W. Africa
West Africa
This page describes four programmes that Powerful Information
ran in Sierra Leone and Ghana for many years. It provides an overview of the problems that we identified and describes what we did to address them and what we achieved. The main lessons learned during this work are described and analysed on three separate pages — On Projects, On Partnership
and On Amin.
1 Non-Formal Basic Education & Adult Literacy
The Problem: As a result of the disruption caused by a brutal rebel war (in the 1990s), extreme poverty and parental prejudice — and the practice of marrying off girls at an early age — over 90% of the women in the north of Sierra Leone have had little or no schooling. Lack of formal education limits women’s independence and opportunities for income generation, and it adversely affects the health and development of children. Indeed this, and lack of access to bed nets, modern medicines and contraception, are all factors that contribute to the high rates of illness and suffering in the villages.
Of course people do have access to traditional herbal remedies, and these can work for some common ailments. But they are ineffective for treating many conditions, not least parasitic infections like elephantiasis and malaria, and they can be positively dangerous when used, for example to treat certain kinds of visual impairment. The fertility rate in Sierra Leone is just under five children born per woman, and maternal mortality in childbirth is the highest in the world. For every 100,000 live births in 2015 an estimated 1,360 women died, giving mothers 1 in 17 lifetime risk of death during or after delivery.
1 Non-Formal Basic Education & Adult Literacy
The Problem: As a result of the disruption caused by a brutal rebel war (in the 1990s), extreme poverty and parental prejudice — and the practice of marrying off girls at an early age — over 90% of the women in the north of Sierra Leone have had little or no schooling. Lack of formal education limits women’s independence and opportunities for income generation, and it adversely affects the health and development of children. Indeed this, and lack of access to bed nets, modern medicines and contraception, are all factors that contribute to the high rates of illness and suffering in the villages.
Of course people do have access to traditional herbal remedies, and these can work for some common ailments. But they are ineffective for treating many conditions, not least parasitic infections like elephantiasis and malaria, and they can be positively dangerous when used, for example to treat certain kinds of visual impairment. The fertility rate in Sierra Leone is just under five children born per woman, and maternal mortality in childbirth is the highest in the world. For every 100,000 live births in 2015 an estimated 1,360 women died, giving mothers 1 in 17 lifetime risk of death during or after delivery.
If you’ve never been to school you can’t count money, read street signs or write your name, and you can’t understand or help your children with their homework. These factors all contribute to feelings of low self-esteem. [1] And the fact that there are so few women in positions of authority means that girls do not have role models to aspire to.
What’s more, many women have only limited understanding of civil society and how it works (or should work); this includes the role of local authorities, the judiciary, and the other organs of state.
What’s more, many women have only limited understanding of civil society and how it works (or should work); this includes the role of local authorities, the judiciary, and the other organs of state.
What we Did: Over a period of 15 years we helped set up and support more than 40 learning circles for women in the north of Sierra Leone. We piloted the programme in Bombali (2003-2006) and in March 2007 established a second programme in Koinadugu. We worked with and through three local partners [2] to set up and oversee the running of these circles, including a couple in amputee camps, and one circle for blind women; and we wrote a set of course units, helped train local facilitators. We also provided basic equipment (benches, blackboards, slates, lamps & readers), and gave note pads and pens to 25 registered learners per circle. Lamps (and kerosene or batteries) were also required because most circles met at night after the day’s work. People start learning to write using slates (small wooden board painted black) and chalk — those who have never been to school can destroy a notepad very quickly by putting heavy pressure of the ballpoint pen!
The programme was designed for women and teenage girls but almost from the start we allowed a small proportion of men to join. We used the REFLECT
technique, which combines learning to read and write and handle numbers, with developing a deeper understanding of a broad range of issues, from health, hygiene and childcare, to gender awareness and human rights. The teaching was in Krio or a local language, however, the women wanted to learn English, and we designed the programme with this in mind.
We made a point of keeping local stakeholders informed of the programme, including people in authority in district councils and local authorities, and in the early years, in post-conflict Sierra Leone, those in the Ministry of Education. We also talked regularly with Paramount and Section Chiefs, and worked with journalists to get coverage on local radio — we would encourage them to interview learners about what education had meant for them and their families. We also supported phone-ins with learners taking part. Many heard these broadcasts and it helped spread the word.
We made a point of keeping local stakeholders informed of the programme, including people in authority in district councils and local authorities, and in the early years, in post-conflict Sierra Leone, those in the Ministry of Education. We also talked regularly with Paramount and Section Chiefs, and worked with journalists to get coverage on local radio — we would encourage them to interview learners about what education had meant for them and their families. We also supported phone-ins with learners taking part. Many heard these broadcasts and it helped spread the word.
The work was funded from 45 separate small grants from no less than 20 private trusts and foundations. This was topped up with donations from kind individuals. The total raised over the course of the programme (2003 -2017) was a little over a quarter of a million pounds.
What We Achieved: Within six months of starting in a learning circle local facilitators were reporting changes in participants’ attitudes and behaviour, including improved confidence and raised self-esteem, and better communication skills. Indeed, a number of women joined circles as a result of the changes they saw in their friends. After two years virtually all participants could write their names and no longer had to endorse official papers with a thumb print. They could also (for the first time) read street signs and count money, and many could do simple calculations; some could even write short sentences and communicate in halting English. The women found this enormously empowering and confidence-building.
The learners also gained a basic understanding of hygiene, nutrition and basic first aid; they understood how common diseases are transmitted and how they can protect themselves from infection; they also learned about their rights as mothers, wives and citizens, the institutions and processes of the state (the police, the role of taxes, etc.), as well as civil society and democracy.
What We Achieved: Within six months of starting in a learning circle local facilitators were reporting changes in participants’ attitudes and behaviour, including improved confidence and raised self-esteem, and better communication skills. Indeed, a number of women joined circles as a result of the changes they saw in their friends. After two years virtually all participants could write their names and no longer had to endorse official papers with a thumb print. They could also (for the first time) read street signs and count money, and many could do simple calculations; some could even write short sentences and communicate in halting English. The women found this enormously empowering and confidence-building.
The learners also gained a basic understanding of hygiene, nutrition and basic first aid; they understood how common diseases are transmitted and how they can protect themselves from infection; they also learned about their rights as mothers, wives and citizens, the institutions and processes of the state (the police, the role of taxes, etc.), as well as civil society and democracy.
What Education Meant to the Women
Here are some examples of what education meant for many of our learners:
o better hygiene, nutrition and childcare in the home; and Traditional Birth Attendants understanding more about the six killer diseases (tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, whooping cough, malaria & tuberculosis) and HIV/AIDS, and able to write the date and time of birth, the baby’s weight and the names of the mother and father.
o more peace in the family because women were able to better communicate with their partners and other family members;
o women insisting on their children, especially girls, going to school because they now understood the value of education;
o petty traders being able to count and calculate when transactions would make a profit (reducing the risk of being cheated);
o women having the skills and the confidence to express their views and opinions in public;
o women being able to vote, knowing that they were free to choose the candidate they prefer.
