Empowering Cocoa Households with Opportunities and Education Solutions (ECHOES) Alliance
Project Dates: October 2007-September 2011
Countries: Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana
Alliance:
U.S. Agency for International Development, World Cocoa Foundation, Kraft Foods, Norwegian Association of Chocolate Manufacturers, The Hershey Company, Starbucks Coffee Company, Fazer Confectionery Ltd., Olam International Ltd., Hain Celestial Group SunSpire Brand, Mars Inc., Guittard Chocolate Company, Barry Callebaut, See's Candies, Inc., and the Jacobs Foundation
Implementing Partners: Winrock International, International Foundation for Education and Self-Help, Making Cents International, World Education, Inc., and Leadership Africa USA
Overview
Building on World Cocoa Foundation member-supported pilot education programs, 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. ECHOES sites include Abengourou, Aboisso, Adzopé, Akoupé, Alepé, Daloa, Yakasse Attabrou, Yamoussoukro, and Zoukougbeu in Côte d’Ivoire, and Akontombra, Agogo, Berekum, East Akyem, Juaboso and Sefwi Wiawso in Ghana.
Program Targets:
- 10,840 students receive in-school agriculture and life skills training
- 1,065 out-of-school youth (ages 15-30) receive vocational education and livelihoods training
- 1,136 parent/student pairs receive family support scholarships
- 732 parents receive small business development and leadership skills training
- 8,785 pre-service and in-service teachers and administrators trained
- 9 teacher resource centers established/upgraded and 10 community resource centers established
- 8,560 youth, young adults and farmers trained in functional literacy
Progress to Date:
- 4,850 in-school and 404 out-of-school youth receive vocational agriculture training. 1,900 students in Ghana and 2,950 in Côte d’Ivoire completed one year of in-school agriculture training which includes both a classroom learning component and age-appropriate practical training component. The curriculum is designed to follow the cultural calendar of cocoa growing, starting in September/October, around the height of the cocoa harvest. A total of 927 students also participated in agriculture clubs. 240 out-of-school youth in Côte d’Ivoire and 164 in Ghana completed agriculture and business training.
- 250 family support scholarships awarded. Parent-child pairs from Ghana (120) and Côte d’Ivoire (130) were awarded scholarships equivalent to three years of the child’s school-related expenses. Additionally, 185 of the mothers (121 in Ghana, 64 in Côte d’Ivoire) participated in small business training.
- 7,215 pre-service and in-service teachers and administrators trained. 6,273 teachers in Ghana (4,914 pre-service, 1,359 in-service) and 836 teachers in Côte d’Ivoire (672 pre-service, 164 in-service) received training in interactive teaching methodologies such as use of teaching & learning materials. Given that the average class size is 40 students, a total of 284,360 students will benefit from teachers’ training. 43 administrators were trained in Ghana and 63 in Côte d’Ivoire.
- 9 teacher resource and 3 community resource centers established. A total of 9 teacher resource centers were established/upgraded for use by teachers (5 in Ghana, 4 in Côte d’Ivoire). In Ghana, three community resource centers were established with information and communications technology (ICT).
- 1,523 adults received functional literacy training. Classes are led by trained local tutors using a cocoa-specific functional literacy manual developed under a previous WCF member-supported pilot program. A total of 160 people were trained in Ghana and 1,363 in Côte d’Ivoire.
Success Story: Family Support Scholarships - Parents' Entrepreneurship for Children's Education
Success Story: Out-of-School Youth Realizes his Potential with Entrepreneurship Training
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