill, at times we go the grinding mill and come

back at midnight, so late that we cannot cook. We go to bed hungry. For the small

children, we may cook a little rice or pound guinea corn to prepare yama for

them”. Madam Samantha, who is a food vendor, said with the siting of the mill in

the village, her family does not only enjoy regular meals and avoid eating late but

her business has also boomed. “I can cook rice and sell everyday now because I

can now easily process my rice in the village.”

Another issue that the establishment of the multifunctional platform seems

to have impacted on is in the area of family life and violence against women.

During a group discussion with the women of Chanayili, Madam Amatu Abukari

confessed how once she had to stay on at the mill until a very late hour to mill her

maize. Frustrated, she arrived home and took it out on her husband, accusing him

of not coming to look for her in view of the late hour at which she was coming

home. Her husband took offence and beat her up, for as the saying goes, “a hungry

man is an angry man”. Madam Abukari was also unfortunate enough to suffer a

fall during pregnancy while coming home from the grinding mill; “I was pregnant

and went to the mill. On my way home, it was very dark. I stumbled and fell,

pouring out all my flour”, she said.

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Operating the multifunctional platform, however, has not always been

smooth sailing. “The machine consumes a lot of engine oil hence the running cost

is high. The rims are weak and the pumps are not good’, said Iddrissu Bambo, the

operator of the multifunctional platform at Chanayili.

Mr Bambo said anytime the machine broke down and they called on the

mechanic, who resided in Tamale, to come, he always delayed in coming to their

assistance. He said the machine had broken down for the past two weeks now but

the mechanic had failed to show up even though he had been informed. He said

despite the fact that he and his assistant, Awal Sulemana, have been operating the

machine ever since it was installed, they have no knowledge about how to repair it.

He therefore called on New Energy to consider training the operators themselves to

repair the

machines when

they break down.

Collaborating the

concern raised by

the operator about

delays in repairing

the multifunctional

platform when it

breaks down, Mr

Ibrahim said,

“recently we had a

breakdown and the

whole class was

deserted because

most of the girls

had gone to

Tamale to mill

maize and rice for

an impending naming ceremony. The boys capitalized on that and did not come to

school while the little girls were also taken along to nurse their siblings. One

remarkable thing about this village is their community spirit. Anytime there is a

festive occasion all the children are mobilized to work”

Mr Ibrahim said because of the positive impact that the multifunctional

platform has had on their lives, all are concerned about its maintenance. “We pay a

lot of attention to the mill. We contribute money to repair it. Even children are

ready to contribute money to buy fuel to run the mill because they know that if it is

functioning well, they will not have to travel long distances to mill their farm

Operators idle at the multifunctional platform at changnayili because it has broken

down

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produce”. He appealed to New Energy to help the community acquire a new

battery for their solar lamp, saying, “We have no lights. The solar lamp has broken

down and the battery will cost us 600, 00 Ghana Cedis.

2..2 Women move from sheanut picking to sheanut processing at Zosali

Until the year 2006 when the Zosali community had access to a

multifunctional platform, women in the community were content to pick sheanuts

from the abundant sheanut trees surrounding the community and sell them to

women in other communities for processing. But now the story is different. The

women of Zosali do not only pick sheanuts but also process them into butter which

fetches them a higher income.

Ferusa Sulemana, who now earns her living from farming and sheabutter

extraction, said “before the arrival of the mill, we did not extract sheabutter. We

used to pick the nuts and

sell them. Now most of us

are into sheabutter

processing”

Sanatu Yakubu, who

used to produce sheabutter

on a small scale before the

arrival of the mill said

women from Zosali used to

mill their produce at Kadia,

two kilometers away or

Diare which was a bit

further. However, none of

the mills in those

communities had a sheanut

crusher so it was difficult to make sheabutter. “We used to crush the sheanuts by

pounding it in the mortar with a pestle. We used to sustain wounds in our hands

from pounding sheanuts”. Madam Yakubu said because of the difficulty involved

in crushing the nuts in the past, she could process only a bag of sheanuts into butter

in a month. But with a sheanut crusher now available in the community, she

processes three bags in a month since the sheanut crusher can crush a bag of

sheanuts in just thirty minutes. This, she said is in contrast with crushing the nuts

manually which can take one whole day. She said whereas she used to make just

four Ghana cedis profit on the sale of one bag, she now makes 12 Ghana cedis

profit on the sale of three bags in a month.i

The arrival of the mill at Zosali has not only boosted the sheanut extraction

Sheanut trees at Zosali

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industry but has also improved upon the quantity of oil extracted from groundnuts.

According to Madam Yakubu, when they used to travel far to mill their

groundnuts, the time lapse between roasting the groundnuts and milling it as well

as extracting the oil after milling into paste was great. “This made us to extract less

oil from the paste. You tend to extract more oil from the paste when you process it

immediately after grinding and when you grind it immediately after roasting.

When you allow the paste to stay for a period of time after roasting or grinding,

you get less oil”. Madam Yakubu said as a result of the improvement in her trade,

she can now provide her children with school uniforms as well as pocket money

for school.

However, the assertion by Madam Yakubu and other women of Zosali

community that the boom in the sheanut extraction business as a result of the mill

has enhanced their capacity to take care of their children in school was debunked

by some school teachers.

Mr Emmanuel Agama, a teacher of Zosali District Assembly Primary school

said; “The extra money realized by the women would not impact on the academic

lives of school children. Education is not a priority in this community. The women

have their own priorities and they spend the money on that. The school children

still lack basic things like pens and pencils.’ He was supported by Sumaila Yakubu,

another teacher at the school who said “some children did not have pens to write

during examinations.”

According to Mr Agama, “there is virtually no difference between the time

when Zosali had no mill and now that it has a mill when it comes to school

attendance. Women do those jobs and not children and even when they did, they

never did that during school hours”.

Mr Yakubu said some of the children were rather absent from class during

the sheanut picking season when they went along with their parents to the bush to

assist them to collect sheanuts.

When asked whether the boom in the sheanut extraction business might have

pushed some parents to keep their children away from school to help them to

collect sheanuts in view of the extra profits that they now make, the teachers said

they were unsure whether such a thing had happened.

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Contrary to what the teachers said, some of the school pupils who were

interviewed said the presence of the mill has had a positive impact on their

academic lives. Fatimah Alhassan, a 16 year old pupil, said, “Before the mill came,

I used to pound sheanuts in the afternoon after school twice every week. I used to

wish I would be free to play and do other things. But now that the mill is here, I no

longer pound but I only help my mother to carry the sheanuts to the mill.”

