scampis learning notes
DESCRIPTION
Learning Notes World Water Week Seminar: "Micro-irrigation for food security: the untold stories of forgotten stakeholders", Cecilia Ruebrto [email protected]TRANSCRIPT
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Content
Why the Learning Notes? ................................................................................................................ 5
Introduction to the articles ................................................................................................................ 6
1. Strengthening women and youth through improved nutrition, health and hygiene in
Guatemala ........................................................................................................................................... 8
1. Strategy adaptation of the project: introducing micro-irrigation systems in school gardens
in Guatemala ..................................................................................................................................... 18
2. Scaling up integrated strategies for micro-irrigation through coffee producers ...................... 30
3. “The first experience lasts forever”: Bijaya Kumar experience as Scampis promoter.............. 38
4. Role of promotion strategy for introducing the MIS innovation .............................................. 43
5. Scaling up of micro-irrigation systems – Integrating MIS in Indian National Programme for
Livelihood improvement: complexity and opportunities.................................................................. 54
6. Micro-enterprise for MIS – the born and the consolidation of Innovagri................................ 62
7. Breaking the small farmers vicious cycle of debts through micro-irrigation systems .............. 67
8. Scaling up micro-irrigation systems in Madagascar: opportunities and constraints ................ 72
9. Measuring the Scampis project change dimension .................................................................. 78
Guatemala Story ............................................................................................................................... 85
India Story ......................................................................................................................................... 90
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About the Seminar “Micro-irrigation for food security: the untold stories of forgotten
stakeholders”
Untold stories of forgotten stakeholders and project implementers from India, Guatemala and
Madagascar will highlight the importance of dimension change in pro poor development
through the introduction of micro-irrigation systems (MIS).
MIS are effective tools for addressing rural poverty and improving the lives of smallholder
farmers. The Scampis project (2009-2012) has changed the lives of 30.000 vulnerable farmers
which have adopted low-cost, user-friendly MIS technologies.
This innovative technology has seen farmers embrace other strategies such as organic
fertilization, natural pesticides, appropriate agricultural practices (longer growing seasons,
lower application of agro-chemicals and (re)introducing native species and different crops)and
changed knowledge and behaviour on nutrition and health.
Women and youth have formed strong livelihood groups to explore the manifold impacts.
Scampis put in motion an holistic development chain from the manufacturer through the
retailer shop to the farmer and sales of exceeds in local markets.
Sustainability is a matter of affordability of choice–hence use of subsidies, accessibility of
extension and rural finance services, as well as availability of marketing linkages.
Together with policy dialogue they lead to scaling-up in the 3 countries.
Scampis Website: http://www.ifad.org/english/water/scampis
Special thankS
Cooperninc; IFAD; All Scampis staff; IFAD Countries offices; friends and families that have
constantly supported us.
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Why the Learning Notes? August, 2012
The Scampis project has been a very special project. What made the experience so “special”
has been the incredible dynamic attitude of all the people involved, the staff and the same
beneficiaries. The project piloted innovative strategies to introduce micro-irrigation systems
(MIS) in India, Guatemala and Madagascar. In this 3 countries, organizations that for various
reasons get in contact with the project showed interest for it and developed their own
strategies to integrate MIS in their activities.
Among the various project achievements, the learning has been very important. The learning
happened constantly at the field level, at the organizational and at the cross-
countries/international level.
This publication wants to collect some informal contribution of actors that have been key in
the project development. Clearly there are many more people that play a central role in this
story, we hope that photos and future learning notes will give them voice & justice.
Dear reader, go through this publication with the spirit of a story reader, with more
curiosity than scientific expectations, be aware that our objective is to share experiences and
let raise questions to reinforce a continuous “learning” process and to facilitate direct
interactions with our authors.
The “Scampis Learning Notes” is an informal collection of home-made-working-papers &
stories about real life experiences. This experiences and much more will be shared during the
World Water Week seminar: “Micro-irrigation for food security: the untold stories of forgotten
stakeholders”.
Enjoy your reading!
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Introduction to the articles Now, more than before, we can say that the micro-irrigation technology is an extremely
powerful tool for improving livelihood condition in rural areas, especially if appropriately
linked to integrated strategies for rural development. The micro-irrigation can offer satisfying
results in relative short time (Measuring the Scampis project change dimension, Cecilia
Ruberto).
During the last 3 years of the Scampis project implementation different strategies have been
developed and many challenges faced, this Learning Notes wants to give insights on some
aspects that should be kept in consideration when we think using micro-irrigation in our
strategies. The learning and the social dimension are important aspects ( Strengthening
women and youth through the correct nutrition, health and hygiene in Guatemala, Magalí
Ávila; Strategy adaptation of the Scampis Project through School Gardens in Guatemala,
Santiago Girón) as well as the technical and market dimension (Development of local
manufacturing chain for micro-irrigation technologies: born and the consolidation of the micro-
enterprise Innovagri, Randriambelo Lova; Role Of Promotion Strategy For Introducing The MIS
Innovation, Tapan Kumar Pattanayak ). When an innovation is introduced, sufficient time
should be allocated to consolidate the cultural, habits and to perceive economical and
environmental improvements, for this reason the scaling up of MIS into larger programmes
for livelihood enhancement is very important (Scaling up of micro-irrigation systems in
Madagascar : opportunities and challenges, Christin Ramaroson; Integrating micro-irrigation
into the National Programme for Livelihood improvement in India : opportunities and
challenges, Susanta Nanda; Overall scaling up of integrated strategies for micro-irrigation and
scaling up with coffee producers, Mynor Maldonado). Finally, to develop effective and efficient
strategy, nothing is more important than listen at real experience of field staff and
beneficiaries (My experience as Scampis promoter, Bijaya Kumar Rout; Breaking the small
farmers vicious cycle of debts through micro-irrigation systems, Fenomanantsoa
Andriamanalina, Most Significant change stories from Guatemala and India).
All the articles are “home-made – working papers” pulled together in this informal publication
to “immortalize” important experiences, feelings and to create opportunities for further
discussions.
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Country India Guatemala Madagascar
Impleme
nting
NGO
IDE-I (International Development
Enterprises – India)
Funcafé (Fundación de la Caficultura para el
Desarrollo Rural)
AVSF (Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans
Frontières)
Benefici
aries
10.000 beneficiaries expected by the end of the project
15.107 households achieved among them 9.108 use natural fertilization
10.000 beneficiaries expected by the end of the project
13715 households achieved and 128 school gardens established
10.000 beneficiaries expected by the end of the project
4670 beneficiaries directly achieved; 4618 with partners
Stra
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s
Developed equipment markets where none previously existed in Koraput and Gajapati districts,Orissa region
Worked with self-help, village based micro-finance group of 10-30 women
Implemented promotional strategy from district to village level
Collaborated with regional rural development programmes: Orissa Tribal Empowerment and Livelihood Programme and Integrated Tribal Development Agency
Developed new school gardens using MIS and natural fertilizers Worked through groups of farmers and coffee producer cooperatives
Complemented micro-irrigation practice with capacity building in nutrition (nutritious recipes and more diet diversity), health and hygiene
Connected local retailers to national providers of low-cost micro-irrigation technologies
Developed equipment markets: from manufacturing to distribution and promotion at village level
Proposed client-specific subsidies policy
Created new job opportunities in manufacturing, promotion and profitable farming
Worked with groups of farmers, independent farmers and agro-cooperatives
Brought together a wide range of stakeholders and clients to ensure sustainability
Linked to a number of projects to scale up micro-irrigation (Capfida; PPRR; EU; AROPA; FAFAFI; PROSPERER; AD2M)
Tech
nic
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Intr
od
uce
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Locally produced 100 m2 and 20 m2 MIS: farmers find it extremely easy to use and to maintain
Surface treadle pump to lift water from a stream or well: farmers are less dependent on rainfed farming
Natural fertilizers (vermiwash and vermicompost) maintain soil fertility and increase production
Introduced natural pesticides to reduce crop losses at little cost
Downsized the commercially available 600 m2 MIS to 100 m2 and 50 m2 MIS for vulnerable smallholders
Introduced natural fertilizers (vermiwash and vermicompost) to maintain soil fertility and increase production
Introduced natural pesticides to reduce crop losses at little cost • Provided filters for drinking water to ensure water quality
Introduced practices for intensive cultivation, crop diversification and synergies between crops
Adapted design and local manufacturing of 100 m2 and 50 m2 MIS
Designed and locally manufactured pedal pumps using recycled plastic material (registered innovation)
Built capacity for sustainable extension services in intensive cultivation, crop diversification and synergies between crops
The Scampis Project
Scaling up micro irrigation in India,
Guatemala and Madagascar
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In 1981 the Government created instances of the Inter-
American Women Commission-National Women Office
(ONAM) in August 1982 it was ratified by the Convention of
the United Nations the elimination of all discrimination ways
against women. All the plans, programs and projects were
developed in order to contribute to the strengthening of
women and youth and as consequence improve the future of
the families of the rural area of the east side of Guatemala.
1. Strengthening women and youth through improved nutrition,
health and hygiene in Guatemala Magalí Ávila, Nutrition & Health Technician, Funcafé, Guatemala. Mail: [email protected]
Summary
The working experience with SCAMPIS Guatemala from 2010 to 2012 has been a learning process,
carried out with families, women and youth.
The methodology that was used was learning by doing; the micro-irrigation system (MIS) has
been a tool to show how to produce and prepare their own food, in a more nutritious way and low
costs compared to what they were used to do before the arrival of Scampis in that rural area: the
east side of Guatemala, covering 6 regions and 12 municipalities.
Funcafé has within its strategic plan to continue working on three main areas: Education, Health
and Feeding and Nutritional Security; this work shares the United Nations millennium
development goals.
In the Education area identified the objective to contribute with the raising of competitions in
order to have a productive and competitive life, the actions were considered from pre-school,
elementary school, middle school, and high school, applying innovating methodologies, with
efficacy and efficiency, relevance and pertinence.
In the Health area it was worked with prevention and protection levels; recovery to improve
health conditions in order to have a pleasant and extended life.
In Feeding and
Nutritional Security
the goal was the
improvement of nutritional
conditions of people in the rural area,
there were set out actions to improve:
availability, access, consumption and
use of biological food.
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Women and Youth in Guatemala
According to the 5th
National Enquiry on Maternal-Enfant Health women with higher fertility are
the ones who are part of the groups of ages from 15 and 19 years old and 45 to 49 years old,
although fertility is higher in women from the rural area. In the same enquiry it is noticed that
fertility increases when women have less education.
The difference in the fertility observed in the enquiry and the one wished by women is always
higher in women from the rural area, in those who belong to an indigenous group and also in
those who belong to a lower level of education. Women in fertility age who do not wish to
procreate are still exposed to the ‘risk’ of being pregnant because they do not have a family
planning method, reproductive guidance and also due to cultural aspects and low education. 1
Historically women in our Guatemala have been unlucky, mainly, women from the rural area and
especially indigenous women. Male chauvinism, lack of education and the few participation spaces
set them in a disadvantage place. In 1981 the Government created instances of the Inter-
American Women Commission-National Office of Women (ONAM) and in August 1982 was ratified
by the United Nations Convention on the elimination of all of discrimination ways against women.
Through presidential programs and different departments, the Guatemalan Government also
began with a series of programs designated to women. International Organisms have appeared to
alleviate the poor and marginal condition in both areas for women and their families. The process
which ended with the signature of the Peace Agreement allowed the creation of spaces for social
and political participation by the Guatemalan Government in the compliance of the agreements,
pacts and conventions have been signed and/or ratified in order to respect women human rights.
How did SCAMPIS execution began?
The hired working team for the execution of tasks in the field get in contact and met the different
institutions and authorities present in the areas where they would have worked to introduce
themselves and the project.
It began by making a diagnosis of the communities based on health, education and feeding and
nutritional security. With this information FUNCAFE diagnosed the different needs that women
and youth had in the area covered by SCAMPIS.
The project was presented at the town level in the meetings with the City Hall Development
Council (COMUDE), Municipal Commission of Feeding and Nutritional Security (COMUSAN) and
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Communitarian Development Council (COCODE). This allowed having the support from the
community leaders in the identification process of the priority groups and community
organization.
Considering the participation statistics of women in Guatemala we decided to be part of the daily
living of the families for the strengthening of women and youngsters in the working process with
SCAMPIS.
The organization was a fundamental part of the objective achievements; women were part of
these strengths for being housewives, mothers of children and also for being the ones who spend
more time with them, for this reason it was considered to include women in the user groups of
SCAMPIS Project. Most women were the ones who at the moment of learning about SCAMPIS
Project showed more interest in participating to learn and improve their living conditions.
When FUNCAFE arrived at the communities did not find community organization, there was a low
credibility on governmental projects. This situation represented an initial challenge for the
introduction of SCAMPIS and it took a while to introduce the practices and approaching strategies
that were going to be implemented in a community level, this made also more difficult that the
technical team earned the confidence of community members.
By looking at the interest that women showed, it was considered that it was going to be possible
to have better achievements working with this age group, it was then organized five women or
five men but each of them represented a family and they were organized by similarity.
Another point of view that was considered was that the land in which they were going to work had
to be close to the homes so the vegetables were close to the homes too and they could control in
a better way the team in which they were assigned.
Another requirement was that the families had a 100 square meters land. Each group was
organized and each group representative was the owner of the land. The groups signed a
commitment letter with their 4 family participants. This was done in order to take the
commitment of working and also to use in proper way the micro irrigation system equipment that
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was given to them as initial capital. Additionally to this the families were committed to give the
proper maintenance and correct use to the micro irrigation system and also to participate in the
educational and technical sessions.
This action allowed consolidating the organization in family, neighbor and community level which
is so needed in rural areas, because the Communitarian Development Council (COCODE) does not
have a wide knowledge of its functions due to the same level of education and lack of training in
its functions. Having the support of COCODE allowed to have bigger capacity of announcement
and inclusion of the project within the communitarian activities.
The micro irrigation system –SMR- came as a tool that was introduced in working experiences. It
was proceed to the implementation of family horticulture with the support of irrigation
technology, identifying that team work made easier the practices and cultural tasks in the
horticulture land and also made easier the initial tasks of preparation of the land. While the crops
were growing, women actively participated in the trainings that the educators in health and
nutrition gave to them in subjects such as feeding and nutritional security, hygiene and sexual and
reproductive health.
These subjects were given in order according to the sequence of the work that the communities
carried out such as: hygiene, cleaning and self-esteem.
Why did it begin with these subjects?
Many of the participating women were historically abused and the opportunity to participate in
the training process was limited. Being aware of this reality the educators of the project began to
use participating methodologies and even to improve self-esteem, and also increased their
leadership and strengthening. These educational talks achieved increase in the participation and
acceptance of the project.
Why is it important to train about Self-Esteem?
In Guatemala there exists a war history, 36 years of intern armed conflict caused deep structural
poverty, discrimination and violence which mostly affected women, children and indigenous
towns.
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This is the reason why we find some cases where women have never even experienced how to
color a drawing, look at themselves in the mirror, jump to catch a balloon, such small things but
before the project they did not have the opportunity to do so. These practices of improving their
self-esteem widely contributed with the disposition of women toward more sensible social
subjects to be discussed and which also approached real life situations within the homes, also in
communities where talking about sexual and reproductive health is still a taboo, self-esteem
subjects and leadership were also essential.
Culturally speaking families have grown in a vicious circle of poverty and for them life is still the
same with or without opportunities, because for their way of thinking, there is no difference in
having or not opportunities to have a better life. There exists a high level of conformism toward
poverty derived from low self-esteem that years of limitation have marked. These families live
with a lot of conformism, because probably to the majority of them maybe during their childhood
had to face malnutrition problems and now being adults it is difficult for them to learn and
understand what they need to change in this poverty circle.
When it was the time to train on subjects like cleaning and hygiene; it was done with due care in
order not to hurt them, mainly with women in the Chortí area who belong to families with limited
resources, because they live in poverty situation and extreme poverty. The workshops were given
with the correct context tools, lifestyle and available resources in the communities.
When we were teaching them how to wash their hands properly and also how to maintain daily
personal hygiene conditions, at their homes and with their food they felt it was a little hard to
achieve in the beginning. During the process there were observed meaningful changes that they
began to achieve for example: cleaning their homes everyday, recognizing that they need better
areas to prepare their food, introducing bags, cardboard boxes or any other thing to put the trash,
not only in their homes but also in their community stores; it was also showed to them that it is
important to recognize that hygiene is part of the health of all the members in the family and in
the community, among others.
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To educate women through trainings while they were harvesting their food became very
important to them, because while they were waiting for the harvest to be ready to learn how to
prepare new recipes with the food, it was also taught to them subjects like the importance of
horticulture production and fruit in order to improve family feeding.
These were the subjects given during the training process:
Feeding and Nutritional Security
Hygiene and Cleaning
Nutritional Food Content
Family Diet Diversification
Nutritious Meals
Feeding for 2 year-old children
Food Conservation Methods
Safe Water
Sexual and Reproductive Health
Gender and Self-Esteem
Leadership
Reproductive Risk
Responsible Fatherhood and
Motherhood
Family Planning Methods
Brest-Feeding Importance
Other subjects that they required
Now we are able to tell you the experience with the Feeding and Nutritional Security and
Sexual and Reproduction Health Subjects!
In the Feeding and Nutritional Security Subject families are now aware of the lack of hygiene that
they personally had before the project, they know of better methods to prepare their food.
