Africa-Press – Ghana. The Ghana Poultry Network (GAPNET) has donated Sasso birds to 12 rural women in Yua, a community in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality, as part of efforts to improve household incomes, food security and nutrition.
The gesture forms part of GAPNET’s long-standing commitment to poverty reduction among rural women through sustainable poultry production and other livelihood and income-generating interventions.
Each beneficiary received 10 live Sasso birds, making a total of 120 birds distributed during a short ceremony held at Yua.
The birds, which had been brooded for eight weeks, were fully vaccinated against major poultry diseases, including Newcastle Disease, and were considered mature enough to be managed by ordinary rural farmers.
Sasso birds are dual-purpose breeds, valued for both egg and meat production, making them suitable for smallholder farmers.
Speaking at the event, Mr Isaaka Awudu Agandaa, GAPNET Focal Person in Yua, explained that instead of donating dressed poultry for consumption during the festive season, the organisation opted to present live birds to ensure long-term economic benefits for the women and their households.
The initiative is expected to help beneficiaries generate income, improve household nutrition and enhance the overall wellbeing of children in the community through access to eggs and meat.
The Focal Person indicated that plans were advanced to extend similar support to other communities in the municipality, including Kandiga and Manyoro, to complement ongoing national poultry initiatives.
According to Mr Agandaa, the initiative aligned with the government’s Feed Ghana Programme and the Nkoko Kentenkete initiative, which seek to promote poultry production as a means of strengthening Ghana’s food system.
He noted that village poultry, including fowls and guinea fowls, played a critical socio-economic and cultural role in Yua and similar rural communities, stressing the need to promote their production.
Mr Agandaa said the gesture was building on previous interventions by GAPNET in Yua and other communities, including microfinance support to women, the distribution of guinea fowl keets, and the provision of agricultural inputs to support crop production.
Since 2022, the women have undergone capacity-building training in poultry production, supported by the Veterinary Services Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
He stated that GAPNET had, over the years since its establishment, contributed significantly to the development of the Yua community and other parts of the region, including partnering with other organisations to construct boreholes for underserved communities and a community library for Yua, among others.
“GAPNET has worked in Yua since the early 2000s, implementing the Village Poultry Improvement Programme with support from international partners such as Kindness International (USA) and the Danish Network for Smallholder Poultry Development.
“Over the years, the organisation has participated in regional workshops across West Africa to promote improved smallholder poultry production,” he said.
Dr Anthony Nsoh Akunzule, Founder of GAPNET, advised the women to adopt good management practices, including proper housing, record keeping and close monitoring of bird health, to enable the poultry to reach their full potential in egg-laying and meat production.
Naba James Nyaaba Atuah, Chief of Yua, expressed gratitude to GAPNET for its support over the years, saying the various interventions were empowering women and households in the community and improving food and nutritional security.
Madam Cecilia Akolgo, one of the beneficiaries, lauded the work of GAPNET in the community, saying it had provided them with an additional source of income besides farming.
She urged her colleagues to ensure the birds survived so that the support could be extended to others.
For More News And Analysis About Ghana Follow Africa-Press
