As part of its ongoing Boost-to-Bloom initiative, Agrihouse Foundation today held a pre-training orientation session with women in Yapei, located in the Savannah Region. The session serves as a precursor to a three-day practical agribusiness training programme set to begin this Friday.
The Boost-to-Bloom project, implemented by Agrihouse Foundation with catalytic support from AGRA and the Mastercard Foundation under the Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) Programme, aims to unlock the commercial value of chilli pepper, tomato, and onion farming across Ghana’s five northern regions.
At the heart of today’s gathering was a mission to prepare, organize, and energize participants for the upcoming training. The women, many of whom are smallholder farmers or unemployed, were briefed on how the programme is designed to empower them through practical agronomic training, cooperative farming structures, and guaranteed market access.
Kofi Oppong, Regional Coordinator of the Boost to Bloom Initiative, highlighted the vision of the project, stating that the initiative is not just about agriculture, but about empowering women and creating sustainable jobs.
“We are not just coming to teach farming—we are here to build livelihoods. With the ‘Bloomers’ cooperative, we want to see these women work together, harvest together, and sell together, so they can earn good incomes and take care of their families,” he said.
The three-day training, which starts on Friday, will focus on cultivating chilli pepper, tomatoes, and onions—not just for their high nutritional value, but also for their market potential and income-generating capacity. Participants will be divided into groups and encouraged to farm on the same plots of land to enhance collaboration and support. Once harvested, Agrihouse and its partners will support the sale of their produce at competitive prices.
To ensure long-term sustainability, the project is introducing a cooperative model called “The Bloomers”, under which beneficiaries will continue working as unified groups to pool resources, access inputs, and market produce collectively.
Resource persons at the briefing session expressed strong optimism about the initiative. Aaron Amartey, one of the technical trainers, urged the women to take ownership of the opportunity.
“We recognise that women are the backbone of every household, when you’re absent, the home struggles to stand. That’s why I’m encouraging each of you to show up on Friday. Let’s walk this journey together, learn together, and grow something meaningful that can transform your lives and your families,” he said.
Emmanuel Digooh, another resource person, urged for unity and purpose among the women in embracing the training as a collective effort.
“I want you all to remember that this is a journey you’re beginning from the ground up—nurturing a skill that will grow and eventually bloom. Your focus should be on fully embracing the training, because this is not just for you alone; it’s a cooperative effort that thrives on unity and shared purpose.”
The women, visibly energised and motivated by the session, expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming training and the promise it holds for their livelihoods. Many of them described the initiative as a lifeline a chance to learn a new skill, improve their economic standing, and contribute meaningfully to their households.
Agrihouse Foundation plans to replicate this model across more communities in the Northern Region, with a goal of training 20,000 youth—particularly women and persons with disabilities—between 2025 and 2028, in agribusinesses spanning production, processing, and distribution.
