Roadside stand

Motorized tricycles improve lives of Ghanaian farmers

MEDA’s Ghana GROW (Greater Rural Opportunities for Women) project provided targeted subsidies for 751 women farmers to purchase motorized tricycles with flatbed trailers.

The program gives a “smart” subsidy of 70 per cent of the vehicle cost. The women provide the other 30 per cent from savings, or a loan from a micro-finance institution.

The trikes help the women get to and from their farms safely and more rapidly, transport inputs and crops, provide transportation to neighboring villages, and help other women get to medical clinics. They provide transit and earn extra income in areas where both are scarce. Participants receive a huge amount of respect for providing a vital service to their communities. ◆