CONCEPT PAPER ON PARTICIPATORY VIDEO AND INNOVATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE TO OMPT.doc

Participatory Video for Social Change –

One Media player Per Teacher and UDS Extension Outreach

University for Development Studies,

Faculty of Agribusiness and Communication

Sciences Department of Agricultural Extension, Rural Development &

Gender Studies

By

Hudu Zakaria

Lecturer and Research in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development

Department of Agric. Extension, Rural Development and Gender Studies

Faculty of Agribusiness and Communication Sciences

University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana

(+233) 242 805 581

[email protected]

January, 2014

2

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Within the context of research and development practices, several methods and

techniques have been adopted in the dissemination of technology and appropriate

innovations to bring about desire social change among rural farming communities. The

paradigm shift in innovation dissemination practice from a transfer of technology to a

demand driven approach has been accompanied by a plethora of new extension

methods implemented through a variety of institutional arrangements involving state

institutions, private sector agencies, farmer based organizations and farming

communities (David et al, 2011)1. Ensuring all inclusiveness; reaching different farmer

categories (the poor, marginalized farmers, women farmers etc.), called for the

adoption of combination of technological and institutional supportive and facilitative

services and effective participatory methods that involve end users as active

participants in the social change process. In the search for appropriate extension tools

for the dissemination of Information, knowledge and skills for sustainable agriculture,

several ways and methods such as ‘verbal means’ (individual contact methods); typically

involving a trained facilitator, the audio-visual materials such as print materials, radio,

display boards and video shows, and information communication technologies (ICTs),

including two way ICTs such as mobile phones and the Internet have been adopted and

implemented.

Effective utilization of these methods by extension field level officers in government and

private - Non-governmental Organizations, require appropriate technical knowledge and

competency which is lacking among many extension practitioners in developing

countries. As such to ensure that extension level field officers take full advantage of the

several modern information dissemination tools and equipments such as the use of

participatory video techniques requires training and capacity building of field officers in

the use and operations of these tools and equipments. However, extension

organizations in developing countries often lack the institutional infrastructures and

technical abilities to provide such training and provision of appropriate equipments and

gadgets to ensure effective technology dissemination require for sustainable agricultural

production and rural development.

1.1 Rational

Video as an audio-visual instructional technology, which combines both visual and

verbal communication methods in disseminating information, appears to be an

appropriate extension tool for less developed countries because of its suitability for the

transmission of skills, information and knowledge for low literacy populations (Vidya

and Chinnaiyan, 2010)2. Despite the enormous popularity of film shows such as African

1 David, S. and C. Asamoah.. (2011). The impact of farmer field schools on human and social capital 2 Vidya, P. And M. Chinnaiyan. (2010). Development of an educational interactive video-DVD

3

movies for entertainment purposes and the fact that research had confirmed the

effectiveness of video, specially participatory video, as a means of instruction in schools

and rural communities (Isiaka 2007)3, video has been underutilized in many parts of

Africa as a tool for disseminating technical agricultural information to farmers (Ovwigho

et al. 2009)4.

A video extension initiative by the Africa Rice Centre, which reached 130,000 West

African rice farmers, demonstrates the enormous potential of this media (Van Mele,

Wanvoeke and Zossou, 2010)5. The PROLINNOVA Participatory Video for Farmer-led

Video Documentation implemented in 20 countries including Ghana, had demonstrated

the effectiveness of video in facilitating farmers’ adoption of improved technologies

(Lunch and Lunch 2006)6. Also, Video Viewing Clubs (VVC) Cocoa Extension Programme

implemented by Ghana Cocoa Board was found very effective in creating a sense of

ownership and credibility among farmers regarding the technical messages and

facilitated their adoption (David et al, 2011)7.

Notwithstanding some notable success participatory video as a tool for information

dissemination had chocked, the seemingly paucity of studies on the effectiveness of

video as an agricultural extension tool (Gandhi et al. 2007)8 is no doubt one reason for

the slow uptake of this approach in the dissemination of information, knowledge and

skills for the promotion of desire social change in development process. Initiating

Action Research designed and directed to the formulation or discovery of best practices

and implementation strategies that can be used to harness the potential of participatory

video as an effective extension tool among selected communities, will, in no doubt, add

knowledge and skills to the existing arrays of innovation communication methods, tools

and techniques.

