Rice farming

A group of 19 young women between the ages of 15 and 35 have completed a hands-on training in rice and soybean processing, equipping them with practical skills to launch value-added agribusinesses and secure dignified livelihoods.

The three-day training, organized by Newage Agric Solutions, a consortium partner under the Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) Program, took place in Akuse as part of ongoing efforts to promote youth employment and women’s empowerment through agricultural value addition.

Francisca Avansi once sat at home in the Tandema community of the Upper East Region in Ghana—an unemployed SHS graduate with little hope and no income. 

Today, she stands as a powerful example of how one opportunity can spark a lifetime of change.

Thanks to the Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) Project, Francisca’s life has been completely transformed.

Teye-Wayo Eliasca Petra, a 22-year-old high school graduate from Adakope, once stood in front of a preschool classroom teaching young children. 

Having completed her education in 2020, she pursued teaching out of necessity—not passion. With parents who were farmers, agriculture was always close to home, but never part of her plans.

That changed when she heard about the HAPPY Program through an uncle.

Curiosity led her to join the program, and what began as an experiment has become a life-changing decision.

In the heart of the Shai Osudoku district, where agriculture is a lifeline for many, a remarkable story of transformation unfolds—Once a food vendor selling beans and gari (popularly called gobɛ in Ghana), Portia Azanda has risen to become a certified tractor operator and farm supervisor of 62 hectares of rice fields. 

The staff of Agri-Impact Limited recently conducted a field trip to several communities participating in the HAPPY Program across the country. The purpose of the trip was to monitor the program's progress and gather valuable feedback for review and improvement.

The visit focused on assessing the impact of the project in selected Catholic Relief Services (CRS) project communities, including Kpulgini, Kulguduli, Wapuli, and Garimata Northern Region with particular attention to input quality, distribution effectiveness, and overall project success.