Knowing that each vegetable, fruit and herb has a very important nutritional content, which is
essential for the good health of the family. During the approach of the subjects on Feeding and
Nutritional Security it was noticed that women did not know the nutritional content of vegetables.
After SCAMPIS, female beneficiaries of the project now talk about the importance of the
consumption of their own herbs, fruit and vegetables and it is even more important that now they
have all of them near home and together with the micro irrigation system which allows them to
produce during the scarcity water season.
The preparation of diverse recipes was easy because we used everything that they had in their
community, later it was quantified the production costs for each recipe and they realized how
little money they invested and how healthier they were eating.
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Now women tell how their children ask them to cook vegetables, herbs and fruit that they did not
eat before, because they used to cook them only with water and salt; they now have color and
flavor and that is very interesting for all the family at the moment of food consumption. During the
process we realized of the importance of the consumption of safe water. There were done
bacteriological studies of water and we realized that they did not have safe water for human
consumption.
FUNCAFE by considering the need of complementing the subject of Feeding and Nutritional
Security –SAN-, introduced the project of water purification filters for the same families that were
working with horticulture production through micro irrigation system. The families were trained
on the installation of the filters and their use and hygiene, in order to reduce stomach problems
mainly diarrhea in children and adults. It was identified that when a woman was sick she did not
participate and did not feel the desire to work. For the process of the project it was important the
active participation of everybody involved, for this reason it was taught to the women to visit the
health assistance centers closest to them to have their reproductive control.
The filter was a novelty especially for women because they did not need to buy chlorine to purify
the water, they were also environmentally improving because they stopped using wood to boil the
water and it is easier for them to fill the filters at night and the next day they have safe water to
drink for all the family without the need of using more time being able to use it for other chores in
the house.
Now we can listen to many women stating: “my children no longer drink water from the faucet,
they are used to go to school and drink water from the filter” now they do not like any other type
of water, there are families who have taken the filter as one more member for them because they
even dress it up (they use a cover and it looks like a dress, they protect it from the animals and the
kitchen smoke with a blanket).
Sexual and Reproductive Health Subjects
Culturally talking it is not really well seen that women talk about this subject within the family and
it is even worse to have a conversation like this with the husband. For men in the community the
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woman must have as many children as God allows her to, women say that men state that a
woman who does not have many children is not a good wife. When they were educated they
began to know this reality more and more, it was implemented the education on sexual and
reproductive health. Besides it is recognized that sexual and reproductive health has a high
importance level because it contributes to the reduction of maternal and neonatal death.
Family Planning (PF)
In order to introduce the subject on family planning, mainly about the methods, it was needed to
make a clarification that there were only to be shown the ones that there exist and how they are
used as well as the importance of using them, because it was very important to talk about the
subject and the connection that they have with feeding and nutritional security.
The capacity-building began with concrete examples: the differences between five-member-
family compared to a ten-member-family: how they are fed, dressed, how they buy their shoes
and how their health is, comparing the costs and consequences. The community members were
sensitive on the importance of the use of methods and they agreed that they contribute and help
the families. Another subject which is considered a taboo is fatherhood and motherhood
responsibility because for the parents it is very difficult to approach this subject with their
children, derived from the lack of training and education that they have about it. At the moment
of approaching the subject on fatherhood and motherhood responsibility with the parents it was
interesting to them because it allows them to educate their children in an easier way.
Family planning in Guatemala
During the years from 1950 to 2000 Guatemala presented a demographical growth in a 385% above all
the regions in the world during the same period. Yearly, there are added about 354,000 new children to
the Guatemalan population. In the rural area women are having an average of 1.5 more children that
the ones they really want. ENSMI 2008.
Several studies reveal that exists a relationship between the fertility rate and poverty, and for
Guatemala this relationship is very well marked, where 60% of a wealthier population plan their family
with a fertility rate of 1.9 compared to the rural poor population, where the fertility rate is 7.6. As
consequence, family planning must be considered a priority in the creation of development plans.
These actions were integrated as fundamental part by FUNCAFE.
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This subject gave women a lot of ideas and new knowledge, mainly because mothers are the main
advisors for their daughters; although these pieces of advice are limited to the experiences that
the mothers have lived and that unfortunately have not found the best solutions. Now mothers
have a wider knowledge in order to advise their daughters and by this way they would be the ones
who have the opportunity to make positive changes in this ignorance circle on the sexual and
reproductive health subject which exists due to the same lack of education on these
transcendental life subjects as well as the development of the families and communities.
Women with better knowledge on the feeding and nutritional subject and sexual and reproductive
health subject are now able to discuss and to take certain decisions and they also have more
criterion on deciding on some issues and doubts that were inside their minds but that was difficult
for them to express and practice them.
How is the youth involved and strengthen in this experience?
Development of competition for Life
When we talk about competitions it is referred to the group of knowledge, abilities, attitudes, and
values that allow people to know how to be, how to do something and how to live within a society
which is more and more complex, demanding and competitive every single day. It is important,
needed and strategic to invest in the development of competitions through formal and informal
education. This is the reason why FUNCAFE works on kindergarten, elementary and middle
education levels teaching them about the basic competitions for life, which respond to the
demands of the labor market.
Youth has a great potential on attitude and behavior which can be reached in a short and middle
term and for that reason it was decided to work at schools. In our level, schools have been very
interested in working on several training subjects, mainly the ones related to agriculture activities
which are a fundamental part of the family roots in the rural area. FUNCAFE through SCAMPIS not
only introduced agriculture subjects but also included improvement by showing new technological
practices which made better the rural production system.
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It is difficult for schools to work by themselves on agricultural subjects. In spite of being in the
middle of the rural area, education is mainly focused on the improvement of pedagogical attitude,
and teachers do not have the needed knowledge on agricultural subjects. These difficulties
become a problem because knowledge on the best agricultural practices and technologies in order
to improve the production on rural area are on hold; as consequence it is increased the feeding
and nutritional insecurity within the communities.
By knowing these types of weaknesses and that young people who are attending school are the
future of the communities, besides that they represent the opportunity of change in the
development process, it was decided to work with them through school gardening. FUNCAFE
leaves a legacy in the families of the intervened communities with SCAMPIS, because the new
generations are going to create their own families with better responsibility and knowledge.
All of the actions performed by FUNCAFE in the communities were backed up by the local and
national authorities and for this reason it is considered that the actions were performed together
with the vision of an integral development. FUNCAFE through SCAMPIS Project left a high
strengthening level in women and youngsters on fundamental life subjects for the rural area,
because it was provoked inside the communities a positive change on the behavior of the
participant families.
CHARD ROLLS
INGREDIENTS
30 leaves of chard; 4 eggs; 1 cup boiling water; 1 pinch salt ; 1 cup oil
PREPARATION: Wash leaves one by one and put 20 minutes in salted water, drain the leaves. In a cup of boiling water blanch the chard leaves. Beat eggs until stiff. Heat a pan with oil. Make bunches of Swiss chard leaves and dip the 4-with beaten egg. Put the pan fried in heated oil. Serve with tomato sauce.
Preparation time 40 minutes.
CARROT DRINK
INGREDIENTS
2 large carrots; ½ cup sugar; 2 liters of water ; 3 oranges (juice)
PREPARATION: Wash and grate the carrots, then melt it with 1 liter of water. Mix carrot juice with the remaining water and orange juice. Add sugar. Serve.
Preparation time 20 minutes
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1. Strategy adaptation of the project: introducing micro-irrigation
systems in school gardens in Guatemala Santiago Girón, Project Coordinator, Funcafé, Guatemala. Mail: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
In Guatemala 1 of each 2 children suffer from chronicle malnutrition, which locates the country as the
fourth in a global level with presence of chronicle malnutrition in children under 5 years. 1
The Fundación de
la Caficultura para el Desarrollo Rural (Coffee Foundation for Rural Development) –FUNCAFÉ-1, social
branch of the national coffee producers, aware of the need of making actions in the fight against chronicle
malnutrition in Guatemala, reorients the intervention strategies to integral actions in order to beat the
negative effects of chronicle malnutrition in the country. The project Using the Micro Irrigation Systems –
SCAMPIS- in Guatemala initially proposed the possibility to introduce the micro irrigation technology of low
cost to the small producers living in poor and extremely poor situation. Using the help of this technology;
increasing the production levels of food for self-consumption, as well as the selling of surplus.
FUNCAFÉ decided to integrate SCAMPIS Project within the Food and Nutritional Security Area in order to
improve the production systems of micro producers of the rural area and for this reason used the help of
three intervention models; working together with the private sector, with a governmental program, a city
hall, and an association of exporting horticultural producers.
Over 10,000 families know and use the micro irrigation technology to produce food for self consumption
and the sale of surplus, improving with this method their productivity levels. From these families at least
the 70% were trained in sexual and reproductive health subjects, food and nutritional security and safe
water for human consumption. As continuous elements it was introduced the micro irrigation technology in
124 schools allowing that over 11,000 students were able to know the technology, get related with it and
use it as a learning process at school. Funcafé has the certainty that leaves a wider opening and
acceptance to the micro irrigation technology in Guatemala, water purification systems, for the sexual and
reproductive health subjects and food and nutritional security, in the intervened places through SCAMPIS
Project, at individual and family level and at organizational and community level.
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FUNCAFE- social branch of the Guatemalan coffee producers
Funcafé as social support for the coffee producers sector is based
in three fundamental and strategically axis; health, education
and food and nutritional security. In the food and nutritional
security issue (SAN) FUNCAFE’ intervention logic is based on
four pillars agreed in the Food Global Summit Conference 1996:
Availability, Access, Consumption and Biological Use, pillars that
were adopted in the National Policy on Food and Nutritional
Security in Guatemala as a commitment of the Guatemalan
Government toward the feeding right that every human has.
According to the National Policy on Food and Nutritional
Security1, Funcafé begins efforts to improve the conditions of
availability, access, consumption of biological use of the food for
the less favor families of the rural area of Guatemala.
In 2010 UNICEF released alarming information in Guatemala
indicating that 4 of 10 children in Guatemala suffered chronicle
malnutrition and the levels were higher for indigenous children
living in rural areas with 8 of 10 affected. In 2011 Guatemala was
declared as the fourth country in a global level and first in Latin
America with chronicle malnutrition presence. UNICEF in its
global enfant report for 2012 indicated that the situation is
getting worse by having 1 of each 2 children suffering chronicle
malnutrition in Guatemala.
The Project SCAMPIS introduce low
cost micro irrigation technology to
small farmers living in poor and
extremely poor situation. Using this
technology the levels of food
production for self-consumption
increase, the families can also sell
the surplus at the market. The
project started also developing a
local market chain for the irrigation
technology and to make it more
accessible to the community
members.
Funcafé aware of the need of
making actions to fight against
chronicle malnutrition in
Guatemala, changed the
intervention strategies to integral
actions in order to beat the
negative effects of chronicle
malnutrition in the country.
The East side of Guatemala has been identified as Scampis main intervention area, this area is
hevily affected areas by chronicle malnutrition, also affected for long periods with high and very
high risk of drought and vulnerability to climate change, decrease of the quantity and quality of
the water and the deregulation of the cycle of water resources, lack of protection and vanishing of
water sources as well as the high vulnerability of the territorial division.
The main idea was to educate on the creation of family gardens for the horticultural production
in their backyards, using the micro irrigation system in order to reduce the amount of water used
during the production process. This horticultural production is intended to be used for self
consumption and the sale of surplus. The designated area for each family was 20 m2.
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There were defined 12 towns from the east side of Guatemala located at Chiquimula, Jalapa,
Jutiapa, and Zacapa, 1 town in Alta Verapaz and 1 town from El Quiché.
For the towns located in the east side were stated alliances in order to intervene 7.000 families
with the national program FIDA-East and Asociación Nacional del Café (Guatemalan National
Coffee Association) –ANACAFE- 1 these partners would support with technicians and components
for the family gardens and SCAMPIS Project with the introduction of the micro irrigation
technology. In Cobán, Alta Verapaz alliances were made with the City Hall of Cobán to support
1.500 families and in San Miguel Uspantán, El Quiché with Asociación de Agricultores “El
Sembrador” 1.500 families.
Faced Challenges in the Beginning of the Intervention
One of the biggest faced challenges in Guatemala in the beginning of the intervention was the lack
of availability of units for the micro irrigation dimensions of 20 m2. In Guatemala there are
irrigation systems for industrial methods, established for surplus producers with productive units
of 7.000 m2 or larger. In 2010 there were no small irrigation units. The smallest unit was 600 m2
and the model was from Israel, although this one had a high cost for the target population of the
Project.
There was performed an offer study for micro irrigation in Guatemala and was also launched a
proposal to the national suppliers for the production of units of 20 m2, although it was
unsuccessful due to the fact that any company was interested in the production of those models.
The small producers in Guatemala before 2010 did not have access to this technology, for that
reason was totally unknown its use in a small scale.
It was finally reached a supplier company that was interested in the creation of an irrigation model
of 1000 m2, there were made adaptations of the irrigation models available in Guatemala and was
also implemented an assembly of national products and some imported materials, mainly hose
and the filtration system.
Another great challenge especially in dry corridor zone was the lack of culture for vegetable
production; there was a high level of ignorance about the production of horticultural types. The
family diet and production systems were mainly based on corn and beans. There were
1 ANACAFÉ, for further information www.anacafe.org
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inappropriate practices that affected the efficiency of the vegetable production, due to the lack of
knowledge on the agricultural management of these types.
The designated families for the project were grouped in teams of 5 and that was how the
implementation began for the production of family gardens in 100 square meters worked by 5
families.
Cultural aspects as well as behavior patterns directed to individualism marked a large gap between
the expected objectives of the project and the actual execution in the field, in other words eastern
families were not initially willing to join the groups of 5.
Strategy Implementation
There were performed a few field tours to the communities to be intervene, establishing the
possibility of the project and also socializing with the targets that were initially pursued. It was
achieved the goal to make some community leaders become interested, although it was little
compare to the goals that were expected to reach in the first year.
It was strategically decided to implement demonstrative plots in 100 communities, one plot of 100
m2 worked by 5 families for the implementation of family gardens, using the micro irrigation
technology of low pressure. The community leaders were trained by agriculture technicians and
group representatives about vegetable production, also on the installation, use and correct
maintenance of the micro irrigation system, and there was also given orientation to these groups
for a productive cycle (6 months) since the preparation of the land until the use of the harvest.
During this demonstrative period, there were invited other producers to visit the demonstrative
plots as interchange through the methodology farmer to farmer.
The demonstrative phase allowed to be known the functioning of the irrigation technology, its
advantages and more efficient use. Also the demonstrative phase allowed to be known the
agricultural practices of horticultural growing as well as the using methods of the same. The
horticultural using practices were given with the support of a team of health and nutrition
educators.
There was made a diagnosed of the intervene community needs through domicile visits made by
the educators and it was determined the imminent necessity to educate in sexual health and
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reproductive subjects, hygiene practices, healthy feeding, methods for food preparation, among
other subjects directed to home improvement.
It was also determined that the main source of water for human consumption en those
communities was through non purified water through pipes, about 20% did not have distribution
systems; for that reason they used superficial sources of water as well as underground and the
consumption was done without purification.
Funcafé as an alternative to supply the basic needs of SCAMPIS users, it invites to its partners to
intervene on health and education issues and projects focused on safe water supplying for human
consumption. A partner of Funcafé becomes interested and he joins to the effort of SCAMPIS
Project in order to improve the living conditions of the families of the intervened communities
mainly in the east side of Guatemala.
With this support it is possible to invest in practices in order to improve education in 56 schools
being able to train students and teachers improving by this mean the education quality through
the active rural school methodology, applied for multi-grade schools and also through education
campaigns were given school materials and school libraries.
There were introduced education subjects focused in the improvement of the knowledge on
sexual health and reproductive of the community members and also subjects related to food and
nutritional security with strong emphasis in the hygiene subject and safe water. The families were
supported with health campaigns and water purification filters.
With this integral support SCAMPIS Project in Guatemala was able to go beyond the introduction
of micro irrigation technology, there were also implemented good self consumption practices and
biological food use, good sexual health and reproductive practices and there were also achieved
the improvement on water consumption methods.
Over 10,000 families were introduced and used the technology to produce food for self
consumption as well as surplus sale, improving in this way their productivity levels. From these
families at least 70% were trained in sexual health and reproductive subjects, food and nutritional
safety and safe water for human consumption.
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Introduction of Technology through School Gardens
Funcafé, implements actions in order to improve the education quality with the active rural school
methodology, adapted to the context of rural school of Guatemala. It is based in the principle of
learning by doing. There was developed a practical guide on food and nutritional security to
implement actions within the school. A concrete action was the implementation of school gardens
with a productive and business approach.
In the east side of Guatemala, through SCAMPIS Project Funcafé is able to identify 124 schools in
the intervention communities. In these 124 schools is designated the intervention of SCAMPIS
Project for the implementation of school gardens with a food and nutritional security approach.
Different to the actions that Funcafé developed before 2010 in schools, for the implementation of
gardens, there were introduced the principles of bio-intensive agriculture “to produce more in less
space” and the micro irrigation technology for the horticultural production during the time of
water shortage. It was performed a training process and the education of students and teachers
on the design and implementation of school gardens, preparation of natural fertilizers and
pesticides, cultivation methods and cultural practices for the horticultural production. It was given
education on the identification and production of native plants and it was able to introduce them
to the school gardens.
