Quarterly Report FY2019 Quarter 3 – 01/04/2019 to 06/30/2019

Submission Date: 30 July 2019

Agreement Number: AID-625-A-17-00001 Activity Start Date and End Date: 12/23/2016 to 01/22/2021 AOR Name: Aboubacar Kossomi

Submitted by: Alissa Karg Girard, Chief of Party Lutheran World Relief YN 7, Boulevard Mali Béro, , Tel: +227.96.26.73.26 Email: [email protected]

The content of this report is the responsibility of Lutheran World Relief and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

LIST OF ACRONYMS

A Adult (age category for individuals aged 30+) AMELP Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan AOR Agreement Officer’s Representative AE Auxiliaires de l’Elevage CBO Community-Based Organization CEB Contribution à l’Education de Base COP Chief of Party DMEL Design, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning EMMP Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan F&A Finance and Administration FCFA Francs Communauté Financière Africaine FTF Feed the Future FMNR Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration FY Fiscal Year GCC Global Climate Change GDA Global Development Alliance GPS Global Positioning System HH Household HR Human Resources ICRISAT International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics ICT Information and Communications Technologies INRAN Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger IR Intermediate Result LWR Lutheran World Relief M Men MACF Margaret A. Cargill Foundation MFI Microfinance Institution MCA Millennium Challenge Authority MCC Millennium Challenge Corporation MOU Memorandum of Understanding MT Metric Tons NRM Natural Resource Management OHADA Organisation pour l’Harmonisation en Afrique du Droit des Affaires PEA Producer Enterprise Agent PIRS Project Indicator Reference Sheet RECA Reseau des Chambres d’Agriculture RISE Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced, supported by USAID SIM Subscriber Identification Module SMS Short Message Service SVPP Service Vétérinaire Privé de Proximité TOT Training of Trainers USAID United States Agency for International Development USD US Dollars USG United States Government W Women Y Youth (age category for individuals aged 15-29)

1. PROGRAM OVERVIEW/SUMMARY

Program Name: 12/12: An Alliance for Year-Round Resilience in and Maradi, Niger Activity Start Date And End Date: 12/23/2016 to 01/22/2021 Name of Prime Implementing Partner: Lutheran World Relief (LWR) Agreement Number: AID-625-A-17-00001 Name of Subawardees: Union Adaltchi, Union Amintchi, Union Nazari, Contribution à l’Education de Base (CEB) Major Counterpart Baharti Airtel Ltd, Ecobank, SH Biaugeaud, Margaret A. Cargill Organizations/Alliance Partners: Foundation (MACF) and others Geographic Coverage Ajékoria, Birnin Lallé, Korahane Communes () (Communes and Regions) Konni, , , Dogueraoua, Illéla, , Communes (Tahoua Region) of Niger Reporting Period: April 1-June 30, 2019

1.1 Program Description/Introduction

The 12/12 Alliance seeks to leverage new private-sector expertise and innovative solutions to improve the resilience of 12,760 households over all 12 months of the year in 10 communes and 115 villages located in agro-pastoral and marginal agriculture livelihood zones of Iléla, Konni and Malbaza departments (Tahoua region) and (Maradi region)--and simultaneously help the 12/12 Alliance’s private sector partners expand their market share, mitigate operating risks and secure more reliable supply chains. Specifically, the 12/12 Alliance aims to: • Leverage private sector investment and innovations to increase and sustain household incomes, assets and adaptive capacity, and • Strengthen the organizational capacity of farmer associations to sustain member services, manage risks and leverage business opportunities.

Over the quarter, LWR conducted training and technical support for Producer Enterprise Agents (PEAs) on new extension content in Hausa in the project’s Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Hub. SIM card distribution also continued and the project team worked with Airtel on account activation for project participants. LWR worked with external enumerators to conclude data collection and analysis on gross margins for irrigated onion and wheat production and commissioned a firm to conduct the project’s mid-term review. LWR finalized assessments of social safety nets that the Unions manage and completed field work on a new value chain assessment. In addition, LWR continued monitoring and providing technical support to partners under the project’s Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (EMMP) and gender monitoring plans.