Miss Alhassan said her mother now has access to micro-credit, because she

has expanded her business. “She (mother) gives me pocket money. She buys me

more books than before; she buys my uniform and pays my schools fees. I now use

the time for pounding sheanuts in the afternoon to do my homework which I used

to do in the night”.

Eleven year old Iddi Alhassan Sayibu, another pupil of the school, was also

happy about the

presence of the mill at

Zosali “I used to ride to

Kadia after school hours

to grind maize. But

since the mill came, I

have never been sent to

mill maize. My mother

does it.” Master Sayibu

said his mother’s

business has expanded.

“She used to make

kpilikpili, (a local pastry

made from groundnut

paste after the oil has

been extracted) twice a

week. Now she does it

always unless she runs out of groundnuts”.

He said the presence of the mill has impacted on his academic life. “My

books were not more than ten. Now, I have more than ten books. She bought me a

dagbani text book, pens and sandals. I get pocket money of 50 Ghana pesewas

every day. The mill has been a blessing to all of us”.

Mr. Alidu Tia, a farmer who is also a part time operator of the mill at Zosali,

said the mill enjoys a monopoly when it comes to the extraction of sheabutter at

Zosali and its satellite communities. “There are other mills but they have no

crusher. They have stopped grinding sheabutter and grind only maize.

Mr. Tia was quick to point out that the influx of women to his mill to mill

Women busily crushing and milling sheanuts

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their sheabutter was not just because of the crusher but the fact that the mill is

always in good condition. “The quality of work depends on the sharpness of the

blades and the strength of the engine. I sharpen my grinding blades regularly”.

On the running of the multifunctional platform, he said he uses two and a

half gallons of engine oil, with each gallon costing 16 Ghana Cedis which he

changes every 30 days. He also uses a maximum of 15 gallons of diesel a month

which he buys at the cost of five Ghana cedis, 20 pesewas. Hence, in a month, M r

Tia spends a total of one hundred and eighteen Ghana cedis on fuel to run the

multifunctional platform. He also charges 30 Ghana pesewas for milling a bowl of

maize, millet or guinea corn and three Ghana cedis for crushing and milling a basin

of sheanuts. He described his rates as standard since all the mills in the vicinity

charge the same rates.

Mr Tia, who described the milling business as profitable, said he earns 10

Ghana cedis a month from working in the mill which belongs to his sister.

2.3 A woman digs a well to boost her business at Chera

Three years ago, the women of Chera had two major problems that impeded

their development in all aspects of life; access to potable water and the lack of an

appropriate technology for agro-processing. Hence, when the community had

access to a multifunctional platform in June 2007, thus bringing an end to the

drudgery associated with trekking long miles just to mill a basin of grain or

sheanuts, one woman decided to take her fate into her own hands by resolving the

other major problem confronting the community- access to potable water.

Talata Wuni, a teacher and business woman at Chera, said “I used money

that I saved from the expenses that I used to make in travelling to Walewale and

other communities to process my grain to dig a hand-dug well.”

The women of Chera used to pay four Ghana cedis per person for a round

trip to Walewale to mill their grain. They also had to pay a fee for their produce,

with a bag of rice costing as much as eight Ghana cedis for a round trip.

- 18 -

Those who could not afford the fare had to walk the 18 kilometres to

Walewale, at times, only to be told that the mill has broken down. Those who were

desperately in need of a mill sometimes spent as much as three days at Walewale,

waiting for a grinding mill to be repaired for them to mill their grain.

The benefits of siting a multifunctional at Chera did not just end at the

digging of a hand-dug for Madam Wuni. “I now use the money I have been saving

on transport as well as the additional profits I have realized as a result of the

expansion of my business to care myself and my children. I have increased the

amount of food I give to my children and I can now provide them with pocket

money for school. I also use the time that I have saved from travelling to other

communities to work on my farm”.

Madam Wuni is

engaged in farming as

well as agro-processing.

“I am a farmer. I also

process rice,

groundnuts and

sheabutter. I have

extended my business

to the rearing of small

ruminants such as sheep

and goats. I also have a

piggery.”

Recounting some of her

experiences at the time

when her community

did not have access to a

mill, she said, “At times

we would travel to

Walewale, stay in the

queue until eight pm

only to be told that the fuel is finished or the mill has broken down. This means no

food for that day. At times, we were forced to venture into strange communities in

search of a grinding mill”

Mariama Amidu, a widow, said because she could not afford to pay the fare

to Walewale she used to walk the 18 miles to the grinding mill, carrying her

sheanuts on her head.”But now, after crushing the sheanuts at home, we just bring

it here to the mill to grind it”. Madam Amidu said it takes her about three days to

crush a bag of sheanuts alone. Apart from sheanut extraction, she also brews pito,

Talata dug a well following the establishment of a multifunctional platform

to expand her business

- 19 -

processes rice and farms vegetables. She said as a result of the expansion of her

business, her children now eat well and she can afford to give her children and

grandchildren pocket money for school.

Talata Philip, a soap and tie & dye maker said she used to abandon her

business to travel in search of a grinding mill to grind her grains. But now that the

mill is close, she can schedule her activities so that milling grain does not interfere

with her business.

Thirteen year old Edith Kwaku who used to foot to school now rides to

school, thanks to the expansion of her mother’s kenkey business as a result of the

multifunctional platform. “My mother now uses a bag of maize in just three days.

Formerly, she used to prepare just three bowls of maize a day. I used to send the

maize to neighbouring communities to grind for my mother. Anytime it rained, I

got soaked and there were times when I even slipped and fell”.

Kassinu Zaaka, also 13, remembered how his mother used to struggle to

process rice manually each time there was the need for communal labour; “the rice

produced then was of a lesser quality but the rice huller makes the rice very white,

like polished rice.” Master Zaaka also said “Before the mill, my mother used to

make just a small quantity of sheabutter, now she makes more so she has more

money and has bought me a bicycle, a school bag and a uniform. She also gives me

pocket money voluntarily.” He observed that since the arrival of the

multifunctional platform at the village, it has increased the amount of food

available thus improving upon food security in the village: “There used to be

scarcity of rice and sheabutter but now we have them in abundance.”

Afishetu Imoro, 13, said she used to travel to Walewale to process rice for

her mother. “I used to miss classes anytime I was sent to walewale because I will

come back late. My mother now processes two to three bags of rice a month

instead of one bag.” Miss Imoro said the mill has not only improved upon the

financial situation of her family, with her mother now providing her with a daily

pocket money of one Ghana cedi instead of 50 Ghana pesewas but has also eased

the burden of neighbouring communities who now come to Chera to mill their

farm produce.

