GFAR blog

YAP Proposal #227: Climate change livestock (Ibrahim Issahaku, Ghana)

I am a young Ghanaian of 36 years of age, a native of the Upper West Region and my name is Ibrahim Erasung Issahaku. I work with the Ministry of Agriculture as an Extension Staff Member.

I call my project the “climate change livestock” project. This is because the project aims to reduce climate change impacts on the natural flora and fauna, a result human activities and chronic poverty.

The purpose of the project is to create livelihood activities for rural people experiencing severe drought and a period during which they cannot farm – the dry season. The result is that they undertake negative activities such as charcoal burning, bad fishing methods, illegal mining, among others. These activities in turn negatively impact the natural environment and increase the impacts from climate change.

As part of the project, farmers will be given 4 livestock and the cultivation of an acre of one cash crop and one leguminous crop as animal feed. This will turn fallow land into feed for animals, provide food for households and also add nutrients to the soil.

Each farmer gives another 3 beneficiaries the same number livestock as they originally received out of the young livestock born over the course of the season. The project will support crop farming to ensure continuity of funds.

Currently, the project (ACDEP) is supporting farmers under a similar revolving animal scheme, but without considering the climate change model. As an environmentalist and engineer, I wish to practice environmentally friendly activities to sustain life and resources for our wise consumption.

This project will create jobs during the dry season, reducing climate change impacts, improving the living conditions of rural dwellers through food security and maybe even stopping migration of youth to southern Ghana for non-existent jobs.

Eight communities in the Wa and Lawra municipal districts will be targeted for this project, with each community enrolling 5 families and 3 family recipients each, making 15 households per community within the first two years.

I will also train farmers to stop bush burning and instead cut crop residue for animal feed after the major farming season.

To ensure sustainability, I will intensify my search for sponsorship to prolong the project lifecycle after termination of this most excellent opportunity.

Annual budget for climate change livestock project (in Ghanaian Cedis. Unit cost is cost per community)

ITEM UNIT COST QTY TOTAL
Sheep/pig/goat 480 8 3,840.00
1 acres (major crop) 600.00 8 4,800
1 acre (animal feed) 600.00 8 4,800
Administrative Resources 8 8,000

TOTAL 21,440.00
Blogpost and picture submitted by Ibrahim Issahaku (Upper West, Ghana) – eralaaji[at]gmail.com

The content, structure and grammar is at the discretion of the author only.


This post is published as proposal #227 of “YAP” - our “Youth Agripreneur Project”.

The first selection of the winners will be based on the number of comments, likes and views each proposal gets.

As a reader, you can support this speaker’s entry:

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Have a look at the other “YAP” proposals too!
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“YAP” is part of the #GCARD3 process, the third Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development.

446 thoughts on “YAP Proposal #227: Climate change livestock (Ibrahim Issahaku, Ghana)”

  1. a nice project you have there and am sure it will benefit a lot of people,I hope you win.All the best

  2. a nice project you have there and am sure it will benefit a lot of people,I hope and pray you win.All the best.

  3. This is a brilliant, unique, and novel idea coming particularly to the desertification prone and an enduring poverty laden area in Ghana, where the basic economic and non-economic livelihood is crop and livestock agriculture. Indeed, I would wish that this project materializes as in the wake of climate change and its associated impacts on agrarian tropical Africa, appreciable strategies are been conceived towards re-orienting and diversifying rural livelihood. This project is replete with exceptionally conceived approach that if supported, would contribute immensely, not only to rural livelihood diversification and economic growth, but a regional agro-based industrial development that has the key to manage poverty levels in Ghana.

  4. This is a good project. Please explain more how you want to reduce the effect of climate change.

    1. The supply of livestock,provision of an acre of a major crop or cash crop to enhance food security of househoolds an acre of folded or animal feed will create jobs,and reduce charcoal burning logging of vegetative cover,stop illegal mining,improves soil fertility due to soil or vegetative cover hence reducing human activities that impact negatively on the environment and also obtain regular income for healthcare financing and others to reduce poverty

  5. The public sensitization aspect of the project relative to bush burning,cutting of trees and others sort to help in the climate change within our agricultural ambiance.We therefore hope and pray for the project to see the light of the day because it will help boost the agricultural sector which was in tartars from inception.our hope and aspirations lies on this project to cure our economic deficits.

  6. The public sensitization on bush burning,cutting down of trees for charcoal and others relative to the project sort to boost the agricultural ambiance of the economy.we hope and pray for this project to see the light of the day,so that jobs will be created for our farmers in these districts and subsequently Ghana as a whole.We are looking forward to seeing it happened!!!

  7. Its a very good initiative that will help farmers at large especially in the northern part of our country where bush fire is common.

  8. Great project! It will help those in the areas where scarcity of food items duen to desertification. Marvellous! I must sau

  9. Great idea Issahaku, Climate change is really having a devastating impact on our agriculture particularly in the Savannah region of Ghana. In your proposal you stated how your project will help reduce the impact and create jobs for the people. Is it possible for your project to have a recycling benefit to help reduce pollution.

  10. You are a hardworking person and I have no doubt any project you embark on would be a success. The sky is your limit. Kudos and Best wishes in all your endeavours.

  11. Wow! This is brilliant. This part of the country needs innovative and creative minds to end poverty and inequality especially with the popular climate change phenomenon staring in our faces. Kudos and keep this up.

