The Kpeve Tornu Community Tilapia Fish Farm Project is a transformative community-led initiative aimed at revitalizing livelihoods and strengthening climate resilience in Kpeve Tornu, a fishing community in the Afadzato South District of Ghana’s Volta Region. For decades, fishing has been the primary source of income and nutrition for residents. However, in recent years, the community has faced severe challenges caused by climate change, including rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and fluctuating water levels in the River Danyi. These environmental disruptions have diminished natural fish stocks, destabilized livelihoods, and heightened food insecurity.
Recognizing the urgency to adapt, the community, with support from CorpsAfrica/Ghana and funding from the Mastercard Foundation, launched the Kpeve Tornu Community Tilapia Fish Farm, a cage-based aquaculture system designed to provide a reliable, sustainable, and locally managed alternative to traditional fishing. The project received an initial funding allocation of $2,000, with the community contributing 25% in labor, materials, and local resources, demonstrating strong ownership and partnership.
Through this initiative, fish cages were strategically installed on the River Danyi, with trained local youth, women, and men managing daily operations from feeding and monitoring to harvesting and marketing. The project incorporates a structured governance and financial management system, ensuring accountability, reinvestment, and long-term sustainability. To maximize impact, participants received training in fish farming techniques, financial literacy, and cooperative management, equipping them with essential skills for managing a profitable aquaculture enterprise.
The outcomes of the project have been remarkable. It has created employment opportunities for young people and women, improved household income, and provided a steady supply of affordable, high-quality tilapia for local consumption. In total, the project has directly benefited over 150 community members, with an additional 300 people indirectly impacted, including local traders, schoolchildren, and households benefiting from reinvested community development funds.
Beyond the economic and nutritional gains, the project has fostered a renewed sense of community pride and cohesion. It stands as a model for climate adaptation and local innovation proving that when communities harness their natural resources sustainably and manage them collectively, development becomes both inclusive and enduring.
Looking ahead, the community seeks additional support from stakeholders and development partners to expand production capacity, introduce fingerling breeding, and scale the initiative to neighboring communities along the River Danyi.
The Kpeve Tornu Tilapia Fish Farm is not just a livelihood project, it’s a story of adaptation, empowerment, and community-led resilience in the face of climate change.