Iddrissu Martinu, 13, also recalled how his mother and other women in the

community used to pound maize until their hands got swollen, saying “The

presence of the mill has eased the burden of the body”. He said taking late or

irregular meals among community members is now a thing of the past and his

family now dines before eight pm.

Teachers of Chera District Assembly primary school, which serves the

Chera, Yama and Broba communities were of the view that the establishment of the

multifunctional platform at Chera has impacted positively on education since most

- 20 -

mothers used to send the pupils to Walewale to mill grain during classes hours

which affected their academic performance.

Mr. Ishmael K. Dabre, a teacher at the school, said lateness to school and

absenteeism among pupils, especially the girls, has reduced drastically. Besides

parents now feed their children better than they used to in the past and also provide

them with pocket money to buy food when they are hungry. He said several food

vendors now sell food at the school so if pupils are not able to eat at home before

coming to school, they can buy food at school. “Hence, our pupils now eat well

and this has led to better concentration at school. Most of them used to suffer from

low concentration because of hunger”.

“The pupils now have enough time to study. Most of the girls, especially

used to use mortars and pestles to pound grains for hours an end. But they now

invest that time in doing their homework”, Mr Dabre said.

He said the solar component of the multifunctional platform was an added

boost to the community since they used to find it difficult to charge their mobile

phones. “We now charge our mobiles free of charge.” He appealed to the UNDP to

assist the school with a solar battery that can power computers so that they can take

part in the ICT programme that has been introduced for all schools by the Ministry

of education. He was confident that if the school had access to solar electricity

some NGO’s would be ready to assist them with computers.

Mr. Fuseini Abdul Rahman, also a teacher, said the arrival of the mill has led

to a reduction in the price of rice, maize flour, groundnut oil and sheabutter while

Mr. Daniel Sebiyan, another teacher, said he no longer has to travel to Walewale to

buy rice since he can find the same quality of rice at Chera. Besides, anytime he

runs out of cash, he can buy rice from women in the community on credit,

something he cannot do with the women of Walewale.

Mr Joseph Wuni, a rice farmer and owner of the Multifunctional Platform,

said three main factors pushed him into signing up for the multifunctional platform

project with New Energy; the need to process his own rice after harvesting, a

cultural practice among people in the community that required that people be

served with a traditional dish made from maize flour before burying a deceased

elderly person and the need to find a solution to the rampant quarrels between

farmers and owners of piggeries during the farming season.

He said “I was forced to always travel to Walewale to process my rice and

maize and on one occasion I even lost half a bag of rice which I left at the mill

because there was no electricity for three days.”

He said when he became aware of the Multifunctional Platform Programme

at New Energy, he expressed interest and after carrying out a needs assessment at

the community, he was put on the programme. “Since then, my travelling out of

- 21 -

my community do grind my produce has ceased”

He said their traditional funeral rites for the elderly which demanded that a

sheep be slaughtered in addition to the preparation of tuo zaafi or T.Z, a meal made

from millet or maize flour to be distributed to community members before the

corpse can be buried had proved to be burdensome in a community that had no

access to milling facilities. The presence of the mill has come to make the practice

more bearable.

Mr. Wuni said he normally stores the chaff after the rice has been processed

for the feeding of pigs, goats and sheep. This he said has helped to forstall the

situation where keepers of livestock and farmers were always at loggerheads

because the former had allowed their animals to graze on their farms.

He described the milling business as cost effective; “if we mill a great deal

of rice, we make profit. However, hard dried maize does not give so much profit

because one has to mill it over and over again for at least three times. When this

happens, more fuel is consumed but the women still pay the same price. Millet and

guinea corn pose no threat to our profits because they are soft and are milled only

once”.

“African culture also allows blood relations a right to free services hence

members of the extended family expect free services which affects profit”, He

explained.

Mr Wuni said the multifunctional platform also breaks down very often; “the

attachments to the platform, the corn mill and the rice processor frequently break

down. Some parts of the machine have also cracked several times and have had to

be welded twice”. He said it would cost 70 Ghana cedis to buy a new part to

replace the cracked one but he was afraid to do so because he was not sure of the

quality. In addition, the bottom knot to the machine always breaks down.

He said the frequent breakdowns as well as recent increments in fuel prices

have increased the running cost of the mill. However, attempts at increasing the

rates to make the business more cost effective are strongly resisted by the

community members.

Isaac Wuni, son of Mr Wuni and full time operator of the multifunctional

platform, said he always travels to Walewale to buy diesel at six Ghana cedis per

gallon and engine oil at 13 Ghana cedis per gallon to run the machine. He said he

uses a gallon and a litre of engine oil in a month, after which the oil is drained

while he uses twelve gallons of diesel in a week, bringing the total cost of fuel to

37.88 Ghana cedis.

- 22 -

2.4 Lack of credit facilities prevent women of Nyerigiyili from taking full

advantage of multifunctional platform for economic activities.

Following the establishment of a multifunctional platform at Nyerigiyili, a

village near Savelugu, the women who hitherto were not engaged in agribusiness

have taken up some income generating activities in agro-processing. However,

they are of the view that the lack of credit facilities to complement the

establishment of the platform has impeded their efforts at going into big time agro-

processing.

Alhassan Iddrissu, a farmer and member of the community said since the

installation of the platform, women in the community have taken up a lot of

income generating activities such as rice and sheabutter processing and the

extraction of oil from groundnuts. However, due to limited capital, profits realized

from such ventures are minimal and women can only afford to give their children

pocket money for school.

“We eat unpalatable soup

because the money they

make is not even enough to

buy meat for soup”, he said.

Rachia Mahamadu,

who processes sheanuts for

sale supported Mr Iddrissu’s

assertion that their capital is

too small. “Currently, I

process only eight bowls of

sheanuts at a time. I could

have processed one bag if I

had enough capital. Besides,

I have no money to buy a

roaster. I suffer a lot from the heat from roasting sheanuts manually”. Madam

Mahamadu said she makes a profit equivalent to the price of two bowls for every

eight bowls of sheanuts she processes and she spends it entirely on her children.

Fati Iddrissu, who processes 20 bowls of rice for sale said she normally

realizes two bowls as profit after sales. “I either cook it for the children to eat or I

sell it and use the proceeds to cater for their needs”.