3 Isiaka, B. (2007). Effectiveness of video as an instructional medium in teaching rural children agricultural and

environmental sciences. 4 Ovwigho B.O, P.A Ifie., R. T. Ajobo. and E. Akor. (2009). The availability and use of information communication

technologies by extension agents in Delta Agricultural Development Project, Delta State, Nigeria. 5 Van Mele, P. (2006). Zooming in zooming out: a novel method to scale up local innovations and sustainable

technology 6 Lunch, N. and C. Lunch. 2006. Insights into Participatory Video. 7 David, S. and C. Asamoah.. (2011). Video as a tool for agricultural extension in Africa

8 Gandhi, R., R. Veeraraghavan., K. Toyama, and V. Ramprasad,.(2007), Digital Green: Participatory Video for

Agricultural Extension

4

University for Development Studies (UDS) Social Laboratory provides convenient

platform for the implementation of such action research. The University whose mission

is ‘to be a Home of World Class Pro-Poor Scholarship’ was established by PNDC Law 279

in May, 1992 to blend academic work with that of community engagement through

community outreach in order to facilitate the total development of Northern Ghana, in

particular, and the whole country as well. The University located in the rural North of

Ghana recognises its responsibility to extend practical knowledge acquired from

research to the rural communities by bringing the ‘gown and town’ together through her

third trimester programme for students.

As such, the University’s methodology of teaching, research and extension is in line with

its mandate. UDS Action-research Social Laboratory serves as an incubator for the

development of experimental learning, testing new developed concepts and adaptive

trials in the pursue of best practices in sustainable agriculture and rural development, is

one of the University’s outreach programmes in the pursue of its mandate.

1.2 WHY PARTICIPATORY IN VIDEO EXTENSION?

Farmers’ indigenous innovative practice has long been recognized as an essential

component in research and development providing a means for the formulation of

effective synergies in order to enhance technology adoption and sustainable livelihood

of resource-poor households in developing regions (Reij and Waters-Bayer, 2001)9.

Notwithstanding the fact that, agricultural extension services play significant role in

poverty alleviation among rural folks, it often missed the opportunity to reinforce

farmers’ innovation in developing countries (Cunguara and Moder, 2011)10

. The rational

of the many recurrent institutional reforms that many developing countries’ extension

services have undergone over the last decade, is to enhance capacity of service delivery

to substantial number of resource-poor rural men and women farmers who operate in a

fragile farming environment (Chowdhury, 2010)11

.

The advancement in media and communication technology, offers opportunity for

extension service providers to deliver effective and efficient technical knowledge to

rural farmers. In utilizing this mass communication media, if care is not taken to

encourage participate of all categories of rural farmers, especially, women and the

marginalized, it risk exacerbating the existing inequalities among social groupings in

many rural communities. As such extension agents should be trained to use appropriate

audiovisuals communication media to induce interactive and collegial learning among

farmers by encouraging group participation.

9 Reij, C. and A. Waters-Bayer, Indigenous Soil and Water Practices in Africa (2001)

10 Cunguara, B., Moder, K., 2011. Is Agricultural Extension Helping the Poor? Evidence from Rural Mozambique 11 Chowdhury, A.H., 2010. Having a System does not Make a Home of It

5

Of recent times, local, national and international partners and farming communities

contributed to developing an appropriate strategies and approach for participatory use

of videos in stimulating farmer-to-farmer learning. Studies in Bangladesh had

substantiated that locally developed video is a potent means to underpin farmer-to-

farmer learning and capacity building process in (Van Mele et al, 2007)12

. However, most

concerns by researchers and practitioners regarding participatory video (PV) are in

relation to the form of content generation (with or without script) and technical

intricacies (e.g. handling camera) of video development. Research shows that scripted

PV - directed by the researchers or facilitators (for technical intricacies and script) and

developed through collaboration of the clients - is impelling to support farmer-to-farmer

learning beyond the scope of pilot scale (Chowdhury et al., 2010)13

.

