Local Agriculture for Nutrition in Education Value Chain (LANE VC)

Background: 
project leader

NGP ZOA

 
Implementation place

Liberia : Margibi County

 
Partner(s)
  • Bravo Sisters Enterprise (agro-processor);
  • Women of Destiny (agro-processor);
  • Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection
  • Ministry of Education; and
  • Ministry of Agriculture.
 
Target Group(s)
  • 90 small-holder households (approximately 470 individuals);
  • 3,600 students;
  • Approximately 8,800 family members of students.
 
Final beneficiaries
  • Two Agro-Enterprises (Bravo Sisters and Women of Destiny);
  • Teachers and Administrators in five schools;
  • Ministry of Education; and
  • Ministry of Agriculture.
 
Main activities

 

For Result One:

  • Development and implementation of community-based agricultural development plans;
  • Agricultural training, coaching and mentoring as well as provision of seeds and inputs to 90 smallholder farmers;
  • Support to value addition through improved post-harvest handling (cassava, cowpeas and ground nuts), agro-processing;
  • Market-linkage to county level private sector agro-processors for school feeding programme;
  • Establishing Village Savings and Loan Associations;
  • Food safety training for farmers and agro-processors.

 

For Result Two: Reduced student hunger and improved access and progression in primary education :

  • Sensitisation training and preparation of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between ZOA Liberia, each school administration, PTA and the respective traditional authority representatives;
  • Community sensitisation and mobilisation for kitchen construction and for cooks;
  • Food procurement, transport and delivery to schools, provision of cooking utensils;
  • Monitoring and support visits (minimum 8 per month per school);
  • Training of PTAs;
  • Establishment of school gardens
  • Establishment of Wood Lots;
  • Liaison with GOL MOGCSP, MOA and MOE, and NGOs.

 

For Result Three: Increased Organisational Capacity and Institutional Support for agro-processing and Home Grown School Meals Programme (HGSM) management:

  • Institutional capacity building for Bravo Sisters to produce high quality fortified gari that meets all the requirements for school feeding;
  • Business Management Training for Bravo Sisters;
  • Food Safety Certification for Bravo Sisters;
  • Workshop with Government and INGOs on HGSM programmes;
  • Development of LANE VC Training Materials.

 

Cross-Cutting:

  • Training in nutrition-sensitive, climate-smart and gender-sensitive
  • agriculture;
  • Community Sensitisation on Social inclusion in participating communities;
  • Value chain development training for MoA and local organisations;
  • Institutional strengthening for MoA for strategic management of agricultural sectors.
Objectives: 

Overall objective(s)

Improved sustainable livelihoods, preventative safety nets, and resilience for smallholder farmers and rural households, increased access to primary education in Margibi County, Liberia and greater capacity and support for Home Grown School Meals (HGSM) as an effective safety net by relevant stakeholders at a national level.

Specific Objectives

Improved agricultural productivity and processing and improved access to markets for 90 smallholder farmers who will have increased resilience, enhanced social protection for vulnerable community members, and provision of consistent

Budget: 
283 478 USD
Expected Results: 

Result One:  Improved agricultural livelihoods resilience and access to school meals market for 90 smallholder farmers;

Improved agricultural livelihoods and access to school meals market value-chain, 90 smallholder farmers will increase volumes of cassava production by 50% and will have established viable and sustainable cowpea production systems. In addition to assisting farmers to improve their crop production, processing, post-harvest handling and marketing, farmers will develop knowledge and best practice skills in growing new crops, inter-cropping, optimal use of inputs and use of climate smart techniques. Poor coping strategies will be tackled by improved agricultural practices and also by providing community storage, a mechanism for saving and for loans and support for functional adult literacy.

Result Two:

Reduced student hunger and improved access and progression in primary education: Enrolment in five schools is expected to increase by 25% (from 2,850 to 3,600). Hunger levels of children attending school will be reduced. There also will be improvements in attendance, participation and progression rates in five schools. School gardens and sustainable wood-lots will be established in each school and there will be increased knowledge of good nutrition and ‘nutrition sensitive agriculture’ among student and the wider community.

Result Three:

Increased Capacity for Agro-Processing and School Meals Programme Management: Two local agro-enterprises will have developed the capacity and skills to consistently supply nutritionally fortified cassava products at the required quality standards for school meals programmes. There will be greater capacity and knowledge in participating communities, MOGCSP, MOE, MOA to deliver future HGSM programmes and donors and key implementers will have been exposed to a cost-effective HGSM model that meets recognised quality standards.

Financial Partners: 
Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID)Communauté Economique des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest
Duration: 
Monday, 16 July, 2018 to Wednesday, 15 July, 2020

Themes:

Member Countries:

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