PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL AND 
ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES AMONG WOMEN OF THE
WA DISTRICT:
A CASE STUDY OF THE SUNTAA-NUNTAA’S PROJECT IN
THE UPPER WEST REGION.
BY
CHRISTOPHER TAMPAH-NAAH
THIS DISSERTATION IS SUBMITTIED TO THE 
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON, IN PARTIAL 
FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD 
OF MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN ADULT EDUCATION
NOVEMBER 2003
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
0374959
■S 5 tyx I ^
I^L irC  c .  |
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
IDECLARATION
I declare that this dissertation is the result o f my own research work conducted at the Institute 
o f Adult Education, University o f Ghana, Legon, under the Supervision o f 
Mr. A. D, K. Amedzro.
References cited in this work have been duly acknowledged.
CHRISTOPHER TAMPAH-NAAH 
[CANDIDATE]
MR. A. D. K. AMEDZRO 
[SUPERVISOR]
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
DEDICATION
I dedicate this work to my wife and children.
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Ill
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would first and foremost use this opportunity to express my warmest 
appreciation to Mr. A. D. K. Amedzro o f the Institute o f  Adult Education, 
University o f Ghana, Legon, for the guidance given me in writing up this 
work.
I also acknowledge with gratitude the help offered me by the Director o f 
Suntaa-Nuntaa, Mr. Robert Loggah and his Assistant, Mr. Jonas Kpierekoh 
and staff.
My special thanks also go to the Librarian o f the Institute o f  Adult 
Education, University o f Ghana, Legon, Mr. Newlove Osei-Asante and his 
Assistant, Mrs. Florence Agyemang for the encouragement they gave me 
when hope was running out. Not least, my thanks also go to Ms. Alice 
Dakorah (Department o f Statistics -W a), Miss Roberta Adombia, Ms Ajara 
Mamele Asani and Mr. Foster Kotoku o f Wa Polytechnic for typing out this 
work and Miss Nancy Yelpoe for material support she gave me.
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
ABSTRACT
This study explored how “Suntaa-Nuntaa” a local Non-Governmental 
Organisation (NGO) in the Upper West Region o f  Ghana was able to provide 
disadvantaged rural women with income-generating activities that took into 
account environmental practices. The main elements o f  the Suntaa-Nuntaa 
programmed laid emphasis on the organization, sensitization and education o f 
women through women groups that it formed in Wa D istrict o f  the Upper West 
Region.
The study was conducted in eighteen (18) o f  fifty-three (53) women groups 
established by Suntaa-Nuntaa in the Wa District, using simple random sampling. 
Again a simple random sampling procedure was used to pick 30% o f individual 
respondents from each o f  the eighteen (18) groups giving a sample size o f  107 
individual respondents. Individual interview schedules and focus group 
discussions were employed to elicit responses from the respondents.
In general, the findings showed that Suntaa-Nuntaa was able to lead women o f 
the Wa District to identify the factors which are responsible for degrading the 
environment, for example, bushfire, tree felling, and bad farming practices. 
Through its methods o f education and sensitization, Suntaa-Nuntaa was able to
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
make beneficiaries o f  the programme appreciate the harmful effects o f land 
degradation.
By using drama, workshops and field demonstration, Suntaa-Nuntaa was also 
able to equip beneficiaries with skills o f tree planting, animal rearing, honey 
production and simple accounting procedures. Ultimately, Suntaa-Nuntaa was 
able to empower women and thus made them capable o f  freeing themselves 
from poverty, ignorance and suffering which significantly improve their living 
conditions.
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
MAP AND TABLES
CHAPTER I
Figure 1.1 Map showing Study A rea......................................................................... 4
CHAPTER II
Table 3.1 Sample Frame..............................................................................................................32
CHAPTEIR II
Table 1 Age Distribution o f Respondents............................................................................ 40
Table 2 Educational background o f Respondents...............................................................41
Table 3 Preferences o f  teaching methods for individuals.................................................50
Table 4 Concerns o f  Human Activities................................................................................. 56
Table 5 Effectiveness o f  Suntaa-Nuntaa’s Programme..................................................... 61
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
TABLE OF CONTENT
DECLARATION...................................................................................................................  I
DEDICATION.......................................................................................................................  II
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...................................................................................................  HI
ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................  IV
MAPS AND TABLES.......................................................................................................... V
CHAPTER I
Introduction
1.1 Background o f Study...................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Physical characteristics o f the Upper West Region................................................... 3
1.3 Climate/Vegetation Characteristics.............................................................................. 6
1.4.0 Socio-Economic Background........................................................................................ 6
1.4.1 Population......................................................................................................................... 6
1.4.2 Economic Activities.........................................................................................................7
1.5 Causes of Environmental Degradation.......................................................................... 8
1.6 Background o f the Suntaa-Nuntaa Project..................................................................10
1.7 Project Goals o f Suntaa-Nuntaa Project...................................................................... 10
1.8 Statement of Problem..................................................................................................... 11
1.9 Purpose of Study..............................................................................................................13
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
1.10 Objective o f Study..............................................................................................................13
1.11 Research Questions.............................................................................................................14
CHAPTER II
Literature Review
2.1 Women.................................................................................................................................15
2.2 Women in Sustainable Agriculture.................................................................................17
2.3 Women Groups..................................................................................................................21
2.4 Environmental Concerns.................................................................................................. 24
2.5 Non-formal Education..................................................................................................... 27
2.6 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).................................................................. 29
CHAPTER III
Research Methodology
3.1 Research Design.................................................................................................................32
3.2 Sample Frame..................................................................................................................... 33
3.3 Target Group...................................................................................................................... 33
3.4 Sampling Technique........................................................................................................33
3.5 Research Instruments.......................................................................................................36
3.6 Field Work........................................................................................................................ 36
3.7 Limitations of Study........................................................................................................38
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
3.8 Data Analysis........................................................................................................................39
CHAPTER TV
Presentation and Analysis o f Data
4.0 Introduction........................................................................................................................... 40
4.1 Demographic characteristics..............................................................................................40
4.2 Educational background o f respondents.........................................................................42
4.3 Responses from focus group discussions....................................................................   43
4.3.1 Reasons for joining Suntaa-Nuntaa groups.................................................................... 43
4.4 Methods o f  teaching and skill training............................................................................ 45
4.5 Provision o f  environmental education............................................................................ 52
4.6 Responses from the individual interviews......................................................................57
4.7 Change in habits and attitudes.......................................................................................... 60
4.8 Other activities provided by Suntaa-Nuntaa.................................................................. 64
■*««.
4.8.1 Honey/Sheabutter/Dawadawa processing....................................................................... 65
4.8.2 Susu Scheme......................................................................................................................... 66
4.8.3 Petty trading..........................................................................................................................66
4.9 Problems encountered and solutions sought..................................................................69
4.9.1 D raught.................................................................................................................................. 69
4.9.2 Bushfire................................................................................................................................. 70
4.10 Analysis o f  Suntaa-Nuntaa Programmes...................................................................... 73
4.11 Area o f Operation................................................................................................................ 73
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
4.11 R eason s  for F o cu s  on  W om en  G ro u p s ......................... ...........................................................74
4 .12  T ea ch in g  M e th o d s  o f  Sun ta a  -  N u n t a a .....................................................................................74
4 .13  P r o g r am m e 's  po s i t ion  on its benef i ts  to p a r t i c ip a n t s .......................................................... 77
4 .14  P ro g r am m e ’s c h a l l e n g e s ..................................................................................................................... 78
CHAPTER V
5.0 Discussions, Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations
5.1 T h e  p ro c e s s e s  o f  e nv i ro nm en ta l  d e g r a d a t i o n .........................................................................79
5.2 E lem en ts  o f  the  S u n ta a -N un ta a  a p p r o a c h ..................................................................................80
5.3 H ow  S u n ta a -N un ta a  app ro ach  has w o rk ed  in p r a c t i c e .......................................................83
5.4 Benef i ts  o f  the  S u n ta a -N un ta a  p r o j e c t .........................................................................................85
5.5 .0  C onc lu s io n  and  r e c omm en d a t i o n s .................................................................................................86
5.5.1 C o n c lu s io n .................................................................................................................................................86
5.5 .2  R e c om m en d a t i o n s .................................................................................................................................. 87
B ib l io g r a p h y .............................................................................................................................................. 89
A pp end ix  A: Focus  in te rv iew  g u i d e ............................ .............................................................. 92
A pp end ix  B; In te rv iew  for ind iv idua l  w o m e n   .................................... ' ...................93
App end ix  C: In te rv iew  for  p ro jec t  s t a f f ................................................................................... 94
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Chapter One
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of Study
It is generally believed that an increase in the level o f knowledge and skills o f 
women in less developed communities will result in an increase in their 
participation in economic, social and political life o f the various communities to 
which they belong. In a published report by the World Bank it is stated "a 
country with larger gap in school enrolment will have low productivity than 
another with similar capital and labour resources but a small gender gap in 
schooling" (World Bank, 1993 P .l).
Dzodzi (2001) asserts that the existing gender hierarchies and gender 
discrimination affect men and women's livelihoods and status in society. During 
the past 15 years, according to the same writer, there has been the need to 
encourage women to increase their participation in income generating activities 
to improve their living conditions and the communities in which they live.
The traditional tasks associated with providing food for the family such as 
storage, preservation and preparation, fetching water and fuelwood combined
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
with child bearing and other household duties by and large remain women's 
responsibility (Non-Formal Education Exchange-NFEE, 1981).
The report also maintained that in a world that is becoming more and more 
reliant on money as a medium o f exchange, women need access to income for 
personal sustenance. This is true in most rural societies today where women 
remain responsible for the education and socialisation o f children.
Duncan (1997) presents agriculture as an area o f great importance when it 
comes to female employment because significant numbers o f women in the rural 
areas o f Ghana are employed there. However, women face a lot o f problems in 
areas o f land ownership, access to credit and extension services. As an area o f 
employment, agriculture can be seen as an income generating activity which, if 
developed could serve as a source o f economic empowerment alleviating 
poverty among the vast majority o f women in Ghana. Governments all over 
the world are increasingly finding it difficult to find lasting solutions to the 
world's problems (Katsriku and Quaye 1996). This situation, they observed, is 
worse in Africa and other developing countries which are grappling with issues 
of globalization. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are a response to
2
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
situations seeking to lead local people to take initiatives that can better their 
lives in the face o f  complex challenges.
In Ghana, over the past 20 years, the state machinery has been so over-stretched 
that it has become increasingly difficult to solve all problems o f  government and 
civil societies at the same time. NGOs have intervened to help manage some o f 
the problems o f civil society. A report on the status o f  women in Ghana (1985-
1994) holds that it was not until the UN Decade for Women that the attention o f 
NGOs and other donor agencies were drawn to issues o f  gender and 
development in less developed countries. After 1995, NGOs became more 
involved in strengthening food and other forms o f  family survival. The activity 
o f such NGOs with women related activities has concentrated on income 
generation, functional literacy, numeracy skills and family planning (NCWD
1995).
1.2 Physical characteristics of the Upper-West Region.
The Upper-West Region (UWR) created in 1983, is the youngest o f the 10 
administrative regions o f the Republic o f Ghana. According to the living 
standards indicators o f  the Ghana Living Standards Survey - GLSS o f 1999, the 
Upper- West Region o f Ghana is the least developed among the regions. Wa is 
the capital town o f the Upper- West Region. The UWR is bounded in the north
3
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
by Burkina Faso, to the east and south by The Upper-East and Northern Regions 
respectively as indicated in the Map below (Fig. 1.0). It has 5 administrative 
districts namely, the Wa District, Nadowli District, Jirapa/Lambusie District, 
Lawra District and the Sissala District. (See Map on page 5).
4
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
FIG 1.1
MAP SHOWING STUDY AREA
5
TO
G
O
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
The Wa District which is the study area is bounded in the north and west by the 
Nadowli and Sissala districts, to the south by the Northern Region o f Ghana and 
to the west by the Republic o f Burkina Faso as shown in Figure 1.1.
1.3 Climate/Vegetation Characteristics
Lying completely within the Guinea Savannah, the area experiences high daily 
temperatures averaging 28°C. Rainfall is low and erratic and comes in four 
months o f the year from May to September, followed by a prolonged dry season 
from October to April. The vegetation is a typical Guinea Savannah vegetation 
characterised by grass and scattered trees o f the fire resistant type (Nabila, 
1990).
