Base on the perception between traditional and scientific knowledge to Improve livestock productivity in the Fulani and Mbororro communities.
Deliberate attempt to target women, youth as well as aged. Both men and women as well as youth of both sexes will be involved in the trainings with majority being females. Involvement of women and girls in trainings, conflict resolution mechanisms and monitoring/evaluation.
Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples
Inclusion of Fulani and Mbororro pastoral nomads in training and income generation activities as other related project activities.
Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods
Income generation activities training. Capacity building to ensure ownership and continuation of project activities. Income generating activities like nutrient block production, formulation and sale of livestock feed. Fattening and sale of pigs and production and sale of mushrooms. Provision of revolving loan scheme for grassroots women. Improvement of pastures for sustainable livestock production. Promotion of integrated crop-livestock farming. Diversification of livelihood strategies through nonfarm activities. Soil conservation and improvement through better agronomic practices and adoption of tested technologies.
The community will actively participate in answering survey questions within the framework of a baseline survey aimed at enabling project management understand the socio-economic and environmental context better and permit beneficiaries better carry out activities.
The community members will actively participate in focus group discussions training or capacity building workshops. Participation in open field day to show case best practices. Community members will actively participate in community conflict resolution mechanism. Community members will participate in practical demonstrations during training workshops. Community members will be involved in participatory monitoring and impact evaluation to ensure the project activities are in line with plans
Capacity - Building Component
Organisation and execution of two training workshops (new farming techniques and utilization of by-products) creating pasture improvement seed banks, encouragement of paddocking, alley cropping with leguminous shrubs, hedging with fruit trees, use of green manure. Workshop on book keeping and income generation activities. Workshop on community conflict resolution.
Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
Production of visibility materials ; Newspaper articles; Advocacy materials like posters, brochures and leaflets; production of CD/DVD; Organization of inter community peer exchanges; Active contribution of the SGP grantee network and other local and international for a dealing with environment and climate change issues
Project sustainability
The problem of environmental degradation and diminishing agricultural production is real in the project area. Everyone in the project community acknowledges the rapid degeneration of the vegetative cover, increasing demographic pressure, diminishing farm land characterized by frequent farmer-grazer conflicts. Problem identification in the formulation of the present project proposal was participative, with participating rural producers fully aware of the stakes. There is evidence therefore that they will spare no effort to seize every opportunity that will be useful in alleviating or even reversing the present trends. This perspective forms the basis of the sustainability of the project in the sense that if the project participants and beneficiaries start perceiving positive results during the funding period, they will be motivated to continue with the project activities thereafter.
Strategies put in place in order to ensure sustainability included:
? Selection of project participants based on their interests and problems identified in their own perspectives, to which the project provided solutions.
? Introduction of appropriate and easily adoptable technologies.
? Adequate training and capacity strengthening of project beneficiaries who are able to stand on their own with respect to the innovation packages after the project.
? Incorporation of an income generation component of the project
? Involving women as strategic stakeholders and decision makers
? Targeting women with a revolving loan fund which would help in the creation or expansion of small businesses
? Ensuring minimum follow-up by government technical services (agricultural extension services) to provide participants with backstopping
Project Results
*The organization of baseline survey and focus group discussion (FGD?s) to better understand farmer?s realities and circumstances and validate baseline data. was completed, three focus groups were conducted involving forty people 20 women 15 men and 5 youth in three different communities in Fundong Sub Division. This exercise enabled project management to better understand farmers current socio-economic and technical practices as well as marketing channels, needs and willingness to pay for services which will eventually help in ensuring project sustainability. Additionally, were able to better understand the environmental, economic and social milieu in which the project being undertaken.
*During the reporting period, the project organized one of the two planned workshops lasting for three days duration and involved a total of fifty (50) participants made up of 25 women, 15 men and 10 youth. The results achieved as a result of this activity participant are better placed to appreciate the long term effects of farming methods on future generations. They are also better placed to understand the issues of climate change and how to collectively manage community resources sustainably.
The socio-economic and cultural benefits achieved from training were that participants will be better placed to understand, exploit and manage natural resources sustainably placed and equally will be better placed to carry out project activities hence help ensure successful project implementation. The interaction of crop farmers and graziers within the project will help reduce conflicts and enhance social harmony as well as promote integrated agriculture.
*During the reporting period, the project organized one of the two planned workshops lasting for three days duration and involved a total of fifty (50) participants made up of 25 women, 15 men and 10 youth. The results achieved as a result of this activity participant are better placed to appreciate the long term effects of farming methods on future generations. They are also better placed to understand the issues of climate change and how to collectively manage community resources sustainably.
The socio-economic and cultural benefits achieved from training were that participants will be better placed to understand, exploit and manage natural resources sustainably placed and equally will be better placed to carry out project activities hence help ensure successful project implementation. The interaction of crop farmers and graziers within the project will help reduce conflicts and enhance social harmony as well as promote integrated agriculture.