A number of women took on more responsibilities in the community — social secretary, collecting money for service providers, playing a role in Parliamentary and Presidential Elections, and even running for office in the local council. A number were elected.
Here are some examples of what education meant for many of our learners:
o better hygiene, nutrition and childcare in the home; and Traditional Birth Attendants understanding more about the six killer diseases (tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, whooping cough, malaria & tuberculosis) and HIV/AIDS, and able to write the date and time of birth, the baby’s weight and the names of the mother and father.
o more peace in the family because women were able to better communicate with their partners and other family members;
o women insisting on their children, especially girls, going to school because they now understood the value of education;
o petty traders being able to count and calculate when transactions would make a profit (reducing the risk of being cheated);
o women having the skills and the confidence to express their views and opinions in public;
o women being able to vote, knowing that they were free to choose the candidate they prefer.
A number of women took on more responsibilities in the community — social secretary, collecting money for service providers, playing a role in Parliamentary and Presidential Elections, and even running for office in the local council. A number were elected.
What’s more, by providing a forum for discussion and communication of health concerns the circles also fulfilled an important public health function. We were pleased to see on one visits (which coincided with a cholera outbreak that affected several of our villages[3]) that the facilitators were talking about this in their meetings, and explaining the dangers and how people could protect themselves. And as our programmes developed we began to see changes in the attitudes of men towards women, with many saying that they were seeing real benefits at home and that they now recognised the importance of education for their girlfriends, wives and daughters. This has helped challenge discriminatory traditional attitudes to women.
In all over 4,000 women and girls benefitted directly from our educational programmes — more than 20,000 people if you include their extended families. How often did we hear our learners say “you have brought light into our lives”? [4]
2 Disability
The Problem: In West Africa, as in many parts of the world, disability is widely seen as punishment for past sins and a curse on the family concerned; some even consider it best that babies with serious disabilities be euthanized. In Sierra Leone we heard of cases where a local Shaman would be brought into the village to perform a ceremony which ‘converted’ the rejected baby into an animal, that could then be buried in the forest.
Many children with disability (CWD) are unable to go to school, either because of their condition or the lack of local facilities, or their parents don’t consider them worth educating; and many disabled adults have no alternative but to beg because they lack education and skills. When we carried out a survey and asked parents how many children they had, some didn’t count CWD. The situation is especially difficult for blind women and children, who are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Moreover, many people with disabilities (PWD) have no access to healthcare and support services. We found people desperate to escape from begging and provide for themselves and their families.
In Sierra Leone there are very few facilities for people with disability (PWD) and virtually nothing by way of official assistance for education or skills training. For example, there are only six (poorly-resourced) schools for the blind or visually-impaired (BVI), and just two schools for the deaf, and these together cater for only about 1,000 students, and this is in a country of 7.4 million. Around 42% of the population (~3 million) are 14 years old or younger, and if only 2.4% of these children and young people are significantly disabled (the figure suggested for the population as a whole), that’s around 75,000 children. [5]
In Sierra Leone there are very few facilities for PWD and virtually nothing by way of official assistance for education or skills training. For example, there are only six (poorly-resourced) schools for the blind or visually-impaired (BVI), and just two schools for the deaf, and these together cater for only about 1,000 students, and this is in a country of 7.4 million. Around 42% of the population (~3 million) are 14 years old or younger, and if only 2.4% of these children and young people are significantly disabled (the figure suggested for the population as a whole), that’s around 75,000. [5]
With the country going through serious economic problems in the aftermath of Ebola and a collapse in the market for iron ore (a major export), disability comes a long way down the political agenda. Take a simple example, the provision of white sticks: with training these can provide a considerable degree of freedom for the blind — indeed some of the students we were working with could walk for miles unaided. White sticks are also an important badge of independence and self-esteem. One concern, given the poor state of the pavements and roads, and the standard of vehicles and driving, was that BVIP could be injured or killed because most people don't know about white sticks (we learned about several who were injured or killed). A public education programme on this and other disability issues could be enormously helpful.
With the country going through serious economic problems in the aftermath of Ebola and a collapse in the market for iron ore (a major export), disability comes a long way down the political agenda. Take a simple example, the provision of white sticks: with training these can provide a considerable degree of freedom for the blind — indeed some of the students we were working with could walk for miles unaided. White sticks are also an important badge of independence and self-esteem. One concern, given the poor state of the pavements and roads, and the standard of vehicles and driving, was that BVIP could be injured or killed because most people don't know about white sticks (we learned about several who were injured or killed). A public education programme on this and other disability issues could be enormously helpful.
What We Did: We first came into contact with PWD through our work on women’s education, and in 2003 helped a group of blind graduates from the Milton Margai School for the Blind
(in Freetown) set up Vision for the Blind
(VFB), a new pressure group to complement the work of the much older, more conventional Sierra Leone Association for the Blind
(SLAB). And we worked with these and other disabled persons organisations (DPOs) for many years to provide education and skills training for PWD and make the case for inclusive education (IE) in schools. [6] Much of our work was in Makeni, in the north of the country.
Our projects were as much about changing public understanding, attitudes and behaviour towards disability as they were about providing practical help — and this included the attitude of PWD themselves, many of whom are conditioned from birth into thinking of themselves as third-class citizens. Blind persons do on occasion need to be assertive, for example to be sure that a health-worker treating them is using a sterile needle (they should check that the packaging has not been opened), or items that they buy or are given work and are safe to use.
Our goal was for PWD to get an education and or skills training (as a basic right) and for them to become more independent and treated with more understanding and respect.
Our projects were as much about changing public understanding, attitudes and behaviour towards disability as they were about providing practical help — and this included the attitude of PWD themselves, many of whom are conditioned from birth into thinking of themselves as third-class citizens. Blind persons do on occasion need to be assertive, for example to be sure that a health-worker treating them is using a sterile needle (they should check that the packaging has not been opened), or items that they buy or are given work and are safe to use.
Our goal was for PWD to get an education and or skills training (as a basic right) and for them to become more independent and treated with more understanding and respect.
