The annual Gold in the Soil Awards, which run alongside the women in Food and Agricultural Leadership Training Forum, is scheduled to come off at Akroma Plaza in the Western Region on June 22 and 23, 2022.
The programme, which adopts a regional rotational style, has in the past been held in the Volta Region (2019), Ashanti Region (2020) and Upper East Region (2021).
This year, our focus is on the Western and Western North Region, where we will spend two (2) quality days with Trainers, mentors and selected resource persons to build the capacity of 300 women farmers, women-led agribusinesses and women farmers living with various disabilities.
Over the years, the Women in Food and Agricultural Leadership Training Forum and the Gold in the Soil Awards have been supported to strengthen women’s agribusiness enterprises across Ghana, motivating a paradigm-shift in projecting women achievers in agribusiness.
The programme, which has been of benefit to over 20,000 women directly and over 225,000 women indirectly, has also assisted ventures into various agribusinesses that cut across the value chain.
Beyond the Full day Capacity Building session is the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS, which have taken our Production Team to the length and breadth of the 23 districts in both the Western and Western North Regions over the past 3 weeks.
The focus of their field production shoot was on the 45 women farmers and 17 women farmers with disabilities who are making waves, standing out and supporting to grow and position sustainable farming.
What our Production Team captured on their farms and operational fields of these amazing and extraordinary women is exciting and captivating.
Their farm business stories and journeys have been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS documentary, which will be screened during the Gold in the Soil Awards on Thursday, June 23, 2022.
This write-up introduces our women farmers and women farmers with disabilities who will be celebrated and recognised during the 2-day event.
Esther Ofori – Super Girl Farmer Award
Believe this! 10 -year old Esther Ofori from Dzatokrom in the Western North Region is a disabled Maize & Yam farmer! She will be receiving an ‘Honorary Super Girl Award’, specially created for her, at the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS event. It’s amazing what Esther is doing at such a young age by combining school with farming. This year, we’ll be supporting 7 other women farmers with disabilities! Beyond giving Esther stationery for school and inputs for her farm, we also want to get a wheelchair for her. Let us know if you want to assist. Her amazing journey to becoming a ‘Girl farmer with disabilities’ has been captured in the Gold in the Soil Awards documentary! Esther’s positive attitude and can-do spirit is driving growth of Community Agriculture!
Rebecca Aidoo – Super Woman Farmer Award
52-year old, visually impaired Madam Rebecca’s strength and zeal inspires us all. A maize, cocoa and plantain farmer, her ability to cultivate over 10 acres with ease needs to be studied and adopted. She will be receiving a ‘Special Super Woman Award’ under the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARD category. Her story has been captured in the Gold in the Soil documentary, showing how she is enabling and supporting young women in her community to adopt best practices so as to be sustainable farmers!
Joyce Asante – Super Woman Farmer Award
100% visually impaired Aunty Joyce’s farming strategies need to be studied in Harvard, and the successes she has chalked up as a cocoa, cassava and maize farmer need to be celebrated! She is a role-model to women with disabilities in her community, many of whom have ventured into farming because of her. Her ‘strong-willed’ personality and how she is contributing to sustainable farming has been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS documentary!
Marian Ofori Twumasi – Gold in the Soil Awards
Marian is a rare young visionary. Her dedication to and passion for agribusiness permeates everything she has been able to achieve since she ventured into the sector as a university student. Now, at 34-years old, she runs a 200-acre farm consisting of an oil palm plantation, cocoa plantation, coconut farm, maize farm, rice farm, cassava farm, plantain farm and bee hives. The rest are palm oil processing, poultry feed processing, poultry farm, cattle farm, fish farm, snail farm, poultry feed shop, transportation, aggregation, tomato farm, citronella farm, 11 permanent employees and 100s of casual workers. She is truly an inspiration and great support to hundreds of young women in her community in the Sefwi Nkronua Atifi district of the Western-North Region.
Abi Yaa – Super Woman Farmer Award
Affectionately called Abi Yaa, the 30-year old physically challenged mother of 8 children has been able to put all her 8 kids into school; 4 in primary and the other 4 in vocational school. All her kids, after school support her on her 2 acre cocoa, pear, plantain and cassava farm! This is how they have been surviving in Kama Boadi district where they reside. Abi Yaa told our documentary team that her ‘can-do spirit’ overshadows her daily challenges. Her story and that of her children, and how they project love and light through their farm work, has been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS documentary! She is to receive a Special Super Woman Award!
Yaa Sosu – She Innovates Awards
62-year old Maa Yaa stepped-up her farm-game from being only a cassava farmer to establishing a mini Gari -rocessing factory in her community! Maa Yaa has through this created employment for over 15 young men in the community and over 25 young ladies who now serve as distributors! Maa Yaa’s Agribusiness Journey of bringing hope and creating employment has been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS documentary!
Faustina Adangba – Passion for the Farm Award
Faustina Adangba lost her 12-acre vegetable and crop farm through a fire outbreak. Her story of how she was able to stay strong, bounce back, recover, grow and stand-out within a short period of time is one that will inspire us all to stand strong! She has over the years been able to lead and support single and widowed women in her community to venture into cocoyam and vegetable farming! Her story of how she has been able to ensure ‘Household Food Security’ within the community has been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS documentary!
Akua Atta – Super Woman Farmer Award
65-year old hearing and speech-impaired Madam Akua Atta’s passion for farming is simply unique! Amazingly, she is one of the best negotiators when selling her farm produce after harvesting. Her business mind-set approach has naturally made her buyers adopt sign-language – making it easier to seal a deal and buy her produce. Akua Atta’s firmness, focus and desire amid her challenges have been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS documentary.