Maraima Abdul Rahmani said she normally buys 20 bowls of groundnuts on

credit and after processing it, she is able to extract 18 bottles of oil from it and uses

the by- product to prepare kpilikpili, a local pastry for sale. “From this, I am able to

pay for the cost of the groundnuts after which I use what is left to give to my

children to go to school”.

Women of Nyerigiyili want credit facilities

- 23 -

However, members of the community agreed that despite the limitations

imposed on their income generating ventures by inadequate capital, the

multifunctional platform has a source of relief to them in several spheres of life.

“Before the mill came, we used to go to the farm expecting our wives to

bring us food to eat and they go will and spend the whole day, if not days at the

mill. When this happens, we do not get food to eat and it affects our farming

activities. Also, at times when you want women to assist you with planting, they

are not around because they have gone to look for a grinding mill”, Mr. Iddrissu

explained.

He said women from the community used to go to Savelugu or travel 22

miles to Tamale to mill their produce. At times, young men assist by picking the

produce on a bicycle but a strong woman walks all the way to Savelugu then picks

a vehicle to Tamale if she cannot get a mill there.

Mr Osmana Iddrissu, a farmer and part time operator of the mill which

belongs to his father said he always buys fuel for running the machine from

savelugu, where one gallon of engine oil sells at 16 Ghana cedis while a gallon of

diesel sells at five Ghana cedis, 10 pesewas. He said he uses two gallons of engine

oil and 60 gallons of diesel a month bringing the monthly total cost of running the

platform to 33.8 Ghana cedis. He however admitted that work at the mill is not

always uniform but varies. “We can use over two gallons of diesel on a hard

working day, a gallon when the work is not much and there are times when we

have no work at all”.

On the charges, Mr Iddrisu said the normal charge for a bowl of maize is 20

Ghana pesewas but they often reduce it to 15, especially for soaked maize, guinea

corn and millet because people are poor. He said it is a business technique to

encourage people to choose his mill above other mills in the vicinity. Milling a

bowl of groundnuts is also pegged at 15 Ghana pesewas while a medium sized pan

of sheanuts and a big pan of sheanuts cost one Ghana cedi, fifty pesewas and two

Ghana cedis respectively. The multifunctional platform , he said, enjoys a

comparative advantage since people from surrounding villages also patronize it

while people from his village never go anywhere else to mill.

Mr Iddrissu iddi said he was motivated to go in for in for the Multifunctional

Platform Programme under the auspices of New Energy because of the way his

wives suffered in securing the services of a grinding mill, especially in times when

he had to organize communal labour for farming activities. “There were times

when I was forced to postpone such activities because my wives could not access a

mill to grind flour and rice for us to feed those I had invited”.

He said he was happy that the mill had not only brought relief to his wives

but has also benefited women in the village and nearby communities. He identified

- 24 -

the main obstacle to the efficient running of the multifunctional platform as

inability to access the right spare parts. “The mill wears out and some parts need to

be replaced. The rice huller broke down a number of times and the parts needed to

be replaced. I also had to buy a new engine block to replace the engine.”

Mr Iddrissu said he used profit accrued from running the mill to cater for the

expenses incurred by purchasing new spare parts which normally depleted his

profits. He also sited the issue of people wanting free services from the mill

because of blood relations and familiarity with him as another problem that has

affected the amount of profit made from running the mill.

2.5 Women in Chalaam take advantage of multifunctional platform to expand

income generating activities

When the Alzasi Women’s group of Chalaam decided to participate in the

Multifunctional Platform Programme being implanted in the Northern region by

New Energy, their main motivation was to eleminate forever from their lives the

drudgery associated with trekking to other communities in search of the services of

a grinding mill. However, the installation of the platform in the community has

paid off in other unforeseen ways by leading to the expansion of the economic

activities embarked upon by the women.

Mama Gurundoo, who used to mill 10 bowls of groundnuts before the

installation of the platform says she now mills a whole bag since she has no

problem with conveying it to the mill because it is close. Consequently, her profit

has increased from five bowls to 15 bowls of groundnuts. She said she needed a

machine to roast her groundnuts in view of the large amount she now processes

which is very tedious when done manually.

Samatha Imoro said she had also increased the amount of rice she used to

process and sell at Savelugu from 15 bowls to one bag, raising her profit from two

to four bowls while Amina Seidu also now processes a full bag of sheanuts instead

of 15 bowls. Madam Seidu said she uses proceeds from her profit which has now

increased from two to five bowls in susu collections to save money towards the

future.

Awabu Mahamin, a groundnut and soya bean farmer said she has increased

her farm from one to two acres since she now has more time to farm which has

improved her financial situation. “I normally leave my grains at the mill, go to the

farm and by the time I come back it has already being milled. I have three school

children and they do not have any problem”.

Before the installation of the mill, they used to walk as far as three and a half

miles to Savelugu whenever they failed to mill their produce from one of the

surrounding villages half a mile away. I used to skip classes in order to go the

- 25 -

grinding mill”, Mary

Gurundoo, now a student

at the Government

Secretariat at Tamale

said. She said due the

expansion in her

mother’s business, she

has been able to foot her

bills for the secretariat

course at Tamale, gives

her pocket money and

buys her books worth 20

Ghana cedis. Neema

Imoro, a Junior High

School class three pupil

said she also used to

either skip classes to go to the grinding mill or go to the mill after classes were

over. “Now, I do not need to skip classes and use my extra time to read.” Miss

Imoro said she no longer has to go out and gather firewood because her mother

now does it since she does spend time and energy travelling out of the community

to mill. Miss Imoro says her performance at school has improved as a result. She

said her mother, who is involved in rice processing, has increased her pocket

money from 10 Ghana pesewas to 50 Ghana pesewas which is a big motivation to

her to study harder.

Issaka Yamba, a primary six pupil and part time operator of the mill, said he

uses an average of 60 gallons of diesel and one and a half gallons of engine oil a

month which he buys from Savelugu or Yilonayili at five Ghana cedis, 10 pesewas

per gallon of diesel and 10 Ghana cedis per gallon of engine oil. The running cost

of the mill thus stand at 40.90 Ghana cedis per month.

Master Yamba said he charges 30 Ghana pesewas per bowl of maize, guinea

corn and millet, and 20 Ghana pesewas per bowl of sheanuts and groundnuts. He

described these charges as fair since it is the same all over the area.

3. Impact of MFP on economic lives of beneficiaries

3.1 Community One - Chanagyili

• Time spent trekking to nearby communities or to Tamale to grind maize,

millet and other farm produce is now invested in working on their farms

leading to increased yields.

