Ghana:VILLAGE INFRASTRUCTURE

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The Village Infrastructure Project will support government efforts to reduce poverty and increase the quality of life of the rural poor. The project has the following components: (1) Rural Water Infrastructure - comprising integrated development and water resources management, including catchment management and other water conservation practices; investments for the rational use of water for agriculture, livestock and human consumption including small dams, dugouts, boreholes, hand-dug wells, streamflow diversion and pumping to support small-scale irrigation in the dry season; and rainfall conservation and management for more effective use in rainfed crop production. (2) Rural Transport Infrastructure - selectively rehabilitating and improving degraded feeder roads; developing village trails and tracks linking farms to villages to permit the use of simple wheeled vehicles to reduce the need for women and children to head carry weights; and a pilot program to develop intermediate means for the rural poor to convey goods to market. (3) Rural Post-Harvest Infrastructure - developing on-farm and village-level drying facilities to reduce post-harvest losses; on-farm and community storage and other village-level market infrastructure for more efficient marketing; appropriate facilities for processing crops, livestock and fisheries products to increase their quality shelflife and market value; and income-generating activities targeted at the poorest. (4) Institutional Strengthening - capacity building within district assemblies to strengthen their planning and financial management of rural infrastructure; strengthening NGOs and other community-based organizations to provide more effective implementation support to communities and groups in developing sustainable rural infrastructure; and empowering beneficiary associations and groups to take direct responsibility for the sustainable operations and maintenance of rural infrastructure.