Over the years we:
- carried out research into the lives of CWD in two districts (Bombali & Kambia) to better understand the problems CWD face at home and in their community, and in accessing medication and educational services — we found inter alia that: 60% of those we identified were born disabled; the rest became disabled as a result of untreated illnesses or an accident; 29% could not bathe or dress themselves without help; and 60% had not had any form of treatment for their disability other than herbs;
- organised education and training for PWD, and developed and trialed a novel, low-cost approach to teaching computing to blind professionals (see below);
- prepared a Special Educational Needs training course and ran a number of week-long workshops for teachers in mainstream schools, and designed and resourced two visual impairment units in local schools in Makeni;
- supported a couple of dozen radio broadcasts about disability, including a series of 10 one-hour phone-ins during the Ebola outbreak specifically targeting BVIP (who were being ignored in the official public information broadcasts, which told people ‘Don’t Touch’ others); and
- lobbied the Powers That Be for changes in practices and procedures that discriminated against PWD — for example, VFB successfully lobbied for the introduction of tactile ballots guides in elections; and we prepared a paper on ‘Why BVIC are at a disadvantage at school’ to feed into a consultation process on inclusive education.
Be aware that professionals with visual impairment have to rely on others to prepare notes and write emails, and often their assistant’s computing and information management skills are limited: files go missing, emails are sent out with poor formatting, typos and spelling mistakes. This can be profoundly frustrating for our colleagues because it inevitably relfected badly on their abilities. But computer training opportunities for BVIP are rare and specialist software is prohibitively expensive. It was with this in mind that we developed the computer training package based on a special keyboard called a Braillekey and laptops that had been stripped of all unnecessary software and icons. The course covered word processing, email, the internet, information management and security. The ultimate aim was not to make people 100% independent (very few of us are) rather, to achieve say 50% independence. [7]
Last but not least, in 2011 we arranged for a small delegation of four BVIP from Vision for the Blind
and two sighted helpers to come to the UK for a carefully-planned series of visits and meetings with BVI students and their teachers, DPOs, disability specialists, and senior politicians; and for them to contribute to three public meetings, where they were able to explain their work and answer questions.
We also organised for some new experiences — handling a guide dog, travelling on a train, riding a bike, and even feeding a horse! And we set up an interview on the BBC’s ‘In Touch’. The visit was part of a Global Community Linking Project organised by our volunteers. [8]
What We Achieved: Over a period of 14 years we:
- helped 3 DPOs develop their organisational capacity and skills — one of our blind colleagues went on to become the first Commissioner for the Disabled in the North; another, the head of a school for the blind; and a third, an advisor to the President on disability issues;
- provided education and training for 165 BVI men and women, including computing for 35 professionals, and life skills, Braille, typing and craft skills (soap making, gara tie-dye, weaving, basketwork & hairdressing), and we provided start-up kits and white canes for many; we also
- helped a local DPO set up street cabins for men and youths crippled by polio enabling them to make and repair shoes;
- trained 24 teachers in SEN (including some who were blind); and provided counselling and assistance for 25 BVI students in mainstream schools in Makeni; and
- through our educational work and broadcasts, helped inform the public and refute some of the many myths associated with disability, for example that the HIV virus can be acquired by touching an infected person, or drinking from their cup; or that if a sighted person marries a blind person he or she will also become blind, as will any child that is conceived.
It is difficult to quantify what we achieved in terms of advancing the work of grassroots DPOs in Sierra Leone, and the practical and emotional support they provided for PWD, including training and gainful employment for a dozen or so of their staff and consultants over many years. We also felt privileged to have been able to work for a while with the Deputy Minister for Social Welfare (the first blind person to hold that office in Sierra Leone); and to have played a small part in helping with the introduction of inclusive education in Sierra Leone.
3 Gender-Based Violence
“Women face discrimination and inequality in laws, in custom, and in rulings by Chiefs and Local Court officials primarily in marriage, divorce, inheritance, and property. The consequences are devastating for women as it further entrenches many into poverty, forces some to stay in violent relationships, contributes to homelessness, and severely compromises women’s ability to properly care for themselves, and their children. Not only are laws that relate to matters in the domestic setting discriminatory, but there exists little protection in the law against gender based violence.” Amnesty International
[9]
The Problem: Gender-based violence is a serious issue in Sierra Leone (as in most countries), not least because of the culture of silence that prevails and the shame and embarrassment people feel talking about the subject. When relationships break down and frustrations build up men become abusive, women can face the prospect of having to put up with the aggression or leave home (and their children) and possible destitution. (In Sierra Leone children are widely considered to be the property of the man.)
An international study in 2014 found that 56% of women had been attacked and beaten at some point in their lives, and 63% (and ~30% of men) agreed that a husband was justified in beating his wife if she “burns the food, argues with him, goes out without telling him, neglects the children, or refuses to have sex.” [10]
Women have legal rights, including rights over their children and property, and rights within marriage, but many don't know (or are prevented from exercising) these rights, and this makes women highly vulnerable. And while legislation is in place to prosecute the perpetrators of GBV [11] all too often when cases go to court the victim is pressurised to withdraw their allegations, or a bribe is paid so that the case is dropped. The problems are particularly acute in rural communities, where levels of literacy are low and discrimination is entrenched in Customary Law. If a woman goes to the chief over a domestic incident / dispute he may decide to fine the man involved. But he will be very conscious of the fact that if he goes too far the man may walk out and he (the chief) will be left with a destitute woman and possibly children on his hands. The bias against women is built in.
Rates of teenage pregnancy (TAP) are also higher in rural areas, and this is likely to be a contributory factor to GBV. Sierra Leone is ranked amongst the top ten nations for TAP, with 28% of women aged 15-19 already mothers or pregnant. Moreover, almost half (46%) of adolescent women with no education have begun childbearing, compared with 22% of women with secondary or higher education. (Early marriage is illegal but still practiced.) TAP is potentially life-threatening because girls are not fully developed, either emotionally or physically, and many suffer life-changing injuries during childbirth.
What We Did: In 2010 we were approached by one of our colleagues in Makeni, Aminata, who was passionate about doing something about GBV. She had herself been abused and had already personally intervened in a number of domestic disputes. In 2011 we helped her set up a small CBO, Domestic Concern for Women. This involved providing training and financial support, and advising on governance and organisational issues. We subsequently supported a pilot research project to better understand the attitudes and causes of domestic violence in Makeni, and DCFW organised for a small team of local women to collect case studies of women and girls who had suffered abuse. One of the group's findings was that a significant proportion of the women who reported being threatened or abused were in polygamous relationships.
