Background of Development Frontiers Women Cooperative (DFWC)
Development Frontiers Women Cooperative (DFWC) is an association of women shea collectors and aggregators founded in 2010 in East Gonja Municipality. It is comprised of over three thousand seventy-six (3076) women in groups in thirty-five (35) communities in the Municipality and now expanded to include 4 other districts.
DFWC emanated as women group beneficiaries of a number of interventions carried out in the past by Development Frontiers, a local NGO. Following the implementation of different livelihood activities in the East Gonja District and others such as Zabzugu District, Mion District, North East Gonja and Karaga Districts, the beneficiary groups decided to form an umbrella cooperative across the locations to improve cooperative action and penetrate the market for especially shea and gari. The overall purpose is to improve members’ welfare and visibility through advocacy.
Our vision: An environment where women have sustainable resources to choose what to eat and determine their livelihood options.
The main goal of the cooperative is to be the vehicle for improving the socio-economic well-being of the members.
The specific objectives are:
- To improve cooperative organization across the locations
- To improve bargaining power and attract end buyers for products.
- To enhance visibility and advocate for and on behalf of members on key socio-economic issues such as inclusive GESI market access among others
- To be the vehicle for quality improvement and related training and capacity development.
- A stronger voice for all members’ betterment in shea and gari as well as related business.
- To be the voice that amplifies the voice of the venerable.
Since its formation, DFWC has advocated for warehouse construction from BUSAC FUND, carried out shea nut and shea butter training and now implement the Inclusive Access to Gari Market Initiative (IAGMI) under the Action for Voice and Inclusive Development (AVID) project sponsored by Star Ghana Foundation with support from Flora and Hewlett Foundation.