* Paddocks have been established in three communities in about 2.5 Ha of land consisting mainly of 50 kg Bracharia grass and some Guatamala cuttings will soon follow
*More than 50 crop farmers identified, 15 livestock farmers identified and 6 farmers groups were created and three organizations restructured while a grassroots women union was created. The immediate result of this was that farmers are better organized and motivated to work in groups due to creation of group dynamics. Farmers are better organized in functional groups to ease up introduction and adoption of innovations proposed by project management. It also ensures that farmers feel a sense of joint ownership of the project and hence ensures project success in the long run.
*During the period under report 300 nutrient blocks were produced for dry season supplementation of ruminant feed. The result of this activity was reduction in weight loss during dry season as and thus ensures more income for the herders. It also resulted in reduction in the need for transhumance and subsequent farmer/grazier conflicts.
*Establishment of women revolving loan fund. This scheme was effectively started following training of women in basic book keeping and management of micro-credit. An account was opened with a micro finance institution in Fundong and the fund deposited there. So far, 35 women out of the expected 100 women have benefited from the scheme. The immediate result of this activity are enhanced livelihood strategies, increased disposable incomes of CAGWEESA members and participating women and a general reduction of female dependency on male counterparts in Fundong area. The group has decided to leave the groups to manage the scheme to cut down of running costs and to minimize loan delinquency since members better understand themselves.
*During the period of reporting a suspended piggery of 8 rooms was constructed and 15 piglets have been supplied for fattening and breeding. The immediate result is that organic manure will be available to help enhance soil fertility and the project beneficiaries will have a readily available source of disposable income or will also contribute towards ensuring quality pigs/piglets are available in the project area.
*Introduction of suitable plant species in farming systems
With the species as Caliandra, Acacia, Sesbania, Tephoresia and leucaena were use. These legumes were divided to selected farmers following the workshop and they were taught the different modes of propagation either nursed or directly broadcast in the fields as well as how to manage them for optimum effects. The direct result is improvement in soil fertility, more forage for livestock especially cattle and small ruminants (sheep and goats).
*The paddocks were established using both life fences and poles/barbed wire. Pastures were improved with the introduction of 50 kg of Bracharia grass. 1500 cuttings of Guatemala grass have also been introduced into some paddocks as seed banks for dry season feeding of ruminants in three communities in the project area namely Fundong, Bainjong and Mboh.The immediate effect or result of executing this activity has been Increased biomass yield per unit land area, assurance of year round vegetation for better feeding of livestock and we have richer natural pastures in terms of forage species variety and abundance as well as better nutritive value of natural pastures and improved vegetative cover of the environment.
*During the period under report, one peer exchange was carried out to Bambui in Tubal Sub Division for some selected project participants or beneficiaries to see how leguminous trees are effectively managed in the farming system. Ten selected individuals from the three communities participated in this one day event. This consisted of 6 women 2 men and 2 youth from Fundong, Bainjong and Mboh. The immediate effect was better understanding and management of leguminous trees as well as socio-cultural exchange and understanding and the sharing of best practices in agriculture.
**The organization and execution of one training workshop (new farming techniques and utilization of by-products) creating pasture improvement seed banks, encouragement of paddocking, alley cropping with leguminous shrubs, hedging with fruit trees, use of green manure etc. the workshop focused more on pasture improvement, seed banks, paddocking, alley cropping and green manure for fifty participants. The farmers better understand that farming is an activity which requires rational management of natural resources like land, water and forest. Additionally, the concept of climate smart agriculture and climate change resilience and mitigation was introduced. Participants were made up of 25 women, 15 youth and 10 men coming from five different communities in Fundong Subdivision.
**field trip to put practice to theory this was done following the second training workshop for 50 participants and consisted of 25 women, 15 youth and 10 youth to the resource centre of CIRDAF which is a local NGO specializing on natural resource management with emphasis on integrated agriculture and market gardening.
**During the period of reporting the project continued with the formulation of least cost diets for the pigs based on available feedstuffs so as to fatten and produce piglets for other project beneficiaries as well as produced manure for farm improvement. Over 2 tonnes of feed ingredients have been purchased to help formulate over 2 tonnes of feed for the animals.
**Establishment of mushroom farm for participating women members, and production and marketing of mushroom. The house has been established Seeds were ordered from IRAD Bambui and the first set of mushroom farms have been set up and the first harvests are awaited by July 2015. Fifteen counters were constructed at and five were left at the central demonstration farm at Fundong while five were sent to Mboh and 5 were sent to Bainjong. In total 40 people were trained consisting of 25 women, 10 youth and 5 men which was more than the initially planned number of just 20 women. Such interest and enthusiasm was shown that the number had to be increased to accommodate the extra participants. CIRDAF even opted to construct 6 additional counters at its resource centre and requested CAGWEESA to help set up the farm with technical advice as well as help in acquisition of seeds.