1.4.0 Socio-Economic Background:
1.4.1 Population: The people o f the Wa District are Walas and Dagaabas. The 
Walas who are in the minority live in Wa and its environs. The Dagaabas on 
the other hand, are in the majority and occupy the rest o f the District. There is 
however, no settlement with a pure Wala or Dagaaba stock. Owing to migration 
and economic activities in the district over the years, there has been a lot o f 
inter-marriages. Currently, the population o f the Wa District stands at 244,454 
(Ghana Statistical Service, 2000).
6
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
1.4.2 Economic Activities:
The people o f the Wa District are predominantly farmers. Farming activities o f 
this area are greatly influenced by the climate o f the area. Temperatures are 
generally high and rainfall is low and poorly distributed among the rainy months 
o f the year. UNEP (1999) puts the total number o f farmers at 90% o f the total 
population o f the Wa District, with the rest engaged in commercial and 
administrative activities.
Agriculture is carried out mainly at the subsistence level. The often erratic 
rainfall and dwindling vegetation cover have resulted in low domestic incomes. 
The farm family is the primary unit o f production and provides the main 
agricultural work force (Nabila, 1990). The head o f family and family members 
constitute a decision-making body on what to grow and what technology to 
adopt. Closely related to this is the division o f labour by gender with some roles 
associated with women such as processing o f farm produce, selection o f seed for 
sowing, harvesting and winnowing. The men on the other hand, loosen the 
soils for sowing and weeding.
The farming activities in the Wa District have been influenced by climate, soils 
and family size. Cropping is done by inter-planting o f cereals with legumes and
7
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
a rotational bush fallow and mixed cropping involving crops and livestock. The 
bush fallow system involves the cropping o f a piece o f  land and leaving it fallow 
when the fertility runs down, and allowing it to regain its fertility. With time, the 
farmer goes back to this piece o f land when the fertility is restored. This system 
o f farming was popular with the people o f the Wa District when the population 
was small. However, it still remains a practice for remote areas (Nabila, 1990).
The shortened fallow period from 8 years to 2 years means that, less land is now 
available and also that, extensive areas o f land have been destroyed. This has 
consequently led to extensive land deterioration and has also resulted in 
decreasing food production (UNEP, 1991). As virgin land is rapidly being 
converted into farmland and abandoned, the fertility recovery rate is low and 
yields have tended to decrease with time.
1.5 Causes o f Environmental Degradation:
Pritchard (1979) observes areas lying on the desert margins as having reached a 
final state o f deterioration. This, he blamed on repeated cycles o f drought and 
rapidly growing population indulging in deforestation, over cultivation and 
overgrazing.
In the Wa District o f the UWR of Ghana, intensive methods o f farming to meet 
household needs have resulted in harming the environment on which human,
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
plant and animal life depend. Socio-cultural practices that have resulted in land 
degradation include indiscriminate bush burning where large tracts o f bush are 
set on fire.
In the dry season, hunters often set the bushes on fire in order to drive game in 
desirable directions. Similarly, during the process o f slash and burn on 
farmlands, nearby vegetation is also engulfed in fire that eventually spreads out. 
The felling o f trees for wood fuel for domestic use and the practice o f  charcoal 
burning also contribute a lot to the destruction o f the forest trees in the Wa 
District. Other causes o f land degradation in the Wa District o f the UWR include 
over-grazing by livestock, which is further worsened by lack o f proper 
management practices.
The poor farming systems and other socio-cultural practices have resulted in low 
crop yields and this has reflected in malnutrition especially among children in 
the Wa District. A survey by UNICEF in 1995, showed that the high incidence 
and chronic nature o f child malnutrition in the Upper West Region, o f which the 
Wa District forms a part, shows a structural situation o f food insecurity. In 
addition to the reduced yields is the drying up o f water bodies, for example, 
rivers and ponds, which most o f the people in the district depend on, for water 
for domestic and other uses.
9
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
1.6 Background o f the Suntaa-Nuntaa Project:
A local Non-governmental organisation by name "Suntaa-Nuntaa" meaning, 
“help one another, love one another” with environmental concerns was 
established in 1990. As a commitment, Suntaa-Nuntaa encourages cooperation 
and also empowers the poor o f the rural areas, especially women.
Suntaa-Nuntaa places emphasis on the involvement o f women in agro-forestry 
and income generating activities. One o f such programmes is the "Women Mean 
Business Project" in the Upper West Region. The project aims at promoting food 
security and environmental awareness among the rural women groups with the 
purpose o f raising the living standards o f participating communities through the 
provision o f technical and financial assistance.
1.7 Project goals o f Suntaa-Nuntaa
The project goals o f the Suntaa-Nuntaa are to increase long-term food security 
in the five districts o f the Upper West Region through enhanced environmental 
practices. The main issues considered here are the low agricultural production 
and food insecurity. Suntaa-Nuntaa tackles the poor farming methods and
10
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
practices responsible for degrading the environment and causing soil erosion as 
they affect food production (Suntaa-Nuntaa 1990).
Suntaa-Nuntaa seeks to introduce women to sustainable agricultural methods 
and create environmental awareness among the women groups. Suntaa-Nuntaa 
provides environmental education to selected rural communities in the five 
districts o f the UWR and promotes agro-forestry and sustainable agriculture. 
The provision o f  training and technical assistance to expand and improve agro­
forestry activities is high on their agenda. (Suntaa-Nuntaa, 1990).
Suntaa-Nuntaa stimulates women groups to plant fruit and multi-purpose trees 
individually and/or collectively on group and individual farm plots. (Suntaa- 
Nuntaa, 1990).
Suntaa-Nuntaa embarks on tree nurseries and tree planting on plots. Through 
training and education, the groups are enabled to run their own nurseries. 
Women are made to understand the need to embark on tree planting and the 
benefits derived from this.
1.8 Statement of Problem:
Until the early 1970s, development policies and programmes frequently 
overlooked the role o f  women in the developmental processes in developing 
countries. This led to the Declaration o f the United Nations Decade for Women
1]
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
from 1975-85 (NCWD,1995). In Ghana, the recognition o f  women's 
participation in the development o f their own communities to help improve their 
living conditions has been given attention. This has led to the formation of 
numerous women's groups whose activities have been specifically geared 
towards the active involvement o f women in community development, by 
providing them with the required knowledge and skills.
In the Wa District o f  the UWR o f Ghana, for instance, the rate o f  environmental 
degradation as a result o f negative socio-economic practices such as 
overgrazing, bush burning, monocropping, have raised serious environmental 
concerns within both governmental and non-governmental circles. The 
destruction o f the environment has reduced crop yields and rendered farmlands 
unproductive. Land degradation activities have also destroyed ecosystems and as 
a result, water sources are drying up. All these have led to cases o f malnutrition 
especially in children and also situations o f inadequate and often diseased water 
supply sources for domestic and other uses. Wood for building and for use as 
fuel is becoming very scarce so much so that women have to travel long distance 
for fuelwood.
A project that is committed to increasing household food security with 
environmental concerns is the "Suntaa-Nuntaa agro-forestry project".
12
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Established in 1990. It is an indigenous NGO with its head office at Wa, the 
capital o f the UWR o f Ghana.
Among its stated aims and objectives, Suntaa-Nuntaa hopes to improve the 
living conditions o f women in the Wa District. Through non-formal education in 
areas o f agriculture, agro -forestry and environmental awareness, Suntaa-Nuntaa 
is determined to provide the necessary knowledge and skills to make women 
more productive and functional in their communities. The question then is, how 
has Suntaa-Nuntaa helped rural women in its catchment area to improve their 
living conditions and communities in which they live, through sustainable 
agriculture and environmental education?
1.9 Purpose o f Study:
The objective o f the study was to find out how the Suntaa-Nuntaa programme 
has helped to influence the environmental and agricultural practices o f the 
beneficiary communities in the Upper West Region o f Ghana.
1.10 Objective o f Study:
The main objective o f the study is to find out how the Suntaa-Nuntaa 
programme has helped to influence the environmental and agricultural practices 
o f the beneficiary communities in the Wa District o f the UWR of Ghana.
13
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
1.11 Research Questions:
(i) What are the elements o f the Suntaa-Nuntaa Project?
(ii) How has the approach worked in practice?
(iii) How has the approach influenced the environmental and agricultural 
practices o f the beneficiary communities and individuals
14
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Chapter Two
2.0 Literature Review
This Chapter reviews literature on the role women play in agriculture in rural 
areas; particularly women groups in agricultural activities. There is the need to 
increase household food security through sustainable agriculture, and it would 
take into account the importance o f the environment and the need to conserve it. 
Another area is Non-formal Education, which has the power o f awareness 
creation in matters o f  agricultural and environmental issues. Non- 
Governmental Organisations have also been considered since they create a 
vehicle through which desirable development is achieved.
2.1 Women
One of the first commissions set up by the United Nations according to Boutros 
Ghali one time United Nation's Secretary General, was on the Status o f Women 
(NCWD 1998). He observed that over the past 20 years, World Conferences on 
Women, held in Mexico City, Copenhagen and Nairobi have to a large measure 
strengthened the economic, social and political dimensions ot the role o f 
women. In 1979, the General Assembly o f the UN adopted the Landmark 
Convention for the Elimination o f all Forms o f Discrimination Against Women
15
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
(CEDAW). The Secretary General o f the United Nations noted that despite all 
the efforts made in women’s advancement they are still given second priority 
everywhere. He is also o f the view that women do not share equally in the fruits 
o f labour and face discrimination in one form or the other (NCWD 1998). After 
1985 NGOs became more involved in the strengthening o f women's financial 
status to promote greater economic security by way o f guaranteeing food and 
other forms o f family survival. The activities o f such NGOs have concentrated 
on income-generating activities, functional literacy numeracy skills and family 
planning in less developed countries (NCWD 1995).
The United Nations General Assembly Resolution FXXXD 1974 has been very 
beneficial to Ghanaian women because it emphasized women's participation in 
development and the need to integrate them fully into the process o f 
development especially those in rural areas. It was on the strength o f this that the 
National Council on Women and Development (NCWD), the national 
machinery charged with the advancement o f women in Ghana in 1974 was 
established (NCWD 1998).
The National Council on Women and Development (1998) reports that women 
are poor because they have less economic opportunities and less autonomy than
16
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
their male counterparts in society. Their access to economic resources, education 
and training, support services and participation in decision-making process is 
limited. Social roles and reducing social services for women have worsened 
their situation, and calls for concerted efforts at improving their living 
conditions.
Piepmier (1980) points out that women groups can play an important role in 
reaching out to help women to become a part o f the social and economic li fe o f 
their communities. Women groups are an effective means for women to gain 
access to resources and become active participants in social and economic 
development. Indeed, women groups provide an organisational basis for 
women's economic ventures.
2.2 Women in Sustainable agriculture
Agriculture contributes the highest proportion to the Gross Domestic Product 
(GDP) o f Ghana and employs 51 percent o f the economically active population 
as farmers or farm labourers (Guri 1997). Women constitute 51.0% o f the 
agricultural labour force and produce 70% o f the national food crops output 
(Dzodzi 2001). Agriculture is essential to life; for some, agriculture is seen as a 
way o f life and yet for others it is seen as a profession or a science, but for all it
17
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
is a source o f sustenance (Non-Formal Education Exchange -  NFEE 1983). 
Again agriculture is seen as an activity that relies on both the physical 
environment and the human culture (NFEE 1983).
The relationship between agriculture and the physical environment is a complex 
one that presents a big challenge in education for development. To be able to 
serve as increasing food security, agriculture has to adapt to a number o f diverse 
social and physical factors.
Agriculture is the use o f human effort to acquire the products o f plants and 
animals (NFE Exchange 1983). A definition like this includes not only activities 
such as hunting, fishing, gathering and forestry, but also food production and 
food storage, marketing, transportation, financing and technology. Oh the other 
hand, agricultural population is seen, as comprising both the owners o f 
agricultural land and those who simply work it, either seasonally or for 
subsistence (NFE Exchange 1983). In Ghana, small-scale farmers most o f whom 
are women produce the bulk o f the food crops but government policy in the 
agricultural field has not been favourable towards them. This has resulted in a 
decline in food production (Dzodzi 2001). Iddi (1996) reports that low 
production-productivity is due partly to the weather, inadequacies o f traditional
18
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
farming practices and the ineffectiveness o f the extension services in dealing 
with the small-scale farmers.
