Serving remote communities comes with unique challenges, especially in places like North Gonja, where accessing some villages means crossing rivers and navigating rugged terrain.
Recently, Toffic Dapilaah, one of Amplio Ghana’s dedicated team members, embarked on a journey from Daboya to Kito, both communities in the Savanna Region as part of a strategic partnership with GIZ-Resilience Against Climate Change (REACH). His mission was twofold: to meet with model farmers and to monitor the installation of educational murals that share essential information on conservation agriculture. The journey began with a river crossing over the White Volta in a wooden boat from Daboya to Sissina, a 10-minute stretch vital for reaching communities on the far side. From there, Toffic proceeded on a motorbike over unpaved roads for another hour to reach Kito.
A Partnership for Climate Resilience
This partnership between Amplio Ghana and GIZ-REACH, officially known as the “Provision of Technical Assistance for the Implementation of Innovative Extension Approaches in REACH Project Communities,” is designed primarily to enable the sustainable and inclusive improvement of gender-sensitive climate adaptation and mitigation measures among farmers in 50 selected communities covering 14 districts of Ghana’s Upper West, North East, and Savannah regions.
Amplio Ghana has committed to several initiatives to make knowledge more accessible and effective. The battery-powered, easy-to-use Amplio Talking Book is an audio device designed for people with low literacy skills. 100 Talking Books have been deployed to share essential agricultural information with 100 Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA), reaching about 2,500 members. The people in Kito primarily speak Mampruli and Gonja. By distributing Talking Books in their local languages, Amplio is ensuring that critical messages to raise awareness about climate adaptation, mitigation, and sustainable agricultural practices reach everyone and bypass connectivity issues.
Visual Tools for Community Learning
In addition, Amplio is installing educational murals in the selected communities, providing visual reinforcements on sustainable farming practices. These murals, positioned in community centers and gathering spots, are tailored to visually communicate essential information. They will target three key concepts: the community’s fight against bush burning, conservation agriculture, and agroforestry.
Model Farmers Leading Peer-to-Peer Climate-Smart Practices
Amplio’s third initiative, known as the Champion Farmer Concept or Farmer Model Concept, focuses on encouraging peer-to-peer learning, where model farmers engage and train others in the community on climate-smart agriculture. With support from Agriculture Extension Agents (AEAs), Amplio identified and hired 50 model farmers constituting 10 women and 40 men who practice conservation agriculture (CA) to lead the adoption of CA in their communities.
When I asked Toffic about his experience, he reflected on the challenges and rewards of working in remote areas:
“Accessing remote areas like Kito presents its own difficulties. The river crossing and rough roads are part of the journey, but it’s all worth it to engage directly with the farmers. We aim to build a lasting connection, where farmers feel supported and confident using the resources provided.”
Toffic’s visit enabled him to connect directly with model farmers, learning about their needs, monitoring progress, and providing support. By crossing rivers, covering long distances, and dedicating time and resources, the team ensures that even the most isolated communities have the knowledge and tools they need to build resilient, sustainable farming practices.