2.0 Agricultural Extension in Ghana

Ghana is located in the west coast of Africa on Latitude 4ο 44’N and 11

ο 11’N; Longitude

3 ο

11’ W and 1 ο

11’E with a coastline of 550 km long and total land area of

238,530sqkm (MOFA, 2011). According to the 2010 Population and Housing Census

(PHC), Ghana’s population was 24,658,823 in 2010, increasing from 6,726,815 in 1960

and 18,912,079 in 2000. Thus, the population more than tripled between 1960 and

2010, a period of fifty years.

In spite of the fact that Ghana is now oil exporting country, the nation’s economy is still

depended on the agricultural sector as a major source of employment providing direct

and indirect jobs to about 80% of the nation’s workforce (MOFA, 2012)14

.

Notwithstanding the fact that the service and industry sectors have in recent time

overtaken agriculture as the leading contributor to Ghana’s GDP, in the national

development agenda, agriculture is expected to lead the growth and structural

transformation of the economy; providing jobs, ensuring food security and producing

the needed raw materials to propel the country’s industrialization agenda (George,

200815

; MOFA, 200716

). The success of agricultural development and sustainability

depend to a greater extent the dissemination and adoption of improved technologies

and innovative practices by farmers of which agricultural extension is at the heart. For

research to be effective there must be an efficient mechanism whereby its findings can

be used by the end users (farmers). The process of making research findings available is

the function of extension. As such most countries including Ghana have put in place

institutional (both public and private organizations), policy and legal frameworks to

provide extension services to farmers.

12

Paul Van Mele, A.K.M. Zakaria, Hose-Ara Begum, Harun-Ar Rashid, And Noel P. Magor (2007). Videos that

Strengthen Rural Women’s apability to Innovate 13 howdhury, A.H., 2010. Having a System does not Make a Home of It 14

MOFA , 2012, ‘Performance Of The Agricultural Sector In Ghana: 2006-2012. Gross Domestic Product 15

George Owusu Essegbey (2008). ‘Final Draft Report on Agribusiness Innovation Study

16 MOFA (2007), Food and Agricultural Sector Development Policy

6

Agricultural Extension Services in Ghana dates back to the nineteenth century with the

aims of increasing agricultural productivity. Agricultural extension in Ghana has gone

through several reforms shifting from export commodity development approach prior to

independence in 1957 to the promotion of food crop production. The shift in emphasise

by several governments since independence was intended to modernize traditional

farming practices, transfer resources and technology, and train personnel to address

extension needs of peasant farmers.

Extension/advisory service provision in the country is largely undertaken by the public

sector with Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) through its Directorate of

Agricultural Extension Services (DAES) mandated to undertake extension and advisory

services to all categories of farmers. However, there are a number of Non-governmental

Organizations (NGOs), private extension organizations and Farmer Based Organizations

(FBOs) providing extension services to farmers.

The DAES is responsible for the overseeing of agricultural technology diffusion through

the management of an extension delivery service in the country. The vision of the

directorate is ‘to establish an efficient and demand-driven extension service in a

decentralised system through partnership between the government and the private

sector for provision of quality service to father as their clients’ (MOFA, 2012)17

available

on http://mofa.gov.gh/site/?page_id=74. DAES is tasked to undertake extension Policy

formulation and Planning; review various extension approaches and frameworks;

promote and facilitate the work of Research-Extension Liaison Committees (RELCs);

collaborate with FBOs and private service providers in extension to improve on

extension service delivery and facilitate human resource development at all levels in

extension delivery. Extension programmes and policies formulated by DAES are

implemented at local level within Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies

(MMDAs) by District Agricultural Development Unit supervise by District Directors of

Ministry Food and Agriculture (MOFA).

