HarvestPlus Reaching End

Users Project

By Sylvia Magezi

November 6th , 2010

OBJECTIVES

To promote the production, consumption and

marketing of OFSP with the aim of reducing VAD

Develop and implement a cost-effective strategies for farmer adoption and consumer acceptance of orange flesh sweet potato (OFSP)

Measure impacts and draw lessons learned for future efforts

FOCUS OF THE PRESENTATION

Activities undertaken

Level of women participation

Impacts of intervention

GETTING STARTED

Selection of operational areas

Selection of partners

Selection of farmer groups

BUKEDEA

L. Victoria

L. A

lber

t

L. Kyoga

L. Edward

L. George

SO

RO

TI

KUMI

KAMULILUWEERO

MU

KO

NO

KAYUNGAÊÚ

ÊÚ

ÊÚKampala

Jinja

Mbale

Implementation Areas

Non-OFSP Areas

ÊÚ Major Towns

LEGEND

ÊÚÊÚ

ÊÚ

N

50 0 50 Kilometers

SELECTION OF FARMER GROUPS /

BENEFICIARIES

One of the project objectives was to address the

vitamin A status of women and children

Site selection targeted groups that had mothers

with children under 5 years of age.

Farmer groups selected had quite a high proportion

of women –above 50%

Crop (sweet potatoes ) usually grown by women for

household consumption

IMPLEMENTATION STRUCTURE

Senior Project

Staff

Project Staff

based in

partner

institution

Community

Volunteers

Villages

Team

Specialists

Extension

Staff

Agric

Promoters

Nutrition

Promoters

Farmer Groups

PROMOTERS/VOLUNTEERS

Because of the crop, women took part in activities

Directly benefitted from training (knowledge and skills)

Were engaged in making products for sale and selling vines

Were at the fore front of planning and evaluating the activities

Promoter Ratio

Male : Female

Agric 2 1

Nutrition 1 3

Total 3 4

Female involvement Promoter ratio

WOMEN IN PRODUCTION

High percentage of

farmers were women

(twice as much)

Crop considered one

for Hh consumption

and not income

When men realized

women were earning

they got interested

COOKING DEMOS WITH NUTRITION

PROMOTERS

•Targeted mothers and

caregivers

•Conducted nutrition

education focusing on

maternal and child

nutrition.

DRAMA AND SONGS BY WOMEN

• Mainly done by

women

• Men involved in

leading and playing

music instruments

-

MARKETING THE OFSP ROOTS

Bicycle traders

Village retailers

Market traders

SWEET POTATO TRADERS BY GENDER

Type of trader Male Female

Bicycle traders 20 0

Farmer traders 2 14

Retailers 22 79

Wholesalers 4 16

Total 48 110

Apart from the

bicycle traders all

other traders are

predominantly

women

True for both

markets in towns

and in the village

RESULTS

Built their capacity and confidence

Took on leadership roles in the community

Sold vines –some built and roofed their houses with

iron sheets

Took on making OFSP products and today earn

some income

Sell OFSP roots at homes and in near by markets

CONCLUSIONS

The project contributed to:

decreasing gender inequalities – (both men and women had access to training)

Decreasing asset disparities because both male and female sold their vines, and OFSP roots and bought assets and

Improved livelihoods. However

Social relations in households were affected both negatively and positively

CONTINUED ACTIVITIES

Expanding to new areas - 2 districts

Adding iron rich beans to the

OFSP

Targeting 10,000 beneficiaries this year in the new

areas

Continuing support to the old areas to enable them

continue marketing

THANK YOU