  12. having lived in the upper west for four years and known the situation there, i positive that the plans rolled out in this proposal will contribute immensely to reducing the adverse impacts of climate change on the livelihoods of the people

  13. Fantastic proposal as the project strives to reduce climate changes, provide alternative livelihood for the poor farmers and above all increase the living standards of the rural folks. I adore, the cascading effect of the project where there will be some kind of revolving fund to scale up the project. Kudos and Bravo

  14. Sounds good, Small ruminants do well in this part of Ghana, but most farmers do not have enough money to breed them. A project like this can help alleviate poverty in this region. Hope you get the assistance you require.

  15. Dis is a great idea. think wil help upper west and our mother Ghana.Wish u al the best

  16. The sole aim is very very important, and the accompanying undertakings are also very essential, looking at the spelt out benefits. I think this is worthy of acceptance. Great insight.

  17. This is very experienced and a hard working project which will enhance the changing of lives and transforming the good people of our beloved country.
    God bless this project,And bless us all.

  18. A very good n a experienced project.This will enhance change the life’s and transforming the good people of our beloved country.
    God bless this project and bless us all.
    Good luck to my brother from another mother.May u emerged successful winner of this campaign.

  19. Ohhh that is great more grease to your elbow. God will see you through. All the best of luck

  20. This is brilliant but it’s not surprising because I know your worth. This project will really be beneficial considering how deprived Upper West region is. If an experienced humanitarian like you is given the chance project sustainability will not be an issue. May it be given the needed attention because it will save many from unemployment,famine, drought etc

  21. This is brilliant but it’s not surprising because I know your worth. This project will really be beneficial considering how deprived Upper West region is. If an experienced humanitarian like you is given the chance, project sustainability will not be an issue. May it be given the needed attention because it will save many from unemployment,famine, drought etc

  22. This will help increase the standard of living in the region, the nation and Africa as a whole

  23. good idea and am sure these carefully rolled out activities will contrubute immensely to reducing the impact of climate change on their livelihoods. Good luck man.

  24. With little work eperiece with the ministry of agriculture as an extention officer, his visino wil be ceme reality if gets the support to put it into reality. I also recommed that the siad officer has no promlem in any society he fines him self.

  25. He is somebody who is willing to work in any place as far as development is concermed. I thetefore recomend him for his parts recods.

  26. the cultivation of animal feed will reduce bush fires.since beneficiary farmers will be trained to cut crop residue as animal feed

  27. this project will improve animal meat in the north since there will be enough food for aniamals

  28. your project is very good since it will stop migration tothe south for non existing jobs

  29. it will help to reduce unemployment in the rural areas so my son am strongly behind you

  30. i wonder how funding for the project can be obtained by family contribution,further funding may be through another funding agent like YAP

  31. it is a laudable idea and choosing at an area where the main activity of the populace is farming and livestock cultivation. Not just the site but this will equally create employment for the youth preventing them from moving to the southern part if Ghana in search of wealth for living and in addition provide food to improve the living standard of the populace . Further encourage the introduction of this in this particular area to help improve the living condition of the populace and I further entreat it should be extend to places like Lambussie karni District and its surrounding communities.

  32. the project should encourage the use of local animal breeds and crossing females exotic

  33. this is a nice project this at least will prevent bush burning which leads to leaching it will also prevent afforestation the project manager has good foundation to start this project i therefore individual to support him to bring the project to this area choosing which the main activity of area is mainly farming and rearing of livestock.

  34. the beneficiaries will be selected using a define sampling and sample frame to eliminate biasness

  35. oh,the sample frame will incoporate females and males.it gives egual chances to respondents here beneficiaries

  36. the proposal teachings us how to catch fish and not to eat fish hence no giving of money to farmers like the leap.thanks

  37. no family can support this rather project will hope to rollover and research for funding

  38. Result project is grateful for acknowleding us as te starter of the revolving animals project

  39. The people of Babile and it environs are proud to have you as an engineer.Is a good initiative.More grease to your elbow

  40. Is a nice initiative,the people of Babile and it environs are proud of you,more grease to your elbow

  41. As a statiscian,am looking at the numbersthat will be impacted by this project.

  42. too good to believe this work originated from the north.i did all you schools in the north.i like you method

  43. am quet familiar with the nort and iknow this work will really create an impact

  44. masa i need your contact to visit me in my village to identify the potrntials

  45. MY CLASSMATES ARE ENVYING YOUR WORK.WE SALUTE YOU.Eng

    how will your work promote advocacy on migration

  46. yes is perfect but i do not believe the bush fires has physical damade to soil fertility.rember am not an environmentalist

  47. Good one. Exactly, one of the ways the nation would be working towards food security. Well done

  48. So far so good this the person willing to work deprive communities if he gets the chance

  49. I’m so moved by ur innovative idea. I hope it works out well to benefit us now n d future

  50. What an idea. I strongly believe that this projected is capable of creating sustainable jobs and food security. It therefore deserves the necessary attention. Wooaaw.

  51. i am very happy with the gender sensitivity of your project. i will like to suggest you try to engage the vulnerable beneficiaries in a capacity building.

  52. Good idea, but i will suggest that you organize a capacity workshop for the vunerable beneficiaries

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