The team also researched into local organisations that had statutory responsibilities for assisting women with counselling or legal advice, and NGOs able to provide practical support. [12]
The team also researched into local organisations that had statutory responsibilities for assisting women with counselling or legal advice, and NGOs able to provide practical support. [12]
Case Studies
Here’s a sample of DCFW’s case studies from 2015:
o In April, 60 year old Ya Marie was raped by her lodger whilst looking after her grandchildren. Sorie had pretended to be sick and attacked her after everyone had gone to work. She was too ashamed to report the attack, but told her daughter, who told DCFW. Sorie was arrested and convicted, and put away for 7 years.
o In June, DCFW found 11 year old Fatu selling sachets of cold water on the street. She was staying with her step-mother Elena after her mother contracted Ebola and died. But Elena beat and ill-treated the girl and refused to buy her things for school. DCFW took Fatu to the FSU (Police Family Support Unit). Elena was taken to court where she was given the option of six months in prison for child neglect or paying a fine of SLL 200,000 (~£25 — that’s a fortune for someone living on the breadline).
o The same month, 16 year old Isata was raped in town. DCFW reported the assailant, 65 year old Issa, to the police. He was detained and sentenced to 7 years in jail.
o In September 7 year old Neneh was raped. She had been told to sell water and was spotted on the street by a 19 year old youth, Saidu, who enticed her into a derelict building. He was detained by a neighbour who heard the girl’s screams and called DCFW who accompanied Saidu and the distressed girl to the police station. Saidu was sentenced to 3 years.
o In June, DCFW found 11 year old Fatu selling sachets of cold water on the street. She was staying with her step-mother Elena after her mother contracted Ebola and died. But Elena beat and ill-treated the girl and refused to buy her things for school. DCFW took Fatu to the FSU (Police Family Support Unit). Elena was taken to court where she was given the option of six months in prison for child neglect or paying a fine of SLL 200,000 (~£25 — that’s a fortune for someone living on the breadline).
o The same month, 16 year old Isata was raped in town. DCFW reported the assailant, 65 year old Issa, to the police. He was detained and sentenced to 7 years in jail.
o In September 7 year old Neneh was raped. She had been told to sell water and was spotted on the street by a 19 year old youth, Saidu, who enticed her into a derelict building. He was detained by a neighbour who heard the girl’s screams and called DCFW who accompanied Saidu and the distressed girl to the police station. Saidu was sentenced to 3 years.
Following the pilot Powerful Information
supported DCFW on two more projects, which are briefly described below. In one we discovered that over an 8 month period some 281 cases of domestic violence had been reported by the Police Family Support Unit
in Makeni, along with 132 cases of sexual abuse and 18 cases of child cruelty. This is roughly one incident of domestic violence a day, but this is only the tip of the iceberg as many cases of GBV go unreported. DCFW’s long term goal is that the rights of women and girls be respected, and that GBV and TAP are eliminated.
What We Achieved: Since it was established DCFW has come to the aid of dozens of abused women and girls and helped in reporting their cases to the police and getting medical help; it has also been instrumental in taking some of the perpetrators to court. In addition, DCFW has helped raise the public profile of GBV in Makeni: it has appeared on a number of local radio programmes and made presentations to over 2,000 worshippers in more than 20 churches and mosques in the area, encouraging the congregations to talk more openly about GBV and recognise the rights of girl children to an education. The group’s presentations clearly went down well as many of the churches and mosques asked DCFW to return.
In a follow-up project DCFW organised meetings with teachers, school clubs and parents in 10 local communities to see that teenagers (girls & boys) understood the dangers and the consequences of TAP. Today the group has become well-known and respected in the community for the work it does. It is regularly contacted by distressed women — and also men seeking reconciliation with an estranged partner. The group and its volunteers have now helped for over 50 GBV victims in Makeni and the outlying villages, and the case load continues to grow.
4 Livelihoods & Food Security
a) Rural Women in Sierra Leone
a) Rural Women in Sierra Leone
The Problem: Back in 2009 the Government of Sierra Leone
published a 'Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper' in which it identified three levels of poverty: ‘Po’, ‘Po-pas-po’ and ‘Popolipo’. The ‘Po’ (the poor) can just about provide food, shelter, clothes and medical facilities for their families, and send their children to school; the food may not be very nutritious. [13] They are gainfully employed and physically fit. The ‘Po-pas-po’ (the poorer) have the ability to meet some basic needs but not always. They are unable to invest for the future through education and savings. Their credit is limited. They have no house and thus live with other people. They cannot afford decent clothes and strive hard to survive on a daily basis. The ‘Popolipo’ (the poorest) cannot meet immediate needs (food, shelter & clothing) and cannot invest for the future; they have exhausted the charity and goodwill of others; they cannot meet medical expenses when they fall ill and they are physically challenged. The report contrasts this with ‘the better off’, who “tend to see well-being in terms of their ability to provide the essentials of life for themselves and their families. They can provide good food, shelter, education, clothes and medical facilities for their families; and are gainfully employed and physically fit.”
After 2009 the Sierra Leone economy recovered somewhat but when Ebola struck (in May 2014) it wiped out the gains, and triggered a catastrophic decline in the country’s economic fortunes and a collapse in its currency. This bankrupted the two main mining companies and seriously damaged the physical and social infrastructure of the country. In 2017, more than 60% of the population were living on or below the poverty line, on less than $1.25 per day.
We once asked our colleagues in Makeni how they would categorise their learners and they estimated that around 50% were Po, 35%, Po-pas-po, and the remaining 15%, Popolipo. So, in addition to providing adult education, we also became involved in tackling food insecurity. The reality is that many subsistence farmers cannot afford to set aside seed for the next season’s planting and fall prey to unscrupulous food barons and money lenders. They are forced to sell their harvest at a time when market prices are at rock bottom, and to buy fresh seed when prices are at a premium; and many face periods of real hunger between harvests (which could be two or more times a year).
What We Did: Westarted supporting the establishment of seed banks in 2004 after hearing so many pleas from learners that they were hungry. Our initial investment was just 80 bushels of rice, which we distributed amongst eight learning circles — a bushel is equivalent to 36.4 litres, and for rice, weighs around 14 kg. We subsequently extended the programme to 12 villages after receiving donations of rice and groundnuts (peanuts) from Ministry of Agriculture Forestry & Food Security
(MAFFS), and over subsequent years we were able to support more villages. Our main focus was on rice (both upland & swamp) and groundnuts, but in some cases we also gave circles a small float to enable them to purchase other seeds/tubers, such as pepper, maize, cucumber, garden eggs and sweet potato. And we provided tools — typically, shovels, hoes of various sizes, cutlasses and one wheelbarrow per circle — plus fertilizer, insecticide and sacks (for the harvested grain).
In our last and biggest livelihood project we commissioned MAFFS personnel to run Farmer Field Schools (FFS) for the circles and provide technical advice on soil types, land preparation, seed varieties, nursery bed construction, planting distances, weeding and pest control using Integrated Pest Management.[14] At the beginning of the growing season, learning circles set up communal plots and signed for the rice and groundnuts. The distribution was carefully supervised by our partners and the Chairwoman of the circle, and often overseen by the village headman or Queen Mammy.
The learners were required to pay back the loan after the harvest with 50% interest. One unit of rice would normally generate 5 to 10 units depending on the skill and diligence of the farmer, the fertility of the soil, and of course the weather. The women were free to do as they wished with the rest of the harvest. (Technically, the grain and tools were on loan from our partners and would have to be returned if any of the groups did not manage the scheme well.)
