The Snails' New Homes

Four Pens have been fully constructed. The size of each pen is 3ft by 9ft, with each sub-divided into two compartments. When completed, we will have a total of eighteen (18) compartments.

The Pens have been stocked so far with breeder snails. Each pen has 10 breeder snails, giving us a total of 40 snails currently. The four fully constructed pens are secured with cover and padlocks. The remaining five which are under construction are currently on hold, whilst the students are on vacation. Construction will resume when the school resumes in September, and are expected to be completed by the end of next vacation in December 2007.

By the end of December we are expecting to be having a total of approximately 180 breeder snails. The Snails are doing very well however we have had two deaths which we believe are due to transfer and relocation.

The lessons have earnestly begun with all enthusiasm, and the students as well as teachers themselves are happy with the programme. In this period the students were taken through – Introduction to Snail Farming. The beneficiary students have been divided into groups. In all we have nine groups of five and six with each taking charge of one pen. Currently only the Agricultural Science Students are taking part in the programme.
It has been agreed that, the whole programme will be tackled in a competition form. The best group will eventually receive an award for excellence.

SOCIAL IMPACT

1. Entrepreneurial skills for the students who would be leaving school in search of non-existing jobs. This will cut down unemployment
2. Economic empowerment – Anybody who gets to know about the project and practice the type of farming – Heliciculture, would make economic gains. More especially the women who would support their families.
3. Also, it is an initiative which can be classified as an ‘eye-opener’ to people who never thought about the gains of Heliciculture.

VISITORS

The programme is receiving attention from far and near, with contacts even as far as from the United States including Miss Joana kyei a Researcher on Snails Marketing and Processing. Miss Lydia Karl Afua Osei, a Graduate from the University of Ghana – Legon has been attracted by the project. She has joined the FARIAD Team as from August 1st, 2007 currently as an Intern and subsequently for her National Service Programme, which begins in October, 2007. Lydia as she prefers to be called said she is interested to demonstrate her capacity in the field of human rights, and education, to help the youth as well as women groups attain their ambitions. Also Mr. Masawudu Rashid a graduate in Agriculture from the University of Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale has also expressed his interest to join the team

We have recently received a visitor to the project site. Mr. David Aryitey is a banker by profession and a farmer from Aflao in the Volta Region, a border town to neighbouring Togo. He is very much interested in the project. He has invited FARIAD to Togo to start a project to enable student counterparts in Togo also enjoy the benefit and opportunities of the project. Moreso we need to tackle projects step by step,

Why Snail Farming? An introduction to the FARIAD project

The potential benefits in HELICICULTURE – Snail Farming have never been realized.
These gains are both physical as well as socio-economic. The programme aims at educating
the youth in agriculture vocation whilst at the same time generating income and mobilizing fund to support the education and schooling of talented but needy young ones – (Girls in the majority)

Snails are delicacies and a good supplement of protein in the meal.

But the selection of site has very serious implication on the development and growth of snails. Since we have realized that there are termites on the selected site, we have all agreed to shift and change site. This means that we will no longer use wooden and erected structures as initially planned.

Concrete structures are best for Odorgonno Secondary School (Heliciculture Project) in the Schools for Rural Entrepreneurs Project, total of six pens (size: 3” x 6”) have been built to house the 100 matured breeding snails. Three for nursery and three for breeders

The construction works begun on the 7th and completed on the 25th of May. 2007, at a slow pace to enable students have sufficient experience of every phase of the project.

The breeding snails are ready for collection on the 2nd of June, 2007

Materials such as drinkers, feed mash, rock calcium, watering cans, rubber gloves, and kits have been acquired. An inscription board has been erected at the project site.

Snail production is one of the areas in agriculture which requires considerable low investment capital comparatively. The project will also develop the Heliciculture industry in Ghana and become a major exporter of snails in the African continent.

Future Plans are to establish Agricultural and Vocational Centre to enroll and train Orphans, Vulnerable, Street Children – to go through a skill curriculum – a 100 acre land has been acquired for the project. (We invite support for the programme)

To establish an educational endowment fund (The NORVISI Fund), to help needy but talented children as well as academically dull children to acquire entrepreneurial skills

To establish a project (pilot for replication) in each of the 32 districts in Ghana, over the next six years.