Neema says her performaance at school has improved

- 26 -

• Money used to rent bicycles or for vehicle fares to Tamale now used to cater

for other pressing needs.

• Has led to the reduction of the price of rice.

• Women who sell cooked food such as rice have expanded their businesses

because they can afford to cook everyday because they can mill their rice as

often as possible.

• Has abolished losses associated with accidents incurred while traveling to

Tamale to mill farm produce.

3.2 Community two- Zosali

• Time spent trekking to Kadia or waiting long hours at other grinding mills

now invested in work on farms

• Reduced the time and energy spent in crushing a bag of sheanuts from one

day to 30 minutes.

• Has led to a boom in the sheabutter extraction industry. Instead of picking

sheanuts and selling them to women in other communities, most women

now process their own sheanuts into butter.

• Women engaged in the extraction of groundnut oil realize more groundnut

oil from their nuts than before.

• Economic turnover of women involved in the sale of processed food such as

groundnut paste and kpillikpili has increased.

3.3 Community three – Chera

• Women have expanded their economic activities due to the availability of a

mill

• Women now save money spent on fares to go to walewale to mill their farm

produce.

• Women no longer trek to Walewale and other communities to mill their

produce saving a lot of time and energy.

• Prices of food such as rice, maize flour groundnut paste, groundnut oil,

sheabutter and millet flour have decreased since women spend less money,

time and energy in their processing.

3.4 Community four- Nyergiyili

• Women who previously were not involved in income generating activities

have now taken up activities in agro-processing.

• Those who were already engaged in income generating activities have

expanded their business.

- 27 -

• Women now save a lot of time and energy which has been diverted into

more lucrative activities.

• Women now save money spent on transportation to Savelugu and Tamale to

mill their farm produce.

• Men can now count on women to help them during planting and other

farming activities because they are always available.

• Men have more energy to embark on farming activities because their wives

are around to send food to them on the farm

3.5 Community five- Chalaam

• Women now have time for household work and other economic activities

because they save time from trekking to savelugu and other communities.

• Women have expanded their income generating activities

• Women have expanded the size of their farms

3. Impact of MFP on Academic lives of beneficiaries

3.1 Community One- Changnayili

• School pupils no longer skip classes to go to Tamale to mill their farm

produce

• There has been a reduction in truancy among school pupils since some of

them used to skip classes under the pretense of being sent by their mothers

to go to Tamale and mill farm produce.

• It has boosted the morale of teachers since they no longer come to school to

meet a half empty class.

3.2 Community two- Zosali

• School girls no longer spend their time crushing sheanuts with a mortar and

pestle thus releasing more time for them to study.

• School children no longer have to trek two kilometres to Kadia to mill their

farm produce.

• Mothers are able to meet the academic needs of their children by buying

them enough exercise books and other text books because they now make

more money.

• School children can learn and concentrate better in school due to better

nutrition at home and the provision of pocket monies to them by their

mothers to buy food in school when they are hungry.

3.3 Community three- Chera

- 28 -

• School girls no longer spend time and energy crushing sheanuts or maize

with a mortar and pestle.

• School children no longer trek to Yama or travel to Walewale to mill

sheanuts and maize.

• Some mothers have been able to buy bicycles for their children to ride to

school as a result of improvement in business activities stimulated by the

availability of a grinding mill. This is an incentive for the children to study.

• Enterprising mothers are now able to meet the financial obligations of their

children’s education by paying their school fees and buying them textbooks.

• Mothers can feed their children better and provide them with pocket money

to buy food at school leading to an improvement of the nutritional status of

school children.

• The availability of the grinding mill has spawned a lot of food vendors on

the schools premises thus making food readily available to hungry school

children.

• The mill is a boost to the school feeding programme for school children

since the school grinds all its foodstuffs at the mill.

4.4 Community four – Nyerigiyili

• School children, especially girls, no longer have to spend time and energy

travelling out of the community to mill farm produce.

• Mothers can afford to give children pocket money to go to school

4.5 Community five- Chalaam

• Children no longer spend valuable time at the mill instead of studying.

• Children do not have to skip classes to go and mill grains for their mothers.

• Children can count on their mothers for pocket money and money to meet

other needs when going to school.

• Better nutrition at home means children can now concentrate better in

school.

• Better nutrition and less tedious work like trekking to mill grains would

improve the health of children making them less prone to sickness which

would undermine their academic achievement.

5. Impact of MFP on social lives of beneficiaries

5.1 Community One- Changnayili

• Less conflicts between husbands and wives as a result of wives coming

home late from the grinding mill or due to late preparation of the evening

mill

• Has led to increased interaction between people from Changnayili and those

- 29 -

from other villages

• Has promoted peace between the people of Changnayily and the who were

at loggerheads

• Women from other villages are now willing to marry men at Changnayili

because they know they know life would be less difficult for them because

of the grinding mill.

• Has reduced tension and confrontations between teachers and parents

because they no longer encourage their children to skip classes in order to

grind their farm produce.

• Families no longer have to go to bed hungry because they cannot get a

grinding mill to mill their maize or millet for the evening meal.

• Families now eat at more regular intervals (do not have to eat dinner very

late) because of the availability of the grinding mill.

5.2 Community two – Zosali

• There has been an improvement in the standard of living of familes.

• It has set up the process of wealth creation among women since they now

have access to micro-credit.

• It has become easier to organize social gatherings such as communal labour,

funerals, weddings and naming ceremonies because providing food on such

occasions is not hindered by lack of milling facilities.

• It has contributed to the psychological well-being of women and the

community as a whole by eradicating the stress and fatigue associated with

searching for milling services.

5.3 Community three- Chera

• Has promoted the timely celebration of funeral rights for the elderly by

making it possible for community members to quickly mill grain necessary

for carrying out such rights.

• It has promoted peace between farmers and livestock keepers by making it

possible for livestock keepers to feed their animals without allowing to free

range and destroy farms.

• People without ready cash can buy food on credit from food vendors and

grain due to proximity, familiarity and trust.

• Has promoted food security in the community by making food more

available and cheaper.

5.4 Community four- Nyerigiyili

• Has promoted the psychological wellbeing of women by reducing stress and

tension associated with travelling as far as 22 miles in search of milling

- 30 -

services.

• Women are now more available to meet the needs of their children, husbands

and other members of their household.

• Community members now find it easier to organize social gatherings that

demand the preparation of large quantities of food because they can easily

mill their grains.