Students and teachers were also trained on sexual and reproductive health subjects, hygiene and
cleaning, safe water for human consumption and diet improvement through the horticultural
consumption and native plants. The 124 schools received the needed tools in order to implement
the school gardens as well as filters to purify water; these components were also accompanied by
a training process and education on the proper use and maintenance for the same.
It was also considered the implementation of the strategy of SCAMPIS Project in a school level
mainly because it is constituted in one continuing element of the good practices developed
through the project. In a family level it was used the participation of people over 40 years who
have never seen a micro irrigation system and who had never had the chance to use it. For this
reason it was decided to implement the school level technology.
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Students and teachers were the main actors in their own learning. All of the practices were
participative. Students and teachers were involved in the design and implementation of the
garden, the installation of the micro irrigation system and the filters for the purification of water.
The arrival to the school allowed advancing with the introduction of the technologies and also
allowed to give a huge step in the introduction process for better practices in the food production.
The younger students began exploring and experimenting new learning techniques as well as
advanced technologies to improve their productivity levels. For these reasons it is considered to
have taken a right step in the introduction of the technology and good practices in food and
nutritional security in the communities.
Initial Challenges in School Gardens
There was performed a disclosure process of the objectives that Funcafé has set out for the
introduction of school gardens in the east side of Guatemala. The technical team introduced the
project to the directors and teachers of the schools. The teachers submitted the project for
consideration to the parents and general alumni and it was reached the first approval.
In the implementation of the practices, especially for those that required a bigger effort, like the
preparation of the land, the parents demonstrated some sort of resistance due to the fact that
they considered that the tasks were too hard for the students. This first obstacle was resolved by
involving the parents in the process of the preparation of the land, which had a greater acceptance
and allowed better advances.
Some schools did not have a land of their own to develop the practices for the school garden. This
problem was resolved because some of the parents gave as loan some areas to create the practice
gardens.
Generally the schools have different study schedules from Monday to Friday, although they
remain closed during the weekends. The schedule is usually from 4 to 5 hours and it is regularly
during the mornings. The students organized their own school meetings, there were created
support commissions and there were also assigned roles and specific tasks in order to maintain the
tasks and cultural labor of school gardens including during the weekends.
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Training for teachers and students about design and
implementation of a school garden.
School Gardens as Demonstrative Plots
School gardens became demonstrative plots and they brought the interest of the community
members. Generally in the schools from the rural area they have open fields for recreation and in
some cases some areas without any specific use. These areas were identified for the
implementation of the school garden. In some schools the areas without use had been polluted by
solid remains.
Through the introduction of school gardens was able the recovering of these areas and turned into
productive sites. The students were trained in the handling of solid remains and the separation of
organic remains, inorganic, papers and toxics. Through environmental workshops students were
taught about the reduction, recycling and reused of remains generated at school.
The parents were able to participate in the different implementation practices of the gardens. The
participation of the parents had multiplying and retorting effects, because they also became
interested in the implementation of gardens in family and community level.
Schools were used to give some workshops on food and nutritional security and sexual and
reproductive health. The mothers of students were incorporated to SCAMPIS Project, which
allowed that the students were part of a learning process and improvement not only at school but
also at home.
Methodological Development of the Implementation of Gardens and Introduction of the Micro
Irrigation Technology at Schools
In order to begin with the implementation of school gardens it was given an education process
and training to the teachers and students. It was
assigned an agricultural technician for the development
of workshops to train about the design and
implementation of school gardens. The workshops were
theoretical and practical, and the students were
educated on distance and cultivation methods,
according to the condition of the land that each school
had.
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The schools were granted with 7 horticultural types adapted to the soil conditions and weather of
the place. The students and teachers were guided about the preparation of the land as well as
the horticultural cultivation explaining step by step on the distance besides direct and indirect
cultivation method.
There were performed practices in order to educate students on the preparation of substratum
for seedbed, elaboration of seedbeds and preparation of natural products to fertilize, plague
control and disease control.
Students and teachers were technically helped
since the beginning of the preparation of the land
until the harvest season. There was given a guide to
the school about the preparation of the vegetable
garden so that at the moment that they need to
they could make any practice without the technical
help, and just by using the reference material to
consult. This guide has the best practices for the
elaboration of horticultural gardens and makes easier
the implementation of these practices through the
use of images.
In the production process of the school garden, teachers and students were trained on food and
nutritional security subjects emphasizing the good practices of hygiene and cleaning, diet
improvement, method of best horticultural use, the consumption of safe water and purification
methods for water, among other subjects that were focused on the four pillars of food and
nutritional security: availability, access, consumption and biological use.
Horticultural harvests from school garden were used to make practices on preparation of
nutritional food. Students and teachers learned how to take advantage in a more efficient way of
the harvests of the school garden. It was prepared a recipe book of food produced on horticultural
gardens and this was taken as support material so the recipes could be included in the student’s
lunch boxes.
Boys and Girls learning how to sow in a seedbed.
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Students participating a the Food and Nutritional Safety
Workshop given by Funcafé Technicians
In the schools there were also introduced sexual and reproductive health subjects. These subjects
were mainly approached for teenagers from 12 and older, during this age they are studying the six
level of elementary school. There was a little resistance level for the approaching of these
subjects; in the Guatemalan communities there is a high level of ignorance and also an infinitive
list of taboos related to sexual and reproductive
subjects.
It was able to reduce the resistance to the subject
informing to the teachers and parents in general on
the importance of the approaching of these
educational subjects in teenagers. Thanks to the
level or power of the educators of health and
nutrition with their communities it was possible to
reach the 124 schools of the project and there were
given these subjects not only for students but also for
teachers.
The main subjects related to sexual and reproductive health were: family planning, planning
methods, productive risks in women, responsible parenthood and motherhood and sexual transfer
diseases. It was interesting to know the level of interest that the students demonstrated on the
subject.
Final Comments
Teenagers between 12 years and older, have several
doubts related to sexuality and reproduction. Sadly in the
Guatemalan communities it continuous to be a hidden
subject that the parents hardly talk about in a responsible
way with their children. For that reason at the moment
of the approach at school, students took the time to ask
questions and expressed their multiple doubts on the
subject. As Funcafé it is expected that in a middle and long term this generation be more
responsible with its sexuality and that the acquired knowledge be transferred to new generations.
Some students using a micro irrigation system in a horticultural garden
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Students showing the harvest of the horticultural
garden
The introduction of micro irrigation technology was strategically, students and teachers
demonstrated a greater interest in the use of technology. Each school was given with an irrigation
system of 100 square meters. With this technology they were able to produce three cycles of
horticultural harvest and in some schools where the teacher lived in the community and the
students actively participated, they were able to produce a fourth harvest cycle.
There exists a high interest at Ministerio de Educación and other programs for food and nutritional
security in Guatemala for the development of school gardens in the country and they look for
Funcafé as leader process.
Parents came to the school with the desire to know a little more of technology, there they were
able to observe its functioning and use. Through the introduction of technology in schools, there
was an increase on the demand of the families for more micro irrigation systems and they were
also more interested in the use of this kind of technology for the production of horticultural
gardens, and also to be able to improve their production system. Students are more curious and
they discover the benefits of the use of technology easily, they execute an influential level in their
parents and achieve that they improve their habitual
practices in the field.
It is expected that over 11.000 students that met the
micro irrigation system technology may be able in the
future to improve their productive systems and also be
able to reduce the resistance to the use of this technology
as well as the future technologies, in order to improve their
food production systems. That these students be aware that
there exist new methods that help them produce more units and that they must be accompanied
with the updating process in order to face the challenges of the future, in the endless search of
food.
Funcafé continuing with its constitutional mandate and focusing its efforts to achieve its vision-to
promote human development in the rural area- expects to have contributed in the improvement
of life quality of the families participating in SCAMPIS Project and also expects that this
improvement process, for the new generations that were able to participate in the integral
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implementation of the actions of SCAMPIS, use the learned actions and continue the learning
curve in order to improve their own living conditions.
Funcafé has the certainty that is leaving a wider opening and acceptability of the micro irrigation
technology, water purification system, subjects like food and nutritional security and sexual and
reproductive health, in the intervene places through SCAMPIS, in an individual level, family level,
organizational level and community level.
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2. Scaling up integrated strategies for micro-irrigation through
coffee producers
Mynor Maldonado, Executive Director, Funcafé, Guatemala. Mail: [email protected]
Abstract
Scampis Guatemala Project began as a part of a Feeding and Nutritional Security Area and was developed in
three intervention modalities: Alliance with a City Hall; Alliance with an Association of exporting
horticultural producers; direct attention to the user families in the community.
Scampis project in Guatemala focused on the feeding and nutritional security where irrigation technology
represented an innovative strategy that can contribute the food security improvement.
The intervention of the project was designed in an integrated way with actions that allowed adding and
complementing technical, human and financial resources; looking for an individual and collective behavior
change in the intervention communities through these resources. As consequence Funcafé arranged
additional resources in order to integrate the actions and strategies from which were considered five
approaching strategies: integration of technical components; methodological approach; working with
women; differentiated attention and formal education on feeding and nutritional security.
The integration of actions as well as the implementation of irrigation system technology was institutionally
adopted within the Feeding and Nutritional Security of Funcafé in a way that the new projects for the next
five years consider the good practices and lessons learned through Scampis FIDA Project.
For the sustainability of future actions it is hoped to be able to work with Small Producing Organizations,
Cooperatives and Coffee Associations and it is also defined a goal of 5000 individual systems of 50m² a total
of 25Ha under micro-irrigation production intended for the self-consumption and 1.000Has with
greenhouse system through irrigation with a commercial production focus. These families belong to
organizations of producers who are linked to an agricultural chain (coffee and horticultural production).
The learned lessons through Scampis Project were systematized and the experiences are being incorporated
in the new actions as a continuous improvement process in the rural developing management.
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The Fundación para la Caficultura para el Desarrollo Rural (Coffee Foundation for Rural
Development)-FUNCAFE-2 as social branch of Guatemalan coffee producers, works in three
strategically areas: Education, Health and Feeding and Nutritional Security.
Scampis Guatemalan Project was designed under the Feeding and Nutritional Security Area; it was
also developed in the intervention modalities:
1. Alliance with a City Hall: Cobán, Alta Verapaz3 City Hall made the selection of communities
and families, and gave technical advising as well as seeds for the production of vegetables
which were sold in the local market.
2. Alliance with an Association of exporting horticultural producers-AGRISEM-4: in this case
AGRISEM, made the selection of families, the technical assistance and granting of seeds,
which most of the producers used to cultivate small vegetables for exportation.
3. Direct attention to the user families: in this third modality the technical personnel from
Funcafé did all the execution process with an integrated attention; this integrated
attention considered organization actions as well as community participation, preventive
health, with emphasis in sexual and reproductive health; maternal-enfant health;
nutritional education for mothers, children and teachers; vegetable garden production
training under bio-intensive agriculture and also the implementation of micro irrigation
system as the technical innovation of the project.
During the execution was present the personnel who gave technical assistance on each of
the approached subjects. It was integrated an educators team with higher education in
order to have additional help and monitoring within the communities that received the
advising from the expertise on vegetable gardens, nutrition, adult education and
preventive health.
2 FUNCAFE, was established by coffee producers in 1994.
3 Cobán, Alta Verapaz is a place North Guatemala City, with an Indigenous-Mayan population from Queqchí
ethnic group. 4 AGRISEM is an Agricultural Association located at Uspantán, El Quiché, and Indigenous-Mayan population
from Quiché ethnic group.
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It was also monitored the advance of the project each trimester and the coverage was extended
with the participation of local agents like city halls, non-governmental organizations and producer
cooperatives.
The integration of actions as well as the implementation of irrigation technology, was
institutionally adopted within Feeding and Nutritional Safety from Funcafé, in a way that those
projects for the next five years consider the good practices and learned lessons from Scampis FIDA
project.
Integrated Strategies
Scampis Project in Guatemala focused on
feeding and nutritional security, where
irrigation technology represented an innovative
method to contribute in one of the feeding
security pillars, as for food production,
especially for self consumption.
In order to have a greater impact in the
intervention of the project it was designed an
integrated way with actions that allowed adding
and complementing technical, human and
financial resources; looking for an individual and
collective behavior change in the intervention communities through these resources. As
consequence Funcafé arranged additional resources to integrate the actions and strategies from
which were considered five approaching strategies: differentiated attention and formal education
on feeding and nutritional safety.
1. Technical Components: preventive health; feeding and nutritional security; education.
Each technical component was designed and assisted by the professional responsible
within the Foundation. It is important to clear up that the main financial support from
Scampis was designated to the implementation of irrigation technology by irrigation.
2. Methodological Approach: learning by making. The implementation process in the field
was under the philosophy of learning by making, this was applied by children, teachers
Demonstrative workshop in school V-gardens
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and community members. Schools were constituted in demonstrative centers and the
bonding of children learning at school through the practical classes with everything that
their parents were doing at home, for the production of food.
3. Working with women: organization and training in situ. Most of the community groups
were integrated by women (60%). The participation of women turned out to be
strategically due that the irrigation systems were for small areas (from 50 to 100 square
meters) and also because of the feeding care of the children and mostly, for the rest of the
family is in the hands of the mothers.
4. Differentiated Attention: individual, family, community and organizational. Users received
differentiated attention and advising, according to age, region conditions, idiosyncrasy,
especially for the sexual health and reproductive subject. As family level it was
emphasized in home hygiene, harmlessness in food, consumption of safe water and it was
given to several member of the family. In the community it was given according to their
needs and interests and it was also respected their community values. As organizational
level it was heard and known their interests, it was negotiated the support for the greater
use of the financing and it was concreted the support
by responding to the objectives of the project and
benefits of the organization.
5. Formal Education in Nutritional Security: training to
school teachers, organization and children training,
educational material at classrooms as part of the
education program from rural elementary level. It was
incorporated technology at schools, considering that
schools are an excellent demonstrative and learning
mean. Technology was also accompanied with training
to teachers as well as technical advising in the production of school horticultural gardens,
which allowed in a practical way to teach children the feeding and nutritional security
principals. There were designed reference and advising books for the application of the
principals at school, by the families and in the community.
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6. Generation of Knowledge: Scampis Project strengthened the capacity to systematize the
good practice actions and their learned lessons, as a way to generate knowledge as well as
organizational learning. Derived from this strengthening it was defined the management
unit structure of projects that consider the design, monitoring and evaluation of the
projects within Funcafé.
Scaling up with coffee producers in Guatemala
Asociación Nacional del Café (Guatemalan National Coffee Association) –ANACAFE-, within a vision
of rural development defined a new strategically plan 2013-2017 of the Productivity and
Development agenda. This agenda considers production elements and competitiveness of coffee
chain and social development subject which by orders of farmers must be performed by Funcafé.
So the new interventions during this period of work will be closely coordinated between the
technical-economic and social matter.
As consequence of the above, the first project to replicate the learned lessons and practices of
Scampis Guatemala, will be supported by the United States Government (USG) aimed to reduce
poverty, hunger and malnutrition.
The project will be performed through a consortium between ANACAFE, Confederación
Guatemalteca de Federaciones de Cooperativas (CONFECOOP),5 FUNDASISTEMAS6 and FUNCAFE,
where Funcafé is the responsible for implementing the food security component. That is why this
project called Rural Value Chain –RVC- is centered around a design that addresses several aspects
concerning to the development, incorporating the elements listed below.
Make a juxtaposition of economic growth with improvements in nutrition, not as coincidence
but looking at them as independent goals;
Requires implementing a participatory and strong approach, from bottom-up, to achieve
behavior changes that affect nutrition and economic status;
Give attribution to the private sector to generate equitable economic growth in the
agricultural area.
5 High organization of small producers organized in cooperatives.
6 Foundation with experience in business development.
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The expected results include increase incomes of producers through innovations in production
techniques and market access, along with improvements in nutrition levels through changes in
behavior based on educational approaches. Here are some highlight elements of the proposal.
The Consortium: ANACAFE will be the organization that leads a Consortium of producers
and entities working in favor of development. This provides greatest ownership of the
project and builds capacities in local organizations. Together with its partner CONFECOOP,
ANACAFE becomes the leader of a value chain that includes more than 15,000 producers
in the objective Departments. They have been major players in the process by which
Guatemala managed to enter, and even stood out prominently, in the specialized
international markets of coffee crops and vegetables. The Consortium will play several
roles within RVCP, including where they become beneficiaries, as designers and executors
of the project, contributors in the role of a counterparty organization and also they
become the vehicle to achieve a sustainable development that extends beyond the life of
the project (LOP). The fact to have incorporated small producing organizations of the rural
area since the beginning is a way to strengthen their participation in defining the
objectives of the program, as well as strengthening its commitment to share the costs and
responsibilities of the project.
Technical Support and Business Development: The Consortium partners are the main
organizations to provide technical services to our target groups of producers and
entrepreneurs. The models we are going to use to provide the technical support and
business development incorporate a number of processes that will bring as result that the
beneficiaries will “graduate” from the program, leaving behind the benefit of a subsidized
service. By graduating a number of beneficiaries, the provided assistance will have the
chance to incorporate new producers and entrepreneurs to strengthen programs and,
thus, will expand the process made on issues of productivity, quality, profitability, and so
on.
Communications: The design we use for RCVP manages to incorporate a combination of
strategies previously tested, with innovative practices of Guatemalan institutions.