2.1 District Agricultural Development Unit (DADU)

The actual implementers of extension policies and programmes are the District

Agricultural Development Units (DADU) in all the Metropolitan, Municipal and District

Assemblies (MMDAs) whose programmes are coordinated by the Regional Agricultural

Development Units (RADU) under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA). For

effective and efficiency coverage in the implementation of agricultural extension

policies, the districts are divided into agricultural zones. Each zone is also subdivided into

operational areas with each operational area being manned by one agricultural

extension agent (AEA). There are other technical staff that perform only veterinary and

enumeration duties. There are district officers for the various sub-sectors of agriculture

namely crops, livestock, agricultural engineering, extension and Women In Agricultural

Development 17

MOFA, 2012, ‘Performance Of The Agricultural Sector In Ghana: 2006-2012. Gross Domestic Product

7

(WIAD). These officers together with the AEAs constitute the field services. The district

director coordinates the work of the DADU.

Extension methods mostly used by filed officers under DADU include farm

demonstrations, home or farm visit, group methods, contact farmer method and

because of high illiteracy rate among farmers, the use of print media are very limited.

Also, due to resource and technical constraints, AEAs under DADU rarely use audio

visuals such video documentary and mass media such as extension broadcast in radio

and television.

2.2 Women In Agricultural Development (WIAD)

Women In Agricultural Development (WIAD) is a unit under the Ministry of Food and

Agricultural with a vision ‘to improve lives and working conditions of rural households

and other women in terms of increase in income, improved nutritional status and

health’ and a mission ‘to assist rural households and other women in the agricultural

sector to improve their standard of living through improved agricultural practices. The

broad objective of WIAD is to improve access of women and other target groups to

information on improved agricultural and post production practices for adoption,

facilitating their access to resources towards an increase in production, high incomes,

improved nutrition, health and food security on environmentally sustainable basis.

2.2.1 PROGRAM AREAS OF WIAD

• Food based nutrition program

• Food production

• Food processing, preservation, storage and utilization

• Resource management on the farm and at home.

• Food hygiene and safety

3.0 AGRICULTURE AND NORTHERN SAVANNAH ZONE

The Northern Savannah Zone (NSZ) comprises of the three political and administrative

Northern Regions of Ghana namely, Upper East, Upper West and the Northern Region.

The poorest areas of the ten regions of Ghana are the three savannah regions of the

north, where food insecurity is a chronic problem. Poverty in the north is most severe

among food crop farmers, who are mainly traditional, rural small-scale producers (GSS,

2007)18

. Northern Savannah ecological zone of Ghana has about 7 million hectares of

arable land of which 70% available for agricultural production. The zone economic

activity is solely agrarian with agriculture accounting for 90% of household incomes. The

land is generally flat with soils which are predominantly lateritic with less than 0.5%

organic matter, thus making the soils inherently poor in fertility. This situation is

aggravated by very harsh and unfavourable climatic conditions of short and erratic

rainfall patterns. This has led to

18

Ghana Statistical Service, April 2007. Patterns and Trends of Poverty in Ghana, 1991-2006

8

a consistent decline in agricultural productivity and a widespread poverty over the years,

especially in rural farming communities (ACDEP, 2010)19

.

It is estimated that closed to one-third (28.5%) of Ghana’s citizens are classified as poor

of these, about 70% live in the Upper West, Upper East and Northern regions. The three

Northern regions alone are home to 54% of the extreme poor. Farming households as

compared to households with other economic activity are the most poor with almost

half of them (46%) falling below the poverty line. This situation highlights the inequality

and vulnerability of agricultural households located in the savannah zone of the country

(ISSER, 2007). Recent government initiative to bridge the development gap between the

northern and southern Ghana and help reduce poverty among agricultural households

are the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) programmes and Northern

Rural Growth Programme.

3.1 Gender and Agriculture in Northern Ghana

Constraints to women’s’ access to agricultural productive resources, especially land is a

key underlying cause of household food insecurity in Northern Ghana (Apusigah,

2010)20

. “Women account for about 70 percent of total food production and marketing

in Ghana, making them central to food security and economic development. However,

women’s empowerment and gender equity are constrained by their lack of access,

ownership, and decision-making power related to land, participation and representation

in agriculture and natural resources groups, and influence on intra-household decision-

making. Women’s contributions are often overlooked or ignored by husbands, fathers,

brothers and sons, as well as community leaders, extension workers, agricultural

planners and policy makers.”(CARE, 2008)21

.