• Has led to more interaction between the community members and members

of surrounding communities who come there to mill their grain.

5.5 Community five – Chalaam

• Children now have time to socialize and learn from each other instead of

spending all their spare time trekking to mills.

• Women suffer from less stress and tension worrying over how to cater for

their children since they now make enough money to meet their needs.

• It is now easier to organize social gatherings in the community since food

can easily be provided due to the availability of the multifunctional platform.

• General standard of living of families has improved.

• Has improved upon food security in the community.

6. A study of a community without an MFP and a comparative analysis with

MFP beneficiary communities.

Voggu- Botingli is a farming community in the Tolon/Kumbungu district of

the Northern Region. It is situated 21 kilometres from Tamale and 17 kilometres

from Tolon, its nearest electrical source. It has a population of 500 people

comprising 12 compounds. The community has no processing facilities such as a

grinding mill and women and children normally travel five kilometers to Gbullung

or 21 kilometres to Tolon to access the services of a mill.

In spite of this deficiency, community members engage in agribusiness such

as sheanut processing, rice processing, production of groundnut paste and kulikuli.

Being an agrarian community that cultivates a variety of crops such as maize,

guinea corn, millet, rice, soya bean, groundnuts, cassava, okro and pepper among

several others, it follows that the only other source of income apart from farming

would be derived from agro-processing.

- 31 -

The community has no school but had an active adult literacy class that was

established two years before a pre-study was conducted on it by New Energy

following their interest in the Multifunctional Platform Programme in October

2006. Members of the community complained that, because they had no mill in the

village, their farming activities have been undermined.

“If you do not want to stop your child from going to school, you have to stop

farming and go and grind your produce. But if the child goes to the grinding mill,

then he cannot go to school” said Sharatu Alhassan who processes rice for sale at

Gbullung and Tolon. Madam sharatu disclosed that, only 40 percent of the rice

produced in the area is processed for sale. “If we had a huller, we could have

processed 70 percent thus increasing our profits”. She disclosed that her business is

not flourishing due to

lack of a mill;

“presently, I process

only one bag of rice

from which I make

between two to three

Ghana cedis as

profit”. Hence, she

can afford to give her

three children only 20

Ghana pesewas as

pocket money for

school. She said if she

could make more

money from

processing rice, she

would have liked to

give her children a

nutritious meal before they go to school, give them more pocket money and give

them a good lunch. “I will also like to buy bicycles for them “, she added.

Amina Mahama, who processes sheanuts for sale, said she is forced to

process only a small quantity due to the distance she has to travel to the grinding

mill. “Sheanuts cannot be carried on a bicycle so I process only 20 bowls which

requires two people to carry it. I make about two Ghana cedis profit or more

depending on the quantity of sheabutter”. She recounted an incident last year when

she slipped and fell because it had rained and the ground was slippery. “Everything

got mixed up with the muddy water and I could retrieve nothing.”

“At times, the children get accidents with their bikes and lose all their grains.

Teenage girls returning to Voggu-Botingyili after milling their produce in

another community

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If we had a cornmill, such things would not happen”, said Saudatu Yussif, who

processes groundnuts for sale. “I process only ten bowls of groundnuts at a time

from which I make a profit of four Ghana cedis. If Voggu-Botingli had a mill, I

would have increased it to 15 bowls.”

Presently members of the community spend six hours to go to Gbullung to

mill their farm produce and come back home. If they are lucky enough to have a

bike, it may take them three to four hours to make a round trip to Gbullung.

“At times, we go to bed hungry because we cannot mill our flour. If the

machine breaks down, we leave our maize at the mill, come back home and sleep”,

said Madam Alhassan. She said apart from expanding her business, she would have

also increased the size of her farm if Vorgu-Botingli had a mill; “We spend a lot of

time on travelling to other communities to mill our grain and it is affecting our

farming activities”. Madam Yussif on the other hand said she would have used any

extra time resulting from the introduction of a multifunctional platform in the

community to look for extra firewood.

From the scenario enumerated above, it can be seen that certain economic,

social and academic issues arise from the lack of a grinding mill at Voggu

Botingyili. It is therefore necessary to document these issues.

6.1 Economic issues arising from the lack of a multifunctional platform

1. Farming activities are undermined because women have to leave their farms

to travel to other communities to mill their produce.

2. Women engaged in food processing process less food because of the

distance to the grinding mill.

3. Lack of a rice huller is a big hindrance to rice farmers because they process

less rice (40 percent).

4. Farmers earn less income from their farming activities because they cannot

add value to them through processing before selling.

5. Women spend a lot of time and energy trying to access the services of a mill

which could have been diverted into other economic activities.

6.2 Academic impact of lack of a multifunctional platform

1. School children spend time and energy travelling to other communities to

mill their mothers produce which could have been invested in academic

work.

2. Mothers have less money to spend on academic needs of school children

such as books, school fees, and pocket money which would impact

negatively on children.

3. Mothers do not have the economic ability to provide nutritious meals for

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their children which can undermine their ability to concentrate in school.

4. Mothers cannot provide necessities such as bicycles for their children which

can motivate them to study harder.

6.3 Social Impact of lack of a multifunctional platform

1. Organizing social events such as weddings and naming ceremonies is a

tiresome activity because women have to travel long distances to process

food.

2. Women and children have less time to socialize and learn from one another

because of time and energy that is invested in milling activities.

3. Women and children have less leisure time.

4. Anxiety over how to access the services of a mill has a psychological impact

on the health of women.

5. The physical stress associated with carrying heavy weights and walking long

distances undermines the health of women and children.

6. Anxiety, worry and stress associated with poverty and not being able to meet

one’s basic needs undermine psychological wellbeing in rural communities.

7. Summary of Findings

Information contained in the preceding pages give evidence that the

Multifunctional Platform Programme has had economic, academic and social

impacts on the lives of beneficiary communities. The degree of this impact,

however, was found to vary from one community to another. Three factors appear

to govern how multifunctional platforms impact on beneficiary communities and

thus account for this variation. These are:

• Prevailing conditions or circumstances at the beneficiary community at

the time when the multifunctional platform was introduced- Changnayili

appears to have reaped more social benefits than the other communities,

since the multifunctional platform even became a unifying factor for them

and the neighbouring village of Pagazaa. This is due to two prevailing

circumstances; firstly, Changnayili was at loggerheads with his neighbor,

secondly, Pagazaa, which used to have access to a grinding mill no longer

had because it had broken down beyond repairs thus creating a situation

where the grinding came to play this role of a peacemaker. Another

prevailing condition at Changnayili that led to more social benefits was the

fact that women were unwilling to marry into that community because they

were energy poor. Again, the mill came to create a more favourable situation

leading to more bachelors getting married.