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Technology Expansion (SMR)
Working with organizations of small producers, Cooperatives and Associations of coffee under this
new project will allow the implementation of the irrigation technology on a level of individual
systems of 50m2, with a total of 25Ha under micro-irrigation; this production will be destined for
consumption and 1.000Has with irrigation under greenhouse systems, for commercial production
purposes. It aims to cover at least 5.000 new families in the western rural area. These families
belong to organizations of producers that are linked to an agricultural-food chain (coffee and
vegetables).
Working with women
Chronic malnutrition in children under five years of age
has a direct correlation, - although this is not due to –
the educational level of the mother. Recent
information in Guatemala indicate that chronic
malnutrition rates of children with mothers who have
an education equivalent to high school education is
15.8%; the rate of those mothers with elementary
school level is 43.3%; and the rate of those mothers who did not attend school is 62.9%.
The poverty and chronic malnutrition issue will be addressed as a complement to the
governmental activities that promote habit changes and nutritional practices of this group. It is
going to be emphasized in the work with mothers because they constitute a key factor in the field
of production to self consumption, selection and preparation of food for the family.
Main future actions
The main actions under the new proposal include:
School and family gardens with micro dripping
irrigation.
Training on health and nutrition issues for
elementary school teachers.
Training in health and nutrition.
De-worming
Alternative methods for the handling and processing of safe water.
Firewood saving stoves for smoke-free family spaces.
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Monitoring & Evaluation
A lesson learned in Scampis project is the correct definition of indicators, outputs, outcomes and
impact. This involves the removal of a baseline that allows defining the starting point and the
conditions of people, families and communities before the project intervention and objectively
measuring the contribution of the project to improve the lives of families. As well as the
evaluation of the effectiveness cost of implemented practices.
Conclusions
The execution of Scampis Project Guatemala, allowed:
Spaces for users “rural community club” theses spaces made easier the sharing of
knowledge, experiences and collective learning.
Opening of rural population to unknown technology.
Implementation of 27 hectares of agricultural production under the micro irrigation
system, low pressure systems to accessible prices for the rural population.
To learn and optimize the water resource for the production of food.
To generate a positive change in behavior before the production of agricultural food in
areas where did not exist horticultural production culture.
To diversify the diet and increase the availability of food in the user families.
To learn how to treat the water human consumption in a safe way.
Irrigation technology represented a good practice, which was instituted by Funcafé in its
Feeding Security Projects for the coffee growing area in different regions of the country.
The learned Lessons through Scampis Project were systematized and the experiences are
being incorporated in the new actions as a continuous improvement process.
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3. “The first experience lasts forever”: Bijaya Kumar experience
as Scampis promoter Bijaya Kumar Rout, Scampis Business Associate, IDEI , Orissa, India. Mail: [email protected]
Who am I?
I (Bijaya Kumar Rout) belong to a small tribal village called
Chandragiri in Gajapati district of Odisha State. Born in a poor
family of seven members I somehow managed to complete my
graduation in 1990. After two years I got an opportunity to work
as program staff at Chandragiri under Suara Development Agency
(SDA), Government of Odisha. There I was involved in various
Socio-economic development programs and served 15 years for
the development of Primitive Tribes. I went to the field with
other staff to meet the tribal people. They were facing many hardships including the almost
absence of health facilities and huge language barrier. They live on hilltops and engage only in rain
fed agriculture. They are very simple and hard working people. Lacking suitable irrigation facilities
and lack of knowledge about modern agriculture practices are the key factors for their under
development. In my interaction with them I can say that agriculture is their main livelihood. As far
as agriculture is concerned, irrigation is their key constraint and they cannot afford electric, diesel
or petrol pump sets.
It is said that first experience lasts forever. I would like to briefly talk about my first field
day experience. I was travelling with my Motor Bike to village Gumiguda which is 34 Kms from my
location. I reached there around 9 am. I was a bit anxious about meeting people and sharing with
them about the project & products. But to my surprise, there was not even one male member in
the village. They were engaging in terrace cultivation and therefore not present in the village. I
thought to myself- “now what to do”? I just walked around in the small village and saw some
fields. I found barren land everywhere. Then suddenly it struck me- let’s start from the scratch and
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here in this village itself. Then I selected one of the many barren fields and decided to install Micro
Irrigation System. At the same time a small boy came and started to make enquiries about me &
what I was doing. I came to know that the boy is the son of the land owner.
I asked to bring his father. Then the farmer came and I got an opportunity we both discussed in
detail about the use and benefit of MIS sitting in the field. A smile appeared on his face. But he
expressed his inability to purchase the MIS. Then both of us went to dealer shop to get the system
on credit with a condition that he must return his contribution amount in a week time as the
farmer contribution because of the subsidy is very less. Finally the dealer agreed and the rest as
they say is history.
The day after, I installed a Drum Kit in his field and Chilly, Brinjal & Tomatoes seedlings were
planted. I supported him by providing proper guidance to take care of his plants. Then LOF
prepared and installed in his field and in due time it applied to the plants. When the plants
appeared in full of green and crop the farmer was very happy and expressed his gratitude. But I
reminded him that actually it was because of his own positive attitude and a great deal of trust on
me. After few days the farmer started harvesting the crops for his family members and
inclusion of vegetables in their diets was thrilling! He started to share his joys with others and
started selling surplus crops to the village people & in local markets. He earned more money
gradually. He earned approximately INR 5, 000 from that single crop in a season. He spent money
on purchasing good clothes for family members and repaid old debt. Since then he has been
cultivating vegetable crops in every season by using MIS and receiving more financial benefits.
With continued use he has been able to converting his thatched house to a new tin roofed house,
purchased land and ornaments etc. and living with his family happily. Bijaya Kumar Rout IDEI; July
2012
Moreover, the SHG members were not aware about vegetable cultivation. After my joining in
SCAMPIS I have mobilized more than 40 SHGs about 500 women members. They are now involved
and are using our technologies have enhanced their knowledge on vegetable cultivation,
preparation of LOF i.e. Pot manure, Magic Tonic & Vermi Wash. All SHGs have cultivated and
harvested different crops like Tomato, Brinjal, Okra successfully and developed their economic
condition. They are following our recommendation on cultivation.
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My work…
During my work in SDA and meeting so many tribal people I had a desire to help them overcome
this problem however I felt that I was not able to help them really change much. After joining IDEI
as Business Associate in 2010 I started to work very hard to fulfill my desire to help poor families in
the best possible manner.
I joined the SCAMPIS project and underwent a
thorough training in which I learnt about the
project and the different aspects. As was
shared in the training that we work in
conjunction with OTELP; there were projects
by OTELP that were being implemented in the
Chandragiri area. I then identified potential
villages. I organized promotional activities such
as farmer meetings, Individual contacts, Village
demonstrations and Haat demonstrations in the villages and convinced farmers about our project
activities, its aim and objectives and benefit of technologies like STP (Surface Treadle Pump), Drip
irrigation like Drum Kit and Bucket Kit. As I know many farmers are shown their interest towards
our technologies and to use them in agricultural field. Accordingly I initiated the supply of
technologies through dealers. Primarily on an average 3-4 farmers in each interested villages
purchased these technologies.
As was shared with us, we also paid special attention
to providing Service After Sales (SAS) to the new
users. We tried to identify local Bijaya Kumar Rout
IDEI; July 2012 youth; train them as VBM, who are
critical in providing SAS and maintenance of
pumps/drip kit. In my work I always emphasized to
involve women in promotional events and capacity
building. Hence it was easy for me when I involved
SHG members in our activities. Many SHG meetings and trainings were conducted to convince the
women members for their involvement in our programme. At first only one SHG women members
started vegetable crop with use of our Bucket Kit with and I provided all assistance I could to
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convince them about the efficiency of the technology. At the growing stage of plants/seedlings I
organized Sustainable Agricultural Practices (SAP) trainings for them to give more knowledge
about Liquid Organic Fertilizer (LOF) i.e. preparation of Pot Manure, Magic Tonic & Vermi Wash
and its application to the plants and they did accordingly. I also imparted training on Agronomy to
the farmers to take proper care of plants from different insects and diseases. With so much care,
the plants grew well and a good harvest was achieved. This led the family members to enjoy
nutritious healthy food and also increased their economic status by selling additional
harvest/crops. After seeing the benefit from users other farmers and SHG members have gradually
shown interest towards our technologies.
With the initial success and good result more
farmers started to show interest in the SCAMPIS
project. Now the farmers of the project villages
are cultivating different types of high value crops
like Tomato, Okra, Brinjal, Cabbage, and Chilly
and getting better financial benefits, and
developing their economic condition. They are
able to send their children to go to school in
good school dress and fulfill minimum needs and finally changed their life style. Previously I had to
do lot of handholding but now they are doing everything themselves. In this way I covered all
OTELP villages under SCAMPICS project successfully. During these three years, so many farmers
have re-done their houses; from kutcha (non-concrete) to tin roofed houses, some have cleared
their debts, purchased lands, agricultural implements, ornaments etc. for their family.
By helping so many people live better dignified lives, I have derived even more strength in the
form of (1) Self interest in work (2) to do the work with a special quality and quantity (3) from
different meetings & trainings etc. It has not been easy, all along I have faced many challenges and
those are as follows:
o All the villages are situated in hill areas so it has been a challenge to access these
villages
o It was difficult to work in politically disturbed (Naxal) villages
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o It was difficult to convince the tribal people to use our technologies as because
they were acquainted with their traditional method of cultivation
o In some cases, the interested farmers had no water sources for cultivation
I was specially entrusted to involve more women farmers in our main stream of SCAMPIS project
and for which 40 SHGs were mobilized in Mohana Block and all most all SHG members installed
Bucket Kits throughout the year and are harvesting different crops and giving their family
members nutritious food and developing their own as well as their Groups economic condition. In
6 Churches I have installed Drum Kits/Bucket Kits in different crops and imparted training to the
farmers.
I have also imparted training on LOF to SURAKSHYA NGO.
Due to my hard work, many poor people and SHG s are in good position on socially, economically.
Now they are living happily. For me, their happiness is the greatest achievement.
I have acquired more knowledge about the program and the poor tribal livelihoods. With my hard
work & dedication and work ability, I think personally I have achieved tremendous growth and
contributed to fulfilling the goal.
Personal Achievement
During my involvement in SCAMPIS project I have
achieved the followings:
1. I have achieved the following sale of technologies:
STP: 457
Drum Kit: 261
Bucket Kit: 887
470 of LOF (Liquid Organic fertilizers) also installed,
prepared and applied it to the plants.
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4. Role of promotion strategy for introducing the MIS innovation Tapan Kumar Pattanayak, Chief General Manager IDEI, Regional Office Bhubaneswar, India. Mail:
IDEI’s Promotional Strategy
Demand creation through varied rural marketing and promotional activities have been carried out
by IDEI staff for creating awareness amongst smallholders and generating sales of IDEI products.
This is a critical activity under the SCAMPIS project.
Abstract
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), with support from The Coopernic Sustainability
Fund (CSF) undertaken grant-based implementation of Scaling up Micro-Irrigation Systems (referred as
SCAMPIS hereafter) in three countries with India being one of them.
The (specific) main objective of the project was to improve rain fed agricultural productivity with
adapted supplementary micro irrigation systems and to improve agricultural productivity with
fertilization systems (Liquid Organic Fertilizer System-LOF) of smallholder farmers. It also aims to raise
awareness of institutions, govt. /private companies that are working in the field of irrigated agriculture
on the concept and potential benefits of MIS/LOF. The duration of the project was three years and it
was implemented in two backward districts of Eastern state of Orissa, namely Gajapati and Koraput.
These two districts are predominantly inhabited by tribal households.
The MIS comprises of water lifting technology- Surface Treadle Pump and water application technology-
20 sq m and 100 sq m drip systems operating on gravitational force, while the LOF includes Vermi-
wash, Pot manure and Magic Tonic.
The initial target for the project was set at a promotion of 14, 000 technologies (Surface Treadle Pump,
Bucket Kit & Drum Kit) and 5, 000 Liquid Organic Fertilizer.
International Development Enterprises (India); IDEI, (http://www.ide-india.org) was selected as leading
organization of SCAMPIS India in order to ensure the proper execution of the project. IDEI has a large
experience and well established reputation worldwide, as the organization has suitably and efficiently
adapted Micro irrigation technologies in India since 1991 to meet the needs of poor farm families by
making the technology simpler and more affordable. Over the past two decades, IDEI has reached out
to over 1.2 Million small holder farm families, thereby benefitting over six million people.
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To achieve a target of promoting over 15, 000 technologies amongst smallholder households
within three years time IDEI realized that effective promotional strategy is central to creating a
groundswell of demand. A multitude of static and dynamic promotional tools are employed to
create increased awareness of low-cost irrigation technologies. It was decided to identify most
efficient dynamic activities which would be village based followed by appropriate static tools
which would be simple and well communicated to the prospective families. All these activities
were carried out by Business Associate places at the village level.
The promotional activities are categorised as a) Static and b) Dynamic.
a) STATIC PROMOTION : The promotional tools such as leaflets/ handbills, wall paintings etc are
static promotional activities. These are used in combination with the dynamic activities. They
usually carry an attractive illustration/ photograph of farmer using the technology along with key
details such as costs, ease of use, water discharge, gender friendliness and other characteristics
written on it. It also carries contact information of the dealer on it and these basically serve as a
reference point for farmers after they have been to a promotional activity. These provide support
while disseminating communication package during a dynamic promotion.
Advantages:
Provide information on brand value
Communicate customers about the profile and benefits of the technology
Encourage customers’ decision making process
Increase the knowledge of customers on technology adoption and maintenance
Provide information of supply chain for convenient purchasing and after sales services of
technology
Static promotional materials used under the program are as follows:
LEAFLET: are used to
generate awareness
about the product/s
leaflets have been
printed. They highlight
qualities of pedal
operated pump, its
coverage, discharge &
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usability in different crops. These are very useful in reaching out to large number of people across
different locations in a go. Additionally, it makes available information about the product and
contact information for sale point readily with the recipient. The leaflets are printed periodically
by the SCAMPIS Office basis requisitions from the area office.
BANNER: are normally used during
the peak sales season. These are
usually made of cloth or flex. . These
are given to dealers operating from
relatively larger rural permanent
markets and they provide good
visibility. The banners should have
the name and address of dealer on it. Banner on synthetic sheets are used for longer usage.
Generic banners are used on short campaign vehicles, during large farmer meetings, exhibitions,
haat/village demonstration. The flex banners are mostly used on short campaign vehicles since
they have a longer life and the cloth banners are used on other occasions.
POSTER: have very short life span, hence should be very
occasionally used. Posters may have information regarding
system, its dealer point etc. These should again be used during
peak sale season as recall tools. Posters are mostly used to push
sales during a particular time period, or for a particular crop
which is most popular in the area. Pasted at dealer location,
common meeting areas (panchayat office – after getting
required permission), tea shops etc, they become effective tools
for achieving instant queries.
WALL-PAINTING: Wall Painting is a tool for recall and it helps
where there is competition from low grade low price material.
Wall paintings should be done on walls near busy roads,
intersections and public places. Ideally the height of the base
of painting should be 10 feet above ground level as it ensures
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good visibility. A fixed format for paintings is followed, which leads to better recall. The shops of
major dealers should also be painted for visibility in the market place also for point of sale recall.
KB STALLS: During the demonstrations and while participating
in large fairs, it is important to have a branded space which can
be recognised by all. Keeping this factor in mind IDEI has
produced KB branded stalls (canopies) which carry messages in
the regional language about the technology being used in the
area as well as its benefits. Colourful pictures attract people to
the stall.
DEALER BOARD: IDEI provides dealer board to all
its regular dealers. The design of dealer board is
fixed and the same standards are maintained
across all areas. The name of dealer for dealer
board is recommended by field & area office. The
field office should ensure that the board is
properly installed at a prominent place on the
front of dealer shop and it does not get covered by any other board or material.
SAP BOOKLET: IDEI along with the development and dissemination of
low-cost irrigation technologies, Sustainable Agriculture has become
the mainstay of its smallholder development programme. IDEI has
identified several Sustainable Agriculture Practices like Vermi Wash,
Pot Manure and Magic Tonic which are promoted among farmers. A
booklet on SAP is being developed and circulated to the staff and
Village Base Mechanics of SCAMPIS programme, local NGOs, Govt.
Institutions, Private agencies to raise awareness, interest and demand
for its use and benefits among the smallholders in the SCAMPIS programme areas.
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Break up of Static Promotional Activities conducted during the programme:
Sl.No Item Conducted
1 Banner 685
2 Poster 5, 000
3 Leaflets 40, 000
4 Product Brochures 3, 000
5 KB Stickers 6, 225
6 Wall Paintings 4446 sft
7 Dealer Board 12
8 Progressive farmer Board 20
b) DYNAMIC PROMOTIONS: IDEI focuses on direct and activity based promotion also called
Dynamic Promotion. These communication tools are ones in which a one to one communication is
established between the promoter and customer as in case of Farmers’ meeting. The interactive
nature of direct communication enables it to be more effective as it not only disseminates desired
information but also goes much beyond that by answering queries generated by primary
information generation.
Advantages:
Create awareness among the rural customers on technology adoption
Increase the confidence level of the customer on performance of the technology
Address all the customers’ quarries on spot
Provide knowledge to the customer regarding easy maintenance of technology
Create platform for potential buyer for taking positive purchase decision
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IDEI conducts the following Dynamic Activities:
FARMER MEETING: During the interaction at the haat, mela
and other gatherings, the BAs are able to identify the
locations where farmers may be interested in knowing more
about the technology. Taking cue from the queries raised, a
farmers’ meeting is organised where in (mostly along with
demonstration), further details are provided about the
technology. Installers, local opinion leaders play a key role
during such meetings. These are an excellent forum that allow for a one-on-one discussion with
farmers and helps them better understand about the technologies. Especially under the
programme it was felt that women must be encouraged and motivated to attend the meeting.
