Impact Story

Alex and Agnes Gyau live in Gyaha, a rural community of about a thousand inhabitants in the Akyemansa district of the Eastern region of Ghana. Gyaha is a farming community, cocoa, rice, and palm being the main cash crops produced there. Alex Gyau is a 59-year cocoa farmer, while his wife, Agnes Ayisi Gyau, is 50 years old. They have been married for 25 years, and have eleven children.

Alex is very much committed to the Gyaha community and plays important roles towards the development of the community. He is an opinion leader, a role which gives him the opportunity to support the chief of the community in development efforts. He is also an area borehole mechanic helping maintain wells. Alex is also the chairman of the funeral committee in Gyaha. Through this role he ensures that funerals, important and often large community events, are organized peacefully and in an orderly manner.

With eleven children to take care of and the financial implications that go with it, Alex and Agnes had to work extra hard to make ends meet. During their 25 years of marriage, they had established a 15-acre cocoa farm from which they harvested an average of 50 bags of cocoa annually. They also established a one and a half acre of Ghana Fine Flavor cocoa when they joined the Akyemansa Fine Flavor Cocoa Cooperative in 2018. Prior to joining the VSLA group, Alex and Agnes had challenges saving money. Agnes attempted saving money with a traditional “susu” group and ended up losing her money. Agnes runs a provision shop, however, she often had to lock the shop because she did not have money to stock it with provisions. The story changed when she joined the VSLA. At the end of the first VSLA cycle of 12 months, the group shared their money.

Agnes received 1,282 Ghana Cedis, equivalent to $160.25. She used part for the money to stock her provisions shop and part to construct pens for local fowls she was raising. “I was so happy because that was the only time that I was not compelled to close down my shop in the course of the year for lack of funds to stock it with provisions”, says Agnes. Prior to the share-out, Alex had taken a VSLA loan of 1,000 Ghana Cedis ($125.00) part of which he invested in the Fine Flavor farm and used the remaining to address an urgent family financial need. At share-out, he had 1,325 Cedis ($165.63). He decided to use the money from the share-out to commence a honey production business. He has already constructed eight beehives and is working on commencing the honey production within the next few weeks.

Mr. and Mrs. Gyau once again expressed gratitude to Cultivate Better Cocoa for making all these possible and encourage other farmers in Gyaha to join the Akyemansa Fine Flavor Cocoa Cooperative and the VSLA.