He also observes that after a prolonged decline in agricultural productivity there 
has been a shift in policy in favour o f allowing donor-sponsored project 
intervention in Northern Ghana. This effort was to reactivate agricultural 
programmes through agricultural information and advice to farmers under the 
Medium Term Agricultural Development Programme (MTADP) adopted in the 
1980s aimed at achieving sustainable food production to meet the food security 
needs by the year 2020 and beyond.
In Guri's (1996 p31) view,
to arrest declining food  production and 
ecological degradation, and the consequent 
rural poverty and food  insecurity, Ghana must 
come out with a new policy mix that focuses as much 
attention on long term sustainability as on short term output.
Sustainable agricultural production in the country requires an approach that 
focuses much attention on people as they do on technologies. Again, according 
to Guri (1996,p31).
MTADP should involve all stakeholders in
19
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
planning and implementing its various interventions.
Programmes should be "farmer sensitive" and based 
on farmers' knowledge and practices. Farmers' concern 
should be included in research programmes, credit 
schemes, extension packages and integrated agricultural 
development programmes.
A steady increase in agricultural population is resulting in greater number o f 
people undertaking subsistence farming. Naylor (1999) asserts that historically 
in Africa men and women worked side by side in agriculture but gradually there 
is a changing pattern, which he attributes largely to male migration, commercial 
agriculture and cash cropping. He also observes that in northern Ghana, men 
have shifted to cash crop production in areas o f cotton and cashew while others 
have migrated to work on farms in southern Ghana. He argues that this has 
brought about an increasing likelihood o f women taking on more o f subsistence 
production in addition to their traditional roles. A way in which subsistence 
agriculture can be improved in Ghana and in most developing countries is 
through the introduction o f new agricultural technologies and innovations in 
farm practices as a precondition for sustained improvements in levels o f output 
and productivity (Konrad Adenaver Foundation 1995). Women's participation in
20
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
sustainable agriculture can be improved through the provision o f knowledge and 
skills and the introduction o f new technologies that are labour saving. Labour 
saving methods could enable women to participate more fully in the labour 
market and take advantage o f opportunities offered in income earning capacity 
(Non Formal Education Exchange 1981). It is, however, cautioned that such 
new technologies could create problems o f their own. For example, technology 
requiring a capital outlay gives men rather than women the chance to adopt them 
because the men have the monetary resources to purchase it (NFEE, 1981).
Sustainable agriculture is one important area that Suntaa-Nuntaa's project is 
embarking on since the project has identified problems o f food security in the 
Upper West Region o f Ghana. The long-term goal o f the project is to eradicate 
cases o f malnutrition through increased food production, using women o f the 
rural areas who are interested in agriculture, to do so and at the same time, 
acquiring management techniques o f accounting.
2.3 Women groups
Non-Formal Education Exchange (1981) sees women groups as effective means 
for women to gain access to resources and become active participants in social 
and economic development. Women groups irrespective o f whether they are
21
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
formal, informal, local, regional or national can provide the organisational basis 
for women's economic ventures. For instance if  an individual woman’s 
resources are too limited to start a project, she could team up with others to 
obtain credit and technical support. All over the world women have successfully 
established co-operatives and carried on a wide range o f income-generating 
activities and have carried them through better as a group (NFE Exchange 
1981).
It is argued in some circles that the formation o f exclusive women's groups and 
government agencies for women may hinder rather than help identify women as 
a separate part o f society marginal to the process o f development (NFE 
Exchange 1981). When women participate in groups it is a good way o f 
entering into the public area either in political parties or labour groups. This 
gives them a place in the mainstream o f national economic activity. Piepmier 
(1980) for instance points out that women's groups can play an important role in 
reaching out to help women to actually become a part o f the social and 
economic life o f their communities. Women's groups will require among other 
things the fostering o f greater political commitment to such groups, finding 
effective means to assist them and examining the donor agencies important 
policies and practices (Stand 1980) views active political participation of
22
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
women at all levels as crucial for reaping the benefits o f  a process o f 
development since this increases the empowerment o f women better.
An area in which women's groups made some successes was in an Inter-Country 
Project for the Promotion o f Training o f Rural Women in Income Raising Group 
Activities undertaken by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the 
Pacific (ESCAP) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation o f  the United 
Nations (FAO) in some countries. These Organisations helped governments to 
locate successful income generating group project and enabled the rural women 
to share knowledge and skills with one another (ESCAP 1977). In Ghana, the 
National Council on Women and Development has taken this up (Cole 1977).
Suntaa-Nuntaa's project recognises women’s organisations and groups as 
effective channels through which women can share more fully in development, 
decision making and the benefits that may result. Indeed, Suntaa-Nuntaa's 
project works through women groups that it has formed throughout the Upper 
West Region o f Ghana and it was mainly for their welfare and that o f their 
communities, it was established in the region.
23
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
2.4 Environmental concerns:
Environmental issues have engaged governments the world over. In the past 15 
years environmental issues have attracted attention o f the central government o f 
Ghana. In 1988 the Government o f Ghana initiated efforts to put environmental 
issues high on its agenda. The Government o f Ghana noted that the basis o f 
sustainable development lay in the fact that the environment and development 
were not exclusive o f each another but complementary and inter-dependent 
(Laing 1994). It is also worth noting that attention has also been drawn to the 
fact that land resources and the processes o f their development and use have 
varying effects on the environment. As a result, the issue o f  land management 
has been recognised as the central point in addressing environmental and 
resource problems in Ghana. Furthermore in the face o f a rapid population 
growth, the management o f land and forestry becomes crucial in national 
development. Land resource-use has led to instances o f land-use conflict and 
consequent degradation in mariy areas o f Ghana. (Laing 1994).
Records have it that, o f the two million hectors o f closed forest in Ghana only 
0.4 million lies outside Forest Reserves and are therefore not legally protected. 
The Government o f Ghana has made considerable efforts at protecting the forest 
against bad land-use practices particularly agriculture that destroys the forest.
24
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Logging and bush fires have also been identified as activities that have their toll 
on the forest. Again, the extraction o f wood fuel for domestic and industrial use 
has had its undesirable consequences too. In response to this rate o f 
environmental degradation the government has constituted the National 
Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) involving participants from government 
agencies, University/Research institutions, NGOs, the private sectors and the 
general public represented by the District Assemblies (Laing 1994).
In order to encourage women to go into agriculture it is advisable to do so with 
environmental concerns so as not to further destroy the environment. For 
example in Montealegre in Honduras women have become involved in a 
reforestation project entitled "Integrated Watershed Management". This is being 
conducted by the Honduras Corporation o f Forestry Development, with 
technical assistance from Food and Agriculture Organisation o f the United 
Nations (FAO) and financed by the United Nations Development Programme 
(UNDP 1980). Even though it was not initially built for women, reports have 
indicated clearly that, their participation was crucial to its success. With 
financial assistance a group o f women from Montealegre were able to initiate 
income generation projects. First they chose to grow fruit trees, vegetables and 
grains for family consumption and marketing. Some also wanted to maintain a
25
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
forest to ease their obtaining o f firewood. As a result they became involved in 
the Watershed Management Project with consultation from an agroforestry 
technician. With advice provided these women were able to construct terraces 
on the steep slopes because this was the only land they could gain access to. 
The terracing helped conserve the soil, ensured its continued use for crop 
cultivation and agroforestry. With time, their male counterparts joined on 
seeing the success the women were making. It was observed that the success o f 
the project was attributed, in part, to the participatory nature. It also 
encouraged self-reliance, greater independence in food production, more control 
over land and local resources and the use o f appropriate technology. The 
terracing and re-afforestation helped to check erosion and the destruction o f 
forests and in a way was beneficial to owners o f banana plantations in the valley 
by preventing floods from damaging them. (Ideas and Action 1980 cited in NFE. 
Exchange 1981).
The environment is an important area o f consideration o f  the Suntaa-Nuntaa 
Project in the Upper West Region o f Ghana. Suntaa-Nuntaa recognises the 
relationship between humans and their environment, therefore it has a 
commitment o f appropriate technology usage and wise use o f natural resources 
and local participation.
26
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
2.5 Non-formal education:
Non-formal education can provide a greater commitment to women's education 
and training on the part o f national governments and this can enhance increased 
productivity (NEF Exchange 1982). In the past women's education received 
little attention from planners and policy makers but it is now recognised that 
women's education is beneficial to families and societies. Education increases 
women’s income - earning capacity and enables them to participate on equal 
footing with men in the labour market. Again formal education is regarded as a 
powerful way for women to gain status in society and increase their 
productivity.
Duncan (1997) also points out that the use o f functional education, which is 
education in relation to an activity, can be o f great importance to women in 
agriculture. This is so since it serves as a catalyst for greater appreciation o f 
new farming methods and techniques. She sees this, as being relevant when the 
method o f instruction is narrowly tailored to meet the specific needs o f women 
farmers.
27
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Citing Simkins (1977) and Evans (1981) Amedzro (2000) see non-formal 
education as a major tool in the development process. It is an out o f school 
education. Such education is directed to specific groups and the marginalised in 
society including women. The purpose o f such non-formal educational 
activities is to help develop skills and behaviour so that the beneficiaries can 
make meaning in their lives. Coombs (1985) links non-formal education with 
specific developmental objectives and local needs in areas such as agriculture, 
water supply, health, family planning, rural industry including occupational 
training for women and out-of-school youth.
The Non-Formal Education Exchange (1983) makes mention o f the importance 
of subsistence farming for many rural populations and points to non-formal 
education as particularly helpful in emphasing the production o f basic food 
crops in household management. Amedzro (2000) in describing non-formal 
education as a major tool for development sees non-formal education as a major 
tool for national development because o f its power in equipping rural folks as 
well as urban dwellers with limited or no educational background with the 
ability to improve their economic and social conditions and those o f their 
communities.
28
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
To the author it is possible to use Non-formal education techniques such as 
drama, films and video tape to present situations more convincingly to get 
people involved in the development process. Indeed it has the power to 
mobilise rural folk, build their confidence and encourage participation. In 
short, non-formal education has the power o f  changing people’s attitudes 
thereby improving their skills to participate in the developmental process. This, 
to Ferire (1970) creates a need to engage the illiterate adults in a process o f"  
conscientisation" in order to change their pessimistic and fatalistic perspectives 
on reality and giving them the opportunity to acquire a "critical" vision o f their 
environment and also gain an  awareness o f the capacity and means to change 
this environment. Suntaa-Nuntaa employs non-formal education techniques 
such as drama and pictures and other skill acquisition training programmes to 
create desirable attitudes in women groups they work with. It is only when 
desirable attitudes are created that project's objective are met.
2.6 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
Quaye and Katsriku (1996) present NGOs as vital instruments o f development 
in less developed countries. The volume o f work at the seat o f central 
governments has made them to release some o f their holdings on political, 
economic and social areas, and these have been taken up by NGOs that have
29
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
sprung up to take on such responsibilities. These authors have pointed out that 
donor communities are interested in development and the eradication o f poverty, 
misery and disease and have for that matter given substantial support to NGOs 
to deal with like situations. NGOs have presented themselves as entities with 
innovations capable o f  addressing the many problems that civil societies are 
plagued with. NGOs can be seen as private organisations that have been set up 
by individuals, groups, bodies or orgainsations to deal with certain aims, policy 
and programmes outside government circles (Quaye 1996). The activities o f 
NGOs spread out to every aspect o f civil society and by their nature they are 
characterised by their being voluntary, independent, non-profit making and are 
serving organisations within the civil societies in which they dispense their 
services (Quaye 1996).
Assessing the impact o f  NGOs on improving lives o f people in rural areas, 
Dawson (1975) focussed on some groups actively involved in bringing about 
skill acquisition in developing countries and noted the great impact they are 
making on the lives o f the people concerned. She based for instance her 
assessment on the operations o f Oxfam United Kingdom and Ireland and its 
Dutch Sisters Agency-Novib, and argues that the main key to long-term poverty 
alleviation in developing countries is capacity building in individuals. In the
30
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
broadest sense she sees it as increasing self-reliance o f  the poor especially the 
poor women in the rural areas. Novib (1994) and Oxfam (1994) report that the 
way o f contributing to support initiatives o f the poor people o f the developing 
world is through sustainable changes and improvement in their lives. Their 
concern, for example for poor women has emphasised areas o f income and 
autonomy. Health and educational services improve incomes and housing only 
if  beneficiaries are given the opportunity to use inputs in the most sustained 
way. Suntaa-Nuntaa, an indigenous NGOs in the Upper West Region o f Ghana 
has initiated activities meant to improve the lives o f the people o f the Upper 
West Region, this it does by providing the technical "know how" that women in 
the rural areas can use in their agricultural activities and other income generating 
activities to better themselves and the communities in which they live.