In addition, because Zosali already had a vast number of sheanut trees that

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supported sheanut picking, the introduction of energy simply elevated the

community from a predominantly sheanut picking community to a sheanut

processing one. Thus, the prevailing circumstances at Zosali made this

economic achievement possible.

• How prepared the beneficiary communities were for the reception of the

platform- The preparedness of beneficiary communities to take advantage

of the introduction of new energy into their communities in terms of

available capital and their business acumen would normally determine the

degree of economic impact that the multifunctional platform would have

upon their lives, which would then spiral off into the social and academic

spheres. In terms of the availability of capital and business acumen, Chera

seems to be ahead of the other communities which resulted in a greater

economic impact than the rest of the communities. This contrasts with the

situation at Nyerigiyili where the women could not expand their business as

a result of lack of capital.

• The influence of surrounding or satellite communities- Even though

Chera had a small population, the influence of surrounding communities in

terms of population made the establishment of the platform a success. The

population at the school, which was 317 and higher than Chera’s population

of 165 as at the time the platform was installed, led to a thriving cooked food

industry in the village.

Another area where the communities exhibited variation was in the area of

fuel prices. The table below shows the variation:

Name of community Price of diesel Price of engine oil Total per month

Changnayili

Zosali 5.2 x 15 Ghc 16.0 x 2.5 Ghc 235.0 Ghc

Chera 6.0 x 12 Ghc 13.0 x1.25 Ghc 106. 25 Ghc

Nyerigiyili 5.1 x 60 Ghc 16.0 x 2 Ghc 644.0 Ghc

Chalaam 5.1 x 60 Ghc 10.0 x 1 Ghc 316.0 Ghc

The differences in the total monthly expenditure of the multifunctional

platforms for the various communities are a reflection not only of the

differences in fuel prices but also the differences in the volume of work

performed by the platforms. From the table, Nyerigiyili has the highest

expenditure on fuel and uses the highest amount of diesel (60 gallons).

Incidentally, it was also Nyerigiyili which had to change several parts of the

machine probably because the machine wore out more quickly because of

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the volume of work.

Chalaam spends the second highest amount of money every month on fuel

and also uses 60 gallons of diesel a month, just like Nyerigiyili. During this

exercise, Chalaam reported of a major breakdown of the machine which they

had to use all their profits to repair.

If the figures provided on the amount of fuel consumed by the communites

are a correct reflection of their output, then it can be concluded that the rate

at which the machine wears out, necessitating that certain parts be replaced

is linked to the volume of work it has to perform.

8. Recommendations

In view of the constant occurrence of certain problems affecting the smooth

running of the multifunctional platform as well as its impact on the lives of

beneficiary communities, it has become imperative to take a critical look at these

problems in order to make suggestions geared towards their resolution.

One problem that most of the communities encountered is the rampant

breakdown of the multifunctional platforms. This problem might be due to the

following causes;

• Improper usage or maintenance practices by operators of the platform

• The platform is not sturdy enough to handle the volume of work that it

normally performs

• Stress on the machine from the environment due to overheating, humidity, or

temperature fluctuations.

For the above mentioned causes, the following recommendations can be made;

• Operators and users of the platform should be educated on the right handling

and maintenance of the platform

• More research should be carried out on the technology to develop improved

versions that are sturdier and can withstand the volume of work expected of

them.

• More research should be carried out to develop models that can withstand

the heat, temperature variations and other forms of environmental stress

peculiar to sub-saharan Africa which is situated in the tropics. Research

should take cognizance of the fact that metals contract when cold and

expand when hot. Hence, metals or alloys that are less sensitive to changes

in temperature should be used in the construction of the platforms.

Linked to the incident of the rampant breakdown of the multifunctional

platforms is the fact that, the operators know nothing about how to repair them

when they breakdown and have to wait for recommended artisans to come and

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repair them. Some communities have complained that the artisans do not

respond swiftly when they are called upon to come to their aid and they

sometimes have to go for more than two weeks without the services of the

platform because the artisans have refused to show up. In this regard;

• It might be necessary to train the operators themselves to repair the

platforms when they breakdown. Giving such knowledge to the operators

would enhance their understanding of how the platforms work and hence

help them to maintain them better.

• Train artisans who reside in the same communities that the platforms are

located. This would speed up repair works on the platform whenever they

break down and save operators energy, money and time spent in travelling to

other communities to look for the recommended artisans.

Another issue that came up repeatedly was the lack of credit facilities to help

women take full advantage of the platform to embark on or expand upon their

income generating activities. This can be resolved by;

• Linking up women with NGO’s, banks and other organisations that offer

credit facilities for such economic activities.

• Encouraging women to form co-operatives to enable them take

advantage of credit facilities meant for co-operatives.

Some teachers also expressed concern that the increase in profits realized by

women as a result of the expansion of their businesses wrought by the

multifunctional platform might not be invested in important areas such as their

children’s education or better nutrition but rather in their own priorities. Such a

concern is genuine since there is the possibility that the extra income can be spent

on purchasing more cloths and collections of designer bowls and utensils that are

not needed. If this happens, the trickle -down effect expected to accrue from

multifunctional platforms to stimulate development in rural communities may not

take place. In this regard;

• It would be necessary to sensitize women to invest their earnings or profits

in areas that would yield returns such as the education of their children, good

nutrition or in the expansion of their business activities. They should be

made to see that buying trunks of clothing or piles of bowls and basins is a

sterile investment since monies spent on such ventures yield no dividends.

Women involved in the processing of sheanuts and groundnuts complained that

they suffer from over exposure to heat now that they have increased the quantity of

groundnuts and sheanuts that they process. Exposure to excessive heat constitutes a

major health risk that can lead to skin problems and also affects the womb, putting

unborn children and pregnant women at risk. Since the purpose of the

Multifunctional Platform Programme, which is geared towards promoting the

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wellbeing of rural communities would be undermined if women and unborn

children are exposed to health hazards, it would be in the interest of the programme

to;

• Encourage women to form groups and contribute money to buy roasters

• Assist them to obtain credit facilities to buy roasters.