LWR also continued technical support on crop and animal production, access to financial services, functional literacy, organizational capacity and marketing strategies with LWR’s four implementing partners—Union Adaltchi, Union Amintchi, Union Nazari and Contribution à l’Education de Base (CEB) —and work on organizational capacity development with three Unions in Dakoro (Union Bounkassa of Korahane, Union Guidawnia of and Union Guidawnia of Birnin Lalle). These activities are described in the sections that follow.

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1.2 Summary of Results to Date

Annual On Annual Target Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Performance Standard Indicators* Baseline* Target FY2019 FY19 FY19 FY19 FY19 Achieved to the End of Period (%) Y/N Proportion of households resilient to a shock 47.92% in experienced the previous year (Resilience in the 60% 78% 0 0 0 130.0% Y FY18 Sahel Enhanced/RISE, Ga) Number of individuals participating in USG food New in 4,000 men (M), 6,000 2,972 M, 3,842 M, 1,525 M, 2,620 W 0 115.2% Y security programs (Feed The Future/FTF EG.3-2) FY18 women (W) 5,354 W 7,681 W Number of people using climate information or 955 in implementing risk-reducing actions to improve FY17, 1,500 men, 3,500 1,525 men, 2,620 0 0 0 82.9% Y resilience to climate change as supported by USG 1,777 in women (5,000 people) women (4,145 people) assistance (EG.11-6) FY18 Yields of targeted commodities among program Millet (kg/ha): 450 men Millet (kg/ha): 363 Millet: 80.7% men, participants with USG assistance (EG.3.10,11,12) New in (M), 300 women (W) men, 339 women; 113.0% women 0 0 0 Y FY18 Cowpeas (kg/ha): 190 Cowpeas (kg/ha): 146 Cowpeas: 76.8% M, 150 W men, 144 women 1 men, 96.0% women Number of hectares under improved management 3,038 in 6,583 ha under 1 or technologies or practices as a result of USG 5,000 ha 2 0 0 0 131.7% Y assistance (EG.3.2-25) FY18 more technologies Number of individuals in the agricultural system 1,500 men, 2,620 2,439 in 1,500 men, 2,500 who have applied improved management practices women (4,120 0 0 0 103.0% Y FY18 women (4,000 people) or technologies with USG assistance (EG.3.2-24) people)3 Value of agricultural-related financing accessed as $0 in $200,000 USD $45,000 USD 0 0 0 22.5% N a result of USG assistance (EG.3.2-27) FY18 Value of new USG commitments and private $2.6m in sector investment leveraged by the USG to support $5.5 million USD $2,717,000 USD $0 $0 $0 49.4% N FY18 food security and nutrition (EG.3.1-14) *The summary results table reflects the FY19 AMELP update and new FTF indicators for FY18, so baseline values may be from 2017 or 2018. Additional details are reported in Annex A. For indicators Ga, EG.11-6, EG.3.10-12, EG.3.2-25, EG.3.2-24, data is collected via an annual survey and a“0” recorded for quarters in which no new data is collected. For indicator EG.3-2, participation is recorded quarterly, but adjusted annually for beneficiaries participating in multiple activities. Indicators EG.3.2-27 and EG.3.1-14 are recorded in the quarter of activity.

1 Disaggregation: Age for millet yields (358 kg/ha youth/15-29, 351 kg/ha adult/30+); age for cowpea yields (148 Kg/ha youth/15-29, 145 kg/ha adult/30+) 2 Disaggregation: Sex (men 3,360 ha, women 3,223 ha); Age (15-29/Youth 523 ha and 30+/Adult 6,059 ha); Technology type (crop genetics 1,662 ha; cultural practices 6,445 ha; soil fertility and conservation 6,445 ha; pest/disease management 2,076 ha); Type (cropland 6,583 ha); Commodity (disaggregates not available 6,583 ha) 3 Disaggregation: Actor (all smallholder producers); Age (15-29/Youth 320; 30+/Adult 3,800); Technology type (crop genetics 1,978; cultural practices 4,079; soil fertility and conservation 4,079; pest/disease management 2,472, improved livestock management 3,745, marketing/postharvest handling 3,757); Commodity (disaggregates not available 4,120)

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2. ACTIVITY IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS 2.1 Progress Narrative

Key project activities with target farmers, households and stakeholders over FY19Q3 are as follows:

