SEND GHANA  will hold  the first Gender Model Families (GMF) Summit  on 7 to 8 April, in Salaga, under the Food Security through Cooperatives in Northern Ghana (FOSTERING), a project funded by Global Affairs Canada. Participants will include 18 GMF and about 80 community stakeholders supportive of removing the burden on women who are unable to make meaningful contributions to productive and management roles in their communities. Traditional leaders, women activists, farmer co-operatives and credit union members, and development agencies using the GMF will attend the two days summit.

Mr. Raymond Wekem Avatim, Director of SEND GHANA’s Livelihood Security Programme says: “The summit will be an opportunity for GMF to share their experiences and solicit commitments of support from stakeholders in order to promote gender equity among farm families in the Eastern Corridor.”

Through FOSTERING, SEND GHANA, the Credit Union Association of Ghana (CUA) and the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) are equipping 42,000 small holder men and women farmers in East Gonja, Kpandai, Nanumba South, Nanumba North, Krachi-Nchumuru, Zabzugu, Tatale-Sangule and Chereponi districts with the tools and co-operative institutions they need to increase and sustain their food security and climate change resilience. 

The GMF is a gender equality promotion program developed by SEND GHANA to train and support husband and wife to live in an equitable and just manner. “The GMF program is enabling farm families to redistribute household chores equitably among members to ease the work load on women and girls and improve family relations,” Mr. Avatim explained. The summit, according to Mr. Avatim will be used to raise awareness about and garner support for the use of GMF to promote gender equality during the implementation of FOSTERING.

Through training and follow-up services husband and wife are equipped with knowledge and skills to live together equitably and to ensure their boys and girls have the same opportunities to develop their potential. Furthermore GMF are serving as entry points for FOSTERING to promote improved nutritional practices and mobilize farm households to adopt climate resilience farming practices. FOSTERING has recruited and trained 574 GMF in East Gonja, Nanumba North and Kpanda Districts. It is expected that by 2018, FOSTERING will have established 2000 GMF in the 8 operational districts of the project.

Honourable Mohammed Aminu Lukamn, District Chief Executive of East Gonja will open the summit and Honourable Hajia Mary Naboku, the District Chief Executive of Chereponi will be the chair.

Mr. Siapha Kamara, Chief Executive Officer who initiated the GMF Program in 2003 will facilitate the Summit. The main outcome will be the commitments made by different groups of participants to promote and increase the use of the GMF in the implementation of FOSTERING.