The circles worked the land collectively with the circle Chairlady having overall responsibility: they would draw up timetables for the farming activities and discuss these at the regular meetings, and the facilitators would make a note of those who were late or absent when work was scheduled. The Chairladies were also responsible for making sure that tools and other equipment were well looked after. We developed a simple contract template for our partners to use with circles to ensure that they understood the deal, and some circles introduced rules with penalties. For instance, when a woman came late she might be required to dance, sing a song or tell a story; and if someone was absent without good reason, she could be asked to apologize in writing or be given a small plot of land to work on her own.
There were sometimes problems when the rains failed and seeds didn’t germinate or the seedlings died; and some plots suffered serious pest damage, not least during Ebola when many farmers could not get to their fields. But overall most of the programmes ran well, and the seed banks helped to provide a degree of food security for the learners.
The learners were required to pay back the loan after the harvest with 50% interest. One unit of rice would normally generate 5 to 10 units depending on the skill and diligence of the farmer, the fertility of the soil, and of course the weather. The women were free to do as they wished with the rest of the harvest. (Technically, the grain and tools were on loan from our partners and would have to be returned if any of the groups did not manage the scheme well.)
The circles worked the land collectively with the circle Chairlady having overall responsibility: they would draw up timetables for the farming activities and discuss these at the regular meetings, and the facilitators would make a note of those who were late or absent when work was scheduled. The Chairladies were also responsible for making sure that tools and other equipment were well looked after. We developed a simple contract template for our partners to use with circles to ensure that they understood the deal, and some circles introduced rules with penalties. For instance, when a woman came late she might be required to dance, sing a song or tell a story; and if someone was absent without good reason, she could be asked to apologize in writing or be given a small plot of land to work on her own.
There were sometimes problems when the rains failed and seeds didn’t germinate or the seedlings died; and some plots suffered serious pest damage, not least during Ebola when many farmers could not get to their fields. But overall most of the programmes ran well, and the seed banks helped to provide a degree of food security for the learners.
What We Achieved: Over the years we ran seedbank projects in 27 communities, helping improve food security for over 600 women and their immediate families (perhaps 3,000 people). This support was very well received and an encouragement for the women to continue studying. Our programme also helped MAFFS, as their agricultural extension officers often struggled to reach out to subsistence farmers because they lacked the resources. Having new tools, training in sustainable husbandry — and a stake in a seed bank — significantly increased the women’s status in the community and provided a degree of economic independence; and when seed was returned with interest after the harvest the seed bank could grow and more people benefit.
Our partners reported that the programme “positively impacted” on women in diverse ways, including “acquisition of new knowledge and education on farm management” and “better recognition and respect since they are now engaged in some agricultural activities.” They said that the programme had improved their understanding and enabled them to become more self-reliant and more self-confident; and there was increased co-operation and coordination. This in turn had led to more “liveliness and enthusiasm” in the group and “improved on punctuality and regularity.” Family members were also very supportive.
b) Sustainable Agriculture in Ghana
The Problem: Every year tens of thousands of subsistence farmers in poor countries are incapacitated or killed as a direct result of exposure to commercial pesticides. Most of the victims that survive do not report to hospital and simply suffer in silence. Those who do seek medical help, complaining of headaches, blurred vision, rashes, muscle aches or general lethargy (and worse), rarely associate their symptoms with having handled pesticides. It is only in acute cases, where someone collapses whilst spraying, that the connection between cause and effect is clear — the remoteness of many villages, the lack of health centres and medical facilities and expertise for treating cases of poison, and farmer’s lack of training in first aid, exacerbates the problems with pesticide incidents and the probability that some victims will die before help arrives. Where someone does die, they are usually buried within 24 hours. Autopsies are rare.
Prolonged exposure to pesticides damages the nervous system and internal organs, especially the lungs, liver and brain, and may lead to cancer. Children are especially vulnerable. The effects are cumulative and may not show up for months or even years. Men can become impotent, and women suffer miscarriages or children born with birth defects. And sadly, for many, the damage is irreversible.
Our research in Ghana suggests that the problem is serious and that very little is being done to tackle it. The elephant in the room is the availability over the counter of a range of attractively-packed but deadly poisons, which are heavily promoted by the manufacturers and distributors.[15] Anyone can purchase pesticides, and yet very few subsistence farmers can read the instructions, and hardly any have received any training or use protection when spraying. This means that the wrong pesticides may be used, or the wrong amount, or chemicals used at the wrong time or in the wrong way, and this is not only a threat to crops but also people’s health and the environment.[16] Failure to control the use of these powerful, biologically-active substances may also be contributing to resistance and reducing our ability to control dangerous pests and diseases.
Our research in Ghana suggests that the problem is serious and that very little is being done to tackle it. The elephant in the room is the availability over the counter of a range of attractively-packed but deadly poisons, which are heavily promoted by the manufacturers and distributors.[15] Anyone can purchase pesticides, and yet very few subsistence farmers can read the instructions, and hardly any have received any training or use protection when spraying. This means that the wrong pesticides may be used, or the wrong amount, or chemicals used at the wrong time or in the wrong way, and this is not only a threat to crops but also people’s health and the environment.[16] Failure to control the use of these powerful, biologically-active substances may also be contributing to resistance and reducing our ability to control dangerous pests and diseases.
We also learned from our research that after spraying many farmers wash their kit in local water bodies putting aquatic ecosystems at risk — fish and invertebrates are extremely vulnerable to these toxic chemicals. Moreover, farmers sometimes spray just before harvest and no one checks for pesticide residues in or on food in local markets. It’s only commercial crops for export, like coffee and cocoa, that are routinely tested.
We also learned from our research that after spraying many farmers wash their kit in local water bodies putting aquatic ecosystems at risk (fish and invertebrates are extremely vulnerable to these toxic chemicals). Moreover, farmers sometimes spray just before harvest, and no one checks for pesticide residues in or on food in local markets. It’s only commercial crops for export, like coffee and cocoa, that are routinely tested.
We also learned from our research that after spraying many farmers wash their kit in local water bodies putting aquatic ecosystems at risk (fish and invertebrates are extremely vulnerable to these toxic chemicals). Moreover, farmers sometimes spray just before harvest, and no one checks for pesticide residues in or on food in local markets. It’s only commercial crops for export, like coffee and cocoa, that are routinely tested.
Examples of Bad Pesticide Practice
- handling chemicals with bare hands, and mixing chemicals in a bucket and applying with a palm frond;
- using the wrong dose — one woman burnt her entire rice crop because she applied too much Orizo.
- wearing short sleeves and flip flops, or talking with friends whilst spraying;
- going for lunch during spraying without washing hands;
- spraying when children are around;
- spraying in the early afternoon (when the sun is high);
- storing consumables like salt in used pesticide containers.
