Fian (U/W), Oct.7, GNA - Fulani herdsmen and their cattle at Fian in the Nadowli District have prevented women in the community from undertaking dry season farming at their dam site. A dam, which was constructed for the Tietaa Women Association to undertake dry season farming by Action Aid Ghana, a non-governmental organisation and the Irish government, has now been taken over by the Fulani herdsmen and their cattle.

Mr. Clement Katuole, an organizer of the group, said this during the inauguration of a multipurpose warehouse built for the women at Fian on Thursday.

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development provided 30,000 Ghana cedis and the Nadowli District Assembly also supported with 5,000 Ghana cedis for the project to help the women to dry and store their products.

Mr. Katuole said members of the association used to cultivate onions, pepper, garden eggs, vegetables, tomatoes and rice among others during the dry season but the dam has now been taken over by the herdsmen as a source for watering their cattle and leaving the women in poverty. He said this had compelled the women had stopped farming and are now trading in cash crops.

Mr Katuole appealed to the chief of Fian and other elders to do something about the herdsmen and their cattle to allow the women to get back to their activities. Mr. Katuole said the group was not only into productive ventures but was also advocating for the enrolment of girls in school as well as campaigning against social and cultural practices that were inimical to the development of women in the community. Mr. Mathias A. Puozaa, the Member of Parliament for the Nadowli East, who inaugurated the warehouse, said he sourced for funds from two organisations to help the women improve their living conditions and to support their children at school.

He said he would assist the group with a grinding mill and called on women in the other communities to also form groups to enable him to assist them and gave the group 20 plastic chairs Mr. Abu Kasanbata, Nadowli District Chief Executive, gave the group 20 bags of maize and 500 Ghana Cedis to the group. He said 57 communities in the district would benefit from the rural electrification programme and appealed to community members to co-operate with the contractors to implement the project on schedule. 07 Oct 11