Objective/Intermediate Result (IR) 1: Leverage private sector investment and innovations to increase and sustain household incomes, assets and adaptive capacity

IR 1.1: Diversified economic opportunities: Twelve market gardens supported by Union Nazari and CEB are managed by different women’s groups; each group received a start-up kit of moringa oleifera seed and basic tools (wheelbarrows, watering cans, hoes, rakes, basins and/or other tools) and formal training on planting, care and pruning in 2017. The groups continue to manage this income-generating activity with no additional inputs apart from technical support provided by LWR and its partners. Each of the 10 moringa sites in Union Nazari’s zones groups harvested moringa leaves and 3 groups harvested moringa seed this quarter, noting sales of 1,500-25,000 FCFA (approximately $5-45) of leaves; seed sold for 4,000 FCFA (approximately $7) per kg of seed. The two women’s market garden groups in Dakoro didn’t collect any leaves over the quarter due to limited water for irrigation, but production is expected to restart with the onset of the rains next quarter.

Functional literacy for farming as a business: LWR’s functional literacy strategy is aligned with Niger’s national functional literacy standards and curriculum, which include: a pre-test for placement; norms for timing and hours of instruction (requiring 5 days a week of instruction over 12 months); standard lists of materials required to operate literacy centers; required minimum qualifications and pay rates for literacy instructors; norms for supervision and the number and nature of training modules. Consultants from the National Institute on Non-formal Education helped LWR develop the project’s 13 functional literacy manuals (manuals for instructors and students covering reading, math and social life education in Hausa focused for beginning learners and the same subjects plus oral French for intermediate learners), including sessions on how to use a mobile phone and a calculator. Social life education focuses on life-skills, agriculture and farming as a business. The Government of Niger’s Division of Literacy and Non-Formal Education reviewed and validated these modules during a 3-day workshop in early 2018.

Functional literacy sessions began in May 2018 in 7 pilot villages and extended to 8 additional villages in March 2019. Each community provided space/built a classroom and chose the timing and organization of their functional literacy sessions, including separate sessions for women and men, based on each community’s preference. LWR’s functional literacy consultants trained and refreshed locally-identified instructors and their alternates over approximately 20 days during multiple sessions on facilitation techniques for adult learners, introduction to the manuals and technical curriculum, classroom management for “multi-level” instruction with two levels of learners, record-keeping and lesson planning and farming as a business. LWR also helped the partners draft contracts for trained literacy instructors and MOUs with the Government of Niger’s Division of Literacy and Non-Formal Education to provide oversight and technical supervision.

This quarter, functional literacy enrollment continued in CEB’s and Union Adaltchi’s zones, with all partners replacing learners who dropped out in the first month of the cycle. As of June 30, 2019, 726 learners (359 men and 367 women, leaders or members of a farmer cooperative) have been enrolled (or re-enrolled) in the 15 centers. Partners worked with target communities to complete construction of the hangars/classrooms, sensitize each village’s functional literacy management committee on their roles and responsibilities, finalize procurement of supplies and functional literacy manuals and conclude negotiations on the MOUs for functional literacy monitoring. Following placement tests, pre-literate

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learners (those tested below level 3/4) began lessons for beginners for 6 months, while those considered functionally literate (level 3/4 or above) began using modules for intermediate learners to reinforce and improve their nascent literacy. Approximately 65% of the enrolled learners are beginners.

All planned functional literacy courses are underway in the 15 centers and the project team and the Division of Literacy and Non-Formal Education have begun monitoring progress across the project zone. According to the reports from these visits, courses are progressing normally, but attendance has decreased overall due to the start of the rainy season and learners’ work in their fields. Many of the village functional literacy management committees met to discuss this challenge and adjusted the times of their lessons to better accommodate learners’ needs.

IR1.2: Intensified production and marketing for livestock and high-potential crops Improved crop productivity4: The project is helping Union members transport materials and apply soil and water conservation techniques on their own fields through community-managed animal carts and tool banks (pick-axes, shovels, pry bars and other tools needed for soil and water conservation on degraded soils that few households own). Union Nazari’s cooperatives in 23 villages all have tool banks for use by Union members and 12 have cattle carts. Union Amintchi’s cooperatives in 10 villages have also received tool kits and 10 villages have received donkey carts. CEB has distributed 30 cattle carts to cooperatives in their project zone.