Women staff, from local partners as well plays an important role in encouraging women from
villages to participate. The timing of meeting should be kept to encourage their attendance. An
effort is made to identify and motivate progressive farmer in the village, convince him about KB
technology and encourage him to speak about how he perceives the system and its benefits. Prior
intimation about the meeting and relaying information about key topics to be covered to farmers
ensures good attendance.
Proposed Sequence of discussion
1. The person conducting farmers meeting should introduce the organization: purpose, objectives,
activities & impact
2. IDEI technologies and its use/benefits etc with demonstration. Questions from participant
farmers are encouraged; these aid deeper understanding
3. Cultivation practices in the area, commonly grown crops, irrigation systems (this is ideally the
last point. The farmers would otherwise move out post learning about better crop practices)
The area office should develop a skeleton of contents that needs to be covered during farmer
meeting. Ideally there should be no snacks, tea/coffee served in the meeting as it often generates
presence which is more interested in such hospitalities than the matters of meeting. It also
increases cost of meeting which can be avoided. A leaflet containing information about IDEI
technologies with local contact phone number and address of the IDEI staff and dealer should be
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distributed in the meeting. A banner could be used along with the commonly used slogan for
better future recall.
SHORT CAMPAIGNS (JEEP AND AUTO RICKSHAW
CAMPAIGN): These are two to three days campaigns
that are conducted in a location. It involves spreading
information about technology through public address
system along with distribution of leaflets. Normally a
vehicle is used for the purpose for covering larger area.
The selection of vehicle depends upon the terrain and
proximity of villages. In places where villages are nearby one may hire three wheelers or even
bicycle or cycle rickshaw. The bicycle or cycle rickshaw puller can be given a brief about the
product for interacting with the farmers. A women campaigner with rickshaw puller always draws
more queries from the lady farmers. In places where distance among villages is longer, one hires a
four wheeler. These are costly but cover much larger area hence giving almost same outreach/cost
benefit. The vehicles move in the area spreading the message about pump/drip kit. They stop at
important places in a village and also answer the queries if any. They carry with them leaflet about
pump/drip kit which are distributed among the farmers who enquire about the system. The
villages where more farmers show interest in pump/drip kits are shortlisted for farmer meeting in
new areas. However, in old areas too short campaigns provide a good effective tool for recall of
product and brand. The primary purpose of a Jeep or Rickshaw campaign is to generate outreach,
awareness, and buzz. Generally one microphone and sound system accompanies the campaign to
broadcast the benefits of the KB technology.
VILLAGE DEMONSTRATION: This activity involves showing
operation of pump/drip kit in a new village. It is always very
important to show technologies in operation. These
technologies are new products for farmers and it is difficult
for them to comprehend its effectiveness and utility only by
listening or reading about it. By demonstrating the way the
pump operates generates confidence in the prospective
buyers. Usually in a village, pump is installed on an existing open well.
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HAAT DEMONSTRATION: In case of haat demonstration the
pump is installed on open well if the well is nearby otherwise
the demonstration takes place with the help of drum or
utensil. In the haat, the big umbrella or flex stall could also be
placed to attract crowds and create brand recall. Product
leaflet should be distributed during haat demo and a public
address system should be used. It is important to note the name, phone number (if any), and
name of the village of those farmers who make specific enquiries during the haat demonstration.
This list acts as a guide while selecting villages for farmer meeting and other follow ups.
FARMER EXPOSURE: Farmers’ exposure is a very effective
tool as it adheres to “seeing is believing”. Here a group of
farmers are taken to the field of another farmer where
pump/kit has already been installed/ in use on a crop. The
group of farmers get an opportunity to interact with the
user farmers besides observing the system in use. It is held
only after farmers have been through a farmers’ meeting. In
locations where a number of systems have already been installed farmers’ exposure can be
avoided, as often involves significant expenditure and working hours. It is advisable to visit a local
area as it not only saves time but also gives more credibility as the conditions will be similar in the
demo plots and that of the potential customers. It leads to the fact that farmers’ exposure should
always be conducted in the areas similar to the target area. While organizing the farmers’
exposure, care should always be taken about their social and cultural norms. The percentage of
farmers covered through farmers exposure purchasing the system is fairly high compared to other
tools.
DEMONSTRATION PLOTS: In areas where pump is not
known or has not been installed in visible numbers one
should go for demonstration plots. Usually a progressive
farmer from the locality is identified and convinced about
usefulness of the pump. The system once installed on such
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fields is used as demonstration plot. Proper care & hand holding is provided for the use of
technology & the crop for better results & its demonstration effect. As far as possible the
demonstration plot should be near a frequently used road. A KB board should be put up on the
field giving information about the demonstration plot like its size, crop, and date of installation,
name of promoting organization and local contact number of personnel / dealer. These
demonstration plots help in establishing credibility of the product and also in educating farmers
about the product, its usage and maintenance. The demonstration plots are used during farmer
exposures. The demonstration plots should be arranged on targeted crops in the area. One should
also go for various demonstration plots for different products if required. The farmer should be
motivated to bear the cost of system installed on his field for demonstration plot. Giving free or
highly subsidized system for demonstration plot runs the risk of poor maintenance and failure of
system. Number of demonstration plots depends on the geographical area being covered,
similarity in agriculture condition in the area, transportation facilities and crop types cultivated in
the area which are suitable for KB pump.
MELA / EXHIBITION: In rural areas there are often local
fairs and exhibitions. These attract a large number of
farmers from even a little far away villages. Hence these
provide good platform to promote pumps/kits. The
team first visits the mela area to select proper location
for stall. All mela should have public address system to
pull lots of people/ crowd to the stall. The field office
along with local supply chain member can have stalls in the fair for promotion. A running model of
system is demonstrated on the stall and
leaflets distributed. One should also have
some stocks also for sale. The important
next step to such stall is recording of all
queries generated and their follow up by
the promotional team in their villages.
Using the KB branded stall in such
exhibitions would draw larger crowds and
create brand recall.
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VIDEO VAN SHOW: IDEI has its own video vans with projector, screen and generator. During
daytime the van undertakes campaigning and while announcing the place and timing of the video
show in the areas from where the villagers are expected to come to watch the film. At times one
may have to get administrative clearance for organizing such a show. The location of video van
show village should be such that villagers from nearby villages can also easily come and go after
the show. Same stands true for timing of show. It should be fixed as per season, earlier in winters,
convenience of farmers and especially the women who should be free from their daily works by
that time. The video show should not be too long as farmers may not have that much time, also
longer shows may lose attention of audience. IDEI produces its own films for shows. It attracts
villagers to the show and also the attention of audience is better. Ideally a video show could be of
60-75 minutes duration.
Break up of Dynamic Promotional Activities conducted during the program:
S.No Activity Achieve
1 Farmer Meeting 3,958
2 Village Demonstration 1,184
3 Haat Demonstration 179
4 Short Campaign 129
5 Farmer Exposure 92
6 Mela Demonstration 3
7 Video showing farmer success 1
Conclusion
Considering the unique characteristics of the segment in the potential market for micro irrigation
systems IDEI has developed the static & dynamic promotional activities. Target customers are the
small landholding tribal farmers who are either using the traditional devices for micro irrigation or
not using anything. To impart a conceptual change in their age old practices considering their
literacy/ knowledge level and adaptability standard IDEI focused more on the process of direct
communication with them. Hence more stress was given on dynamic promotional activities. The
micro irrigation systems developed by IDEI was positioned as the most appropriate for rural small
land holding farmers who needs simple & almost zero maintenance irrigation devices Vs other
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competitive products. In all these activities the person involved plays a vital role. The attachment
with the tribal people makes sense of belongingness and the growing acceptance level with the
organization finally converted to their desire for the product. Initial awareness created by Video
Van Show and Short campaigns slowly generates their desire to possess one. This desire to have
the product is consolidated by Haat Demonstration and Village Demonstration. At the last stage
the Business Associate makes a close contact with the prospective farmer and there the sale is
clinched.
All promotional activities carried out by IDEI made tremendous impact in scaling up Micro
Irrigation Systems and Liquid Organic Fertilizer among tribal farmers of two backward districts of
Odisha. All these farmers have not only increased their income but also provide good education to
their children and better medical facilities for their families.
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5. Scaling up of micro-irrigation systems – Integrating MIS in
Indian National Programme for Livelihood improvement: complexity
and opportunities Susanta Nanda, Programme Director & CEO, Odisha Tribal Empowerment & Livelihoods Programme (OTELP).
Mail: [email protected]
Introduction
The Eastern State of Odisha in India has the 3rd largest concentration of tribal population
in the country. 62 different tribes, accounting for 22.13% of the total population of the state
numbering at 81,45,081 live mostly in hilly and forest regions spread across the state. Agriculture
is the main source of livelihood in these areas with settled and shifting cultivation accounting for
the majority of the income. Potential of water resource is very poorly developed. Thus, rain fed
agriculture has been the mainstay of agricultural activity for the tribal’s. As a result, more than
Abstract:
Rain fed agriculture is the main source of livelihoods of 62 different tribes,
residing in the Eastern State of India in Odisha. Water being the most limiting factor for
agriculture production, erratic rainfall has been the major reason for a stagnating farm
yield, consequential poverty and food insecurity across the tribal belt. Against this
backdrop, the SCAMPIS project has effectively demonstrated MIS as a new technology
to the tribal farmers, with significant water and energy savings adding to the income and
food security at the household level. The learning from SCAMPIS, the technology
demonstrated by Jharkhand State Livelihoods Promotion Society (JSLPS) and the funding
opportunity provided in two of the India National Programmes have helped OTELP to
scale up MIS as a sustainable livelihood for the poor tribal farmers. It envisages using
gravity based / low pressure drip irrigation system for commercial vegetable cultivation
on raised beds for increase farm productivity with an assured yearly income enough to
enable rural poor to overcome poverty. The article describes the approach, strategy and
technology adopted by OTELP in scaling of the MIS. This is likely to impact the lives of
5000 households to come out the poverty in the shortest possible time.
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80% of the cultivable area is mono-cropped with a stagnating yield. Since water is the most
limiting factor for agriculture production, erratic distribution of rainfall has been one of the major
reasons for poverty and consequential food insecurity in these areas. Vast majority of the farmers
own small land holdings and don’t apply fertilizers and pesticides. Under such situation,
experience of use of low cost water lifting equipment / machineries along with liquid organic
fertilizers have proved to be very effective for small land holding to give additional family income.
The experience gained through such intervention under SCAMPIS7 (Scaling up of Micro
irrigation System) Project in Odisha Tribal Empowerment and Livelihoods programme (OTELP)8
have incited to up-scale MIS (Micro Irrigation System) as a source of livelihoods by converging with
National Programme of “National Mission and Micro Irrigation” (NMMI)9 with objective to assist
thousands of tribal families to come out of the poverty.
LESSONS LEARNT UNDER SCAMPIS
Odisha Tribal Empowerment &
Livelihoods Programme (OTELP) started in
2004 as a Multi Donor Externally Aided
Project in seven tribal districts in south
western Odisha to ensure food security.
SCAMPIS India Project started since 1st
April, 2009 in two pilot districts where
OTELP was operating. The Project focused
to improve water availability through Micro
Irrigation System (MIS) and application of
liquid organic fertilizers for increased productivity of agricultural crops in 265 villages covering
10,000 households. Till now, 11,905 household have been covered in 469 villages which
1. SCAMPIS – This programme support by IFAD started in two pilot districts namely Koraput & Gajapati in Odisha,
India since 01.04.2009 and continued till 31.03.2012. The project focuses to improve water availability with MIS & applications of liquid organic fertilisers for increase of productivity of Agriculture crops.
2. OTELP – Odisha Tribal Empowerment & Livelihoods Programme (OTELP) assisted by IFAD, DFID & WFP is being
implemented since 2004-05 in 7 southern tribal districts of Odisha, India. The programme aims to ensure tribal livelihoods & food security of poor tribal households are sustainably improved.
3. NMMI – Mission was launched and funded by GoI since June, 2010 to boost convergence of micro irrigation activities under major Govt. programme for increasing water use, efficiency, productivity and farms income.
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demonstrated the effectiveness of MIS in enhancing the food security and income of the tribal
population.
SCAMPIS Project promoted 20 liter bucket kit and 200 liter capacity drum kit with micro
tube emitters to irrigate 20 square meter and 100 square meter area respectively. Small land
holding farmers were able to take advantage of this for growing vegetable as an additional source
of income. The Project demonstrated significant water and energy savings and use of a new
technology in the tribal areas.
The impacts and learning’s from the same are as follows:
a. Mostly MIS was used in vegetable crops. Vegetable area increased by 10 -15% after use of this
technology which was earlier kept fallow. Besides new crops like ginger, capsicum and spine
gourd have been introduced in the areas where MIS is operating.
b. Cropping season increased due to increase in water use efficiency by using MIS, resulting in
increase of fruiting time of the vegetables. Average yield of vegetables increased by 10 %.
c. Quality of vegetables improved significantly and fetched a higher rate in the market.
d. Small land holding farmers / landless in their backyards have grown vegetables and have got
income of Rs 20/- to Rs 50/-per week (on an average Rs 150/- per month) by selling vegetables
in the nearby weekly markets after meeting their own requirement. They purchase their
grocery items from the weekly market out of above income. Consumption of vegetable for
these landless was a difficult proposition prior to introduction of above technology.
e. There is positive impact on the health due to consumption of fresh vegetables by the tribal
and is likely to have a dent on the prevalent malnutrition of the area.
Scaling up through convergence
Since SCAMPIS Project targeted small areas giving limited income, taking up commercial vegetable
cultivation through this intervention as a livelihoods measure was a difficult proposition. But from
the experiences gained from SCAMPIS project and from the learning’s of commercial vegetable
cultivation taken up in the near by state by “Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society”
(JSLPS), a scaling up approach was adopted in OTELP areas using gravity based/low pressure drip
irrigation system for commercial vegetable cultivation on raised beds for increased farm
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productivity of tribal farmers with an assured yearly income of Rupees 30,000-50,000 from 500-
1000 sq. m. of area. This has created sustainable livelihood opportunities for the poor tribal to
overcome poverty.
The constraints of up scaling has been taken care as below, to make it a sustainable one by
integrating with two of the Indian national programme which provided the biggest opportunity
for up scaling:
1. Drip irrigation round pipes are LLDP (Liquid low density poly ethylene) having inline dripper
unlike lay flat pipe with micro tube in case of SCAMIS micro irrigation system. Drip irrigation
pipes can withstand variable pressure unlike SCAMPIS and are more durable.
2. The SCAMPIS Project was implemented in limited areas and was demonstrative in nature. In
contrast, the up scaling plan is for commercial vegetable cultivation in more areas.
3. 90% of the cost of the lifting equipments of MIS
came as a grant in SCAMPIS Project and up-
scaling of the same once the Project was over
became difficult in terms of funding. Taking
advantage of provision of 80% subsidy in Drip kits
under NMMI (National Mission on Micro
Irrigation in India) for the tribal farmers, the
funding issue was addressed to a substantial
degree.
4. Advantage was also taken for availing 50 -75% subsidies (depending on size) under NHM10
(National Horticulture Mission) and RKVY11 (Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana) for poly nursery in up
scaling the project.
The approach followed by JSLPS12 has been adopted to focus on tribal farmers and the women
Self Help Groups to earn enough in the fallowing ways:
4.
NHM – Mission was launched and funded by GoI since 10th
plan to promote holistic growth of Horticulture sector in different states of India.
5.
RKVY – Scheme was launched and funded by GoI since 2007-08 to incentivise different states to draw of plan for holistic development of their Agriculture & allied sectors for achieving 4% annual growth in Agriculture sector.
Poly Nursery managed by women Self Helf Group in Digamala villag in
Kandhamal district
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Providing an efficient irrigation (water) management technology that empowers
farmers to overcome drought situations.
Maximizing the reach and impact of existing irrigation and water harvesting initiatives
already taken up in OTELP, like Check Dams, Diversion based Irrigation Systems,
Ponds, Well etc.
Ensuring a regular income mechanism – a round the year cash flow system for the
farmer. Thus, ‘Enabling Rural Poor to Overcome Poverty”.
Through this approach, it is expected that increased farm productivity will generate an annual
income enough to take them above the poverty line.
The following strategies are envisaged:
a. Beneficiaries - a wide range of beneficiaries will be included but the preference will be
given to the poorest of the poor in the village.
b. Implementation areas of micro-irrigation will be introduced in all the programme districts
of OTELP. New districts, which until now were not covered under SCAMPIS, will learn and
capitalize the Koraput and Gajapati experiences
c. The OTELP will add another MIS technology installation i.e. low pressure/ gravity based
Drip irrigation for vegetable cultivation on raised beds and linking a group of minimum 25 farmers
in a village to one poly nursery (for raising seedlings) to be exclusively managed by women self
help groups.
d. Good institutional support as well as an articulated body of technicians and experts
already existent in place, enables OTELP to provide technical and marketing support at village level
independently.
e. Considering the dimension of the Scaling-up strategy, OTELP will hire persons already
engaged in this program for the implementation of field activities & supervision.
f. A different subsidies strategy compared to the SCAMPIS Project will be introduced by
OTELP. It foresees a possibility for differentiated level of subsidies at the beginning. After the first
12
Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society, UNDP Supported Livelihood Promotion Strategies Project implemented by Government of Jharkhand, India
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phase of subsidies, a system of revolving funds available under RFS (Rural Financial Services)
placed in the programme Villages of OTELP will be introduced as a loan component which the
farmer will be able to recover in one or two seasons. At the first stage of the scaling up, subsidies
cannot be completely withdrawn. The revolving funds could be an appropriate method to
guarantee the sustainability and not to compromise the technologies, market chain
(manufacturers/retailers/services for distribution) already in place in most of the Odisha districts.