Ghana has legislation in place to prevent the misapplication of agro-chemicals, but enforcement is ineffective. [17] Moreover, chemical sellers are rarely checked to see that staff are literate and trained — on several occasions we found teenagers left in charge of stores, or wives and other family members, who clealy knew very little about what they were selling.
What We Did: Over an 8 year period we worked with NETRICE, the Network of Rice Farming Associations, to investigate the problems associated with pesticide misuse and abuse and raise awareness of the dangers these pose to people and the environment. We focused on six rice farming districts in the Volta Region (Kadjebi, Jasikan, Hohoe, Kpando, South Dayi & Nkwanta).[18] We started by conducting a survey of over 200 subsistence farmers in the region to find out how they handled and used pesticides, and what if anything they understood about the risks — the box above gives examples typical of what we learned. We also asked about incidents of pesticide poisoning and environmental damage, and about traditional techniques for pest and weed control.
And we interviewed chemical sellers, agricultural officers and local medical staff to assess their understanding of these issues.[19] This work was carried out using face-to-face interviews; we later organised focus groups with victims of poisoning.
Based on this experience we developed a Training Manual on pesticides and trained a small team of agricultural extension officers in IPM and running Farmer Field Schools. This team then ran a series of two and three day workshops for subsistence farmers. We also gave talks to local communities about the dangers posed by pesticides if improperly used. And when we discovered that many teenagers — over 30% in some high schools — were involved in spraying (almost always without any training or protection) we also started giving presentations to high schools and colleges. And we designed and set up a database to record and analyse reports of people being poisoned or killed.[20]
In all our team ran 23 farmers’ workshops across the region, and spoke at 49 educational establishments. We were also involved in a couple of dozen radio broadcasts, including phone-ins, and we briefed journalists and prepared a leaflet about our findings, which we used to lobby officials and local stakeholders. We made it clear throughout this work that we were not campaigning against the use of chemicals, rather their misuse. We were pleading for people to think about the possible consequences if they used pesticides without training or due care and consideration. And as with our other projects, we regularly posted information about the programme on our website and Facebook Page.
What We Achieved: Through this work we were able to build up a good understanding of how subsistence farmers in the Volta Region were using and abusing pesticides not only injuring themselves and others but also contaminating land and degrading water courses. This included details of well over 170 poisoning incidents in 45 villages, including 35 suspected deaths.[21] And our clear impression was that this was only the tip of a very large iceberg. Perhaps most importantly, we trained over 1,000 farmers (1,025) in sustainable agriculture and the safe use of pesticides.
And in respect of raising awareness, we reached some 14,000 high school and college students and around 550 of their teachers[22] — a number of heads said they were keen to organise more sessions on the use of agrochemicals and said they were resolute about disseminating information about pesticide misuse. We also lobbied officials in the in the Environmental Protection Agency and Ministry of Food & Agriculture, as well as over 60 local stakeholders — paramount, district and sub-chiefs, Assemblymen and women, Members of Parliament and health professionals. The stark message we wanted to convey was, to quote one village chief, ‘Ghanaians are poisoning themselves with pesticides’.[23]
And in respect of raising awareness, we reached some 14,000 high school and college students and around 550 of their teachers[22] — a number of heads said they were keen to organise more sessions on the use of agrochemicals and said they were resolute about disseminating information about pesticide misuse. We also lobbied officials in the in the Environmental Protection Agency and Ministry of Food & Agriculture, as well as over 60 local stakeholders — paramount, district and sub-chiefs, Assemblymen and women, Members of Parliament and health professionals. The stark message we wanted to convey was, to quote one village chief, ‘Ghanaians are poisoning themselves with pesticides’.[23]
It is not easy to quantify the impact of educational and awareness-raising work, especially in remote villages. What we can say, however, is that many of the farmers who attended our workshops (typically >85%) told us that they would in future apply agro-chemicals with extreme care; and that they would stop washing their kit in local rivers, and burning used pesticide containers — and they said they would caution others if they saw them misusing pesticides. NETRICE also came under pressurise to arrange for the bulk purchase of protective clothing and to extend its training activities — dozens of other villages requested workshops. And as a result of the workshops, talks, lobbying and radio work NETRICE extended its network of useful contacts and significantly raised its public profile.
Captions
1a Learners in Grassroots Education & Development for Women's Learning Circle in Fasawaya (Koinadugu).
1b Women's Learning Circle in Mankneh (Bombali) run by Grassroots Empowerment.
2a BVI men and women attending a workshop at VFB's offices in Makeni.
2b Training BVIP on the Brailekey at VFB's offices in Makeni, part of a Sightsavers-funded Project.
2c 'The Power of Partnership' video of VFB visit to the UK in 2011.
2d Members of VFB's delegation to the UK addressing a public meeting in Milton Keynes.
3a Poster on domestic violence outside a police station in Kabala.
3b Domestic Concern for Women, meeting in VFB's offices in Makeni, discussing how they will carry out their research in GBV.
4a A small family in Makenilol Village in Bombali standing on their rice harvest. Many rural people have little more than a roof over their head and the clothes they are wearing.
4b One one occassion when we visited the Ismaia Learning Circle (in Koinadud) we found the group had prepared their communal plot but could not afford to buy seed. We gave them £20 and on our next visit they were keen to show us the enormous basket of rice they had produced from our donation.
4c Aminata (Eduction for Women) and Ariadna (PI) inspecting casava in a communal plot run by EFW's Learning Circle in Pate Bana Masimbo.
4d A farmer spraying cabbages in the Volta Region of Ghana with no training and no protection. This was a typical sight when we first started our programme.
4e NETRICE training workshop in Akaa Village, where farmers learned about the recommended ways of applying pesticides.
4f A NETRICE Farmer Field School taking place in Nyangbo Village in Volta Region. It is being run by Mike, an Agric Extension Officer working for MOFA.
1a Learners in Grassroots Education & Development for Women's Learning Circle in Fasawaya (Koinadugu).
1b Women's Learning Circle in Mankneh (Bombali) run by Grassroots Empowerment.
2a BVI men and women attending a workshop at VFB's offices in Makeni.
2b Training BVIP on the Brailekey at VFB's offices in Makeni, part of a Sightsavers-funded Project.
2c 'The Power of Partnership' video of VFB visit to the UK in 2011.
2d Members of VFB's delegation to the UK addressing a public meeting in Milton Keynes.
3a Poster on domestic violence outside a police station in Kabala.
3b Domestic Concern for Women, meeting in VFB's offices in Makeni, discussing how they will carry out their research in GBV.
4a A small family in Makenilol Village in Bombali standing on their rice harvest. Many rural people have little more than a roof over their head and the clothes they are wearing.
4b One one occassion when we visited the Ismaia Learning Circle (in Koinadud) we found the group had prepared their communal plot but could not afford to buy seed. We gave them £20 and on our next visit they were keen to show us the enormous basket of rice they had produced from our donation.