In the North, while men are able to access land due to inheritance, women must

negotiate with fathers and husbands to obtain land for agricultural production (Aryeetey

et al, 2007)22

. By this arrangement, women farmers usually farm on fragile and infertile

lands and the declining soil fertility in the north is further worsening the plight of

women farmers and exacerbating the already existing gender income inequality. Studies

by Duncan, (2004)23

indicate that women hold land in only 10 percent of Ghanaian

households in the north. Women are required to farm on men’s land before their own

leaving women with little control over their own labour and time. Social norms restrict

women from accessing and using knowledge and inputs that could improve their

agricultural productivity.

20 The Gendered Politics of Farm Household Production and the Shaping of Women’s Livelihoods in Northern Ghana 21

A place to grow – empowering women in CARE’s agriculture programming (CARE, 2008) 22

Aryeetey E, Ayee JRA, Ninsin KA, Tsikata D (2007). ‘The Politics of Land Tenure in Ghana: From the Crown Lands Bills to

the Land Administration Project’ 23

Women in Agriculture in Ghana, Beatrice Akua Duncan, 2004

9

3.2 Women Access to Agricultural Extension Services

Agricultural Extension Service delivery in the country as whole is bedeviled with several

problems and challenges. The current ratio of Agricultural Extension Agent (AEA) to

farmer stands at 1: 1,500 compared with national standard of one extension officer to

400 farmers (1:400) (MOFA, 2012)24

. Other problems include poor in-service training

and capacity building of field officers, poor logistics and technical support and poor

women representation of extension officers making extension provision to women

farmers problematic.

The Northern Savannah Zone (NSZ) lacks both the required number and female

representation among its agricultural extension officers to disseminate best agricultural

practices with rural farmers. An estimated 650 agricultural extension officers are

needed, yet the region has 300 with only 11 of them being women. Male extension

officers tend not to take women’s needs and varied responsibilities into consideration,

hence limiting women’s access to their services. On the other hand, male extension

officers face challenges extending information to women in the NSZ and also Male

farmers are not receptive to topics considered to be related to women’s roles such as

cultivation of vegetables and food preparation (CARE, 2008)25

.

3.3 Northern Rural Growth Programme (NGRP)

NGRP is implemented by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to contribute to

agricultural and rural growth and poverty reduction in northern Ghana, where many of

the poorest Ghanaians live. The programme works with poor rural people to develop

income-generating agricultural activities supplementing subsistence farming, which

currently predominates in the north. NGRP also supports the process through which the

resulting commodities are directed towards markets in southern Ghana and abroad.

Ultimately, the goal is to achieve sustainable rural livelihoods and food security in

northern Ghana, particularly for people who are dependent on marginal lands, rural

women and other vulnerable groups.

NGRP focuses on strengthening the linkages among the various actors in agricultural

value chains – including producers and their organizations, suppliers, service providers,

financial institutions, aggregators, ‘off-takers' (such as processors, traders and

exporters), researchers and administrators. The programme supports private-public

partnership arrangements to ensure smallholders' access to finance and markets. It

backs up these arrangements with technical assistance and institutional support, as well

as investments in productive infrastructure and technology (IFAD, 2013)26

available on.

http://operations.ifad.org/web/ifad/operations/country/project/tags/ghana/1390/project_ov

erview 24

MOFA, 2012, ‘Performance Of The Agricultural Sector In Ghana: 2006-2012. Gross Domestic Product 25

A place to grow – empowering women in CARE’s agriculture programming (CARE, 2008) 26

Northern Rural Growth Programme (IFAD, 2013)

10

3.4 Northern Savannah Zone District Profile The table below presents a summary of agricultural related information of all the distracts of the

three northern regions

Northern Savannah Zone Districts Profile

S/N Name of District Facts About the District Ongoing Projects

Northern Region

1 Bole Land Size: 4,800 square km

Population: 61,593 Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: nine (9)

Operational Area: fourteen (14)

Extension-farmer ratio: 1 : 5,844

Number of FBOs: 6 (total membership of

871 farmers; 250 females and 621 Males )

1. Northern Rural Growth Project

2. Value chain concept training of FBOs 3. Block Farm project 4.Cashew Development project

2 Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo Land Size: 8,353 square Km

