Solidaridad assisted the farmers to organise into groups by registration of the farmers and the provision of metal safe deposit boxes, passbooks, calculators, pens, stamp/stamp pads and ink. They also facilitated the training of the executives in basic record keeping and financial management. In all seventeen (17) groups were established comprising of three hundred and seventy-four (374) farmers. Each group had a minimum of eighteen (18) members and a maximum of twenty-seven (27) members.
Each group elected a chairman, a record keeper (treasurer), a box keeper and three key holders each holding a key to a separate padlock.
There were also two money counters to validate all cash received before depositing into the money box. Each group was assisted to write a constitution which governed their operations. The constitution included rules and conduct for the members and the terms, conditions and procedures for loans.
Members purchased shares in the association by contributing between GHS1.00 and GHS2.00 daily or GHS5.00 and GHS10.00 weekly into the investment fund. Another similar contribution was made into the social fund which was used to lend mainly to the farmers for medical and educational expenses. Other loans were given from the investment fund to members for farm improvement.
To qualify for loans a member has to contribute for at least three months and provide three members as guarantors for the loan. All loans were repayable in three months and interest rate was ten percent (10%) per month. At the end of the year interest earned on the loans were distributed to the members in accordance with their shareholding and some also redeemed their shares as lump sum investments.