LWR monitored use of the kits this quarter; according to this review, as of June 30, 2019, the soil and water conservation kits/tool banks have been used to dig over 300,000 zai and half-moons to help retain water and/or check erosion and build over 1,200 other household and community structures across the project zone. The cattle and donkey carts were borrowed 327 times, primarily to transport manure to the fields or crops following the harvest, but some to fetch water, transport goods and people to market. Management committees collect use fees--often around 50-100 FCFA (approximately 10-20 cents) per tool, depending on the rates they agree to with community members--to help manage and maintain these materials. These committees have already collected over 250,000 FCFA (over $450) in user fees to pay for future repair or replacement of the tools and over 280,000 FCA (over $500) for repairs to the carts. Use of the carts in two villages in CEB’s zone increased after community members decided to pool resources and fees to purchase animals for traction; these carts were most often used to transport water.

Union Nazari, Union Amintchi and Union Adaltchi bought rain gauges from the Department of Meteorology in previous years; these are taken down after the production season and remain in good condition, so 46 villages across the project zone had rain gauges read by each village’s PEA this quarter. Rainfall data was shared with community members by PEAs, town criers and via community radio to help farmers decide when to plant. Despite an early start to the rainy season in some communities, there were several very long dry spells in June 2019.

This quarter, Union Adaltchi, Union Nazari and CEB contracted local trainers for refresher sessions for model farmers, community resource persons and PEAs (273 men and 59 women farmers, 332 farmers in total) on improved rainfed production techniques. The training sessions included classroom and practical training on topics such as: improved production techniques and the production calendar for cereals and cowpeas; sourcing improved seed; soil fertility management and conservation (including use of manures, compost, FMRN, soil and water conservation techniques and planting millet and cowpeas in association) and non-chemical pest management. Similar sessions with Union Amintchi are planned in July.

LWR incorporated lessons from demonstration plots and visits conducted in 2018, updating the improved

4 Improved techniques/technologies promoted by the project include improved seed, growing cereals and cowpeas in association, crop rotation, use of compost, manure and crop residues and FMNR and/or other soil and water conservation techniques.

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seed varieties to plant in each zone, how to select a good site for the model farm, the types of interventions to apply on the demonstration and control portions of each plot and how to source compost locally from local private suppliers. Implementing partners set up demonstration plots on the model farmers’ fields, including procuring certified seed varieties5 adapted to each zone, sourcing compost, applying FMNR techniques where possible and selecting, staking and preparing the 58 (8 with Union Adaltchi, 6 with Union Nazari, 14 with CEB and 30 with Union Amintchi) demonstration plots with scarification and application of compost. Several demonstration plots planned by Union Nazari and CEB have not been planted yet, because the rains have started later in some villages.

In order to improve access to seed needed to produce high-quality violet de Galmi onions in late 2019 to meet Alliance partner SH Biaugeaud’s specifications,6 LWR and Union Amintchi began improved onion seed multiplication in late 2018. LWR’s Agriculture/NRM Officer helped Union Amintchi develop a strategy for onion seed multiplication, which requires two seasons (multiplication of parent bulbs from foundation/G4 or first-generation/R1 seed the first season, then sowing the parent bulbs through to seed in the second) in order to produce improved seed for its members for contracted onion crop production. Thirty (all men) producers were trained on onion seed multiplication and received a kit consisting of a motor pump with its accessories, 2 watering cans and 1.25 kg of certified onion seeds (either G4 or R1) in November 2018. These multipliers grew 1.715 ha of G4 and 1.309 ha of R1 of onion parent bulbs, more than initially projected, after transplanting onion seedlings from seed nurseries.

At the end of the season, Union Amintchi assessed parent onion bulb production volumes and yields across the project zone. Overall, the 30 multipliers produced 32.195 MT of G4 parent bulbs and 25.285 MT of R1 parent bulbs, with average yields of 1.87 MT/ha for G4 bulbs and 1.93 MT/ha for R1 bulbs.

