Sustainable Livelihood Adaption SLA Project Launched in Builsa South A sustainable Livelihood Adaption ALA Project has been launched in Fumbisi in the Builsa District of the Upper East Region. The project is aimed at introducing women farmers to improved Integrated Groundnuts Oil Extraction Technologies. It is being implemented by LINK Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organization NGO operating in Northern Ghana with funding support from the Adaptation Fund Project AFP of the United Nations Development Programme UNDP. Mr. Daniel A Kansake, said apart from the project launch, it will also conduct improved quality groundnut oil extraction and packaging training for the project beneficiaries, facilitate the registration of groundnut oil extraction groups with the Business Advisory Services BAS and Cooperatives as Business Enterprises. He indicated that, the project had among its components to construct functional community oil extraction centers in the beneficiary communities with ground nut grounding machines, roasters and threshers, facilitate value chain linkages among oil extractors in the areas of marketing and financial institutions as well as carry out gender baseline analysis. He mentioned that the project which would be implemented in three communities, namely Gbedema Kunkua, Kasiesa and Gbedembilisi , targeting 2500 women beneficiaries with 50 lead women to be trained on the new technologies as agents of technology transfers in the District, may be up-scaled in the subsequent years to reach other communities. He explained that what informed the decision of LINK Ghana to support the women groups in the District is that despite the critical role women played in the groundnut oil sector, many of them had limited production technologies, knowledge and skills in producing quality and quantum of oil in a more efficient manner. The District Chief Executive of the Builsa South, Daniel Gariba, lauded the effort of the NGO and the UNDP for selecting the area to implement the project and indicated that it falls in line within the government’s policy of one District, One Factory. The Chief of Gbedembilisi, Nab Atirekpere Ignatius 111, mentioned that the Builsa South District was very much endowed with agriculture potentials such as groundnuts, rice, corn among others but was confronted with the challenges of value added addition and marketing. He was hopeful that with the effective implementation of the project, it will help address some of these challenges and called on other development partners to help the District exploit more of its natural resources for the development of the area. Story by GBC's Emmanuel Akayeti gbcghanaonline.com ---DECRYPTED---