Special Evaluation/Report
Understanding the Policy Environment for Scaling Farmers’ Field Business School in Nepal: A Gender Focused Context Analysis with a Focus on Local and Sectoral Governance
The objectives of the Rupantaran project are to enhance dignity and self-esteem with livelihood promotion of Farmer Field Business School (FFBS) groups especially landless, women and Dalits, and other marginalized communities. The project is transforming the knowledge and skills of Small Holder Women Farmers (SHWFs) through the ‘Krishak Pathshala’ (Farmer Field Business School) model based on the ‘Learning by Doing’ approaches at the community level, and beneficiaries are taking the project positively and participating in FFBS model in their respective community.
The study is implemented by National Farmer Group Federation (NFGF) in partnership with CARE Nepal. The primary purpose of the study is to carry out a gender-focused context analysis to understand the policy environment and governance context with a focus on the local governance and sectoral governance of associated sectors with the FFBS scale-up, specifically agriculture, food security, climate change adaptation, nutrition, and markets. The study is focused on structure, institutional and governance arrangement, and the main change actors/stakeholders to enable the promotion of the FFBS model and identify the formal and informal institutions and opportunities that support upscaling of the FFBS model. It is found through the study that the structural barriers for women and Dalits are caste, class, gender, education, land size, ownership, and the traditional patriarchal mindset. Additionally, the study area's socially harmful practices include untouchability, child marriage, Gender Based Violence (GBV), dowry systems, and domestic violence from their intimate partner. Moreover, the care economy does not recognize women’s contribution to household chores.
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The study is implemented by National Farmer Group Federation (NFGF) in partnership with CARE Nepal. The primary purpose of the study is to carry out a gender-focused context analysis to understand the policy environment and governance context with a focus on the local governance and sectoral governance of associated sectors with the FFBS scale-up, specifically agriculture, food security, climate change adaptation, nutrition, and markets. The study is focused on structure, institutional and governance arrangement, and the main change actors/stakeholders to enable the promotion of the FFBS model and identify the formal and informal institutions and opportunities that support upscaling of the FFBS model. It is found through the study that the structural barriers for women and Dalits are caste, class, gender, education, land size, ownership, and the traditional patriarchal mindset. Additionally, the study area's socially harmful practices include untouchability, child marriage, Gender Based Violence (GBV), dowry systems, and domestic violence from their intimate partner. Moreover, the care economy does not recognize women’s contribution to household chores.
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Farmer Field Business Schools and Village Savings and Loan Associations for promoting climate-smart agriculture practices: Evidence from rural Tanzania
A quasi-experimental data collection was used in Iringa Tanzania to investigate the impact of a community based approach to promote the adoption of climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices. Based on two community-based organizations, Farmer Field Business Schools (FFBS) and Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), this approach combines interventions on farmer training, access to microfinance, and women’s empowerment in agriculture to introduce and enhance the adoption of the practices. We find a positive effect of the interventions on the adoption rates of CSA practices, including mulching, manure composting, crop rotation and rhizobium inoculation, and soybean production. This effect was more pronounced for farmers that participated in the trainings provided by the FFBSs and members of VSLAs. Farming households scoring high in terms of women’s empowerment are also more likely to adopt the introduced practices when compared to those scoring low. Soybean production results increased soybean sales and consumption, showing the contribution of the interventions to the incomes and nutrition levels of the farmers. These results show that FFBS and VSLA serve as promising community based platforms to introduce interventions on farmers training, microfinance, women’s empowerment to upscale the adoption of CSA practices. Read More...
Rapport d’évaluation rapide du marché dans le cadre des opérations de transferts sociaux (Intrants agricoles et produits enrichis)
Ce rapport rend compte des résultats de l’étude d’évaluation rapide du marché réalisée dans les cercles d’intervention (Mopti et Tombouctou) de Sugu Yiriwa. Initiée dans le cadre des opérations de transferts sociaux destinés à l’achat des intrants agricoles et des produits locaux nutritifs, l’étude a pour but de faire un diagnostic rapide des marchés d’intrants et des produits alimentaires transformés, en vue d’identifier les tendances et dégager une stratégie d’intervention adaptée. Les travaux ont été réalisés par une équipe constituée d’agents recrutés, mobilisés et formés sous la supervision de l’équipe MEL de Sugu Yiriwa. Le rapport est structuré en plusieurs parties dont le contexte, les objectifs et l’approche méthodologique utilisée lors de l’étude, suivi des résultats obtenus. Read More...
TATWEER “Livelihood Security and Civil Society Strengthening in the OPT.”
TATWEER was implemented from May 2009 - April of 2015 utilizing partnerships with three Palestine NGOs (Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem (ARIJ), Economic and Social Development Center of Palestine (ESDC), and New Farm Company (NFC). The project was implemented to help devastated farmers begin to regain food security in the Jenin and Tubas regions. This research seeks to understand and assess the sustained post-project outcomes and impacts both achieved and unintended of the TATWEER as a food security enabler among Palestinian households. CARE Palestine, CARE USA, and partners used mixed methods for this post-project sustainability study. Read More...
Beyond Economic Empowerment The Influence of Savings Groups on Women’s Public Participation in Fragile and (post) Conflict-Affected Settings
Promoting women’s meaningful participation and influence in governance processes in fragile and (post) conflict-affected settings (FCAS) is necessary to achieve inclusive development. Existing evidence suggests that by economically empowering women, they will be able to better participate in public decision-making processes. One such mechanism for women’s economic empowerment in Sudan is through Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA), which are savings groups that offer women a space to come together to save money, take out small loans, and make investment decisions.
The mixed methods study conducted in seven villages across three states (East Darfur, South Darfur, and South Kordofan) sought to answer the research question “To what extent does women’s participation in savings groups affect their public participation in governance or decision-making processes?” Additionally, this study investigated the differences between women who participated in VSLAs under the Every Voice Counts (EVC) and Latter Day Saints Charities (LDS) Recovery Support for Vulnerable Households programmes as well as the differences from participation in different community groups (VSLAs, community advocacy groups, and other community-based organisations). These comparisons helped to offer an explanation of how different programmatic approaches from civil society and different community groups did or did not affect women members’ public participation.
Through the findings of this study, it can be concluded that indeed women’s participation in savings groups (VSLAs) affects their public participation in community governance structures and decision-making. The extent, though, is dependent on a variety of factors including the gender composition of the VSLA, the support of family and community members, the support and resources contributed by programmes and partners, social norms and exclusionary practices within the communities, and the will of the women members themselves. Read More...
The mixed methods study conducted in seven villages across three states (East Darfur, South Darfur, and South Kordofan) sought to answer the research question “To what extent does women’s participation in savings groups affect their public participation in governance or decision-making processes?” Additionally, this study investigated the differences between women who participated in VSLAs under the Every Voice Counts (EVC) and Latter Day Saints Charities (LDS) Recovery Support for Vulnerable Households programmes as well as the differences from participation in different community groups (VSLAs, community advocacy groups, and other community-based organisations). These comparisons helped to offer an explanation of how different programmatic approaches from civil society and different community groups did or did not affect women members’ public participation.
Through the findings of this study, it can be concluded that indeed women’s participation in savings groups (VSLAs) affects their public participation in community governance structures and decision-making. The extent, though, is dependent on a variety of factors including the gender composition of the VSLA, the support of family and community members, the support and resources contributed by programmes and partners, social norms and exclusionary practices within the communities, and the will of the women members themselves. Read More...
The impact of price hikes of essential food commodities on the poor and extreme poor in Bangladesh
Strengthening Household Ability to Respond to Development Opportunities (SHOUHARDO) III Plus is a two-year program (2022-2024) funded by the United States Agency for International Develoment (USAID). The program aims to deliver improved gender-equitable food and nutrition security and resilience for 168,521 Poor and Extreme Poor (PEP) households in northern Bangladesh’s char and haor regions. Building on the successes of the predecessor program, SHOUHARDO III Plus works with participants to pursue diversified sources of income, support inclusive and sustainable agricultural-led growth, enhance access to markets, especially for women and girls, and improve access to financial services for PEP participants. The program also promotes increased consumption of nutritious foods and micro-nutrients for children under five, pregnant and lactating women, and adolescent girls. The program continuously engages and links the program facilitated Local Service Providers (LSP) with the public and private sectors to achieve its aim. SHOUHARDO III Plus integrates gender, governance, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), environment, and private sector as cross-cutting components to maximize the program’s impact. Read More...
AFED results reports (calculation methods and conclusions)
This report is set up to illustrate the calculation details of each intermediate and immediate outcome indicator and changes to some indicators of the project's performance measurement framework based on several data collection tools (interviews, questionnaires, focus group, survey, document review, survey and rolling profile). Below are the details in order of the indicators in the CMP. Read More...
SISTEMATIZACIÓN DE EXPERIENCIA “COMEDORES PARA LA PREVENCIÓN DE LA ANEMIA EN NIÑOS Y NIÑAS DE 6 A 36 MESES DE EDAD
El proyecto de ayuda humanitaria “Alimenta su Fuerza” en su segunda etapa, fue ejecutado por CARE Perú y financiado por el Banco de Crédito del Perú (BCP); su continuidad nació de la iniciativa para dar respuesta a la crisis alimentaria generada como consecuencia de la emergencia sanitaria por COVID-19 debido a medidas restrictivas que afectaron el ingreso económico de muchas familias y con ello la posibilidad de cubrir necesidades básicas. El proyecto tuvo como finalidad mejorar la seguridad alimentaria de la población en situación de vulnerabilidad, brindando apoyo alimentario con raciones nutritivas a través de espacios estratégicos como los comedores auto gestionados adscritos al Programa de Complementación Alimentaria de los gobiernos locales, a su vez de forma complementaria se incorporó un piloto para la prevención de la anemia en niños y niñas de 6 a 36 meses, que consistió en la entrega de preparaciones que incluyeron alimentos fuente de hierro, para ello se articuló acciones con establecimientos de salud y agentes comunitarios de la zona, así mismo se brindó acompañamiento a las madres o cuidadoras de los niños y niñas para que mejoren las prácticas de alimentación y accedan a los servicios de salud para la prevención y reducción de la anemia. Read More...