Population: 122,591

Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: twenty (20)




1. Livestock Development project


3. Livestock Development Project

4. AGRA Soil Health Project

3 Central Gonja Land Size: 8,353km2

Population: 53,394 Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: Eight (8)



64 farmers; 20 females and 44Males )

1. Cashew Development

Project


3. Livestock Development

project

4 Chereponi Land Size: 1080sqKm Population: 55,932

Main Economic Activity: Agriculture

Operational Areas: ten (10)

Number of AEAs: Seven (7)

Extension-farmer ratio: 1:6500



1.livestock development

project


3. Block farming project


5 East Gonja Land Size: 10,787km2 Population: 135,450


Operational Areas: sixteen (16)

Number of AEAs: five (5)

Number Vet. Officers: four (4)




1. livestock development

project



7 East Mamprusi Land Size: 1,660sqkm 1. livestock development

11

Population: 121,009 Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: Eleven (11)

Extension-farmer ratio: 1:5,120



project



8 Gushiegu Land Size: 5,796 km2 Population: 111,259

Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: Eleven ( 11)

Veterinary officers: Four (4)





project



9 Karaga Land Size: 2,958sqkm

Population: 77,706 Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: nine (9)

Extension-farmer ratio: 1 : 5842




project



10 Kpandai Land Size: 1000sq km Population: 108,816

Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: Eleven ( 11)




1.Roots and tubers development

project




project

11 Kumbungu (New)

12 Mamprugo Moaduri (New)

13 Mion (New)

14 Nanumba North Land Size: 1,986 sq km

Population: 141,584 Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: Seven( 7)

Operations area: twenty (22)

Extension-farmer ratio: 1:11,142 Number of FBOs: 16 (total membership of



project



15 Nanumba South Land Size: 1.300sqkm Population: 93,464

Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: sixteen (16)



project



16 North Gonja (New)

17 Saboba Land Size: 1,100sqkm 1. livestock development

12



project



4. roots and tubers

development project

18 Sagnarigu (New) Land Size: Population:

Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: sixteen (16)

Extension-farmer ratio:


project




19 Savelugu/ Nanton Municipal

Land Size: 1790.7 sq. km Population: 139,283

Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: Eleven (11)



project



20 Sawla-Tuna-Kalba Land Size: 4,601 km²

Population: 99,863

Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: Eleven (11)




1. cashew development

project


project



21 Tamale Metropolitan Land Size: 750 km sq

Population: 371,351

Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: Sixteen (16)



1209 farmers; 764 females and 445 Males

)


project




22 Tatale Sangule (New) Land Size: Population:

Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: Sixteen (16)



project



23 Tolon Land Size: 2,389 sq km

Population: 112,331


Operational Areas: Thirteen (13) Number of AEAs: Seven (7)



708 farmers; 313 females and 395 Males

)


project




24 West Gonja Land Size: 17,317 sq km 1. livestock development

13

Population: 84,727


Farmers’ Population: 12,565 Number of AEAs: fourteen (14) Extension-farmer ratio: 1:898


271 farmers; 172 females and 99 Males)

project



4. Cashew Development

project

25 West Mamprusi Land Size: 4,892 sq km

Population: 168,011

Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: nine (9)

Extension-farmer ratio: Number of FBOs: 32 (total membership of

1,530 farmers; 906 females and 624

Males)


project



4. Integrated Soil fertility

management project

26 Yendi Municipal Land Size: 5350sqkm

Population: 199,592

Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: eighteen (18)

Extension-farmer ratio: 1:2,000 Number of FBOs: 21 (total membership of



project



4. root and tubers

development project

27 Zabzugu Land Size: 1,332 sq km Population: 61,927

Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs:

Extension-farmer ratio: Number of FBOs: 35 (total membership of



project



4. roots and tubers

development project

UPPER EAST REGION

1 Bawku Municipal Land Size: 1,215 .05 sq km

Population: 217,791 Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs:


1. CARE INTERNATIONAL

‘Capacity Building, Trainings’

2. Bawku East Women

Development Association

(BEWDA); Capacity building,

Gender Issues, Income

Generation

3. Northern Rural Growth

Project

2 Bawku West Land Size: 1,070 sq km




2. Commodity Chain

Development 3. Access to rural financing 4. Capacity Building and training of extension officers

