International Development Grant
Building Capacity for Sustainable Livelihoods and Health
Project Number: CA-3-S065653001
Status: Closed
Country/Region:
Maximum Contribution: $3,462,293.00
Start Date: April 09, 2013
End Date: June 05, 2018
Duration: 5.2 years
Project Description
This project aims to increase access to sufficient safe and nutritious food and improve the health economic well-being and social development of the underserved rural population of the Upper Manya Krobo district of Ghana. Beneficiaries are part of the three interventions (i) agriculture-nutrition education intervention (ANI) for households with infants that supported egg production (288 women-children dyads & families); (ii) savings-education intervention for adolescent girls that promoted financial literacy and healthy life choices (776 adolescents & families); (iii) behaviour change communication (BCC) radio intervention that promoted dietary diversity for young children (692 women with children < 5 y & families). Project activities also contribute to increasing the capacity of local institutions to formulate evidence-based policy develop programs and produce adult education materials. This project is implemented by McGill University in partnership with the University of Ghana.
Expected Results
The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: improved access by women adolescents children and other vulnerable groups to district services offered in rural nutrition and health agriculture small businesses and environment; and increased planning and implementation capacity of rural communities particularly women at the district level in nutrition/health agricultural production small businesses and environment.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved as of the end of the project (June 2018) include: (1) throughout the Upper Manya Krobo district (UMKD) the enrollment of mothers in microcredit programs progressed from 19.1% (54 women) at baseline to 24.7% (71 women) with 88% of enrolled mothers having reported a high level of satisfaction with the programs; (2) saving accounts were opened for 666 adolescents girls directly involved in the project and another 564 girls of nearby sub-district through a local bank; (3) the rate of the exclusive breastfeeding of infants less than 6 months of age has progressed from 69.9% (885 infants of which 457 female) to 92.5% (1 171 infants of which 565 female); (4) 98.7% of children (3 749 children of which 1 846 girls) are consuming animal source food (compared to 54.7% at baseline) and differences observed between girls (51.7%) and boys (59.9%) before the project disappeared (girls 98.6%; boys 98.8%); (5) 58.5% of infants and young children (2 193 infants and children) of UMKD are now meeting the minimum diet diversity recommendation; (6) the percentage of malnourished children in the district decreased going from 5.8% to 2.4%; (7) the percentage of women reporting income generating activities at the district level increased to 86.2% (785 out of 911 women) compared to 53.9% at baseline; and (8) median income generated by women increased by 66.7% from 30 Ghanaian cedis at baseline to 50 Ghanaian cedis. These results contributed to improving: (i) the dietary and nutritional status of women of child-bearing age adolescents and young children; and (ii) the economic activities of vulnerable groups living in Upper Manya Krobo district of Ghana.
Key Information
Executing Agency:
McGill University
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
YFMInternaAssistPartnershp&Programing Br
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Other technical assistance
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP