Empowering Cocoa Households with Opportunities and Education Solutions (ECHOES) Alliance

Project Dates: October 2007-September 2011

Countries: Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana

Alliance:

US Agency for International Development; World Cocoa Foundation; Kraft Foods; Norwegian Association of Chocolate Manufacturers; The Hershey Company; Starbucks Coffee Company; Fazer Confectionary, Olam International Ltd.; The Hain Celestial Group SunSpire Brand, Mars Incorporated; Guittard Chocolate Company; Barry Callebaut; and the Jacobs Foundation

Implementing Partners: Winrock International; International Foundation for Education and Self-Help; Making Cents International; and World Education, Inc.

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:

• 6,000 pre-service and in-service teachers trained in improved teaching methodologies

• 7 resource centers established/upgraded and 9 ICT-enabled community resource centers established

• 7,780 youth, young adults and farmers trained in functional literacy

• 4,500 primary and junior high school students receive in-school vocational agricultural training

• 260 out-of-school youth (ages 15-30) receive vocational education, business training and a start-up kit

• 250 parent/student pairs receive family support scholarships

• 170 parents receive small business development and leadership skills training

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.

• 7,109 pre-service and in-service teachers 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.  A total of 7 resource centers were established/upgraded for use by teachers (4 in Ghana, 3 in Côte d’Ivoire).

• 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