Another issue that came to light during this exercise was the fact that, most

often, when multifunctional platforms are privately owned, they are operated by

relatives of the owners who sometimes run them on a part time basis. They are

either not remunerated at all or if they are remunerated, their remuneration is not

based on their output but is rather a token from the owner. It would be better if

private owners of multifunctional platforms adopt a more businesslike approach

and employ capable fulltime employees who would be remunerated according to

their output.

9. Conclusion

Ghana has an agrarian economy with the bulk of food and cash crops that

support this economy produced in the rural areas where 70 percent of its

population lives. Incidentally, it is these same areas that lack the very facilities

necessary for agro-processing to enable rural communities to add value to their

agricultural produce in order to preserve them and also promote the development

of agri-business at the grassroots. Not only does the lack of such facilities hinder

the development of rural economies but it also forces them to go through untold

hardships in a bid to undertake simple household tasks such as milling grains for

food, which also robs them of substantial time and energy that could have been

invested in development and intellectual activities.

It is therefore imperative that the widespread energy poverty peculiar to rural

areas be addressed since the availability of energy is a pre-requisite to all forms of

development.

From the above exercise, it can be concluded that the Multifunctional

Platform Programme that was implemented by the UNDP in conjunction with New

Energy in some rural communities in the Northern Region has injected a certain

amount of energy into these communities which has had a positive impact on their

livelihoods. This impact has been felt in the economic and social lives of members

of the community as well as the academic lives of school children.

In view of the information gathered from community members, devices such

as the multifunctional platforms that allow rural communities to have access to

energy to undertake otherwise simple tasks such as agro-processing could become

a lever for stimulating economic growth at the grassroots. This would in-turn

trickle down to generate other forms of growth such as the development of more

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intellectuals from the rural areas since school children would stay in school long

enough to acquire relevant skills and knowledge because they are being given

better care by their parents.

If such children decide to reinvest their monies in the development of their

families and projects for the rural areas as professional adults, it would generate

further development in the rural areas which could then eventually come out of

their poverty.

There would also be a revolutionary increase in the health status of rural

communities since they would eat more nutritious food, which is the number one

pre-requisite for good health, thus putting an end to illnesses such as aneamia and

kwashiorkor in children. By becoming healthier, members of rural communities

would be saving money spent on hospital bills and drugs; mothers would spend

less time nursing the sick and invest this time in productive activities and less

school children would have to skip school because of ill health leading to an

improvement in school attendance and better grades.

Furthermore, if life is made more bearable for people in the rural areas

through the provision of multifunctional platforms which would alleviate the

drudgery of rural live and provide them with employment opportunities through

the development of agribusiness, less people would migrate to the urban areas

where they end up in shanty towns and slums and are lured into crime by

unscrupulous persons because they do not employable skills. These are but just a

few of the numerous and sometimes unforeseen benefits of the platform.

In conclusion, one can argue that, the introduction of energy to rural

communities through the establishment of multifunctional platforms has a

multifaceted impact on development at the grassroots and even higher levels of

society.

10. Appendix

Questionnaire for beneficiary communities of multifunctional platforms.

Questions for women

1. When was the multifunctional platform established here?

2. Before, how were you milling your rice, maize, groundnuts, sheabutter and

other farm produce?

3. How long did you use to walk or how far did you have to travel to access

the services of a mill?

4. How many minutes or hours did you spend walking if you had to walk?

5. If you used a vehicle how much did you pay?

6. If you used a bicycle, did you hire it or borrow it?

7. Did you have to spend a long time queuing at the mill?

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8. How many minutes or hours did you have to queue?

9. Were there situations when you travelled to a community and still could not

access the services of a mill or the mill broke down before you could mill

your produce?

10. Did you sometimes encounter unpleasant experience such as accidents, etc

in your efforts to mill your produce?

11. Did you sometimes mill your produce using traditional means such as a

mortar and a pestle?

12. How long did it take you to mill a quantity of rice, maize, millet and

sheanuts?

13. How much time have you saved on milling your produce since the

multifunctional platform was established in your community?

14. How much money have saved on transport.

15. What do you now do with the extra time and energy and money saved on

transport?

16. Do you have anything else to tell us about how the multifunctional platform

has helped you or your experiences before the platform was introduced?

Questions for school children.

1. Did you sometimes assist your mother to process her farm produce before

the introduction of the multifunctional platform in your community?

2. Where were you processing your farm produce then?

3. How far is the community where you used to process the farm produce for

your mother from here?

4. Were you going there by foot, in a vehicle or on a bicycle?

5. Did you sometimes have to miss classes in order to go and grind grain or

you used to go after classes and on the weekends?

6. How did this affect your studies?

7. Did you sometimes process grains the traditional way?

8. With the arrival of the multifunctional platform in your community, how

much time have you saved by not travelling to other communities to mill

grains for your mother?

9. What do you do with this extra time and energy that is now available to

you?

10. Has the availability of the mill led to an expansion of your mother’s

business?

11. If yes, has this impacted on your family in terms of better nutrition, more

money available to meet your academic needs at school such as buying of

books, uniform and pocket money?

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12. Has your performance in school improved?

13. Can you give any more information on how the multifunctional platform

has affected your life and the rest of the community whether positively or

negatively?

Questions for teachers

1. Before the introduction of the platform, were school children sometimes

absent from school because they had to go to other communities to mill

grains for their mothers?

2. Did this affect their academic performance at school?

3. With the introduction of the mill, have school children stopped absenting

themselves from class with the excuse that they are going to the mill?

4. Has there been any improvement in their academic performance since the

mill was introduced.

5. Have you noticed any other improvement such as higher concentration at

school?

6. Do mothers now readily fulfil their financial obligations towards the

development of their wards such as paying fees and dues and buting

recommended textbooks and exercise books for their wards?

7. What else can you tell us about the impact of the platform on the lives of

school children and that of the community as a whole?

Questions for mill operators

1. Are you a full time or part time operator?

2. How much are you paid in a month?

3. How much do you spend on engine oil and diesel?

4. From where do you buy your engine oil and diesel?

5. How much do you charge per bowl of maize, guinea corn, millet, rice,

sheabutter and groundnuts?

6. Are your charges the same as that charged in neighbouring grinding mills or

they are higher or lower?

7. Do you face competition from nearby mills?

8. Is the competition to your advantage or disadvantage?

9. What are some of the major challenges you face in operating the mill?

Questions for entrepreneurs/ women’s groups running the mill

1. What prompted you to participate in the Multifunctional Platform

Programme?

2. Has the platform alleviated the suffering of women in your community?

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3. Is running the platform a profitable venture?

4. What are some of the challenges you face in running the platform?