31
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Chapter Three
3.0 Research Methodology
3.1 Research Design:
A survey design was preferred in this study since it gave the opportunity for 
studying large populations by selecting samples from the universe to establish 
some interrelationships. The study concentrated on the agroforestry and other 
income earning activities o f participating women groups o f the Suntaa-Nuntaa 
programme in the Wa District o f the Upper West Region o f Ghana. The 
purpose o f the study was to find out how programmes provided by Suntaa- 
Nuntaa, a local NGO, at the Centre, has helped to improve the lives o f 
beneficiary groups. The Suntaa-Nuntaa's package for rural women among other 
things, sought to raise household food security through sustainable agriculture 
and other activities while at the same time protecting the environment.
To find out the results o f  the Suntaa-Nuntaa's Programme the study focused 
mainly on beneficiary groups in the Wa District. Interview schedules were 
constructed for the institution delivering the programme, individual women 
participants o f the programme and a focus group discussion for the organised 
women groups formed by Suntaa-Nuntaa within the Wa District alone.
32
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
3.2 Sampling Frame:
The frame required for the study was a list o f all women groups formed by 
Suntaa-Nuntaa in respect o f its programme within the Wa District o f  the Upper 
West Region o f Ghana. The updated list for the year 2001 was obtained from 
the office o f Suntaa-Nuntaa's project in Wa. The list contained the names o f 53 
Suntaa-Nuntaa Women's groups with an average membership o f 30 for each 
group.
3.3 Target Group:
The target group o f the study area comprised 53 participating women groups 
formed by Suntaa-Nuntaa in the Wa District o f the Upper West Region o f 
Ghana. The total number o f  women groups in the district came up to 53.
3.4 Sampling technique:
Purposive sampling was first used to select the Wa District among the five 
districts o f the Upper West Region in which Suntaa-Nuntaa has women groups 
participating in its programmes. Secondly, simple random sampling was used 
to select one-third o f the women groups formed by Suntaa-Nuntaa for the study. 
The investigator was convinced that 1/3 o f the 53 women groups would be 
representative enough for the study. The investigator preferred the simple
33
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
random sampling technique because it gave a known and equal chance to all the 
women groups in question for entering the sample. This certainly eliminated 
any form o f discrimination in the selection process.
The names o f the 53 women groups o f Suntaa-Nuntaa benefiting from its 
programme, and been the total for the Wa District were written out on small 
pieces o f paper and then put in a hat. The pieces o f paper bearing the names 
were then thoroughly mixed up and a staff o f Suntaa-Nuntaa did the picking. 
Each time a name o f a women's group was picked up, those left were again 
thoroughly mixed until the 18 names were all picked. Each time one was 
picked, it was not replaced in the hat.
In the third step, the investigator had to reduce the numbers in each group to 
manageable sizes. The membership for each o f the group selected as sample 
varied considerably, they ranged between 23 to 60. A simple random sampling 
method again was employed to select 30 percent o f members o f each o f the 18 
women groups o f Suntaa-Nuntaa for the study.
The 30 percent selected from each group formed the basis for the focus group 
discussion. As a cross-check however, the investigator felt it appropriate to 
also conduct individual investigation o f members o f each o f the 18 groups to
34
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
verify information that was gathered from the focus group discussions. In view 
o f this, 50 percent o f members o f each group were again selected, using the 
simple random sampling method and this gave a figure o f 107 individuals, all 
from the 18 groups. The sampling frame is shown on Table 3.1 below.
Table 3.1: Sample Frame
Name of Suntaa-Nuntaa 
Women Groups
Actual group 
Membership
Group
Sample
30%
Individual
Sample
50%
Biihee Sungze-le 28 8 4
Goripie Sungze, Zongla Kpiangu 40 12 6
Logu Taatiaha 36 11 6
Polle Suntaa 35 11 6
Ghansa Suntaa-Nuntaa 26 8 4
Salimansa Suntaa-Nuntaa 40 12 6
Charia Gongumuni 35 11 6
Chari a Zumacheri 42 12 6
Zingu Tanga 25 8 4
Zingu Gohi 22 14 7
Nyimbale Women Group 50 15 8
Tandaboro Group 60 18 9
Eggu Suntaa-Nuntaa 58 17 9
Olli Karmin-enye 50 15 8
Suoma Ebang 37 11 6
Kpila Azaasuma 24 7 4
Baayiri Halelu 25 8 4
Zing-nye Suntaa 23 7 4
TOTAL 654 205 107
35
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
3.5 Research Instruments:
Structured interview schedules were constructed with closed and opened-ended 
questions for data collection. The closed ended questions were meant to ensure 
some uniformity in responses while open-ended questions allowed further 
probes on issues o f  interest to give a clearer understanding. The interview 
schedule was also preferred because most o f  the women participants o f the 
Suntaa-Nuntaa groups were illiterates. In the survey conducted, three types o f 
interview schedules were prepared. One for the project staff o f Suntaa- 
Nuntaa(Appendix C), a second, was a focus group discussion(Appendix A), the 
third interview schedule was meant for the individual members from each o f the 
18 groups that were selected(Appendix B).
3.6 Field work:
With help from one o f the field officers from the office o f  Suntaa-Nuntaa in Wa, 
the researcher was able to first reach all the 18 women groups within the study 
area. Dates and times for interviews were fixed with all the women groups at 
their convenience. The dates and times were fixed to coincide with days o f their 
weekly meetings. Visits were also made to the office o f Suntaa-Nuntaa in Wa to 
gather information from manuals and files, and also see at first hand some of 
their projects in and around the Wa district.
36
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
The actual interview started on the 19lh o f November 2001, first with the 
Programme Director o f Suntaa-Nuntaa Robert Loggah. The interview with the 
director lasted two hours. Next were the field officers - they were interviewed 
on different days and usually after work or during lunch break.
The interview o f the field officers centered on their experiences on the field and 
how the programme participants had responded to the programme. The 
interview o f the field officers lasted approximately 40 minutes each. The 
meetings with the project staff were held in such a way as not to interrupt their 
daily work schedules.
The individual interviews for individual respondents were conducted before the 
group interviews were conducted, usually a day after. The interviews were 
conducted at the homes o f the individuals concerned. Each interview took 
approximately 45 minutes.
The focus group discussions took place at the times that were already arranged 
with the help o f one o f the field officers o f Suntaa-Nuntaa. The days o f 
meeting varied among the various groups within the week and were fixed at the
37
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
convenience o f each group's members. Before each interview began, the 
researcher made a detailed introduction o f him self and the purpose o f the 
interview was made clear to remove anxieties. Those who attended also 
introduced themselves.
The medium o f communication was Dagaare, which they all understood, and 
spoke including the investigator himself. Questions were often well explained 
to the understanding o f  all before responses were invited but where there were 
issues to be clarified in the questions at the request o f the interviewees this was 
done. Participation was effective since most, if  not all, took an active part in 
responding to questions. The meetings were usually held close to the Chiefs 
Palace where there was a lot o f shade and benches to sit on. The benches were 
often arranged in a circular pattern with the researcher sitting amongst them.
3.7 Limitations o f study
Despite the publicity given about the interviews, there were instances where 
some individuals were absent, especially with the group discussions. Reasons 
usually given included excuses such as, they had gone to attend funerals, they 
were sick or had gone to the market especially when big village market days 
coincided with the interview day.
38
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Some women for one reason or the other, in spite o f the earlier introduction 
were still convinced that the interviewer was an official from the office o f 
Suntaa-Nuntaa and for that matter presented a catalogue o f  their personal 
problems unrelated to the information sought.
Some villages were not easily accessible and this took time and money to cover. 
There were others who worked on farms far from the villages, for example, 
thrashing and winnowing o f millet and some o f  these activities were often 
collectively undertaken by women from the village; so when there was a 
coincidence o f farm work and interview, the interview had to be rescheduled for 
another day.
3.8 Data Analysis
In line with the objectives o f the research, the information obtained from the 
field was analysed and presented using tables and percentages.
39
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Chapter Four
Presentation And Analysis O f Data 
4.0 Introduction
The chapter contains the presentation and analysis o f data obtained from women 
beneficiaries and project staff o f the Suntaa Nuntaa's programme in the Wa 
District. A descriptive summary o f Suntaa Nuntaa's efforts at promoting 
sustainable agriculture through environmental education was made, based on 
information provided. This chapter in the main, considered the elements o f the 
Suntaa Nuntaa's approach: how the approach has worked and how this has 
influenced the beneficiaries and their communities at large.
4.1 Demographic characteristics:
When adults o f all ages are brought together in a programme it enriches their 
learning experience in view o f the wide range o f experiences that is usually 
shared among them (Titmus 1989). An investigation was, therefore, carried out 
to establish the age distribution o f respondents and how a shared experience was 
of benefit to them.
40
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Table. 1
Age distribution of respondents.
Age range Frequency Percentage
2 0 - 2 9 8 7.48
3 0 - 3 9 34 31.78
4 0 -4 9 50 46.72
5 0 -5 9 10 9.35
60 and above 5 4.67
Total 107 100.00
Deducing from Table 1, the participants o f the Suntaa Nuntaa programme 
covered in the individuals interview had a general age range o f between 20 and 
61 and above. The highest frequencies o f respondents were found in the ranges 
o f 30 - 39 and 40 49 representing 31.78 and 46.72 percents respectively and 
giving a combined total o f 78.50 percent o f respondents. The youngest 
respondent interviewed was 23 years while the oldest according to the 
information provided was 61 years. The lowest frequency was found in the age 
range o f 60 and above representing 4.67 percent. The differences in the ages of 
respondents, suggested a varied experience.
41
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
4.2 Educational background of respondents
Kassam (1979) has stated that the basic preposition in the concept o f functional 
literacy or education revolves around the fact that literacy has a potential role to 
play in generating development. When education is provided then its impact 
can be greatly enhanced if  it is related directly to the economic activity o f a 
given community. The rate o f success o f some projects to a greater extent 
depends on the level o f education o f its beneficiaries and this was the reason for 
investigating the educational background o f respondents. Results are presented 
in Table 2 below.
Table 2
Educational background o f respondents
Level of education Frequency Percentage
Up to SSS and above 10 9.35
Up to JSS and/or middle school 12 11.21
Up to Primary School 15 14.02
No Formal education 70 65.42
Total 107 100.00
It can be deduced from Table 2, that most o f the respondents were non­
literates. This can be deduced by the high percentage o f 65.42 with no formal 
education representing 70 out o f a total sample o f 107 interviewees. Those
42
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
educated to only the primary level or J.S.S and Middle School represented 14.02 
percent and 11.21 percent respectively.
4.3 Responses from the focus group discussions
4.3.1 Reasons for joining Suntaa Nuntaa groups
The research sought to find out the rationale o f respondents for joining the 
Suntaa - Nuntaa women groups.
Some o f the reasons most respondents gave for joining the Suntaa - Nuntaa's 
women groups included the following:
Work is made easier, since the bulk o f  work is divided among group 
members. With agroforestry activities a lot o f  work is involved and no 
individual finds this easy. Apart from the fac t that work is easier it is also 
carried out faster because o f  the excitement in working in group 
(Tandaboro group).
We are able to obtain loans from  the Agricultural Development Bank 
(ADB). As individuals, we find  it difficult i f  not impossible to obtain 
loans because we are often asked to produce collateral security which
43
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
most o f  us do not have (Olli Karmin enye group and Kpila Azaasuma 
g roup ).
One needs to be a member o f  a Suntaa - Nuntaa group before she 
qualifies fo r  financial assistance provided by a scheme run by Suntaa 
Nuntaa. We don't have any sources o f  financial assistance in our 
husbands ’ homes and such facilities encourage us to jo in  the Suntaa 
Nuntaa group (Polle Suntaa group and Biihee Sungze-le group).
During the rainy season as an organised group we are able to- assist one 
another on our individual and husbands ’ farms when it comes to sowing 
or even harvesting. Harvesting per se isn’t a  job  fo r  one person (Baayiri 
group and Charia Gongumuni group).
