Innovations for Sustainable Rural Development (ISRuDev) is a membership-based organization, made up of 31 women groups and 1 youth group, operating in the Wa West District of Upper West Region. ISRuDev started as a Youth Club in the Wa West District in the year 2013. Under the name 'Green Youth Club', it undertook activities including tree planting, and anti-bush burning campaigns. Its scope of activities was later widened to include VSLA training for women groups and facilitating linkages for access to services and inputs. In 2017 it got registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee, bringing together all 31 women groups and 1 youth group under one umbrella body. In 2022, ISRD joined the Ghana Federation of Forest and Farm Producers to widen opportunities available to members and also gain more leverage to create more impact on the environment and livelihoods of its members.

 

Vision

An empowered constituency of women and youth with the capacity to create opportunities and positively transform society.

Mission

Creating inclusive and Resilient Communities where women play a central role in protecting and restoring ecosystems while improving their own socio-economic wellbeing.

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Management Structure

The secretariat of the organization is headed by the Executive Director, who is assisted by the administrative/finance officer and Programs Coordinator in overseeing the day-to-day running of the organization. Other staff of the secretariat include a Business Development Officer, Sales & Marketing Officer, a Communications & Advocacy Officer, and 2 Field Officers. While 4 of the staff are males, 3 are females. The Executive Council, which is the apex decision-making body of the organization, is made up of 11 members. Ten (10) of whom are elected from executives of the member groups. The 11th person is the Executive Director of the secretariat who is the co-opted secretary to the Executive Council. The elected members of the Executive Council have a 2-year tenure after which they may be re-elected. The Executive Council members are elected by an electoral college, made up of all the executives of the 32 member groups.

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Geographical Coverage

We operate in the Upper West Region in 3 Districts: Wa West, Nadowli and Wa East districts. So far, ISRuDev has reached out to over 3500 (90% of them being women) small holder farmers in 21 communities with its Climate Smart agricultural interventions, 500 school children (450 girls and 50 boys) and 15 teachers under our Girl Child Education initiatives and 946 women with its Rural Financial Inclusion project.

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Thematic Focus

• Livelihoods and Food Security

• Environment and Ecosystems Restoration

• Gender and Social Inclusion

• Maternal and Child Health

Major Activities

• Training women and youth in climate-smart agriculture and value addition

• Promoting financial inclusion and access to credit through VSLAs

• Facilitating access to tractor services and farm inputs for farmer groups

• Enterprise Development through business incubation and management trainings

• Ecosystem restoration through tree planting and anti-bush burning campaigns

• Advocacy for women access to resources, particularly farm lands

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Core Values

• Integrity and stewardship

• Support and works in partnerships

• Relish innovativeness

• Develop Environmental Consciousness