3 Binduri (New)

14

4 Bolgatanga Municipal Land Size: 729 sq km



1 Northern Rural Growth Project


Project

5 Bongo Land Size: 459.5 sq km





Project 3. Block Farm Project

6 Builsa North Land Size: 2,220 sq km





Project 3. Block Farm Project

7 Builsa South (New)

8 Garu-Tempane Land Size: 1,230 sq km




2. RSSP ‘Development of

lowlands project. 3. CARE INTERNATIONAL 2000 –Capacity Building 4. PAGEV 2006 –Capacity Building

9 Kassena Nankana East Land Size: 851.5 sq km Population: 109,944

Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs:



2. Block farm project

3. livestock development project

10 Kassena Nankana West

Land Size: 1,657 sq km

Population: 70,667 Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: Seven (7)




11 Nabdam (New)

12 Pusiga (New)

13 Talensi Land Size: 912 sq km Population: 57,510

Main Economic Activity: Agriculture Number of AEAs: Nine (9)





UPPER WEST REGION

1 Daffiama Bussie Issa (New)

Land Size: 1,315.50 sq km

Population: 68,233


Number of AEAs: Extension-farmer ratio:




4. AGRA Soil Health project

2 Jirapa Land Size: 833.80 sq km

15

Population: 88,402


Number of AEAs Extension-farmer ratio:

3 Lambussie Karni new Land Size: 679.5 sq km

Population: 51,654


Number of AEAs: Seven (7) Extension-farmer ratio: 1 : 3,597

1. Village Mango Project

2. Northern rural Growth

Project


project

4 Lawra Land Size: 1,051.2 sq km

Population: 100,929 Main Economic Activity: Agriculture

Number of AEAs: Eleven (11) Extension-farmer ratio: 1 : 4,473

1. Village Mango Project

2. Northern Growth Project


project

5 Nadowli Land Size: 2,700.3 sq km


Operational Areas: Twenty two (22)

Number of AEAs: thirteen (13) Extension-farmer ratio: 1:5,000


2. Cashew Development Project


4.Livestock Development Project

5. N2 AFRICA Soil fertility

project

6 Nandom (New) Land Size: 1,051.20 sq km Population: 101,434


Number of AEAs: Eleven (11) Extension-farmer ratio: 1 : 4, 495


2. Livestock Development Project

3. Block Farming Project

7 Sissala East Land Size: 4,744 sq km


Number of AEAs: Six (6) Extension-farmer ratio: 1 : 4,597

1. AGRA Soil Health Project 2. Rice Sector Support Project (RSSP) 3. Northern Growth Project

4.Livestock Development Project

8 Sissala West Land Size: 41,128.99 sq km


Number of AEAs: thirteen (13)


1. livestock Development project



9 Wa East Land Size: 3, 196 sq km


Number of AEAs: Extension-farmer ratio:




10 Wa Municipal Land Size: 234.74 sq km


Number of AEAs: Twelve (12) Extension-farmer ratio: 1 : 4,355

1. Soil Health Project

2. Training of extension

women volunteers 3. Northern Growth Project 4. Livestock Development

16

Project

11 Wa West Land Size: 1,856 sq km


Number of AEAs Extension-farmer ratio:




Source: Ghana Statistical Service 2010 HPC, MOFA and Ghana District Repository

4.0 AREA OF COLLABORATION

Faculty of Agribusiness and Communication Science of the Nyankpala campus of

University for Development Studies (UDS), as part of its research- extension outreach

programmes through its ‘Social Laboratory’ and ‘Farming for Future’ concepts, have

been undertaking adaptive trials and mounting demonstrations of research

recommendations. In order to develop appropriate technologies for small holder

farmers, which form the bulk of Ghanaian agricultural sector, and best way of reaching

women and other marginalized groups in society for improve adoption of best practices

for all categories of farming households in northern Ghana.

