Cadbury, the British confectionery company, owned by the FMCG giant Kraft foods is on a social mission and helping the poverty stricken African nations.As part of its social intervention programme, Cadbury Cocoa Partnership has presented 10,000 household solar lanterns worth about $600.00 to about 160 cocoa communities in the Asunafo North, Amansie Central and West among others, at a ceremony in Tema.
The Cadbury Cocoa Partnership is a partnership between identified cocoa producing communities, Cadbury Ghana Limited now Kraft Foods, Ghana Cocoa Board, World Vision Ghana, Care International and Voluntary Service Organisation (VSO).
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mrs Yaa Peprah Amekudzi of the Programme Coordination Unit of Cadbury Cocoa Partnership said the solar energy project intervention is a response to the prioritized needs of the community partners for renewable energy. She said, the project is aimed at providing solar power or light to communities to aid them in their activities.
According to her, there are many cocoa communities without electricity and this limits their study, recreation periods among others. ‘’Therefore the provision of these solar lanterns would increase the study hours of the school pupils, improve their academic performance and also aid teachers to prepare better to impart knowledge’’, she assured.
She mentioned that, the intervention would also boost economic activities of farmers who are engaged in other businesses in the evenings.
The choice of solar lantern is motivated by Cadbury’s contribution to renewable energy, she added.
Mrs Amekudzi hinted that, in addition to the household lanterns, the Partnership is supplying and installing solar panels at the cost of GH¢1,305,000.00 in 22 Basic Schools in rural communities for the improvement of academic performance and also powering the storage of medication and medical instruments to ensure improved health delivery. She added that the solar panel project which is being funded by Cadbury Dairy Milk when completed would provide energy to food processing units to enable women in the identified communities process farm produce in an improved and more efficient manner.
On his part, the Managing Director of Cadbury Ghana & French West Africa, Mr James Boateng, added that, ‘’this presentation of Solar Equipment is another ground breaking initiative in our company’s effort to meet its social contract.’’
He added that, other interventions of the partnership such as provision of bicycles, wells, extension services are already benefitting cocoa communities tremendously.
