Date: May 5, 2025
Location: Sakpe Community, Mion District, Northern Region

A team from the Savannah Women Farmers Asssociation (SWFA) conducted a monitoring visit to the women’s group farm in Sakpe community. The visit aimed to assess the current state of the farm understand how the women are benefiting from it and identify areas for improvement.

The visiting delegation included Oseni Kabiru (Programs Officer), Timothy Laar (Finance Officer), Hajia Alima Sagito (Board Member) and Salamatu S. Sakara (Chairperson). They interacted with the women farmers to gain firsthand insights into the project’s progress and its impact on their livelihoods.

Currently 69 women are actively involved in managing the farm. According to the farmers they produce mainly ayoyo, bra (local vegetables) and yellow melon is used both for household consumption and for sale. The income earned helps the women meet essential needs including children’s education and weekly savings contributions through their Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA).

“It was not easy for me because I only depend on seasonal rain that makes me farm once every year,” said Talhatu Issahaku a member of the women’s group. “But with our resilience as women and support from the FFF Project now I get income from this our group farm. With the money I get from my daily sale, I give money to my children when they are going to school and my weekly VSLA contribution and also use the vegetables to cook for my family.”

The farm also incorporates moringa and pigeon pea trees which contribute to soil fertilitythrough natural leaf fall and decay enhancing sustainability. To further support the women and improve productivity plans are underway to install a drip irrigation system this May. This system will enable better farm management and reduce dependence on rainfall.

The project is also leveraging partnerships for technical support. SWFA is collaborating with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) at the district level for agronomic guidance and with Tech 2 for the implementation of the irrigation system.

Looking ahead the expansion of the farm is expected to significantly boost productivity, enhance food security and generate additional income for the women.

This initiative is a powerful example of how targeted agricultural support combined with community resilience can transform livelihoods and empower rural women economically.