Technologies introduced
1. Low Pressure gravity based drip
irrigation system is installed on
the raised beds of 500-1000 sq.
m. of areas for commercial
vegetable cultivation. Drip
irrigation uses specially designed
pipes pre-fitted with advanced
drippers. This discharges the
exact amount of water and
nutrients that crops need right at
the root zone. Thus, every drop of water is effectively used to raise quality and increase year-
round yields.
2. Pressure compensated drip liner ensures uniform discharge of water in undulating lands
ensuring uniform crop size and yield.
3. Water lifting arrangement from the available source to the tank will be made by pump sets or
by peddle pump depending on the energy availability. The Village Development Committee
(VDC)13 in the programme areas of OTELP in many places owns pump in Agriculture Resource
Centres and can effectively give the same on rent to individual farmers to reduce the financial
burden.
4. To cater the needs of a cluster of 25 farmers in one village, a Poly Nursery will be established
with collapsible shed net screens under the root. This will take care of the favorable growth of
7
Village Development Committee: A Committee of the villagers situated in one Micro Watershed covering
approximately 500 hectares of area.
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younger seedlings which can also be better protected against pests and diseases and other
environmental calamities.
The Present Up-scaling Plan
Productivity & profitability from vegetable
cultivation is increased by use of low pressure drip
irrigation system as compared to traditional flood
irrigation. These Gravity fed Pressure Compensated
Drip System require low energy (can operate with
paddle pumps where there is no electricity).
Pressure Compensated (PC) drip liners unlike other
drip lines, works on very low pressure ranges and maintain uniform discharge at the emitter. The
farmers are benefited from uniform crop size. Under high rainfall condition, raised bed (30-45 cm
high) techniques can give better yield compared to traditional ridge and furrow system.
Permanent raised beds of 90 cm width made of a mixture of sand, Farm Yard Manure (FYM) and
soil is dug out on the entire cultivation area with 30 cm inter-bed spacing for drainage and
movement. Raised bed system allows for better soil arability and supports healthy root system.
One farmer can easily manage 500-1000 M2 area cropping without depending on outside labour.
One homestead well is adequate to provide water resource for the above area for entire year. The
system prevents water run-off, deep percolation, leaching and soil erosion, maximizes water and
fertilizer efficiency and easy for operation and maintenance. 2600 tomato plants can produce 10
tons yield / 4800 cabbage plants can produce 7.5 tons yield from an area of 1000 M2 through use
of low pressure drip irrigation system. 14
The MIS technology is implemented in 6 programme districts of OTELP covering 1626 farmers
during 2012-13. Out of above 1626 farmers, 1500 farmers from Nawarangpur, Koraput, Rayagada
& Kandhamal districts have been linked to vegetable cooperatives. Each farmer will grow
vegetables round the year in an area of 500- 1000 M2 with assured irrigation and installation of
low pressure drip irrigation system. Poly houses will be constructed by the women SHGs after
availing 75% subsidy from Government for raising of quality seedlings. Each poly house will cater
14 Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society, GoJ-UNDP Supported Livelihood Promotion Strategies Project Rural
Development Department, Government of Jharkhand, India
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the need of seedlings for 25 farmers. The cooperatives will supply agro inputs to the farmers at
door step, facilitate capacity building of farmers on scientific cultivation of vegetables and
marketing of produce collectively after sorting and grading. The programme aims to cover 5000
poor tribal famers in next 2 years which will take them out of poverty in the shortest possible
time.
The marketing Strategy
Poor marketing of vegetables in India is one of the major
reason for fluctuating consumer prices as well as cause for
substantial wastage. There is significant loss of quality and
severe mismatch between the supply and demand. The
co-operatives taking up vegetable cultivation will
collectivize and aggregate vegetables at different points
for better marketing. The produce will be graded, packed and stored in scientific manner to be
despatched to the demand areas. The co-operatives have entered into an agreement with
“Surendra Agro Tech” – a private firm dealing with vegetable supply in urban areas - to market
their surplus produce. The agro climate of OTELP districts are suitable for production of off season
vegetables and can fetch a higher price
providing huge commercial gain to the
farmers.
Conclusion
On the basis of learning experience from
SCAMPIS Project, OTELP has introduced
another MIS system (Low Pressure Gravity
based Drip irrigation) for commercial
vegetable cultivation. The expected outcomes are as follows:
1. Increase farm productivity with sufficient income to overcome poverty and food insecurity.
2. Reduced distress migration through off farm and on farm activities.
3. Enhancing the price of farm products through post harvest management and market linkages.
4. Adding commercial vegetable cultivation as a livelihood options in the tribal belt.
5. Learning in implementation of this MIS will provide quality inputs in formulation of livelihood
intervention in addressing poverty.
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6. Micro-enterprise for MIS – the born and the consolidation of
Innovagri Randriambelo Lova Tovonantsoa, Innovagri, Madagascar. Mail: [email protected]
Introduction
In Madagascar, 75% of the
population is rural and water is
essential for agriculture.
One major problem is the poor water
management that brings to poor
yield.
Therefore, the micro-irrigation
system was introduced in the
country in 1980.
From 2009, the SCAMPIS project has
revitalized and disseminated the use
of MIS introducing kits imported from India, to establish a suitable solution to water scarcity
problem.
In 2012 started a collaboration between the SCAMPIS project and INNOVAGRI and with it has been
established a new local manufacture of MIS equipment improved and adapted to the local context
and needs at an affordable for small producers.
Through this partnership, a production line was started. The partnership look at the same time at
the sustainability of the production at manufacturing level and at the farmers satisfaction in
adopting the technology.
Water problem in Madagascar
General problem
In hydrology, Madagascar is sufficiently supplied with water either in terms of groundwater
but they are irregularly distributed geographically and during the seasons of the year.
Abstract
As part of our contribution to rural development and improving
farmers income, the SCAMPIS project develops manufacturing
and supply chains of micro irrigation kits . This technology can be
used in all types of agriculture and is supplied to the farmers
though the enterprise INNOVAGRI and ULAM. Besides reducing
the time needed for irrigation, these materials also reduce the
amount of insecticide by his through self-management.
With the existing problem of water scarcity continuously faced
by the farmers, INNOVAGRI stands as an actor to take up the
challenge of improving farmers livelihood and at the same time
become a stable enterprise.
Financial assistance from potential donors would boost activities
implemented though the partnership SCAMPIS - INNOVAGRI and
would have a beneficial impacts in improving the lives of
households and farmers.
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The control of water helps to reduce human poverty (improvement of living conditions and health
through access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene) and poverty (contribution to the
development of means of agriculture economic production).
Water problem of producers
Management and maintenance of networks of measurement, observation and monitoring are very
expensive. Thus they are sometimes neglected. They are rehabilitated in the strategic areas for
protection against floods, drought and agriculture.
The farmers, among the main users of water, should be educated and sensitized to the problems
of water. Indeed, the lack of knowledge on micro-irrigation in the country continues the tradition
of ancient irrigation culture.
They depend entirely on rain.
They waste the well water for watering
In some places, they often collect water far away from their plots, from fivers or canals,
loosing a lot of time.
Furthermore it is difficult to find water during the dry season.
This cause the rising cost of production because they have to pay third parties to get water.
Production line
INNOVAGRI
The company aims to manufacture and sale agricultural inputs and
equipment, to import materials for the manufacture MIS, be
involved in the agricultural sector and rural development in
Madagascar.
Leaders
M. Lova Tovonantsoa RANDRIAMBELO, Manager, Agricultural
Technician
GSM: 034 16 374 60
Personal business management
Recruitment and management of permanent and temporary staff
Support for development of partnerships
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M. Tiavina Heriniaina RAFENOMAMPIANINA, Operations Manager
GSM: 034 91 287 91
Animation and Control of Operations
Support for personnel management of the company
Support for animation and control of operations
The organization chart
Our beginnings
INNOVAGRI began with a farmers association called LORITI in March 2009. Every season LORITI
cultivated tomatoes of 1 ½ acres. At this time we have encountered problems in water due to
climate change. Therefore, we expected to find the solution by hiring people for manual irrigation
every two days. This created a heavy burden to the association; members began to think at how to
alleviate the costs. In this moment we got in contact with Scampis during a demonstration in
October 2009, we put in practice on our cultivation drip technology developed manually by us
that turned out to be a failure, we used the plastic bag white with a port (PVC T) at each
plant. As we were beginners, we ignored the following facts:
Photosynthesis
Problem sealing
Failure in diameter
We talked about our home-made drip system to Scampis coordinator who supported our efforts
and offered their partnership. With Scampis, we found that the kit imported from India had some
Manager (01)
Accounting
Manager (01)
Operations Manager
(01)
Hydro geologist
responsible (01)
Responsible agronomic
(01)
ULAM (Local Unit of the
Assembly Materials) (03)
Specialized labor (05)
Temporary labor (15)
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limitations so, with "Tanety" Malagasy, and together we tried to adapt the MIS kits to le local
caratheristics and needs.
Realization
Collaboration with SCAMPIS:
- 2010, start the kits production and identification of necessary improvements to face
problems encountered during fabrication and installation of MIS
- 2011, dispatching and collection entrusted to INNOVAGRI by SCAMPIS
Compared to this stage, we could see the reality on the ground, which lead to the creation of
the Local Unit of the Assembly Material (ULAM )
The ULAM assembles the kits sent by the manufacturer, meets the dealers orders of their
region, and both can act as dealer.
- 2012, opening on INNOVAGRI partners other than SCAMPIS. INNOVAGRI provides modest
financial support in the SCAMPIS a certain percentage of the price of the kits. This is intended
to empower the long term.
Strengths, challenges, opportunities and risks
Strengths Challenges
- INNOVAGRI, pioneer in manufacturing: we can still make innovations on micro-irrigation system in Madagascar. - Regular Suppliers: credit up to a month or more. - Corporate Partners. - Market kits very open and farmers were already aware of water problems. - Creation of ULAM (Unités Locales d’Assemblage des Matériels)
- Funding problems: enlargement of INNOVAGRI scale is constrained by too much interest from the bank. - Problems in the import of raw materials: vannette and lateral pipes (solved by obtaining an extruder and one injector). - Company away from self: margin benefit is felt only when ordered kits are a significant number.
Opportunities Risks
- Sustainable financing: Opportunity to open the domestic market or international product cheaper in the world to date. - Installation possible regional. - Export demand for bio. - Import of raw materials possible (depending on their status).
- Difficulty of product protection by patent application (easy to imitate). - Questioning manufacture kits by law in the making of the Malagasy State Ban on import of plastic products (plastic sheath: the main component of the kit)
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Impacts of the implementation of the production line
Economy
Exchange between successful farmers and users of INNOVAGRI kits micro-
irrigation system.
Creating employment within INNOVAGRI by hiring a dozen people.
Economic spinoffs in the region Vakinankaratra: job creation through ULAM
Valuation of land farmed.
Environment
Existence of chemicals
Reduction of chemical fertilizer
Stabilization of soil structure
Reduction and water erosion due to irrigation
Production
Increase in production
Creation ULAM
Reduced cost of production
Facilitation of dispatching and collection
Recognition of visually specific demands of the peasants.
Household
Saves time: farmers can focus on other activities.
Improvement of farmers' income.
Possibility to go to school for children.
Conclusion
The partnership between INNOVAGRI and SCAMPIS should be encouraged and supported by
central government through the Ministry of Agriculture. This action contributes to the fight against
mismanagement of water in Madagascar, although is essential to agriculture that ensures the
survival of the human race.
The micro-irrigation improves the living conditions of farmers who see their financial situation and
stabilize their lives more manageable, benefiting manufacturers.
INNOVAGRI would be grateful to partners, local or foreigner, who would like to strengthen the
expertise, the know-how in micro-irrigation through training. With its means possibly granted by
donors, farmers in other regions may benefit from training and awareness and ULAM could be
implanted in each region.
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7. Breaking the small farmers vicious cycle of debts
through micro-irrigation systems Fenomanantsoa Andriamanalina, Scampis Madagascar project coordinator, AVSF, Madagascar. Mail: [email protected]
Arivonimamo district which particularized by the importance of the number of chronically
indebted poor farmers
Arivonimamo is one of the three districts of the Region of Itasy, a zone who the SCAMPIS Project
intervene at its start in 2009. It has an agriculture difficult climatic conditions, in particular, lack of
water and poor soil fertility. Indeed, Arivonimamo is the driest place in all areas of intervention of
SCAMPIS. The soil is rich of iron and very poor in organic components. With inadequate hydro
agricultural infrastructure, the production of small farmers, especially of rice is greatly affected by
this situation.
To face this situation, farmers diversified their activities; they have small livestock, produce crops
and vegetables after the rice season, especially tomatoes. This last is cultivated after the harvest in
rice fields (low land) where water constraints are less important.
This alternative does not resolve the problems of poor farmers who have no rice parcels. Indeed,
the district of Arivonimamo know a very unequal access to land which is, in general, managed by
the descendants of the first migrants who are often the most influent. The division of plots by the
heirs (fragmentation of family farms) leads to social and family conflicts and aggravates the
impoverishment of households. The season of tomatoes production faces problem of
price, because during this season, most of the farmers in the region produce
all the same product, and this depresses the prices, that lose 2/3 of their price during the
production peak.
The strategies of the poor and moderately poor households to overcome the poverty not very
effective: they use shared cropping, agricultural labour, early sale of crops, loan from money
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lenders or microfinance institution. They expose themselves to the vicious cycle of
debt.
Indeed, sharecropping greatly reduces the income of operators at two-thirds and continuously
exposed to this mode to enforce. The microfinance institution is less common, due to the non-
accessible conditions, judged too high interest rates and, especially, access and recovery
procedures not adapted to the financial needs of vulnerable families, who use the money for
emergencies (health, death, inputs, education of their children...).
Another strategy, the use of agricultural labour, also constitutes a form of debt by households.
Indeed, many poor families borrow money from wealthy families under stress to work for the
benefit of the latter. Same is true for the case of the early sale crops because households sell the
latter in exchange for an advance which can be regarded as a credit.
The length of the period of welding and malnutrition exacerbate social inequality, as well as
affecting the health and, therefore, force, only real capital of the poor. To meet their basic needs
and mitigate the welding, the poor rely on reduction of the amount of rice consumed per day, the
suspension of the education of the children, the demand for help from families living outside the
community...
Tsinjoina, and the Ursulines’ Community, partners working to eradicate the chronic
indebtedness of small farmers
It is in this context that the Association of farmers Tsinjoaina was established in 2000, in the
Roman Catholic Church. Having covered several areas, Tsinjoaina has as its main objective, out the
families from this vicious circle of debt. Its strategy is to improve the income of the members
through the improvement of their production process and to help them in order to implement the
solidarity funds. A fund consists of a network of 7 to 15 families who can use the funds as an
alternative recourse to borrowing in case emergency needs (diseases, education...) and
investment in farms.
The Association received financial support from the Action Carème Suisse (Switzerland) for
animation and support of networks of farmers in the constitution, the management and the
strengthening of these funds. These activities are provided by volunteer animators who are
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compensated. On average, an animator support four networks of farmers, so four solidarity funds.
The district of Arivonimamo had 48 networks, led by 11 animators.
The Community of the Sisters of the Ursulines is one of the first partners of the Association
Tsinjoaina. This Community helps several families in difficulties in its center in Arivonimamo, in
providing them some land for production. It has developed at the disposal of the association, a
part of his land (as a site for demonstration and training for farmers), and gives one of its members
a facilitator (as the 18 of the Tsinjoaina) what is the sister Antoinette. She also manages the Micro-
irrigation demonstration site. With his from age 50, sister Antoinette who has a conviction on
assistance to young people from age 50, did not refuse this responsibility.
In October 2009, the Community experienced drip irrigation with the test of imported materials
made by SCAMPIS Project. Indeed, the project team had come contact the Community to
implement some kits in its demonstration site. Sister Antoinette agreed to take the kits and has
followed with interest the demonstration. Satisfied of the interests of this innovation, the
Community decided to continue the demonstration with kits manufactured locally in the Center,
while introducing innovation to Tsinjoaina networks that are placed under his animation.
Difficult start of the integration of the SMI in the Association Tsinjoaina
In 2010, the start of the introduction of the IMS in the networks of farmers Tsinjoaina experienced
some major difficulties. Indeed, the donor of the Association has decided to stop its funding. The
animators were more so the compensation received. A few began looking for other activities. In
addition, the main targets of the Association are vulnerable families who do not have the means
to buy the hardware resellers. Most of them raised their concerns on the steal of kits in the fields.
Some of them have refused to take the material, let alone to commit to pay.