4c Aminata (Eduction for Women) and Ariadna (PI) inspecting casava in a communal plot run by EFW's Learning Circle in Pate Bana Masimbo.
4d A farmer spraying cabbages in the Volta Region of Ghana with no training and no protection. This was a typical sight when we first started our programme.
4e NETRICE training workshop in Akaa Village, where farmers learned about the recommended ways of applying pesticides.
4f A NETRICE Farmer Field School taking place in Nyangbo Village in Volta Region. It is being run by Mike, an Agric Extension Officer working for MOFA.
Notes
1 See the paper on What it's like to be Illiterate in Resources.
2 These were: Grassroots Empowerment for Self-Reliance (GEMS) and Education for Women (EFW) in Makeni, and Grassroots Education & Development for Women (GEDeW) in Koinadugu.
3 This particular epidemic, which started in early 2012 resulted in 18,000 cases of cholera and around 300 deaths.
4 Powerful Information was strictly secular; it had no religious affiliations.
5 In 2009 UNICEF carried out a survey that indicated that some 300,000 children and young persons in Sierra Leone were not receiving a formal education, and that more than half were disabled. And the population has since grown by a third (it was only around 5.6 million in 2009).
6 Inclusion ─ placing young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in mainstream education — and working to remove all barriers to participation, is the model of education that many DPOs espouse (“nothing about us, without us”). It is different from integration, where students are accepted into mainstream schooling, usually with some adaptations and resources, but on the condition/understanding that they will fit in with pre-existing structures, attitudes and an environment which is essentially unaltered. A third approach, segregation, is where young people with SEN are placed in separate schools or units, which forces them to lead an entirely separate existence. In practice one finds elements of these different approaches being used in all countries depending on the severity of the child’s condition, and on tradition and culture, and on the infrastructure and resources available.
7 We wrote an article about this for Sightsavers: ‘Accessible Computing for Professionals with Visual Impairment in Sierra Leone’ [Insight Plus, Issue 8, Dec 2013, p 8-10].
8 The film documents the visit to the UK of our partners from Vision for the Blind. In the film our partners meet local schools and community groups and learn how inclusive education for blind and visually-impaired children can work in practice; and they talk about their work helping to lift blind people out of poverty in Sierra Leone.
9 ‘No one to turn to: Women’s lack of access to justice in Sierra Leone’ (2005)
10 ‘Sierra Leone Demographic & Health Survey 2013’, Statistics Sierra Leone with the Ministry of Health & Sanitation (2014). See also: ‘They Call Me Warrior: the legacy of conflict and the struggle to end sexual & gender-based violence in Sierra Leone', Elizabeth Mills et al., Institute of Development Studies (2015).
11 Women’s rights are enshrined in three Gender Acts (2007), a Sexual Offences Act (2012) and CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (which the Government signed in 1988).
12 Service providers include: the Police Family Support Unit (FSU); the National Committee on Gender Based Violence (MoSWGCA); local courts and social workers; local Human Rights Officers and Advisors in local government and local NGOs; and the Women’s Forum for Democracy & Human Rights.
13 Note primary education is free in Sierra Leone, but parents still have to provide school uniforms, books, stationery and sportsware, and also contribute to special school events, like sports day.
14 The FFS is a group-based learning process used to promote IPM. It involves inter alia regular meeting throughout the growing season to plan activities and also observe and discuss the health of the crop. Thus FFS help subsistence farmers improve their understanding of the farming cycle and key relationships, such as pests-natural enemy population dynamics, and crop damage to yield. With IPM one works to prevent pests from becoming a threat. This may mean using cultural methods, such as rotating between different crops, selecting pest-resistant varieties, and planting pest-free rootstock. This involves: setting action thresholds; monitoring for pests; taking preventative measure; and in the last resort, controlling any outbreaks of pests or diseases with (the correct type and amount of) pesticide. These control methods can be very effective and cost-efficient and present little to no risk to people or the environment. The main pests include birds, ‘grasscutters’ (cane rats), grasshoppers and fruit flies. The Government of Sierra Leone has virtually banned the use of pesticides without official permission. It set up Plant Health Clinics where ‘plant doctors’ diagnosed problems based on samples brought in by farmers and provided a prescription for controlling the pests/diseases identified. The clinics also function as a surveillance tool for the spread of native and exotic pests.
15 In 2017 there were some 44 importers and 27 distributors of pesticides in Ghana, and that’s just the registered ones. They actively promote their products on large road-side hoardings and over the radio. One little-known fact is that the law requires that people hiring men to spray for them must make sure that they are properly protected. But this too is ignored.
16 The World Health Organization classifies dozens of pesticides as either ‘extremely hazardous’ (Class 1a) or ’highly hazardous’ (Class 1b), and advises against the use of such chemicals unless they are used by specially-trained persons.
17 Chemicals are also smuggled across the border, notably from Togo. We actually bought DDT in one village, Brewaniase. The chemical has been banned for agricultural use for many years.
18 NETRICE comprises over 20 rice and vegetable farming associations located in the Volta Region. It was founded in 2006 to assist farmers to increase their yields/income and help lift people out of poverty. NETRICE is also involved in lobbying for changes in farming practice to conserve/improve soil fertility and reduce the hard physical labour associated with slash and burn agriculture and the risks to people and the environment associated with the use of agro chemicals.
19 In one small survey of chemical sellers we condacted early on in and around Hohoe we found that less than 5% could read the labels on their stock. We think this is typical. And very few of the cabins or shops we visited had anything in the way of literature on pesticide application/use, or stocked protective suits and equipment. (We did find considerably more stocked towards the end of our work — we are not claiming this was because of us!).
20 We categorised incidents under the following headings: ‘Died from Poisoning’; ‘Suicide Attempt’; ‘Serious Injury’; ‘Persistent Pains’; ‘Pain Comes & Goes’; ‘Minor Injury Suspected’; and ‘Damage Unclear or Unknown’.
21 We are reasonably confident about the data we hold on over 70 of the poisonings, including 12 deaths (10 accidental and two cases of suicide). The rest of the incidents really need more research. In three villages that we looked at in more detail (Akaa, Akpafu Mempeasem & Gbledi Gbogame) we identified over 100 incidents where people have suffered health effects following spraying, this includes the names of 54 men and 29 women, some of whom tell us they very nearly died.
22 Interestingly, during the second round of talks (in 2016) we found that in the schools where the team had made previous presentations (in 2013) fewer of the students said that were involved in spraying, especially girls. The students also told us that they had been disseminating information about pesticides to friends, family members and other farmers in their communities. By contrast, students in schools we had not been visited before were largely ignorant of the dangers. In one, 44% admitted to using sprays without protection or taking precautions, one quarter of them girls.
