AgriConnect has helped me a lot. When I got to Level 400, I was wondering how I would get a laptop to do my project work. Because of the actual costs of laptops, it would not have been easy to for me to get one. Fortunately, AgriConnect popped up. When I heard about AgriConnect, I said, “wow, this is a big opportunity for me”. I also did not have access on how to use a laptop and internet etc. and the courses, I think my knowledge and work has improved. I have been using the laptop to do my project work and that has helped me a lot. “Without AgriConnect, I do not know what I would have done”.

I was selling rice in the market for four years to help send my sisters to school. One day I started to look at food and said that without food you cannot survive. I went to my mother and told her I want to study food as it is important for human survival, and I want to know more about food. Where I am coming from there is no internet access and I never had a laptop and so it was difficult for me to type, and I learned how to do this through the course.

My father did not go to school. He is a farmer, so when I wanted to go to school, and I told him I wanted to study agriculture, he said, I am a farmer, what have I gotten from the farm. He said I sent you to school to come out of the farm, you want to farm to do what. But I said, farming is my passion! As of now, anytime my father is going to the farm, he wants to engage me, asking what I have learnt, and I have been advising him and now he is getting more yield, and he is very happy with my studies.

When I heard about AgriConnect, I did not hesitate at all became with a laptop going for 862 Cedi – that is so cheap, given the price of laptops. I needed to know the benefit of buying the laptop. The courses have helped me. The new technologies in agriculture, for example – such as drones. I want a drone. 

When I saw the laptops, I got excited. I went to my sister to ask her to talk to my dad about the laptop. My dad was like no problem, and he gave my sister the money to give me. My dad was not happy, I went to my sister. He said with that opportunity, I should have come to him directly. “The courses have been beneficial to me. I have enjoyed the Girls in ICT Day event, I enjoyed all of it, it was nice being part of it”

Agriconnect has helped me gain more knowledge in computer and internet literacy. I have always wanted to be a digital marketer, but because most of these online courses are expensive, I am not able to enrol. But because of Agriconnect courses like digital literacy, I am able to learn without any boundaries. I also didn't have laptop then but because of Agriconnect, I have one now. The only problem I have is about the progression status of the course. The course doesn't indicate your progression status.

Ayishatu is one of the master’s students who kept calling and advocating for the inclusion of post graduates’ students. After the inclusion of post graduate students, she immediately enrolled and made payments. That was not all. She made sure her female colleagues were in the know and helped them register and complete their setups also. She mentioned that most of the post graduate students either did not have laptops or had faulty ones which limited their research work. 

“Vicentia did not know about the programme until she came to the on-field team to make enquiries. After explaining what the programme was about, she was very excited and immediately called her mother to explain to her. Her mother asked to talk to me (Martin Kojotse) for more clarification and to ensure it was not a scam. Vicentia mentioned to me how she and her mother had been thinking and planning on getting a laptop for her for her academic work but was unable to because of how expensive they are on the market. Her mother could not send the money immediately. After 2 days she came back with her money and came for assistance to make payments. After she received her laptop and Mifi (connectivity device), she came to express her sincere gratitude for enabling her to enroll unto the programme. She promised to take the courses on the platform seriously and complete each one.”

My brother in UDS informed me that he has enrolled in the Agriconnect program and has received his laptop and mifi for data. In fact we did not believe this program will be real so when he got his laptop and mifi, we were both very excited. He is able to do his research and assignments easily on the laptop and has been telling me about the course content he has been going through. I am looking forward to enrolling here in Wenchi so my brother will not pass me in the learning! We will both benefit equally from the project.

The laptop has given me the opportunity to be able to do a lot of things in addition to my school work. I do web development and search engine optimalization as a side hustle when I am done with school work and the computer helps me a lot.

This morning as students lined up waiting to enter the examination rooms, it was a joy to see them engaged on their Agriconnect computers, studying before the exams. Previously, you will see them peering into their phones trying to revise. The Agriconnect project has improved the manner in which our students work.