Discontinuation of funding for animators developed Sister Antoinette in embarrassment, which led
him to abandon the idea of introducing innovation to Tsinjoaina members. But after, she has
negotiated a special rate with the SCAMPIS/AVSF project. The projet gave farmers a price
equivalent to a third of the price on the market (5 000 AR or 1.9 EUR), as financial support for the
vulnerable. The project has still decided to offer revenue recovery Association which should reuse
to compensate the 11 animators. On the request of Sister Antoinette, the facilitator of the project
has strengthened them in animation and formation of members.
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Thus, 45 irrigation drip for 50 m² kits have been distributed to farmers who have used with tomato
and green bean. The sister Antoinette ensured follow-up/animation of at least 60% of the
beneficiaries. Most of the farmers have all honor their debts in the solidarity funds, and no steal of
kits is observed.
In 2011, with this progress, the Association decided to strengthen its marketing kits to its
members. During the dry season tomato prices has slowed to encourage farmers to buy the kits
and with the support of SCAMPIS/AVSF technician, Sister Antoinette sought a vegetable dealer
who agrees to take the vegetables. She found someone who promised to take the green bean of
the Association with an attractive price.
Sister Antoinette has negotiated this idea
to the nearest reseller (Office IMANASOA) who accepted. As the number of kits for sale is important, the sister decided to reinforce the three animators by itself the animation into the more remote villages in the district with displacement to feet.
The result of the sale of kits is important because the Association could sell kits to 192 members, of which 82 are poor families which have no rice. The peasants have increased at more than twice their production (bean-green). Indeed, with this period and habitual picking technique, they could make up to 9-10 pickups instead of 3 pickups only.
However, farmers met with problems because the dealer failed in his promise to purchase their
products. Farmers were forced to sell their products in the local market. This situation has
discouraged many farmers who have not had the expected results.
The experience of Tsinjoaina has showed another facet of the interests of drip irrigation, who
allowed farmers who have no rice or other type of production.
Sister Antoinette has not abandoned. She sought another licensee and found an NGO
(MAMPITASOA) who buys pimento (pili pili varietie) by agreeing to sign contracts with the
producers. Speculation change done hesitate many peasants, but in July, 15 of them have already
signed contracts with the MAMPITASOA NGO, which has been gradually increasing the number of
new farmers who produce with drip irrigation.
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Sister Antoinette has not hidden its concern on the development of the use of the micro-irrigation
after the completion of SCAMPIS, of after it, the risks are not only on the increase in prices of
materials, but also on the absence of the animation of the producers.
This year, after 8 years in the Community, Sister Antoinette would be affected in another region.
This situation caused much concern among the peasants. But after discussion with his superior, his
assignment is still delayed, which will still allow it to continue the story with the SMI.
The SCAMPIS/AVSF’s team think that without husband and children, Sister Antoinette considers
poor producers as his own family, which inspired him to cross all obstacles to help them out of
poverty.
“We always met difficulties, perhaps also because we are not the true
professionals in this matter. I don't know what we are doing today will
bring to these farmers. But I am sure that as our experiments in drip-
irrigation, the change from the usual practice will change many things.
If seeking a solution, found the still. The problem is the fact of not
looking. Before, these farmers were afraid to use the kits because of
theft. Today, they have more cited this concern”.
Sister Antoinette, with the facilitators.
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8. Scaling up micro-irrigation systems in Madagascar:
opportunities and constraints Christin RAMAROSON, Agricultural engineer specialist in rural development and monitoring and evaluation.
Mail: [email protected] ; [email protected]
INTRODUCTION
The drip irrigation is still a new practice
for Malagasy small farmers. The
traditional practice is irrigation by
watering can or by submersion, both very
water wasteful practices .
SCAMPIS project has provided to small
farmers in Madagascar an opportunity to
innovate their practice of irrigation by the
dissemination of low- cost drip irrigation.
But most of the farmers have not yet
access to the technologies; the costs and the market availability is not enough developed yet.
Some stakeholders, in particular the Malagasy State through the Ministry of Agriculture are very
interested in promoting and scaling up the MIS (micro-irrigation system) to face the current threat
of the negative effect of climate change and the scarcity of water for agriculture. Thus, apart from
contractual areas of SCAMPIS project, the Ministry of Agriculture projects (funded by IFAD) have
contributed to the promotion of MIS technologies in 13 of the 22 regions of Madagascar. The low
adoption rate of MIS is due to the farmers difficulties in accessing the technologies market chain
and to the short duration of the projects which were supporting the promotion and dissemination
of the know-how on how to use the technology. Otherwise, opportunities exist and those should
be the motor for the promotion and dissemination of MIS technologies in Madagascar.
In this article, we try to describe how the MIS scaling up began in Madagascar, the opportunities
and the limitations faced.
ABSTRACT
The SCAMPIS project achievements and the experience
in Madagascar has allowed to make important leap on
the promotion of micro-irrigation system (MIS). The
IFAD governmental projects implemented together
with the Ministry of Agriculture contributed in a
significant way to the geographical dissemination of the
technology and facilitated the farmer access to it. The
scaling up goal of the projects funded by IFAD is the
improvement of the supply chain of MIS and the
strengthening of the farmers production for food
security. The level of technology adoption is still low
even if the good number of the interested stakeholders.
In this article, we highlight the opportunities and the
challenges for scaling up MIS and discuss how to
integrate it to the use of waste water in the optic of
water savings.
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Context
The main achievement of SCAMPIS project has been the ability in demonstration that several
groups of actors (projects, NGOs, traders, farmer’s organisation, platforms, CSA, and especially the
farmers and the Ministry of Agriculture) have interest in promoting and adopting MIS. The MIS
includes two main technologies: the drip irrigation and the pedal pump.
The SCAMPIS project has received collaboration requests from various stakeholders and the
Ministry of Agriculture stated its interest in supporting scaling up strategies.
The SCAMPIS project covers five regions, four of those regions are also part of the governmental
IFAD projects intervention area. During the dry season these areas face a water shortage for
irrigation, on the other side this regions have good and dynamic agricultural potential. These areas
are considered as precursors in adopting MIS technology. In addition to those, other IFAD
intervention areas are appropriate for scaling up MIS to face the food insecurity and the drought.
Among the projects that started the scaling up of MIS we can find: PARECAM (Support Project
resilience to food crises in Madagascar) funded by the European Union and four IFAD
governmental projects: AROPA, PROSPER, PPRR and AD2M.
The intervention strategy for scaling up MIS through the national projects
The Scampis implementing organization developed and approach for scaling up MIS that
identified to main lines of action:
- Capacity building and intensive training of the local staff and organizations to improve the
project implementation and the increase the technology adoption at farmer level.
- Development and expansion of a local MIS manufacturing and supply chain to address the
specific needs of each area.
OPPORTUNITIES AND LIMITATIONS OF THE SCALING OF MIS THROUGH NATIONAL PROJECTS
Opportunities
The current experience has shown the existence of positive factors that justify and assess the
needs for promoting MIS and scaling it up.
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i) The SCAMPIS project.
The SCAMPIS project itself, though its results and achievements and the development and
introduction of technology low cost, suitable for Malagasy farmers has created a good basis for
scale up MIS.
ii) The interested parties.
The various stakeholders enthusiasm in promoting MIS is an asset and also an opportunity for the
scaling up of MIS in Madagascar. Among the stakeholders we there are economic operators,
NGOs, agricultural service centres and the Ministry of Agriculture with its decentralized services.
Specifically for the Department of Agriculture, the interests has been manifested by the
undertaking of technical meetings on promotion and MIS scaling up, moreover the decentralized
services have been in concretely involved in promoting MIS. Finally the Ministry of Agriculture
proposed to develop a section about micro-irrigation in the Agricultural Sector Programme (PSA).
iii) Scaling up though national projects funded by IFAD.
The intervention of projects of the Ministry of Agriculture funded by IFAD is a real opportunity for
scaling up. From the geographical perspective the projects funded by IFAD cover 13 regions of the
22 regions of Madagascar. These are areas that have good agricultural potential and suffer of
water scarcity due to chronic drought (South Zone of Madagascar) are appropriate for the
diffusion of MIS. The specificity of IFAD projects is their duration of action (7-10 years), this allow
sufficient technical staff to achieve a larger number of beneficiaries who adopting MIS will
increase the “critical mass” needed to stabilize a local market. The projects want to integrate the
technical support for MIS with the introduction of the reuse of waste water in agriculture with the
final objective of saving water resources.
It is not always possible to integrate MIS in the projects especially when they have a very specific
focus/objective (see box 1)
Box 1: Case of PROSPER project in supporting the scaling up of the MIS
The PROSPER project is specifically targeting rural microenterprises in its interventions. The action to support scaling up
technology MIS has focused on supporting the establishment and training of local artisans manufacturing equipment.
Eight workers were trained and set up in the South East and in Northern Madagascar.
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The IFAD governmental projects decided to introduce MIS in order to i) improve vulnerable
farmers food security. MIS increasing food availability during season ii) link farmers to the market
(local and international). MIS has been introduced in areas where there is a potential market as
MIS allow efficient use of the water resources and improves the quantity and quality of
agricultural production.
iv) Climate change.
The pressure of climate change negative effects motivate farmers in the research for alternatives
methods for water management. The water constraint is already felt at farm level especially in
non-irrigated plots.
This situation leads to the enthusiasm of farmers and government to MIS technologies to face the
water problems.
Box 4: Effect of delay of the rain on litchi production in the East Coast of Madagascar
Producers are finding that the duration of the dry period in the area is increasing in the last ten years. As the rainy
season is crucial in relation to the production cycle of litchi, the delay affects the quality of production mainly destined to
export. To deal with this problem, the farmers irrigate the litchi fixing in the ground bottles (top-down) full of water, but
system is not always effective.
Box 3: Improvement of food security in southern Madagascar (Project Area AROPA).
The southern area of Madagascar is affected by recurrent droughts that have heavy impact on food production
and food security. Water for irrigation is an important constraint for small farmers. The introduction of MIS in the
area offers an opportunity to diversify and increase the food availability, through efficient management and use of
water resources during the dry season.
The MIS also helps to secure the production of sorghum seed to start growing crop after the drought. Usually after
the drought, farmers are extremely poor, crops are destroyed and even seeds to start cultivating are no longer
available.
Box 2: Vegetable Production in the East Coast during the dry season (Project Area PPRR)
Normally the Toamasina marked is supplied by the vegetables produced in the highlands. During the period of rice
cultivation, the vegetables at the market rare and expensive. The vegetables cultivation is an opportunity for local
farmers to increase their income. The MIS helps small producers during these dry periods in water management and
facilitate the cultivation on sandy soils that generally have low water holding capacity.
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Limitations
Four main constraints have been identified in relation with the scaling up of MIS. The lack of trust
of farmers in using an innovative technology; the low financial capacity of the farmers to purchase
the technology; the limited distribution of MIS on the market; the limited availability of finds to
continue the technology promotion.
i) Distrust of small producers.
MIS technology is still new for small producers; the adoption of the MIS in the cultivation system
will be linked to behaviour change in relation with usual practices. In fact, outreach and
demonstration more advanced and supported are still needed to convince producers of the
technical and economical advantage of the MIS and the importance of rational management of
water resources to climatic constraints face. The small farmers view the integration of MIS as a
risky investment due to the not stable supply chain at village level and the relative high cost of the
material.
ii) Low financial capacity of producers.
The low purchasing power limit producers access to technologies, especially the poor who are the
main target of IFAD projects. The cost of materials creates a ask investment too high for this
farmers who are also the one who have e lowest access to innovations and resources (especially
water)
iii) Limited range of materials.
The vegetable production for the markets, has seen as an opportunity to consolidate the MIS
market chain, this because the farmers who practice this agriculture are considered the most
receptive to innovations.
iv) Fund to continue the promotion campaign.
SCAMPIS Madagascar project ends
in 2012 after 3 years of
implementation. If there will be no
more funding to support the
operations developed until now, if
the promotion of the technology
Sometimes the introduction of MIS in an area could have a
conflicting interest with the survival strategy of small farmers. In
relation to this, some small farmers (mostly poor) are working as
agricultural irrigation employee during the lean period. MIS
reduces significantly the need for worker in irrigation. In fact, the
distribution of MIS may lead to loss income for these farmers
employees. This case may be encountered in the onion-growing
area in the northern part of Madagascar also PROSPER project
area.
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will not continue, all the achievements could get lost.
Relative to the current situation, the mechanism is still fragile because the critical mass of
adoption has not yet achieved and the sales volume does not allow the servicing of small
enterprises engaged in manufacturing. The achievement of this critical mass is a precondition for
the automatic adoption of MIS therefore maintaining the structures put in place. This weakness
state also the need for continuing the scaling up of MIS.
CONCLUSION
MIS scaling-up in Madagascar is still in its launch stage. Despite the efforts and commitment of the
actors in the promotion and dissemination, the level of adoption by farmers is still very low. The
factors behind this level of adoption consist of minimizing risk to the producers for conversion in
MIS technologies, the short-term intervention for scaling (one year for national projects). Also, this
situation explains the need for progressive learning for irrigators and developers of projects. The
main challenge is to establish a strong strategy for successfully scaling-up MIS.
The experiment conducted in this scaling demonstrates the feasibility of transferring skills to local
structures in the context of MIS promoting. It showed that the technical capacity development of
local technicians on the MIS is possible in a year of implementation only.
The commitment of the actors including the Ministry of Agriculture and National Projects has an
important role in scaling up facilitating the farmers access to MIS technology. The strategy should
take in consideration the creation of new partnership with interested stakeholders.
Bibliography:
1- Recherche action participative et dynamisme des agriculteurs face aux changements climatiques : cas de la Région
Analanjirofo (Est de Madagascar), 2010. Holy RAHARINJANAHARY, Nosy ALIZANY, Jeannin RANAIVONASY, Jean
Chrysostôme RAKOTONDRAVELO, Rivo RABARIJOHN, Lilia RABEHARISOA, Mamy RAMPARANY, Anne-MarieTIANI
2- Capitalisation d’expériences sur le développement de la petite irrigation privée pour des productions à haute valeur
ajoutée en Afrique de l’Ouest (PRACTICA Foundation). Moise Sonou, Stéphan Abric.
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9. Measuring the Scampis project change dimension Cecilia Ruberto, Monitoring Evaluation and Learning coordinator for the Scampis Project. Mail:
[email protected]; Skype: ceci1982lia
To understand and learn about the change dimension (quantitative) and colours (qualitative)
perceived by the project beneficiaries and by the stakeholders involved, the SCAMPIS project
developed a participatory and integrated, cross-countries (India, Guatemala and Madagascar)
monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system.
This M&E system allowed comparisons and showed the key differences between the strategies
implemented in India Guatemala and Madagascar.
To obtain comprehensive and equilibrated projects specificities understanding a qualitative M&E
method Most Significant Change, has been introduced. This method has been applied in India and
Guatemala. The results have been extremely interesting: the change dimension is in the quality of
life and in a behavioural change as response to the introduction of an innovation (MIS technology
and natural fertilization and pesticide) through innovative strategies.
Kids belonging to the same village of the beneficiaries collected stories from Scampis beneficiaries
who explained
what happened
since the first
contact with
Scampis until
the day of the
interview. The
beneficiaries described problems, challenges and success
faced during the last 2 years and pointed out project weaknesses and strengthens from their own
(fundamental) point of view. 15
15 Additional information about Scampis MSC: www.scampisblog.blogspot.com
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The monitoring and evaluation system developed and promoted by IFAD staff is an innovative
tool. It served multiple purposes:
- It clearly looks and evaluates each SCAMPIS project implementation and evolution,
understanding its sustainable future direction.
- It promotes and improves a South - South collaboration. During the elaboration and the
implementation of this tool, partner organizations established a dialogue and debated on
the main issues of the project, its crucial aspects, goals, similarities and differences among
countries. These collaboration and dialogue will continue throughout the project, thanks to
M&E sharing and knowledge sharing activities (see 3.3).
- It capitalizes achievements and problems faced, as a consistent basis for successful scaling
up.
The SCAMPIS quantitative M&E System
Outputs macro areas
Each output macro area collects a number of simple indicators that provide a quantitative analysis.
This quantitative analysis will generate information on achievements and on the annual planned
target:
- Beneficiaries
- Technologies adoption
- Natural fertilization and diseases control
- Nutrition
- Technologies manufacturing
- Distribution Chain
- Subsidies
- Capacity building
- Promotion activities
- Sustainability and scaling up
Outcomes macro areas
In the outcome macro areas, a number of composite indicators have been identified and agreed b
y all the partners to monitor crucial aspects related to the introduction and use of the micro-
irrigation and natural fertilization:
- Vegetable production (increase) - Work time (save time)
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- Family income (increase)
- Water consumption (decrease)
- Soil fertility (improvement)
- Vegetables diseases control
- Women increased participation and
involvement in productive activities
Impacts
The impact of Scampis can
be stated after a
reasonable period after
the project intervention.
However, it can and must
be monitored from Day
One. In fact, even if early
stages conclusions would
be unwarranted, impact
indicators provide
“pointers” on the effects
project interventions may have. Among them the Scampis partners identified 3 main level of
possible impacts:
Beneficiaries level: livelihood improvement: among the various dimension the
common for the 3 countries are: i) diet improvement thanks to better and longer vegetable
production; ii) family income increase for the surplus sold at the local market; iii) longer availability
of water resources (longer and for larger number of users);
Private sector, micro-enterprice: development of a small private sector linked to the
production and supply chain (as basis for project sustainability)
Overall: various organizations and programmes learn about MIS and decide to integrate it
in their strategies, scaling up the use of MIS in larger areas including larger number of
beneficiaries.