23 The chief spoke at one of our meetings (in Gbledi). He explained that he himself was a victim — he had done what many do when spraying, bent over without thinking and tipped pesticides from his knapsack sprayer down his back. He said he ended up in hospital fighting for breath. The chief also told us that his brother-in-law had committed suicide by drinking pesticide. These were two of the incidents that we recorded in our database.
1 See the paper on What it's like to be Illiterate in Resources.
2 These were: Grassroots Empowerment for Self-Reliance (GEMS) and Education for Women (EFW) in Makeni, and Grassroots Education & Development for Women (GEDeW) in Koinadugu.
3 This particular epidemic, which started in early 2012 resulted in 18,000 cases of cholera and around 300 deaths.
4 Powerful Information was strictly secular; it had no religious affiliations.
5 In 2009 UNICEF carried out a survey that indicated that some 300,000 children and young persons in Sierra Leone were not receiving a formal education, and that more than half were disabled. And the population has since grown by a third (it was only around 5.6 million in 2009).
6 Inclusion ─ placing young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in mainstream education — and working to remove all barriers to participation, is the model of education that many DPOs espouse (“nothing about us, without us”). It is different from integration, where students are accepted into mainstream schooling, usually with some adaptations and resources, but on the condition/understanding that they will fit in with pre-existing structures, attitudes and an environment which is essentially unaltered. A third approach, segregation, is where young people with SEN are placed in separate schools or units, which forces them to lead an entirely separate existence. In practice one finds elements of these different approaches being used in all countries depending on the severity of the child’s condition, and on tradition and culture, and on the infrastructure and resources available.
7 We wrote an article about this for Sightsavers: ‘Accessible Computing for Professionals with Visual Impairment in Sierra Leone’ [Insight Plus, Issue 8, Dec 2013, p 8-10].
8 The film documents the visit to the UK of our partners from Vision for the Blind. In the film our partners meet local schools and community groups and learn how inclusive education for blind and visually-impaired children can work in practice; and they talk about their work helping to lift blind people out of poverty in Sierra Leone.
9 ‘No one to turn to: Women’s lack of access to justice in Sierra Leone’ (2005)
10 ‘Sierra Leone Demographic & Health Survey 2013’, Statistics Sierra Leone with the Ministry of Health & Sanitation (2014). See also: ‘They Call Me Warrior: the legacy of conflict and the struggle to end sexual & gender-based violence in Sierra Leone', Elizabeth Mills et al., Institute of Development Studies (2015).
11 Women’s rights are enshrined in three Gender Acts (2007), a Sexual Offences Act (2012) and CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (which the Government signed in 1988).
12 Service providers include: the Police Family Support Unit (FSU); the National Committee on Gender Based Violence (MoSWGCA); local courts and social workers; local Human Rights Officers and Advisors in local government and local NGOs; and the Women’s Forum for Democracy & Human Rights.
13 Note primary education is free in Sierra Leone, but parents still have to provide school uniforms, books, stationery and sportsware, and also contribute to special school events, like sports day.
14 The FFS is a group-based learning process used to promote IPM. It involves inter alia regular meeting throughout the growing season to plan activities and also observe and discuss the health of the crop. Thus FFS help subsistence farmers improve their understanding of the farming cycle and key relationships, such as pests-natural enemy population dynamics, and crop damage to yield. With IPM one works to prevent pests from becoming a threat. This may mean using cultural methods, such as rotating between different crops, selecting pest-resistant varieties, and planting pest-free rootstock. This involves: setting action thresholds; monitoring for pests; taking preventative measure; and in the last resort, controlling any outbreaks of pests or diseases with (the correct type and amount of) pesticide. These control methods can be very effective and cost-efficient and present little to no risk to people or the environment. The main pests include birds, ‘grasscutters’ (cane rats), grasshoppers and fruit flies. The Government of Sierra Leone has virtually banned the use of pesticides without official permission. It set up Plant Health Clinics where ‘plant doctors’ diagnosed problems based on samples brought in by farmers and provided a prescription for controlling the pests/diseases identified. The clinics also function as a surveillance tool for the spread of native and exotic pests.
15 In 2017 there were some 44 importers and 27 distributors of pesticides in Ghana, and that’s just the registered ones. They actively promote their products on large road-side hoardings and over the radio. One little-known fact is that the law requires that people hiring men to spray for them must make sure that they are properly protected. But this too is ignored.
16 The World Health Organization classifies dozens of pesticides as either ‘extremely hazardous’ (Class 1a) or ’highly hazardous’ (Class 1b), and advises against the use of such chemicals unless they are used by specially-trained persons.
17 Chemicals are also smuggled across the border, notably from Togo. We actually bought DDT in one village, Brewaniase. The chemical has been banned for agricultural use for many years.
18 NETRICE comprises over 20 rice and vegetable farming associations located in the Volta Region. It was founded in 2006 to assist farmers to increase their yields/income and help lift people out of poverty. NETRICE is also involved in lobbying for changes in farming practice to conserve/improve soil fertility and reduce the hard physical labour associated with slash and burn agriculture and the risks to people and the environment associated with the use of agro chemicals.
19 In one small survey of chemical sellers we condacted early on in and around Hohoe we found that less than 5% could read the labels on their stock. We think this is typical. And very few of the cabins or shops we visited had anything in the way of literature on pesticide application/use, or stocked protective suits and equipment. (We did find considerably more stocked towards the end of our work — we are not claiming this was because of us!).
20 We categorised incidents under the following headings: ‘Died from Poisoning’; ‘Suicide Attempt’; ‘Serious Injury’; ‘Persistent Pains’; ‘Pain Comes & Goes’; ‘Minor Injury Suspected’; and ‘Damage Unclear or Unknown’.
21 We are reasonably confident about the data we hold on over 70 of the poisonings, including 12 deaths (10 accidental and two cases of suicide). The rest of the incidents really need more research. In three villages that we looked at in more detail (Akaa, Akpafu Mempeasem & Gbledi Gbogame) we identified over 100 incidents where people have suffered health effects following spraying, this includes the names of 54 men and 29 women, some of whom tell us they very nearly died.
22 Interestingly, during the second round of talks (in 2016) we found that in the schools where the team had made previous presentations (in 2013) fewer of the students said that were involved in spraying, especially girls. The students also told us that they had been disseminating information about pesticides to friends, family members and other farmers in their communities. By contrast, students in schools we had not been visited before were largely ignorant of the dangers. In one, 44% admitted to using sprays without protection or taking precautions, one quarter of them girls.
23 The chief spoke at one of our meetings (in Gbledi). He explained that he himself was a victim — he had done what many do when spraying, bent over without thinking and tipped pesticides from his knapsack sprayer down his back. He said he ended up in hospital fighting for breath. The chief also told us that his brother-in-law had committed suicide by drinking pesticide. These were two of the incidents that we recorded in our database.
