THE WCF ECHOES ALLIANCE
Empowering Cocoa Households with Opportunities and Education Solutions
Program Summary | Project Dates: September 2011 - September 2015 | Project Locations: Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire | New Video
An integration of basic education and livelihoods
Building on World Cocoa Foundation member-supported education programs, WCF ECHOES aims to strengthen cocoa-growing communities by expanding opportunities for youth and young adults through relevant education. Ultimately, the program seeks to serve as a scalable model for education in rural West Africa.
Through functional literacy, livelihoods training, life skills training, teacher training, and curriculum development, the WCF ECHOES Alliance is improving access to a quality and relevant education for thousands of children, youth, and young adults living in cocoa-farming communities in West Africa.
"The ministry endorses the strategy being implemented to improve educational opportunities for
cocoa farming communities in our country... and request that the program expands to other cocoa areas."
- Josephine Kuffour, Ghana Education Service
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Program Targets and Results
Building Capacity in Cocoa Communities: Basic Education
Building Capacity in Cocoa Communities: Livelihoods and Innovative Approaches
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Program Activities
- In-school and out-of-school agriculture, entrepreneurship, and youth leadership training - Agriculture clubs that plant school gardens and maintain cocoa demonstration plots - Awareness raising activities on child labor, HIV/AIDS, and malaria
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BASIC EDUCATION - Functional literacy training for youth and young adults -Facilitated teacher and administrator training - Creation of community learning centers and teacher resource centers
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- Family Support Scholarships support a child's education by enhancing the mother’s income generating potential - Community Challenge Grants build the capacity of communities to address their own development needs - Youth leadership training
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____________________________________________________________________ "[WCF ECHOES] gave us access to education by teaching us how to read and write, an opportunity we never thought would come. Today, the women, men, and children can now recognize their names when written." - Jean Luc Konate, Dramanekro, Cote d'Ivoire ____________________________________________________________________ "Although the land has been there for some time now, not until I joined the youth program [did] it occur to me that I could put it to a meaningful use...I learned nursery establishment, preparation of vegetable beds, transplanting of seedlings, crop protection and how to prepare farm produce for the market." - Barsa, agricultural club member and founder of an agribusiness in Suiano, Ghana ____________________________________________________________________ “Our living condition has changed. Now I can take care of most home expenses without a problem, especially the electricity bill.”
- Mrs. Kouadio, WCF ECHOES family support scholarship recipient ____________________________________________________________________ |
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Project sites and implementing partners
WCF ECHOES sites in Côte d'Ivoire include Abengourou, Aboiddo, Adzopé, Akoupé, Alepé, Daloa, Yakasse Attabrou, Yamoussoukro, and Zoukougbeu; and in Ghana, Akontombra, Agogo, Berekum, East Akyem, Juaboso and Sefwi Wiawso.
(Click here to view a map of WCF sites in West Africa)
Our implementing partners include:
Winrock International | International Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH) | World Education, Inc | Leadership Africa USA
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Success stories and news
Family Support Scholarships - Parents' Entrepreneurship for Children's Education
Out-of-School Youth Realizes his Potential with Entrepreneurship Training
WCF ECHOES featured in the special October 2009 issue of USAID Newsletter "Education in Focus"
Over 160,000 to Benefit from World Cocoa Foundation Youth Education Program in West Africa
Success Story: High School Teachers Volunteer to Teach Agriculture
This work is made possible through the outstanding support of our funding partners:
U.S. Agency for International Development, World Cocoa Foundation,
Kraft Foods, The Hershey Company, Mars Inc., Starbucks Coffee Company,
Barry Callebaut, Fazer Confectionery Ltd., Guittard Chocolate Company, Hain Celestial Group's Sunspire Brand, Norwegian Association of Chocolate Manufacturers, Olam International Ltd., Safmarine, See's Candies, Inc.
and the Jacobs Foundation