Apart from  receiving some financial assistance and inputs fo r  our 
agroforestry activities we are able to harvest fuelwoodfrom our wood lots 
fo r  use in cooking and also fo r  other purposes. This saves us a lot o f  
time looking fo r  fuelwood in the wild bush (Chansa Suntaa Nuntaa 
group).
44
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
It came to light that participants received other forms o f assistance from fellow 
group members, especially in times o f grief or need. These were usually in the 
form o f small monetary contributions or in kind, for example, foodstuffs. Such 
support given to one another was seen by participants as building some unity in 
them and thus gave them some moral strength in their group endeavours. 
Responses from the individual interviewees were similar to those given in the 
focus groups. In the words o f one o f the individual respondents, a 43 year old 
woman from Eggu in the Wa district; "when a member even defaulted in her 
loan repayment, the group decided on the strength o f  the case in hand and 
intervened. The group paid the loan and that person paid  to the group later, in 
kind, which was sold and paid into the group's account”
From the data that was analysed, views expressed, suggested that as many as 
48% o f women interviewed individually joined the Suntaa Nuntaa women's 
groups in order to benefit from the financial assistance the programme provided.
4.4 Methods of teaching and skill training
Non-formal education according to Combs and Ahmed (1974) includes all 
activities, from basic literacy to occupational skills training for income 
generation projects or the provision o f training for entrepreneurial development.
45
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
It was necessary to find out the methods o f teaching and skill training used by 
Suntaa-Nuntaa. Apart from drawing the women's attention to the harmful 
activities o f humans to the environment Suntaa-Nuntaa was also interested in 
training participants in skills that would help them in their agroforestry and other 
income generating activities using environmentally friendly ways. When 
responses from the focus group discussions were analysed it was revealed that 
the Suntaa-Nuntaa employed mainly participatory teaching techniques. These 
were identified as group discussions, workshops, drama and theatre and 
demonstration on the field. It was also evident from the focus group 
discussions that prior to the intervention o f Suntaa-Nuntaa agroforestry 
programme participants knew little or were not mindful o f  environmental 
conservation. In spite o f  their knowledge about the harmful effects o f bush- 
fires, tree felling and charcoal burning on the environment they could not give 
up these activities because their survival evolved around them and they had no 
other choice. All the groups claimed it was beyond their imagination as 
individuals to do anything about saving the environment. According to a 29 
year old woman from the Baayiri group:
46
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
I f  we had the power to save the environment from  human activities that 
degrade it, the lack o f  the necessary logistics to do so would have 
hindered considerably this initiative
Some other views expressed by the other groups were as follows:
Suntaa-Nuntaa involved us all in the teaching and learning process and 
this was very interesting for us because we thought initially we had 
nothing to contribute. We all took turns to contribute to the discussions 
especially where we had knowledge about things they taught us, fo r  
instance on systems o f  farming and human activities that degraded the 
environment (Kpila Azaasuma group).
The teaching methods o f  Suntaa-Nuntaa helped us to better understand 
the importance o f  trees to man and the need to stop felling trees 
indiscriminately. We were made to see the need to cultivate wood lots 
(Tandaboro group).
They taught us how to take measurements in the fie ld  where tree seedlings 
were planted. We were also taught how to put food  crops like beans, 
cowpea, groundnuts, okro and cassava in-between the rows o f  trees.
47
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
We were made to understanding that cropping in- between the rows o f  
tree seedlings avoided a waste o f  land and the food  crops would force us 
to weed around to keep the alleys clean (Biihee Sungzele group).
We like the way we were taught because those who did the teaching were 
friendly. We were told stories from pictures they displayed before us, 
showing activities that destroy the environment. Some pictures showed 
how wastelands were re-afforested. Other pictures showed us how to 
harvest wood from  the woodlots throughout the year without going into 
the bush to look fo r  wood (Logu Taatiaha group and Salimansa Suntaa- 
Nuntaa group).
Through discussions we had with the fie ld  sta ff o f  Suntaa-Nuntaa we were 
made to understand why we should love our environment and why we 
should plant trees and food  crops without destroying the environment 
(Zingu Tanga group and Zingu Gohi group).
Demonstrations on the fie ld  gave us a good understanding o f  how to 
actually plant and care fo r  the trees and other crops, which we had to 
plant on our own farm. (Biihee group).
48
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
During group discussions we were able to ask questions that helped us 
solve problems connected to our agroforestry activities. Questions that 
we asked also solved problems relating to our organisation especially 
when members were divided on some issues (Olli Karmin-enye group).
Songs, drama and theatre were not only educative but also entertaining. The 
various groups composed their own songs, the way they found them effective in 
conveying the messages they intended. The groups also learnt songs from 
other groups which they found interesting. Basically songs conveyed messages 
condemning human activities that degraded the environment such as 
indiscriminate burning o f the bush and tree felling. Songs also suggested ways 
o f conserving or improving the forest such as planting trees and growing of 
woodlots from where fuelwood could be harvested for domestic purposes. 
Drama and theatre also carried the same information in another form, in the case 
of drama, performance mainly aimed at educating members o f the communities.
Some responses recorded in respect o f drama were:
When we stage plays we are able to demonstrate to the public the need to 
construct fire  belts around the tree seedlings that we plant and the need to 
mulch in order to conserve the humidity for the plants. We also use the
’49
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
stage to solve problems that arise among community members or between 
the group and the community fo r  example in cases o f  the land tenure 
system (Charia Zumachari group).
Through the use o f  songs and drama we have been able to change, to 
some extent, the attitudes o f  a lot o f  the people in our community towards 
the destruction o f  the environment. These days some people are seen 
making some efforts at planting at least a few  fru it trees around their 
homes. We also rebuke those who carelessly destroy the environment in 
one way or the other (Charia Gongumuni group).
The songs and plays we have composed are sometimes played on the FM  
radio stations in Wa and these give us some pride. People have learnt 
some o f  the songs and this gives us some satisfaction that the messages we 
preach about the environment have indeed reached the people. We 
don't expect that things will change over night but this could be a starting 
point since some people have already become critical about the 
environment because we see them make efforts at planting shade or fru it 
trees like the mango (Goripee Sungze-Zongla Kpiangu group).
50
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
On the whole groups expressed views that suggested that members o f their 
communities had gained some knowledge regarding the environment. This 
could probably be attributed to the methods o f education and skill training that 
Suntaa-Nuntaa had used to promote its agroforestry and land conservation 
programme. In the words o f the secretary o f the Suoma Ebang group;
We are lucky to be associated with the Suntaa-Nuntaa's programme 
because we have learnt a lot in a number o f  areas, fo r  example, the 
importance o f  the environment to our survival and land conservation 
techniques like tree planting, construction o f  fire belts and so on.
Individual research preferences were sought in connection with the various 
teaching methods that Suntaa-Nuntaa employed specifically the group 
discussion method, drama, songs and field demonstrations. The outcome o f this 
is demonstrated in Table 3 below:
Table 3
Preferences o f teaching methods for individuals interviewed.
Method o f teaching Preferences Percentage
Discussions and workshops 37 34.58
Drama and songs 42 39.25
Field demonstrations 28 26.17
Total 107 100.00
51
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
It can be inferred from Table 3 above that the most preferred methods o f 
teaching were drama and songs and this scenario was represented by 39.25%. 
This was probably attributed to the power o f drama to both excite and present 
messages related to the environment. Discussions and workshops took a second 
place with 34.58% while field demonstrations showed a preference level of 
26.17%.
4.5 Provision o f environm ental education.
As perceived by the Quarterly Review o f Education (1978) environmental 
education is a key to easing dangerous pressures on the environment. 
Environmental education is seen primarily as an instrument in creating 
awareness about the state o f the environment, capable o f reaching planners and 
administrators as well as the general public. Such education is first intended to 
draw the minds o f  people to the human activities that are responsible for 
destroying the environment and the effects o f such destruction. It was necessary 
to find out how the Suntaa-Nuntaa was able to make women aware o f the human 
activities that degraded the environment.
Each o f the groups covered in the focus group discussion expressed at least an 
instance of a human activity responsible for degrading the environment for
52
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
example bush fires, tree felling and bad farming practices. Knowledge in 
activities degrading the environment were indicated by respondents as:
In our opinion farmers are to blame fo r  starting bush fires that eventually 
destroy the environment. In our community the main occupation is 
farming and to be able to clear land and to cultivate it one has to burn the 
bush in order to open it up fo r  ploughing. In the process o f  burning the 
bush the fire  could also burn other areas not intended fo r  the farm  (Logu 
Taatiaha group and Sungze-le group).
We believe hunters destroy the environment more than any other 
individuals. In the dry seasons the youth o f  the villages come together 
sometimes-numbering 30 or more to undertake their popular hunting 
expeditions. In their method o f  hunting their biggest weapon is fire, 
which is able to drive out animals from the bushes for them to hunt down. 
By the middle o f  the dry season it is difficult to see dry grass standing 
except a carpet o f  black ashes (Suoma Ebang group).
Tree felling is necessary fo r  women because this is their source offuel fo r  
cooking and fo r  that reason every woman in our community looks fo r
53
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
fuelwood from  whatever source fo r  this purpose. In this way the 
environment gets destroyed (Polle Suntaa group and Salimansa group).
In house or garden construction wood is very necessary and many people 
in the community look around fo r  good wood, fa r  or near, fo r  this purpose 
and with time the trees keep disappearing (Baayiri Halelu group).
Tree felling is necessary when women are engaged in charcoal burning 
because it is a good source o f  income. Some o f  us are aware that this 
leads to the destruction o f  the forest but we need money to support us in 
other things like the buying o f  clothing or medicine (Suoma Ebang 
group,and Kpila Azaasuma group).
Our village is situated on a hilly land and when we make our farms on the 
slopes o f  these hills and the rains are heavy most o f  the good soil is 
washed down into the valleys. Sometimes big gullies are left on these 
slopes and with time the land can no longer support crops and its 
abandoned (Charia Zumacheri group).
When people build houses or construct roads they also destroy the 
vegetation but many people do not realize. Thus they think it is only
54
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
farming and hunting activities that destroy the environment (Biihee 
group).
Response from the various groups on the effects o f human activities on the 
environment were:
When the cutting down o f  trees takes place over a prolonged period o f  
time some trees become very scarce or even disappear and we don't see 
them again unless one travels fa r  to distant and undisturbed areas. 
Usually the first to disappear are those trees that are good fo r  use as fuel 
in cooking or those that are equally good fo r  house and garden 
construction (Nyimbale women group).
When we were young girls there were some trees and fruits such as the 
shea, black berries, red berries, ebony that could be gathered from  
around the houses in the communities but this has changed. Now one 
can only gather these fruits in appreciable quantities from  areas fa r  from  
the villages not affected by tree felling or bush burning (Biihee Sungze- 
le group and Chansa women group).
55
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
We have seen that the cutting o f  trees have opened up the land so much 
that strong winds are able to blow-off the roofs o f  houses and blow down 
big trees standing in isolation, during rainstorms. Sometimes such 
occurrences are unimaginable, the effect o f  the winds is such that each 
year most families make some repairs on their houses i f  they have to 
survive the strong winds the following year. Those who are wise plant 
trees around their houses to help check the strong winds otherwise they 
will have no houses (Goripie Sungze-Zongla Kpiangu group).
These days the ground quickly dries up soon after it rains because there is 
no shade to keep the ground wet fo r  a long time since the sun's rays hit 
the ground directly (Zingu Gohi group).
Trees and grasses protect the rivers and the water sources from  drying up 
and when the vegetation is destroyed these sources o f  water dry up. 
When this happens it puts a lot o f  strain on us because we have to travel 
long distances in order to fetch water fo r  domestic use (Olli Karmin 
enye group).
56
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
When the vegetation is destroyed those o f  us engaged in weaving baskets 
and straw mats fin d  it extremely difficult to obtain the straw fo r the 
weaving. This make those in the business either travel fa r  fo r  the straw 
or in some cases buy them from the market from  people who deal in them 
(Polle group and Salimansa Suntaa Nuntaa group).
We all know how destructive bush fires can be especially when our farms 
including foodstu ff harvested and stored on the farms are destroyed. As 
a result people have to starve. Rabbits and squirrels that were also 
common in the bushes around our communities when we were children 
are now difficult to fin d  because o f  the indiscriminate destruction o f  their 
habitats (Goripie Sungze-Zongla Kpiangu group).
It was clear from the group discussions that in addition to identifying the human 
activities that destroy the environment the women interviewed were also able to 
relate how these activities affected their communities both directly and 
indirectly.
4.6 Responses from the individual interviews
In the individual interviews that were also conducted as a cross-check on the 
focus group discussions, the responses were similar to those presented by the
57
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
focus groups on human activities that degraded the environment and the impact 
o f human activities on the environment. An attempt was made to rank the 
concerns o f individuals on the activities that degraded the environment as shown 
on the table 4 below.
Table 4
Human activities that degrade the environment.
Activities o f concern Frequency Percentage
Bush fires 24 22.43
Tree felling 67 62.62
Bad farming practices 16 14.95
Total 107 100.00
Table 4 reveals that 67 respondents out o f the 107 rated tree felling as the 
biggest threat to the environment. Bush fires that showed a percentage o f 22.43 
followed this and bad farming practices also took 14.95%. Against 
expectations tree felling was o f prime concern in the destruction o f the 
environment even though from responses received bush fires were mainly 
discussed as the biggest threat to the environment. In the words o f a 54 year 
old woman from Eggu in the research area o f the study:
Personally, I will consider bush-fire as the biggest threat to the 
environment because it does not burn only the trees, shrubs and grasses 
but also the crops on the farms. For two years now, my husband had his
58
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
rice farm burnt and rice has been his main source o f  income and fo r  this 
reason he has vowed never to cultivate rice again. He has now taken to 
the cultivation o f  soyabeans and groundnuts
Another 37-year-old woman from Logu in the Wa district further emphasized 
this by saying that:
We know that the rate at which the trees are being cut is high and this 
contributes to the destruction o f  the environment but I  will want to believe 
that bush-fires are more destructive because nothing is spared, not even 
our homes.
Each year fire  creeps into our woodlots despite the fire  belts that we 
construct and performance is low for this reason and most o f  us are 
gradually shifting to other income generating sources like sheabutter 
processing
Bad farming practices as an activity responsible for degrading the environment 
was only mentioned in isolated instances. Most o f the individual respondents 
believed farming was conducted in an appropriate way and was not a significant 
factor in land degradation, except for cases where in the dry season farmers
59
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
burnt the bushes to extend their farms or created new farms and in the process 
trees and the grasses get burnt.
The destruction o f the forest has serious implications for any community. 
Bushfire for instance could lead to soil erosion which in turn results in loss of 
soil fertility and poor crop yield which consequently leads to low income and a 
poor lifestyle, in a vicious cycle. Most rural communities in the Wa district 
depend on trees o f the forest for their fuel wood, fruits, and other products such 
as fibre and medicinal plants. Forests generally are a home to wild animals and 
the destruction o f the forest has a telling effect on animals and the livelihood o f 
people who depend on it.
4.7 Change in habits and attitudes
Some respondents in the focus group testified to changes in habits and 
behaviour as a result o f education and skill training by Suntaa-Nuntaa, these are 
some examples:
Those o f  us who acquired some knowledge about land conservation have 
established large woodlot close to our villages. We harvest and share 
the wood among ourselves fo r  domestic use especially in cooking (Logu 
Taatiaha group).
60
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
We have been encouraged and motivated to establish woodlots. More 
than ha lf o f  our members have their small woodlots, which supplement 
their share o f  wood from the collective woodlots. Some o f  the individual 
woodlots are cashew and mango mixed with trees providing wood for  
example the cassia (Tandaboro group and Olli Karmin-eny group).
Knowledge gained about fire  belt construction has indeed helped us to 
protect not only our woodlots but our farms and other valuable trees that 
can be destroyed by fire. Previously we only looked on while fire  
sometime destroyed rice and guinea corn farms at the end o f  the rainy 
season (Zingu Goli group).
Our group has not only established a woodlot but has also undertaken to 
plant trees in-between the houses in our village to provide us with shade 
and also to check the strong winds and thus preventing them from  
damaging our houses. We are able to mobilise community members 
once in a while to assist us in the tree planting around our houses 
(Baayiri Halelu group).
61
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
To reduce the rate at which community members destroy trees in our 
village fo r  use as garden fence we have encouraged them to grow a hedge 
o f  the kind that is planted around houses. Such hedges are long lasting 
as garden fence and are also able to prevent bush fires from destroying 
the plants in the garden (Charia Zumacheria group).
It was also evident in the individual interviews conducted that there was also a 
change in attitude towards the environment. This was clearly highlighted by 
a respondent:
The group and individual woodlots have come as a blessing to us because 
it protects the soil from  been washed away and we also obtain fue l wood 
from these woodlots even though sometimes this is not sufficient. Once 
in a while most o f  us go to the bush to look fo r  wood to add to our share 
o f wood from  the woodlots (A 38 year old participant from Raayiri).
In spite o f the awareness creation about the effects o f bush burning and tree 
felling, certain individuals still burnt the bushes or felled trees for one reason or 
the other. Notwithstanding such negative attitudes towards the environment 
most o f the individuals interviewed were satisfied that there has been a reduction
62
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
in bush burning and tree felling and a change in habits and attitude on 
environmental degradation.
The effectiveness o f  the programme in limiting environmental degradation was 
assessed on the individual respondents and this result is shown on table 8 below.
Table 5.
Effectiveness o f Sun taa -N un taa’s p rogramm e in lim iting land degradation .
A ssessment Frequency Percentages
Very effective 28 26.18
Effective 72 67.28
Fairly effective 7 6.54
Not effective 0 0.00
Total 107 100.00
Table 5 shows that, 72 respondents representing 67.28 percent indicated the 
programme's strategy was effective in limiting land degradation and 26.17 
percent supported the idea that the programme was very effective in changing 
the negative attitudes o f participants. The "very effective" group was low, 
possibly due to the prevalence o f bush burning and tree felling in some 
communities. As low as seven percent o f respondents indicated the 
programme methods were fairly effective in limiting environmental degration
63
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
and none accepted that the programme o f Suntaa-Nuntaa was not effective. It 
can be asserted generally that participants o f the Suntaa-Nuntaa's programme 
were in a way convinced that there were certain achievements made in strategies 
to limit environmental degradation. They saw such achievements in the 
changed habits and attitudes in their colleagues and some community members.
4.8 Other activities provided by Suntaa-Nuntaa
It was necessary to investigate other activities introduced by Suntaa-Nuntaa. 
The rationale for such an investigation was to establish whether or not such 
income-generating activities had the power to motivate and sustain the 
agroforestry activities introduced to the village women organised by Suntaa- 
Nuntaa. Guri (1996) noted that in arresting declining food production and 
ecological degradation and the subsequent rural poverty and food insecurity it 
brings, programmes in this direction should included a policy mix, focusing on 
long term sustainability as on short term production.
Responses from the focus group discussions, indicated the following under the 
headings below:
64
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
4.8.1 Honey /sheabutter/dawadawa processing-
Individuals in our group undertake some business activity that generates 
some income apart from  the agroforestry business. Some keep livestock 
such as goats, rabbits, and poultry while others went into honey, 
sheabutter or dawadawa production. The kind o f  business one chooses 
was a private affair, no one imposes anything on us and we are able to 
make some money to help us in various ways (Zingu Tanga group and 
Zingu Goli group).
We have been encouraged by the programme providers to undertake some 
income generating activity o f  one kind or the other. In view o f  this some 
o f us have taken to sheabutter and dawadawa processing, while others 
are also engaged in the rearing o f  livestock. The income earning 
activities have helped us in several ways fo r  instance we are able to buy 
school uniform for our children and also pay school fees. We also buy 
food  and other things that we need, like clothing or medicine (Polle 
Suntaa group, Eggu Suntaa group and Charia Zumacheri group).
65
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
4.8.2 ‘Su su ’ scheme-
Every member o f  a Suntaa-Nuntaa women's group belongs to a "susu" 
scheme including a loan scheme instituted by the programme. We make 
weekly contributions to the "susu" scheme either in cash or in kind 
(foodstuff) from  where members receive their bulk contributions 
periodically according to some agreed schedule drawn up by them. We 
have also opened an account with the Agricultural Development Bank 
(ADB) in Wa with some o f  the "susu” money. This helps us to pick loans 
from the bank when all the members o f  the group agree to it. The 
monies from  the "susu" contributions have helped us in our agroforestry 
and other income-generating businesses (Biihee Sungzel-le group and 
Zing-nye Suntaa group).
4.8.3 Petty trading-
The keeping o f  livestock and the processing o f  dawadawa or sheabutter 
including the buying and selling o f  manufactured goods like batteries 
soap, milk, matches have helped us financially. Some members o f  the 
group use their "susu" contribution to buy food  stu ff to store and resell in
66
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
the lean season at a profit (Goripie Zongla Kpiangu group and 
Tandaboro group).
The researcher had the occasion o f seeing some o f these activities such as the 
livestock rearing, dawadawa and sheabutter processing. The livestock the 
women kept were goats, poultry and rabbits and these were a cross o f the 
exhortic and local breeds. The cross breed were usually an improvement over 
the local breed in terms o f quality and they were also more disease resistant than 
the pure local breed. For instance those who kept goats had the cross o f the 
West African dwarf goat and the Sahelian giant goat. Some women also took 
to honey production but the field staff o f Suntaa-Nuntaa in view o f the risk 
involved closely supervised this. In the case o f honey production interested 
women were trained by the programme staff in ways o f locating the artificially 
made beehives to attract the bees. The women were also trained in the 
harvesting o f honey.
Most o f the activities undertaken by the women in the groups formed by Suntaa- 
Nuntaa, like the agroforestry and other income earning ventures were to a large 
extent supported by the loan and "susu" schemes that each group operated. 
Under the loan scheme, each group was given an amount in bulk by Suntaa- 
Nuntaa and this was shared among members o f the group to support activities
67
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
each undertook. Each individual, depending on the size o f  the group, received 
a loan o f between fifty thousand cedis (050,000.00) and one hundred and fifty 
thousand cedis (0150,000.00) from Suntaa-Nuntaa. The loan repayment 
period according to respondents, was flexible and negotiable depending usually 
on each business turnover. The "susu" contributions on the other hand were 
entirely a group affair, without interference from the programme providers, even 
though they encouraged this. "Susu" contributions were either made in cash or 
in kind. Where contributions were in kind, in the form foodstuff, eggs and 
birds, it was sold and the monies retained as the person's contribution to the 
"susu" fund. The flexibility in the "susu" contributions promoted and
sustained the scheme. All groups covered established an account with the 
Agricultural Development Bank from which they picked loans for themselves 
when necessary. By running other income generating activities alongside 
agroforestry, Suntaa-Nuntaa was convinced that incomes earned could be used 
to sustain the women's efforts in agroforestry. Income-generating activities 
introduced included the rearing o f goats, rabbits, poultry, honey production and 
the production o f sheabutter and dawadawa. Suntaa-Nuntaa also structured 
out a loan scheme that operated side-by-side the "Susan" credit system.
68
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
4.9 Problems encountered and solutions sought.
It was necessary to probe whether women participating in the Suntaa-Nuntaa 
programme encountered problems and to find out how they went about solving 
such problems encountered.
Some o f the responses from the eighteen groups were unique to all especially 
those relating to water scarcity and bush-fires. The problem o f water scarcity 
related to the length o f the rainy season and the distribution o f rainfall 
throughout the year.
4.9.1 Draught
Each time the rainfall distribution was poor, the tree seedlings struggled to 
survive and worse still a good number died o ff during the dry season when there 
was no rain. To solve the problem o f water scarcity according to the women 
they had to resort to water conserving techniques provided by Suntaa-Nuntaa. 
In one o f such techniques women placed a lot o f grass around the tree seedlings 
to prevent excessive water loss.
In yet another, small clay pots, that held up to three or four litres o f water, were 
placed beside the plant with very small holes made under them but partially
69
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
buried in the ground. These pots were then filled with water and this trickled 
down slowly to the plant, in this way water was made available to the plant for a 
number o f days, in some cases as many as five days. The experiment with 
pots often saved the women from daily watering and thus created time for other 
useful engagements.
4.9.2 Bushflres
The threat o f bush fires was also presented as a problem despite the education of 
the effects on bush-fires on the environment given by Suntaa-Nuntaa to women 
groups and the communities at large. It was clear from responses from all the 
groups that bush-fires reduced the quality o f their agroforestry and other 
agricultural activities. In order to overcome the problem posed by bush-fires, 
according to the women, fire-belts were constructed first around the periphery of 
the woodlots and also around the individual tree plants. This was done to give 
it a double check. This was so because each time fire was started from outside 
the area o f the woodlot it was difficult for it to penetrate into the woodlot. 