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Below a snapshot show the main outcomes achieved by Scampis India, Guatemala and
Madagascar. The differences in the results are explained by different strategies, target groups and
environmental context.
Gender inclusion
Traditionally work in commercial rain-fed and
irrigated agriculture, especially for larger surface of
plots, was the main responsibility of men. Backyard
gardening was, and is, a women’s job. However,
agriculture is feminizing fast. The inclusion of
women depends very much to the type of technology offered (e.g. very small MIS technology like
bucket kits is most likely adopted by women for backyard gardening) and the type of group
targeted (e.g. Guatemala: big efforts in involving the schools and with groups of women; India
targets mixed SHG; Madagascar shows a different cultural pattern). Irrespective of context,
Scampis considers it a success to demonstrate higher than average inclusion rates for women.
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Why we collect stories?
• People tell stories naturally - indigenous
• Stories can deal with complexity and context
• People remember stories
• Stories can carry hard messages /undiscussables
• But stories not known for accuracy/truth
Scampis Most Significant Change: qualitative M&E
After the 1st year of analysis of quantitative M&E data which produced interesting insights there
was the fear to loose the most important achievement of the project, that wasn’t the goal of
10.000 beneficiaries per country but: the improvement of the livelihood of vulnerable households.
The Most Significant Change appered to be the most suitable methodology, even if some
readaptation has been introduced, due to contextual need.
- Connect M&E data to reality of the field and of different stakeholders involved
- Keep and compare the experiences in the 3 countries
- Capitalize and Learn from the experiences. This process should happen at various level:
people in the field, project staff, strategies implemented, organization aspects etc
- Understand the effectiveness of each strategy and create solid basis for identifying the
possible impacts of the projects
The SCAMPIS MSC phases
1st phase: stories
collections16Collected by kids (age
between 13-16 years) who will
contemporaneously, as real reporters, film,
photograph and ask questions to the project beneficiaries
16 Guatemala photos here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA547A54E873204EB&feature=addto ; and videos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/CeciliaRuberto/ScampisGuatemala2012
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Why stories are collected by kids?? They are curious, they can
easily learn how to use the technology, they do not influence
the answers, the interviewed feel comfortable and can easily
explain the reasons of what she/he is telling: kids are extremely
appropriate to preserve the stories authenticity. At the same time this new
reporters enable the interviewed in telling “their stories to the whole world”, learn
about important life experiences and empathize with the interviewer. At the end of the day the
big learners are exactly the reporters. This aspect very important for the Scampis MSC.
2nd phase: stories analysis national level
(Direct analysis – each country analyse its stories)
During a staff meeting all the interviews collected are reviewed and analysed by the field staff. At
the end 6 videos are selected as most significant and a report with the key element of the
discussion is prepared to do not lose important key elements of the “most significant change
analysis”. This type of analysis can be repeated at national level (integrating various external
organizations and Hq staff).
3rd phase: stories analysis international level
(Indirect analysis – other institution and countries analyse the stories)
The 6 stories selected are analysed by the other two Scampis partners, IFAD Scampis team and
external stakeholders who, following the same method identify “the most significant change” from
their point of view.
4th phase: connection of the qualitative analysis to the M&E quantitative data
In this phase are created logic interconnection between M&E quantitative data and qualitative
data. The qualitative data take in consideration the various level of MSC analysis.
As per today 32 stories have been collected in Guatemala (beneficiaries and project staff) and 24
stories have been collected in India and the first analysis and selection has been conducted.
Additional information is available at this blog page: www.scampisblog.blogspot.com
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M&
E a
nd M
SC
at g
lanc
e fo
r the
SC
AM
PIS
pro
ject
SCAMPIS M&E SCAMPIS Most Significant Change
Focus on measurement (output and
outcome data; simple and composite
indicators)
Focus on concrete life experience
Closed questions Open question
Deductive Inductive
Static Dynamic
Objectivity is the driver of the analysis. Subjectivity is the driver of the
analysis.
Central tendencies (even if participatory) Decentralized tendencies: unexpected
results
About ‘proving’
Looking of confirmation/not confirmation of pre-established
indicators.
About learning
Looking for unexpected effects, try
to understand than what caused
Needed to see if the strategy implement
is efficient or not.
Needed for improving and innovate
strategies at various levels
Possible to see possible outcomes, but
not impacts
Help us to pre-view possible impacts
of the project
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Guatemala Story
Aquí uno va a divagar penas! 17
Interview to Silvia Esperanza Peraza, Scampis Guatemala
Interviewer: Good afternoon we are here today with my friends Carlos, Joselyn, the engineers, Ms.
Cecilia we are here to take some of your time to ask you a few questions, and could you tell us
your name?
2nd Farmer: It is ok; my name is Silvia Esperanza Peraza at your services and my Lord.
Interviewer: Could you introduce the members of your group?
2nd Farmer: Well, there are 6 members but there is one missing, I am going to begin from
my right to my left; she is Maria Luisa
Martinez, Sayda Alvarez, Rosa Escobar at your
service, Iris Escobar.
Interviewer: Ok; where are you from?
2nd Farmer: from Caserio El Naranjo, Aldea La
Montaña, Moyuta.
17 “Here you go for distraction from concerns” Watch the video of the interview here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ4u9Idkd9I&list=PLA547A54E873204EB&index=58&feature=plpp_video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxcX5uXcwkI&list=PLA547A54E873204EB&index=55&feature=plpp_video
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Interviewer: How old are you?
2nd Farmer: Ill be 42 on November 15th if you want to bring me a gift.
Interviewer: How many members do your family have?
2nd Farmer: 9, including my daughter in law we are 10.
Interviewer: Which one is your occupation?
2nd Farmer: Housekeeping.
Interviewer: Where do your incomes come from?
2nd Farmer: from my husband and my older
children. (Third Farmer in the back asks: What
does your husband do?) He is a builder. (And
your children) They are also builders.
Interviewer: Which one is your greater expense
during the year?
2nd Farmer: School, clothing and feeding.
Interviewer: In which area would you like to invest if
you had more money?
2nd Farmer: Well if I had more money I would like to have a drugstore because we do not
have one here.
Interviewer: To help the community right?
2nd Farmer: Yes for the community and myself too.
Interviewer: And if you had more money what would you like to do?
4th Farmer: Well here we need so many things, I would like to have a little store or
something like what is it called, market.
5th Farmer: The same as them, I would like to have a business to help the community.
Interviewer: And you?
6th Farmer: The same as them, some kind of business.
Interviewer: Did you cultivate vegetable gardens before?
2nd Farmer: No, I did not only flowers.
Interviewer: Did you buy them?
2nd Farmer: sometimes, but they are also sold to be planted.
Interviewer: How did you plant them?
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2nd Farmer: Well the ones in the house around the patio, in little pots. (Another person
asks in the back: but about the vegetable gardens?) No I am talking only about my flowers,
before I did not plant any vegetable.
Interviewer: Which one do you think has been the most significant change in your family and your
community?
2nd Farmer: Well the first one is the time that I invested in this project, and in my family
the support that we received through the trainings on how to cultivate the vegetables, and
the money we could save from it.
Interviewer: Which one was your first though about Scampis Project?
2nd Farmer: Well, first I had doubts on how it was going to be, how we were supposed to
work, and it was very good for me, and it is because I hope that we keep working until they
take the land from us (Did you enjoy it) Yes I did, very much.
Interviewer: What motivated you to participate in this project?
2nd Farmer: Well as I already mentioned the enthusiasm and also the opportunity to work
with my friends because through it we also release the stress that we have for the bad
situations we experience.
Interviewer: What did you like most of the project?
2nd Farmer: The production we had and also the trainings that we received (for example)
well for example how nutritive vegetables are, that is something we did not know, also
about the jelly like guisquil jelly which I had never tried, I used this vegetable only for soups
before, for me it was very good.
Interviewer: Do you think that you obtain what you expected from the project or do you think that
there is something missing?
2nd Farmer: I believe that we achieved all not only with the support of the people who
taught us but also with the work of my friends, without that it could not have been done.
Interviewer: What would you add to the project?
2nd Farmer: in which way?
Interviewer: what would you improve?
2nd Farmer: Oh, to improve it, let me think what I would like to be improved, maybe that
our seeds be changed, because as we already used one now we want to use another one.
Interviewer: Which activity from Scampi was the hardest?
2nd Farmer: (the Farmer ask that the question be repeated)
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Interviewer: Which activity from Scampi was the hardest? The attendance to training, the
elaboration of vegetable gardens, and the use of watering system or to get the seeds.
2nd Farmer: Well for me any of them, because we have had everything (what about the
water many people ask in the back) Well the gathering of water during the summer,
because for the trainings we are always present, wherever they call us we go.
Interviewer: What do you expect to achieve in a near future?
2nd Farmer: Well I would like that more people join the group, and as well as we have done
to feel motivated to work to help their families.
Interviewer: How do you expect them to feel motivated?
2nd Farmer: trying to motivate them even if they do not want to.
Interviewer: Did you enjoy this project?
2nd Farmer: Yes, I did a lot I wish that we have many more, and that they come to visit us
and support us too, if it were possible, the use of filters too, we thank the engineer for
training us in that area, and we also thank the institutions that provided the filters, and
now we are used to take only water from the filters, not other, (someone in the back asks: I
have a little question how did you begin working together here, did you organize before,
did you know each other from before, is it the first time do you work together how did you
do it) Well Ms. Let me tell you the first group that was gathered was a community bank we
worked with Fis, thank to that project that gathered 39 women we got to meet each other
as group, and in this project was different because I received a phone call asking if I wanted
to gather a little group of women who wanted to work in vegetable gardens and I said Yes I
will gather them I even put them in the list without even asking them and thank God their
response was positive, and that is the reason we are here today and I hope to continue (did
anybody had doubts in the beginning about the job) Yes, Ms, there were doubts when we
saw the land, with the big trunks around, and trees, we wonder how are we going to work
here, but thank God and to our husbands the ones who made time, they came with axes
and motor sew to take away the trunks and coffee plants and then with our own effort we
worked in this piece of land that has been given (do you think that it was worth it) Yes It
was worth it.
4th Farmer: Yes, it was very worth it for all the things that we have learned and all the
things that we harvested.
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2nd Farmer: It is sad that you did not come when we had all the harvest it was so big with
the radishes and cucumber, (I have another question if it is possible: At the time of the
production when you actually
saw the harvest what did you
think) Well we felt so happy
because we saw the result of
our hard work and thank God
even though it was a little
harvest in the beginning we
shared it among us.
4th Farmer: And then the Ms.
Came and showed us how to
make a dish with radish and
they were so delicious and they
were so good that she did not
try them, we did not want her to get fat.
2nd Farmer: Well as I said before it was and is and will be a great experience and let’s hope
that it continues.
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India Story
By using this we can grow better crops. It will improve our livelihood
Interview to Laxmi Bhuyan, Scampis India
Interviewer: Welcome, I am Raghunath Gaura, in Padasahi village of Raigarh Block, ready to take
interview;
Interviewer: As you are involved in SCAMPIS project, we want to know your life story
Interviewer: What is your name?
Farmer: Laxmi Bhuyan
Interviewer: Where from you are?
Farmer: Padasahi
Interviewer: Who are there in your family?
Farmer: My husband and three son
Interviewer: When have you started using KB pump and Bucket Kit?
Farmer: Since last three years
Interviewer: Where did you see it first?
Farmer: In Saturday market, There are announcing in loud speaker
Interviewer: What did you think then?
Farmer: By using this we can grow better crops. It will improve our livelihood
Interviewer: Which technology do you use?
Farmer: KB pump & Bucket Kit
Interviewer: Which is better?
Farmer: I like both
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Interviewer: Why?
Farmer: Without any expenditure we can irrigate by KB pump
Farmer: With less water, we irrigate by
Bucket Kit
Farmer: With few buckets of water we can
grow crops
Interviewer: Do you grow crops alone?
Farmer: My husband and sons are helping
Interviewer: How much quantity did you get?
Farmer: After family consumption we sell
20-30 kg tomato, brinjal per week
Interviewer: Which crop do you grow?
Farmer: Brinjal, tomato, chilli, ladies finger
etc.
Farmer: At the time of drought we irrigate
rice crop by KB pump
Interviewer: Were you growing vegetable before
getting this technology?
Farmer: Yes, but not in improved method
Farmer: After KB pump we have improved
method of cultivation
Interviewer: Was there in change with you?
Farmer: Yes
Interviewer: What change has occurred after using
KB pump and Bucket Kit?
Farmer: We get good yield, we get money
to meet family expenditure
Interviewer: What is major source of your income?
Farmer: Agriculture
Interviewer: Have you sole any vegetable?
Farmer: Yes, we have sold
Interviewer: How did you spend the money?
Farmer: Children’s education, medical treatment
Farmer: Purchase of input for agriculture, repayment of loans
Interviewer: What change have occurred before and after implementation of project?
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Farmer: We get good yield, get money to spend for fooding and education
Interviewer: Are the changes important?
Farmer: Yes
Interviewer: How is it important?
Farmer: We get good yield and fulfill the family need
Interviewer: What was major difficulty after starting the work?
Farmer: We were thinking how to use KB pump and Bucket Kit
Interviewer: What are the difficulties? Is it still there?
Farmer: No, after training the problem was solved
Farmer: We are explained how to use KB pump, how to lay the pipes
Interviewer: Has all the problems solved?
Farmer: Yes, solved
Interviewer: How was it solved?
Interviewer: Has the officials of Krushak Bandhu solved the problem?
Farmer: Yes, they have solved the problem through training
Interviewer: After involvement in this project, which work you like most?
Farmer: Agriculture
Interviewer: Has your expectations fulfilled?
Farmer: Yes, fulfilled
Interviewer: Do you have any more expectations?
Farmer: Yes
Interviewer: What is that?
Farmer: To grow crop in more area, earn more income
Farmer: Give education to children, construction of house, marriage of son
Farmer: Our dream is to keep the family happy
Interviewer: How can you achieve your goal?
Farmer: By growing crops, getting good yield, we can achieve
Interviewer: How to spend the additional income?
Farmer: Construction of house, purchase of land, purchase of gold and silver
Farmer: Purchase of clothes, do something for my family
Interviewer: Ever any Farmer has asked you about KB pump and Bucket Kit
Farmer: Yes, where from you get this. Who gave it?
Farmer: We told Krushak Bandhu officials have trained us
Farmer: They have given KB pump and Bucket Kit. Trained about KB pump and Bucket Kit.
Farmer: They have told about organic manure and organic pesticides
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Farmer: Management of insect pests without expenditure
Farmer: Use of organic manure instead of chemical fertilizer
Farmer: With a organic manure we get more yield for vegetable
Interviewer: Was it easy to the convinced?
Farmer: Yes
Interviewer: Can you convince other Farmers about this pump and natural fertilizer?
Farmer: Yes
Interviewer: Why will you convince?
Farmer: I have learnt and done in field, so I can convince
Interviewer: Are other Farmers of the village using natural fertilizer?
Farmer: Yes
Interviewer: Do you feel they are happy?
Farmer: Yes
Interviewer: Is there any change with village people during last two years?
Farmer: Yes, I have seen it
Interviewer: What type of change?
Farmer: Previously, due to lack of water they are not growing any crop
Farmer: By using Bucket Kit they grow vegetables
Farmer: Irrigate crop by using KB pump.
Farmer: Persons having KB pump and Bucket Kit have improve financially
Interviewer: Why there was change?
Farmer: Change was due to cultivation
Interviewer: In future, will you grow vegetable by using Bucket Kit and KB pump
Farmer: Yes
Interviewer: Can you do this work without help of village mechanic?
Farmer: Yes, we can
Interviewer: Can you explain it to others?
Farmer: Yes
Interviewer: What will you explain
Farmer: Preparation of natural manure
Farmer: Preparation of medicine to control insects
Farmer: Setting of Bucket Kit and laying of pipes
Farmer: Fertilizer application,
Farmer: Spraying of medicine to control disease
Farmer: Transportation of KB pump and its setting
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Farmer: We can take water up to 50 feet distance
Farmer: We use two numbers of 25feet pipe for the purpose
Farmer: Officials told to take water from 25 feet
Farmer: but we take up to 50 feet distance
Farmer: We can train people accordingly
Interviewer: Do you need more training?
Farmer: Yes
Interviewer: What type of training?
Farmer: Improve method of cultivation with good variety
Farmer: Use of new seed
Interviewer: What is your goal for future?
Farmer: To get good yield and more profit
Farmer: To make our family happy
Interviewer: What is your major concern for future?
Interviewer: For marriage of son or any thing
Farmer: Marriage ceremony of sons
Farmer: Construction of house, to make them happy
Farmer: So that they can care us during old age
Interviewer: What is your suggestion for future?
Farmer: We have got training, we have gone exposure visit
Farmer: We expect they should provide more training, arrange more exposure visit
Farmer: They should always be with us to guide for better cropping practices
Interviewer: What is your advice for other Farmers?
Farmer: They should follow us. They should grow better crops to earn more
Farmer: They should live happily
Interviewer: Thank you very much for giving valuable time
Interviewer: On behalf of videographer Chakradhar Dalai & cameraman H. Ramarao, I thank you
very much.
Farmer: I also thank the Farmers. I thank you for making video of my success story
Farmer: I thank the officials for providing me knowledge and selecting me for exposure visit
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