Ophelia Ackah – Super Woman Award
Madam Ophelia owns 4 acres of cocoa and palm nut farm. She recently expanded her business to include an oil processing factory, which is doing very well. She has been able to provide jobs for young people in her community. Her abilities beyond her disabilities as a woman farmer have been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS Documentary.
Janet Afram – Super Woman Farmer Award
Aunty Janet is leader and founder of the ‘Odo Na Eye’ women farmer group in Asafo, Sewti Wiawso district of the Western North Region, where she encourages more and more women to venture into farming. Despite the challenges she faces as a woman farmer with disabilities, she is able to also work and manage her 8-acre farm land of beans, cocoa, plantain and cassava.
Janet’s smile and her desire for women farmers to come together as one in her community have been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS documentary.
Rose Mensah – Super Woman Farmer Award
Madam Rose found peace and happiness in the Soil after she lost one of her legs! She went into the nursing and sale of cocoa seedlings and gradually became a cocoa farmer! Her journey, and how she balances her work as a woman farmer with disability, has been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS documentary.
Mary Perpetua Kwakuyi – Climate Smart Award
Mary is an inspiration! Besides being a crop and vegetable farmer, Mary has gone beyond to establish a Demonstration Centre at Ekma, Western Region, where she trains the youth in her community and other beginner Agribusinesses on adopting climate-smart strategies and approaches in farming. Over 10,000 people have benefitted from Mary’s weekly training sessions. Mary’s journey to becoming a Climate Smart Agriculture advocate and a farmer has been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS Documentary!
Rosemond Afua Afful – Change Champion and Star Woman Award
Rosemond’s zeal to ensure, she eliminates post losses, has led her to consciously grow a strong market network system, for her vegetables! She cultivates over 15 acres of vegetables, which she supplies to shops and malls within and outside the Western Region! Her determination to meet quality standards has been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS documentary!
Mary Mensah – She Operates Award
Aunty Mary is a force to reckon with when it comes to fish processing in Shama! Her style, her recipes, her innovative approach to fishing, seasoning, smoking and preservation have been acclaimed as top-notch… Her passion for her work has been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS documentary.
Edina Ama Mensah – Feed to Food Award
Edna is a bold and beautiful poultry farmer in the Western Region with 1,000s of broilers & layers! Her journey to becoming a poultry farmer is an amazing one! She is a born fighter and happy to be nominated for the FEED TO FOOD AWARD, under the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS category! Her extraordinary story has been documented, to be shared with you soon, to inspire, motivate & support in telling the story of how our women farmers are growing community Agriculture.
Mary Asuman – Diamond in the Rough Award
Aunty Mary owns a 27-acre palm nut, cassava, yam, maize, cocoyam, plantain, and rice farm. She also has a poultry and goat farm in Dompin Number 1. From a very deprived home, Aunty Mary’s desire was to ensure her children and kids within her area are able go to school, a privilege she didn’t have! Part of the profit from her sales therefore goes beyond educating her own children. She supports the education of other kids as well. Her impactful story has been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS documentary.
Monica Nwiah – Princess Carla Award
Talk of a community female superhero in Dompim community and all hands will point to Aunt Monica. When her community needed part of her strategically located farmland for a school project, she willingly donated part of the land to them; and her effort has earned the community Dompin 1 primary & JSS, getting more and more young people to be enrolled in school. She presently owns 32 acres of maize, plantain, cassava, yam, coconut and coco yam. She also has a goat, sheep and poultry farm. She has supported a number of youth to venture into farming by providing them with seeds and soft loans. Her impactful story of how is she making her community happy and transforming livelihoods has been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS documentary.
Ekua Badu – Royal Agro Award
From Wasa Angu in the Western Region, kindly meet the ‘ever-smiley’ 74-year old farmer and queen mother growing maize, cocoa, yam and vegetables. Madam Ekua has been nominated for the ROYAL AGRO Award category, under the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS! Her story of resilience and hope for food security has been captured in the Gold in the Soil documentary. Her passion for growth and her influence as a royal, is encouraging young women around her to embrace sustainable farming.
Mercy Nanjo – Feed to Food Award
From Apremdo in the Western Region, meet Mercy the beautiful Poultry Farmer using innovative and appropriate farm practices to manage her birds! Mercy’s structure and style of farming keeps driving attention and attracting her neighbours and others within her community to venture into poultry! Her hopes of establishing a state-of-art processing facility and creating employment along the value chain is beginning to materialise. Mercy’s story of determination, passion and her signature smile amid challenges have been captured in the GOLD in the SOIL documentary.
Helena Abaidoo – Diamond in the Rough Award
Madam Helena is a commercial farmer into cocoa, plantain, maize and coconut! She is doing so well and so much for her community. Her compelling story from small-scale to commercial scale farming needs to be shared. It has been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS documentary!
Comfort Sarkoh – She Innovates Award
Aunty Comfort has always had a passion for innovation! It therefore came as no surprise to her family when she decided to go into Coconut Oil Processing. Aunty Comfort has through her business been able to build a 5-bedroom house. She has also been able to put all her children through school and has employed over 35 people who directly and indirectly work with her. She has recently acquired a new place where she is putting up a structure to expand her business! Her ‘Desire to Dare’ story has been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS documentary.
Mary Antwi – Gold in the Soil Award
40 year old Mary Antwi, has been nominated for the ultimate award – the Gold in the Soil Award.
From Dompim number 1 in the Western Region, Mary owns 24 acres of plantain, rice, palm nut and cocoa farm. She is also into livestock farming and owns hundreds of goats and sheep. Mary is changing the face of women farmers in her community through her mentoring programmes. A great number of young ones look up to her and she has been able to influence growth of Agriculture with her voice and actions… Her story has been captured in the GOLD IN THE SOIL AWARDS documentary.