Again when fire was started from within the woodlot the individual plants were 
also sheltered from the effects o f the fire because o f the fire belts around them.
70
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Water scarcity and the problem of bush-fires stood out as the main problems 
facing all the groups, however there were some groups that presented other 
problems peculiar to their situation as seen in the following:
We suffer to establish the woodlots but some people steal them. 
Sometimes members from our group connive with non-members to steal 
them because occasionally we are able to arrest them. When this 
happens our interest is dampened because we put in a lot o f  energy to 
establish and maintain the woodlot. We have resolved to dismiss any 
member who would be caught stealing wood from  the woodlot. This 
threat has considerably reduced the rate at which wood was stolen from 
the agroforestry farm  (Suoma Ebang group, Nyimbale women group, 
Polle women group).
Most o f  the women in our group buy foodstu ff during the harvesting 
period to store and resell in the lean season (dry season) but a good 
storage system is a big problem. The poor storage o f  these foodstuffs 
often reduces the market value o f  the crops and profits we make at the end 
o f the day. When this happens it becomes difficult, fo r  us to pay back
loans we pick from the bank or from Suntaa-Nuntaa (Kpila Azaasuma
group).
71
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
We have a problem o f  marketing all our goods fo r  instance those o f  us 
who produce sheabutter in large quantities have been forced to reduce the 
quantity we produce because we find  it difficult to sell all at a given time. 
When the sheabutter for instance stays fo r  long it ferments and becomes 
difficult to sell. This makes loan repayment difficult. Some o f  us keep 
trying our hands on different business opportunities until we fa ll on one, 
which is promising. Though we have links with some consumer co­
operative, the transactions have not been very efficient." (Goripie 
Sungze, Zongla Kpiangu group).
As much as possible Suntaa-Nuntaa has allowed a wide degree o f  freedom in the 
management o f the various groups by their members, except where problems 
were referred to its office. When there were cases o f conflict among groups or 
members o f a group or even between a group and some sections o f the 
community’s members, then it was the office o f Suntaa-Nuntaa, which handled 
them.
72
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
4.10 Analysis of Suntaa-Nuntaa programme.
The goal o f Suntaa-Nuntaa have been to achieve household food security in the 
medium and long term by reducing environmental degradation. The Director 
and his team o f project staff were interviewed to find out exactly what they had 
achieved on the ground in their efforts to meet their objectives.
4.10.1 Area of operation
Responses from the Director and project staff revealed the project’s strategy. 
The major areas o f operation identified are summarized as follows:
>  Tree nursing and tree planting.
>  Education o f communities in the project's catchment area about the 
environment and the need to protect it.
>  Organisation o f  women into groups in the rural areas, who in turn 
undertake agroforestry and other income-generation activities.
>  Drama performance by women's groups in the communities to highlight 
environmental and other issues.
>  Introduction or strengthening o f cottage industries.
>  Organisation o f cooperatives to help women market their 
produce better.
>  Education o f  adults on health and human rights issues.
73
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
4.11 Reasons for focus on women groups.
Piepmier (1980) has pointed out that women's groups could play an important 
role in development when they are supported to actually become a part o f the 
social and economic life o f their communities. Information was sought on 
Suntaa-Nuntaa's rationale for working with women's groups. Reasons that were 
offered by the management staff o f Suntaa-Nuntaa included the following:
>  Messages were better transmitted where women were concerned than men 
and women were also more receptive to new messages then their male 
counterparts.
>  Women were easier to organize for one reason or the other.
>  Women were more sympathetic to situations and more ready to intervene 
and also helpful to one another.
4.12 Teaching methods o f the Suntaa-Nuntaa
Responses from the project staff indicated a number o f methods they used in 
their agricultural and environmental education. These included drama, 
discussions, workshops, excursion and until recently radio broadcast following 
the establishment o f two FM radio stations in Wa: Radio Progress and Radio 
Upper West. It was disclosed that the most extensively used were workshops,
74
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
fieldwork and drama. These methods were preferred in view o f the fact that 
the project staff felt more satisfied that a lot was being achieved through them in 
respect o f  their goals.
Responses obtained at the office o f Suntaa-Nuntaa also showed that their 
training activities took place in the various communities where women groups 
were formed as well as at the programme's head office in Wa in some cases. 
Fieldwork, for instance, was carried out after intensive discussions at 
workshops. The office staff indicated that they taught participants how to 
first nurse the seeds for transplanting. Secondly, they taught them how to 
prepare the land where tree seedlings would be transplanted. Thirdly, 
participants were taught how to measure the right distances between the tree 
plants and distances to leave in-between the rows o f tree seedlings transplanted.
They also pointed out that participants were shown techniques o f conserving 
water in plants by mulching and pruning them to reduce water loss. The 
construction o f fire belts was also mentioned as one o f  the techniques taught 
participants. Responses from the project staff also showed that participants 
started with an acre or two o f woodlots and made expansions every one or two 
years by half an acre. Trees that were cultivated were the cassia siamea,
75
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
cashew and leucaena leucocephala. The information gathered from project 
staff corroborated what was obtained earlier from project beneficiaries.
Mention was also made o f  frequent visits to woodlots by project staff. By such 
visits they were sure the right cultural practices in agroforestry were being 
followed. In addition, the project staff maintained that the frequent visits 
enabled them to help solve problems that participants faced in one area of 
activity or the other. Responses from the staff also indicated that 
encouragement was given to the participants to grow food crops in-between the 
rows o f trees to maximise land-use and increase fertility through leaf fall and 
farm residue decay. Apart from the agroforestry activities the staff also 
claimed they supported other activities such as poultry, piggery, rabbitry, honey- 
production and goat rearing. Other activities included sheabutter processing, 
dawadawa processing and pito brewing. To improve the financial position of 
the beneficiaries income-generating activities, Suntaa-Nuntaa staff again 
supported them with a loan scheme under the auspices o f the Presbyterian 
Hunger Project initiative.
The project staffs were happy to point out that since Suntaa-Nuntaa operation 
the programme had chalked modest successes in sustainable agriculture with
76
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
environmental concerns. They also pointed to incomes earned through the 
sale o f wood for use as fuel, for house construction and gardening as some o f 
their achievements. The project staff was convinced that the achievements 
were as a result o f the changed attitudes and the appreciation o f  the importance 
o f the environment and the need to do something to safeguard it.
4.13 Programme's position on its benefits to participants
Responses from the office o f Suntaa-Nuntaa included the following in respect o f 
benefits accruing to participants o f the project:
■  Woodlots had reduced time spent in the wild in search o f  fuelwood and had 
also reduced indiscriminate felling o f trees, 
ia Activities such as poultry or bee keeping and others had greatly improved the 
income status o f  women.
1m. The loan scheme together with the "susu" contribution made possible by 
Suntaa-Nuntaa provided finances and investment opportunities for 
participants.
Sb  Women's groups were able to establish friendly relation with other sister 
organisations such as the Christian Mothers’ Association. Interactions 
created a good climate for groups to benefit from the experiences o f others, 
and this gave room for innovation and expansion.
77
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
ss Status o f women had been raised and had placed the women in rural areas in 
a more strategic position o f decision-making and leadership.
4.14 Programme's challenges
Obviously, the programme was bound to face problems. In the interview with
the programme staff a number o f problems were raised.
Among these were the following:
!■ With a skeletal administrative staff, there was a difficulty o f running the 
many women groups in the Wa district.
S i The programme management sometimes ran out o f finances because o f 
growing inflation, as such running the administration became difficult.
78
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
C h a p te r  F iv e
5.0 Discussion, summary, conclusions and recommendations
This chapter reviews and discusses how Suntaa-Nuntaa has been able to make 
communities rethink their relationship with the environment. The researcher 
examined how Suntaa-Nuntaa has been able to offer beneficiaries improved 
techniques in agroforestry. Conclusions and some recommendations have also 
been made based on the findings.
5.1 The processes o f environmental degradation
The environment has become a major issue in recent times in both international 
as well as at the local level. As reviewed, the World Development Report o f 
1992 was based on "Development and the Environment". The reason for this 
has been that the way the environmental assets are managed has important 
consequences on the economy o f any group o f people. The mismanagement of 
the environment could, for instance, degrade agricultural soil and could 
consequently hinder the opportunities o f utilizing such degraded soils for greater 
outputs.
79
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
From the findings it was established that human activities, for whatever reasons, 
had been responsible for the rate o f deforestation. This phenomenon has been 
blamed on ignorance, poverty and wrong incentive systems. It was clear from 
the responses that those who engaged in deforestation had no incentive to 
conserve the forest. Wood in the Savannah area o f the Wa district is free for 
use as fuel wood or other purposes and this has thus given a free hand in the way 
the forest is been depleted. The slash and burn system o f agriculture has also 
exposed soils in the Wa district to the full intensity o f  the wind and rain 
resulting in soil erosion. Soil erosion has therefore rendered large tracks of 
land in the district barren and the ultimate effect is that productivity over the 
years has declined. Soil erosion has also caused dams and other water sources 
to silt up. The inaccessibility o f alternative technologies in the situation of 
fuelwood has probably helped to accelerate the deforestation process.
5.2 Elements o f the Suntaa-Nuntaa approach
The ultimate purpose o f Suntaa-Nuntaa was to provide local populations 
particularly disadvantaged rural women with income generating activities that 
took into account environmental practices. Suntaa-Nuntaa hoped to empower 
women and thus make them capable o f freeing themselves form poverty, 
ignorance and suffering in order to significantly improve their living conditions.
80
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
In the attempt to achieve this, Suntaa-Nuntaa has taught women agricultural 
practices that incorporated tree planting, crops and animal rearing techniques. 
More importantly, Suntaa-Nuntaa placed lots o f emphasis on activities likely to 
change attitudes and behaviours that negatively impacted on the environment. 
Negative attitudes and behaviours that played on the environment, it was 
assumed, were responsible for degrading the environment.
The main elements o f the Suntaa-Nuntaa programme laid emphases on the 
organisation, sensitization and education o f women through groups that it 
established in the rural areas in the Wa district. Suntaa-Nuntaa adopted a 
system that was acceptable to the social structure o f the people that it worked 
with, to be able to carry its objectives through. This became necessary due to 
the realisation that the exploitation o f resources had been followed by increased 
environment degradation in the form o f deforestation and soil erosion. The 
promotion o f tree cultivation through agroforestry activities, in order to manage 
and sustain the wood fuel requirement for domestic use, was followed up with 
land conservation practices to safeguard the natural plant formation.
Several techniques were employed to create awareness on the value o f the 
environment and the need for those who depended on it to conserve its
81
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
resources. One o f such techniques was drama for development. The 
introduction o f drama and the increased awareness and level o f participation 
among the women groups that Suntaa-Nuntaa helped to establish. While 
conveying useful messages in the promotion o f sustainable development 
strategies among participating women, drama also changed attitudes among the 
rural communities at large. The popular drama that was practiced was based 
on participatory learning action based on the idea that people would first get 
involved in issues which directly affected them and were o f  importance in their 
daily lives.
As reviewed in the literature, people's action was generated as their level o f
j
consciousness increased as a result o f involving them in a reflection. Such an 
action had helped transform their situation o f poverty to a better quality o f life 
both in the physical and socio-cultural environment and this has been proven by 
the responses from the individual and focus group discussions. The 
communities were first inspired by problems they encountered in their daily 
lives and these were thus dramatised and solutions provided. Experts from the 
suntaa-Nuntaa outfit did the organisation and training o f drama groups and 
counseling. The groups received technical support on stagecraft, the art o f public 
speaking, story telling, singing, drumming and dancing. The importance of
82
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
drama was also measured by its ability to settle conflicts and this was done by 
transferring them onto an artificial stage animated by actors who were parties to 
the conflict. Apart from providing a leverage to motivate the women groups in 
the management o f the environment and development, drama also provided an 
atmosphere for creativity that promoted self-esteem.
Another feature o f the Suntaa-Nuntaa approach was the use o f  workshops and 
field demonstrations as a means through which women acquired practical skills 
to undertake their agroforestry and other agricultural activities. Workshops 
usually preceded demonstration on the field in which participants saw and also 
undertook in a practical way, activities they carried out on their own 
agroforestry farms.
