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24 PDA Annual Newsletter 2023 IN REVIEW

The project methodology incorporated Gender Action Learning Systems (GALS) into
VSLAs with the overall objective to improve savings culture, access to micro-credit,
and increase income, wellbeing and gender justice in household decision making.
50 VSLA groups are expected to be formed in 6 cocoa districts. So far, 40 VSLA

groups have been formed in four cocoa districts. Community entry for the formation
of VSLA groups under the project started on 25th September 2023. The 40 groups
meet weekly to save, with some of them granting loans to their group members.

VSLA GALS + ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT (Ghana)
The Women’s Empowerment, Access to Finance and Income Generation in Ghana
project is aimed at addressing the primary challenges facing the cocoa sector in
Ghana including low income, low productivity, lack of access to financial services

and low financial literacy -- which are all some of the root causes of child labour. The
primary target of the project is women in the cocoa-growing communities from which
SUCDEN sources cocoa.

The main objectives of the project include:
1. Improving access to finance through the establishment of VSLAs

2. Strengthening gender relations in communities at the household level through
joint financial planning, as well as at the community level through increased
participation in governance structures