UDS Nyankpala campus because of it strategic location in the north and the fact that the

campus is agricultural based higher education institution, comprising of three academic

faculties namely Faculty of Agribusiness and Communication Science (FACS), Faculty of

Agriculture (FOA) and Faculty of Renewable Natural Resource Management (FRNRM,

makes it well suited in providing a platform for action research and capacity building of

agricultural field officers to make them more effective in using cutting edge

technologies in innovation dissemination. The campus in its two decades of existence

had conducted research and community outreach programmes in the three northern

regions accumulating huge knowledge and experience on development issues in the

north.

As a means of bridging the poverty and developmental gap between northern and

southern Ghana, several governmental and nongovernmental initiatives such as the

Northern Rural Growth Project (NRGP), Savannah Accelerated Development Authority

(SADA) programmes, the Alliance for Green Revolution of Africa (AGRA) Soil Health

Project among others, are currently being implemented. All those programmes and

projects identified increasing agricultural productivity and improving rural farmers’,

especially women farmers’, access to market as the assurance of way of reducing poverty

and enhancing standard of living of largely agrarian population.

As part of improving agricultural productivity and considering the fragile and poor

nature of soil fertility in the northern ecological zone, soil fertility improvement activities

is being promoted by Savannah Agricultural Research Institute through the AGRA Soil

Health Project, Integrated Soil Fertility Management activities implemented under the

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Northern Rural Growth Project and Compost and Organic Soil Fertilization Learning

initiative implemented under the faculty’s Farming for the Future programmes.

The AGRA Soil Health Project have established Farmer Learning Centres and

demonstration farms in most part of northern Ghana, to help teach farmers, especially

women farmers who due to their general lack of access to productive lands are left

without choice but to farm on poor infertile lands abandoned by men, integrated soil

management practice and promote the adoption of such practice to ensure sustainable

increase in crop productivity. Similar initiative is being implemented under the Northern

Rural Growth Project by the District Agricultural Development Units under the Ministry

of Food Agriculture (MOFA) in all the Districts in the three northern regions.

However, due to logistical and technical constraints on the part of implementing

organizations and social and gender issues limiting women movement and access to

information, women farmers, who depend largely on these poor infertile fragile lands,

are not able to attend such learning sessions or visit demonstration farms and this

hinder their adoption of such technologies.

I therefore see the concept of participatory video documentary using high quality

portable device to capture and produce quality video showing the processes and

activities involve in integrated soil fertility management practices and compost organic

fertilization activities. Such video documentary can then be showed to women farmers

at their convenient time and place. Therefore the concept of One Media Player per

Teacher (OMPT)'s basic idea of reaching out to the underprivileged and underserved

rural communities with the innovative use of specialized, portable, audiovisual devices

to deliver relevant information and educational programs is imperative in helping

improve the adoption of soil fertility improvement practices among women farmers in

northern Ghana.

Area of collaboration with One Media Player per Teacher (OMPT) could include

1. Capacity building of extension field officer through training on how to use audiovisual

devices

2. Training of extension field officers on video capturing and editing

3. Equipment provision and technical support

4. Collaborating in undertaking action research on participatory video technology in

agricultural information dissemination

5. Exchange programme and sharing of experience with academic and research staffs of

the faculty on one hand members of One Media Player per Teacher (OMPT) on the other.

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5.0 Conclusion

Until agricultural information dissemination strategies are tailored to the need and

circumstance of women farmers and other marginalized groups in society, they will

always be left out in technology adoption and improve agricultural productivity. Women

farmers by the virtue of their domestic responsibilities and social restrictions on their

movement cannot fully benefit from the current strategies of disseminating soil fertility

management practices through farmers learning centres and demonstration farms. A

portable high quality video equipment capable of capturing and recording the process,

steps and procedures involve in integrated soil management practices and later shown

to women farmers in small groups at their own convenient time and location will in no

doubt impact greatly on women farmers adoption of improved soil fertility management

practices.

Hudu Zakaria

Lecturer and Research Scholar on Agricultural Extension and Rural Development

Department of Agricultural Extension Rural Development & Gender Studies

Faculty of Agribusiness and Communication Science

University for Development Studies, Ghana

(+233) 0242980581

[email protected] or [email protected]

CONCEPT PAPER ON PARTICIPATORY VIDEO AND INNOVATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE TO OMPT.doc

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