5.3 How Suntaa-Nuntaa approach has worked in practice
Women who participated in the Suntaa-Nuntaa programme were taught how to 
nurse, transplant and care for tree seedlings until maturity. The Cassia Siamea
and Leucaena Leucocephala plants were systematically distributed. Other fruit
I
crops such as the cashew and mango, vegetables such as melon, okro and 
pumpkin were also included. Women acquired skills to pack tree plants in clay 
pots instead o f plastic bags since the former were more environmental friendly.
83
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Local craftsmen made the pots on request and these were always directly planted 
into the ground without removing the pots. Again clay pots were also used as 
containers to fill water and placed near the tree seedling. The essence o f this 
was to provide the young trees with a continuous supply o f water through small 
openings made at the bottom o f the pots which allowed the water trickle down 
slowly to the roots o f the plants. Such a method was significant in conserving 
water and reduced the trouble o f daily watering. Women first started with an 
acre or two o f land for their tree crops and this was expanded by half an acre 
each year until it reached the size o f land the group intended to cultivate.
Bush fires was seen as a major factor responsible for the destruction o f the forest 
and Suntaa-Nuntaa wasted no time in intensifying controls in this direction. 
Apart from using drama and theatre to create awareness about the destructive 
nature o f bush fires Suntaa-Nuntaa taught women how to construct fire belts. 
The women were first taught to make a fire belt around the periphery o f the 
woodlots and then around the individual plants. In this way, the bush fire 
could not penetrate the woodlots and even when bush fire was generated from 
within the woodlots by hunters, the individual trees were still free- from been 
destroyed. Women groups also intensified campaigns on bush fires in their 
various communities as constant reminder to save the environment.
84
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
It also became clear that the activities o f the participants o f  the programme were 
diversified and this was aimed at creating new sources o f income for members. 
This important step was intended to help sustain their efforts in the agroforestry 
business. There was an integration o f  agroforestry activities with livestock 
breeding in areas such as poultry, rabbitry, goat rearing, honey production and 
others such as 'pito' brewing, shea butter processing, local soap making and 
dawadawa processing.
5.4 Benefits of the Suntaa-Nuntaa project.
The degree o f  autonomy that women enjoyed could be cited as one o f the 
achievements o f  Suntaa-Nuntaa. Findings have pointed out that, drama created 
a virtual space o f expression that suffered no male censorship. On the stage 
most problems were solved ranging from issues concerning natural resources to 
domestic problems. Indeed, there was no cost in staging such problems. 
This freedom afforded them the opportunity to express their ideas and talents 
without running the risk o f being restricted by social conditions. What was 
also clear was the participation o f women in decision-making at the family as 
well as at the community level. This was evidenced by a few o f them being 
elected to unit committees o f the grassroots democracy practised by the local 
government system in the country.
85
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
An important benefit o f the Suntaa-Nuntaa programme to participants was the 
woodlots owned and managed by the individuals or groups. Long distances 
were no longer covered in the search for wood fuel. The time saving element 
o f keeping woodlots had given beneficiaries lots o f time for more productive 
ventures they undertook.
Apart from Suntaa-Nuntaa efforts in creating awareness about the importance of 
the environment and engineering efforts at saving the environment through 
agroforestry, incomes generated from the woodlots and other ventures had 
improved the status o f the women. Women are now able to provide food for 
the upkeep o f their families and in addition they are able to buy clothing, pay 
medical expenses and school fees for their wards. Fruits from mango or 
cashew trees have also been available for consumption and for sale.
5.5.0 Conclusion and recommendations
5.5.1 Conclusion
The relationship between the environment and development cannot be over 
emphasized. This study has considered one area in the Upper West Region of
86
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Ghana where a local NGO has concentrated its efforts in trying to reduce 
environmental degradation.
The success o f  the activities o f Suntaa-Nuntaa, hinged on the use of 
participatory learning activities. Drama was used to sensitize the communities 
and the women who participated in the Suntaa-Nuntaa programme on 
environmental issues. Skill training was done through discussions, workshops 
and field demonstration in agroforestry and in other agricultural activities. 
The agroforestry and other agricultural activities were sustained through 
innovations initiated and carried out by the women who participated in the 
programme.
Recommendations :
The enormity o f  work on the hands o f the Suntaa-Nuntaa staff has made them 
less effective. To be able to cope with this work, the establishment o f zonal 
offices throughout the district would be an advantage. Geographically the Wa 
district is large, this has made it difficult for the technical staff from the Suntaa- 
Nuntaa outfit to conveniently cover their duties. The diversification o f the 
activities o f Suntaa-Nuntaa has further placed a strain on them suggesting that
87
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
zonal offices created at strategic point throughout the district would be a 
welcomed idea, rather than the centralized administration from district capital.
2. Tree felling stood out as the dominant factor threatening the project's 
gains. Concerted efforts and more proactive strategies should be devised to 
aggressively deal with issues o f tree felling. Attention on women alone, should 
not be the mode, but this should also be extended to include men.
3. The establishment o f linkages and exchange programmes with other 
NGOs and associations in the sub region could be an advantage. Such a 
linkage would allow participants to learn new things to correct their 
shortcomings in their areas o f operations especially in education and literacy
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Amedzro, A.D.K (2000), Globalisation, Non-Formal Education and 
Development. Institute o f Adult Education Press, Legon, Accra.
Boutros-Ghali, (1995), “Paper Presented at the Fourth World Conference on 
Women”, September, 1995 Beijing, China.
Cole, J. (1981) “Providing Access to New Skill and Modern Techniques”, 
N.W.C.D. Ghana.
Coombs, P.H. (1995. The World Crisis in Education: “The view from the 
eighties”, Oxford University Press, New York.
Dickson, K.B. and Benneh, W. (1988), “A New Geography o f Ghana”. Scot 
Print Ltd., Musselburgh.
Duncan, B. (1997), Women in Agriculture in Ghana, Gold Type Ltd, Accra, 
Ghana.
Dzodzi, T. (2000), Gender Training in Ghana, Woeli Publishing Service, Accra, 
Ghana.
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific -  ESCAP, (1979), 
Rural Women's Group Income-raising Activities. ESCAP Secretariat, United 
Nations Building Thailand.
Freire, P. (1970), Pedagogy o f  the Oppressed Herder and Herder, New York 
Ghana Statistical Service, 2000, “Provisional Population and Housing Census”
Guri, B. (1997), Moving Towards Sustainable Agriculture FOELINE No. 9. 
“An Environmental Magazine o f Friends o f the Earth”, July -  September 1997, 
Ghana.
Hire, et al, (1986/87), “An Analysis and Synthesis o f  Research on Responsible 
Environmental Behaviour”, The Journal o f Environmental Education.
89
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Iddi, G.S. (1996), “Towards a Sustainable Agricultural Development with 
Particular Reference to Northern Region”, Paper presented at a Conference in 
the University for Development Studies (UDS), Tamale, Ghana.
Ideas and Action, Magazine (1980), Cited in Non-Formal Education Exchange, 
N.F.E. Information Centre, Michigan State University.
Kassam, Y.D. (1979 P. 153), “Literacy and Development”, Hinze, H. and 
Hundsdorfer, V.H. (eds). The Tanzania Experience Education for Liberation 
and Development. Evans Brothers Limited, London.
Konrad Adenaver Foundations (KAF), (1995), Private Business, Associations 
and Social Market Economy, KAF, Accra, Ghana.
Laing E. (1994), Ghana Environmental Aciion Plan, Vol. 2 “Technical 
Background Papers by the Six Working Group, Environmental Protection 
Council, Accra, Ghana. Longman Group (FE) Ltd., Hong Kong.
Nabilia, W. (1990), “Combined Needs Assessment o f Women the SRDP Project 
Area” . Unpublished Draft Constancy Report.
National Council for Women and Development -  N.C.W.D., (1995), “The 
Status o f Women in Ghana”, Ghana.
National Council for Women and Development -  N.C.W.D. (1995), abridged 
Beijing Platform for Action, UNIFEM.
Naylor, R. (1999), “Women Farmers and Economic Changes in Northern 
Ghana”, Gender and Development: Women land and Agriculture, Vol. 7, No. 3. 
Oxfam GB, Oxford.
Non-Formal Education Exchange -  NFEE, (1981), “Women and Production”. 
Issue No. 20, Michigan State University.
Non-Formal Education Exchange, (1981), Women and Development, N.F.E. 
Information Centre, No. 22, Michigan State University.
Non-Formal Education Exchange, (1982), Non-Formal Education, Selected 
Issues, N.F.E. Information Centre: Issue No. 25, Michigan State University.
90
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
Non-Formal education Exchange, (1983), Education and Agriculture. N.F.E. 
Information Centre, Issue No. 28 Michigan State University.
Novid, (1994), Multi-Year Plan 1995-1998. The Hague. Oxfam, U.K. (1994), 
The Oxfam Gender Training Manual. Oxford.
Peterson (1981, p .8), Current Issues in Environmental Education and 
Environmental Studies, Vol. Ill, Columbus, ERIC’/SMEA Information Centre, 
OHIO.
Piepmeir, K.B. (1980), Resources for Development, Office o f Women in 
Development (PPC/WD), Washington, U.S.A.
Pritchard, J.M. (1988), Africa, Longman Group (FE) LT., Hong Kong.
Quaye, M. and Katsriku B. (1996), Government and NGO Relations in Ghana 
Gold-Type Ltd., Accra.
Staudt, K.A. (1980), Women Organisations in Rural D evelopm entOffice of 
Women in Development (ppe/wid), Washington, U.S.A.
Titmus, C.J., (1989), “Life Education for Adults” An Internation Handbook. 
Pergamon Press, Oxford.
V.H. (eds), The Tanzania Experience Education for Liberation and 
Development. Evans Brothers Limited, London.
World Bank, (1992), “Development and Environment”, World Development 
Report, 1992, Washington.
World Bank, (1993, p .l) , “African Technical Department” World Bank Report, 
Switzerland.
91
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
APPEND IX  A
FOCUS INTERVIEW  GUIDE
1. What is the name o f  your women’s group?
2. How did you come to be members o f this women's group?
3. Why were you organized into a women’s group?
4. What activities does your women's group engage in?
5. What human activities lead to the destruction o f the environment?
6. How does each o f  these activities degrade the environment?
7. What lessons have you learnt from Suntaa-Nuntaa to overcome the 
degradation o f  the environment?
8. What specific things have you done to limit the effect o f  land degradation?
9. Do you receive any other support from Suntaa-Nuntaa for your agro­
forestry?
10. How do you obtain land for your farming activities?
11. What problems do you face as a group in the programme that you are 
participating in?
12. How do you go about solving problems you encounter as a group?
13. What benefits have you gained as a member o f  the women’s group 
participating in the Suntaa-Nuntaa programme?
14. What other activities do you engage in as a women’s group that generate 
income?
92
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
APPEND IX  B
INTERVIEW FOR INDIVIDUAL WOMEN PARTICIPANTS OF THE 
SUNTAA- NUNTAA PROGRAMME
Personal Data
1- Age:..........................................................................................
2. Marital Status (Tick) a. Not married
b. Married
c. Divorced
3. Educational Background (Tick)
- No Formal Education 
Up to Primary Level 
Up to JSS Level
- Up to SSS Level
- Others
4. How do you contribute to the up-keep o f your family?
PROGRAMME PARTICIPA TION
5. Why did you join the Suntaa-Nuntaa Women’s Group?
6. What Specific things have you learnt from the Suntaa-Nuntaa’s 
Programme?
7. How do you practice agro-forestry?
8. What benefits do you drive from Agro-forestry? (Tick)
a. My own wood-lot
b. Get better yield
c. Others
9. What problems do you encounter as a Women’s Group?
93
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
APPENDIX C
INTERVIEW FOR PROJECT STAFF OF SUNTAA-NUNTAA
1 ■ What are the main objectives o f Suntaa-Nuntaa programme?
2. What are the various activities carried out by Suntaa-Nuntaa’s
programme?
3. Why is the programme focused on women?
4. What method o f education does Suntaa-Nuntaa use to make women 
understand environmental issues around them?
5. How are agro-forestry activities carried out in the Wa District by the 
women.
6. How would you rate the effectiveness o f your programme’s method 
o f education on environmental issues?
7. What acreage does each woman’s group cultivate?
8. What are the food crops grown by the women participants?
9. How does the farming practice protect the environment from 
deteriorating?
10. What evidence does Suntaa-Nuntaa have to show that women have 
benefited from the programme?
11. What general problems does the project face?
12. What efforts have the project made to solve some of these?
94
University of Ghana                              http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh