Women's Economic Empowerment
For Active Inclusion and Rights of Roma Women in the Western Balkans (FAIR II) Midterm Report
The mid-term evaluation was carried out to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the project progress, to work-out lessons learned and to provide recommendations for further action. This was done as an internal assessment, conducted by the CARE Balkans Regional Gender Program Coordinator and cover the first 23 months of project implementation (Nov 1, 2015 inclusive of September 2017). This evaluation builds upon the internally conducted Baseline Assessment that was finished and a report produced in December of 2016. [50 pages] Read More...
Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement (PACE) Training Impact Assessment
In 2016, CARE International and Chrysalis carried out the P.A.C.E. training program for female workers of the tea plantation sector, in the Hatton and Watawala Regions in Sri Lanka. Sponsored by GAP Inc., the P.A.C.E. program created for female garment workers (FGWs) was scaled down and modified to better suit the schedule and capacity of female plantation workers (FPWs). This training program was conducted as a pilot for the FPWs. CARE’s facilitators and trainers were trained on the P.A.C.E. program by GAP’s P.A.C.E. Master Trainer in Sri Lanka. The conducted P.A.C.E. program consisted of the four core areas of training: Communication, Problem Solving and Decision Making (PSDM), Time and Stress Management (TSM), and Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). The WASH training was carried out by Chrysalis trainers in collaboration with the Estate Medical Officers, Health Officers and volunteers of each individual estate. [27 pages] Read More...
Sustainable and Effective Economic Development (SEED) Project Summative Evaluation Report
The Sustainable and Effective Economic Development (SEED) project was a seven-year initiative that started in January, 2006, and ended in April, 2013. The project was funded by CIDA and managed by CARE Canada and CARE Mozambique in partnership with Irish Aid, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). CIDA’s contribution was $7.5 million. Irish Aid contributed Euros 1,218,906 towards funding for the cashew component of the project, and IFAD contributed Euros 353,630 towards funding for the goat component with research undertaken by ILRI staff.
The SEED project was implemented in a difficult and challenging environment. The primary stakeholders were the women and men living in the rural communities of the project area and their needs were many. Most were living at a subsistence level in some of the poorest districts and communities of Mozambique. There were limited economic opportunities as these communities were dispersed, populations sparse and transport access was very difficult to and between many communities. There was also a lack of service providers supplying agricultural inputs or technical support at the community and government levels. These communities were confronted with incidences of HIV/AIDS and the numbers of female headed households were high. [76 pages] Read More...
The SEED project was implemented in a difficult and challenging environment. The primary stakeholders were the women and men living in the rural communities of the project area and their needs were many. Most were living at a subsistence level in some of the poorest districts and communities of Mozambique. There were limited economic opportunities as these communities were dispersed, populations sparse and transport access was very difficult to and between many communities. There was also a lack of service providers supplying agricultural inputs or technical support at the community and government levels. These communities were confronted with incidences of HIV/AIDS and the numbers of female headed households were high. [76 pages] Read More...
Refugee Assistant Initiative in Liberia (RAIL) End of Project Impact Survey
The RAIL project designed to help the UNHCR to provide basic assistance to refugees by strengthening their existing capacity, while promoting self-reliance and livelihoods, is a multi-sector project.
The project was looking at water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), livelihood with focus on Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLA) and support to the education of the refugee children, through Early Childhood Education, meant to help develop and mold the minds of the children in their early years while their brains are still pliable.
This multi-faceted approach enhances the protection of the rights of refugees in order to maintain a favorable environment and sustained local integration for those wanting to stay in Liberia. [11 pages] Read More...
The project was looking at water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), livelihood with focus on Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLA) and support to the education of the refugee children, through Early Childhood Education, meant to help develop and mold the minds of the children in their early years while their brains are still pliable.
This multi-faceted approach enhances the protection of the rights of refugees in order to maintain a favorable environment and sustained local integration for those wanting to stay in Liberia. [11 pages] Read More...
Origination and Development of the Soy bean small holder farmers in Egypt”
This 46 page final evaluation on CARE Egypt, with the support of Cargill Inc. and Cargill Egypt, implementation of the “Origination and Development of the Soy bean small holder farmers” project in the governorates of Minia, Benisuef and Beheira. The purpose of the 3-year project was to support the communities through increasing agricultural linkages by working to improve socioeconomic conditions for rural communities by increasing local production of Soy beans to reach 6000 metric tons of Soy beans throughout the project life. The project cooperated with the government through Extension Officers, farmers through their cooperatives and professional think tanks through the Agricultural Research Centers. Read More...
PNG Coffee Industry Support Project Mid-term Evaluation Report
The Coffee Industry Support Project (CISP) is funded by the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development (Pacific Women) program and implemented by CARE International in Papua New Guinea (CARE). It supports coffee industry stakeholders in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea to mainstream gender equity in their policies, practices and approaches. CISP increases women’s access to training and extension services. It improves family business management practices so smallholder coffee farming families can work together more effectively. This enables the whole family to benefit from coffee production and income. This evaluation was a mid-term review of Phase 2, focusing on the period mid-2015 to early 2017. The evaluation assessed if the Project model was good value for money; the extent to which it was meeting its objectives; and to provide advice to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on whether to fund the continuation of this phase [48 pages] Read More...
Improving Access to Safe Employment For Migrant Women in Myanmar
CARE International in Myanmar (CIM) implemented “Improving Access to Safe Employment for Migrant Women in urban Myanmar” (hereinafter referred to as “The Project”) between July 2013 and 30 June 2017, with funding from CARE Australia (CAUST), under the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) Australian NGO Cooperation Agreement Partnership (ANCP), with a total AU$2.5 million. [43 pages] Read More...
A-Card Progress and Prospects
A-card (A stands for Agriculture) is a brand new micro-credit mechanism, the only example in Bangladesh aimed at providing smallholder farmers financing to a digital purchase of farm inputs at a low cost (10%) through the formal financial system linked to a debit card and ICT-enabled platforms.
Addressing the problem of smallholder farmers' lack of access to finance required a consultation among different stakeholders particularly in finding an effective solution. It eventually led to the idea and design of the A-card model. In this regard, the USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity (AESA) project's interventions effectively engaged with different stakeholders, including small-holder farmers, microfinance institutions (MFIs), formal lenders (i.e. banks) and rural agricultural inputs retailers. The aim of this collaboration was to work for a common goal with differentiated responsibilities. [14 pages] Read More...
Addressing the problem of smallholder farmers' lack of access to finance required a consultation among different stakeholders particularly in finding an effective solution. It eventually led to the idea and design of the A-card model. In this regard, the USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity (AESA) project's interventions effectively engaged with different stakeholders, including small-holder farmers, microfinance institutions (MFIs), formal lenders (i.e. banks) and rural agricultural inputs retailers. The aim of this collaboration was to work for a common goal with differentiated responsibilities. [14 pages] Read More...
A-Card Pilot Initiative Impact Assessment
mSTAR/Bangladesh, working with the Agriculture Extension Support Activity (AESA) led by Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM), conducted pre- and postassessments in Faridpur district to understand the impact that a micro-credit product (called A-Card) delivered to smallholder farmers through Bank Asia’s agent banking had on participating farmers, associated ag-input retailers, and other relevant stakeholders, as well as to understand what further action can be taken to improve uptake of these services.
This report includes findings from the pre- and post-assessment surveys, beginning with farmers and retailers’ demographic information, including age, sex and education; as well as their mobile phone ownership, access and usage patterns. It also examines the knowledge and perceptions that stakeholders have of digital financial services (DFS), in addition to their perceived benefits from A-Card, associated challenges, and opportunities to scale up. In addition, this report includes some findings from a separate survey conducted solely by AESA. It concludes with recommendations based on the findings and feedback from stakeholders. [28 pages] Read More...
This report includes findings from the pre- and post-assessment surveys, beginning with farmers and retailers’ demographic information, including age, sex and education; as well as their mobile phone ownership, access and usage patterns. It also examines the knowledge and perceptions that stakeholders have of digital financial services (DFS), in addition to their perceived benefits from A-Card, associated challenges, and opportunities to scale up. In addition, this report includes some findings from a separate survey conducted solely by AESA. It concludes with recommendations based on the findings and feedback from stakeholders. [28 pages] Read More...
Krishi Utsho 2017 Annual Report
Krishi Utsho has emerged as a transformative social enterprise over the past several years as a way to identify and bring about progressive advancement in the lives of small holder farmers. As a social enterprise Krishi Utsho (KU) is equivalent to a hybrid of social sector intervention and pure business entrepreneurship, a social venture that can address problems of self-sustainability in a social intervention initiative. To succeed, these ventures must adhere to both social goals and financial viability. Typically, this project’s aim is to benefit small holder farmers, in particular women. It aims to permanently transform their lives by altering a prevailing socioeconomic equilibrium that works to their disadvantage. More importantly, the beneficiary group is an economically disadvantaged or marginalized segment of society that doesn’t have the means to transform its social or economic prospects without assistance. To that end, project focuses on the most important yet often neglected, agricultural sector. [47 pages] Read More...