Unfortunately, the onions grown from R1 seed bolted—which means that the bulbs will not store well (a condition critical to saving the parent bulbs for next season’s seed production). It may be that the certified R1 seed may not have been high quality despite the certification and germination tests provided by the vendor, but other climate or plant stresses could have also contributed. The Union met with all 30 multipliers and agreed to declassify the R1 parent bulbs for sale as raw onions; the multipliers who had produced R1 bulbs purchased bulbs from the multipliers who had produced parent G4 bulbs and all 30 multipliers will produce R1 seed from these G4 parent bulbs next season.

Improved animal productivity: Women participating in the partners’ revolving animal fattening operations were selected within existing village groups that are members or affiliates of Union Amintchi, Union Nazari, Union Adaltchi or CEB. Villages were targeted based on the following criteria: year-round access to water, fodder, feed and other inputs, relatively easy access to markets, social cohesion and the groups’ good standing within a Union (where applicable). Women paid 20% of the estimated cost of two sheep and a start-up kit (for wheat bran, salt licks and tags) up-front to her local group. These funds were used as insurance should members decide to make a payout in the case of a sick, injured or lost sheep. Participants selected their own sheep or had their leader select the sheep on their behalf. Following negotiation of the price, the management committee and veterinary agent validated the choice and the partner helped the women purchase the sheep and kit. Following fattening and sale of the animals, the beneficiaries reimbursed the cost of the animals and start-up kit to her management committee for a new cycle of animal fattening. The group’s management fees were deducted, but if no payout from the insurance was made, these funds were also returned to participants.

The Ministry of Agriculture’s department of Animal Husbandry provided three-day training on sheep

5 LWR received approval to purchase certified millet and cowpea seeds for demonstration plots from USAID on May 16, 2019. 6 These specifications include a quality purple onion varietal (violet de Galmi), use of non-chemical production processes, limited irrigation prior to harvest and a different way of cutting onion stems as required for longer-shelf life and SH Biaugeaud’s target market.

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fattening to 200 women, all local animal fattening committee leaders/resource persons, in CEB’s zone over multiple sessions in April and May 2019. The training sessions focused on choosing the right sheep for fattening, animal feeding, fodder conservation, the importance of deworming, disease prevention and hygiene and marketing fattened sheep, including calculating margins. Union Amintchi also provided three-day refresher training for 81 animal fattening committee leaders and PEAs (18 men and 63 women) on animal fattening techniques that included managing revolving operations and the tools to track women’s contributions, payments and reimbursements.

There are multiple phases/cycles of revolving sheep fattening operations underway with all partners; each organization is operating on a slightly different schedule. Sheep fattening was piloted in April 2017 with 420 women (100 women members of Union Nazari, 100 women members of Union Amintchi, 70 women affiliated with Union Adaltchi and 150 women in CEB’s zone) in order to learn from and adjust the model. New rounds of sheep fattening were started in April 2018 with 460 women (170 women members of Union Nazari, 100 women members of Union Amintchi, 90 women affiliated with Union Adaltchi and 100 women in CEB’s zone). The Year 1 pilot rotations are now on a fourth fattening cycle and the Year 2 operations on a third cycle. As of June 30, 2019, from the initial project investment of 1,760 sheep purchased for 880 women, 2,344 women in total have benefitted from sheep fattening. Most of the sheep purchased in 2019--from the same initial investment--target sales for the coming Tabaski holiday.

The agreements signed with veterinary service providers (either the Ministry of Agriculture’s department of Animal Husbandry and/or the Service Vétérinaire Privé de Proximité/SVPP) continued to assist the management committees with selection, vaccination/initial treatment and technical support and supervision. Over the quarter, the agents treated and/or vaccinated 1,566 sheep against anthrax. Unfortunately, 43 sheep died this quarter (28 in Union Amintchi’s zone, 4 in Union Adaltchi’s zone, 3 in Union Nazari’s zone and 8 in CEB’s zone)—from the symptoms described by beneficiaries, the causes of death were diarrhea/food poisoning, broken bones, respiratory problems and suspected cases of anthrax; all but 6 were replaced with support from each groups’ local insurance fund.

Strengthened access to animal health care: The 12/12 Alliance has helped expand and strengthen the SVPP network through the project’s PEAs and veterinary auxiliaries (Auxilieres de l’Elevage or AE), as trained PEAs/AEs have received start-up kits recommended by the SVPPs and are working to provide basic veterinary services in their communities. This quarter, the PEAs/AEs in Union Nazari’s zone treated 482 animals, those in Union Adaltchi’s zone treated 366 animals, those in Union Amintchi’s zone treated 2,129 animals and those in CEB’s zone treated 1,130 animals (4,107 animals in total) including sheep, goats, donkeys, camels, poultry and cattle. The most frequent reported treatments were for diarrhea or constipation, wounds, respiratory illnesses and care or vaccinations for poultry. PEAs provide basic animal health services using the same fee schedule as other AEs and procure new veterinary supplies through the SVPP network.

Improved storage and marketing capacity: Union Nazari completed construction of their warehouse and office space in Illela (Tahoua region) last quarter. The Union is now starting preparations to connect to the town’s grid, budgeting for operations and equipping the warehouse.

In early 2019, LWR helped Union Amintchi and Union Adaltchi register for the World Food Programme’s (WFP’s) new online database of potential suppliers for local purchase of relief commodities; this quarter, Union Amintchi sold 72 MT of millet and Union Adaltchi sold 44.7 MT of millet to the WFP. Union Guidawnia of Birnin Lalle and Union Guidawnia of Adjekoria (unions in Dakoro department of Maradi region) obtained warrantage credit lines; the loans have been used to purchase millet, sorghum, cowpeas and peanuts from their members. Unfortunately, cowpea prices remained depressed, so the Unions have negotiated an extension on their credit line to sell the remaining stocks when prices increase; regardless, the Unions have already recovered most (over 85%) of the funds.

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IR 1.3: Increased access to financial services This quarter, the technical teams of Union Nazari, Union Amintchi and CEB conducted follow-up with 115 of the 148 savings and credit groups previously trained by the project. All of the groups are providing credit to members for income-generating activities and all had savings in their cash box and/or bank account. At the time of the visits, the groups had over 8.7m FCFA (over $15,800) in savings and had issued loans (49% of the total they had mobilized) for members’ income-generating activities.

Union Nazari also followed-up with the 19 savings and credit groups (394 women in total) in Badaguishiri that received 16 million FCFA (approximately $29,000) in loans from a local MFI, Yarda, for various income-generating activities, such as animal fattening, crop storage and sales and other off- farm activities. The loan was repaid in full this quarter, and so the Union is helping other groups prepare their loan applications and raise contributions to access similar credit lines. Seven groups (130 women in total) have already received new six-month loans totaling 5.2m FCFA (approximately $9,500).

In 2017 and 2018, Airtel trained PEAs, project staff, partner leadership and members of the partners’ technical teams on Airtel Money mobile financial services and how to use them. LWR’s partners signed agreements with Airtel to open mobile money accounts for the organizations’ financial transactions in 2018, but is waiting for Airtel to install the modems for this and provide training on use. LWR migrated video-clips on using mobile telephones and Airtel mobile money products to the ICT Hub and PEAs have been trained on conducting community and individual sensitization sessions; PEAs in Union Nazari’s zone continued this sensitization on mobile money, reaching 230 people (52 men and 178 women).

Objective/IR 2: Strengthen the organizational capacity of farmer associations to sustain member services, manage risks and leverage business opportunities

IR 2.1: Strengthened organizational, technical and management capacity Organizational capacity development: LWR’s organizational capacity development strategy for the project includes participatory processes and various tools to assess, analyze, plan, monitor and evaluate changes in organizational capacity among producer organizations—and how to integrate findings from other external assessments (like needs assessments and the gender and value chain analysis) in the process. The key phases in the strategy are the: a.) initial diagnostic assessment, b.) detailed analysis of organizational issues and their root causes, c.) facilitated review of the findings with group leaders and members to adjust and validate the findings, d.) participatory organizational action planning and e.) periodic monitoring, evaluation and adapting of each group’s action plan. The action plans list the action steps and explains how they will be accomplished, who is designated to lead each activity and deadlines for achievement. LWR also provides targeted technical support to the Unions as needed.

This quarter, LWR supported six Unions (implementing partners Union Amintchi, Union Adaltchi and Union Nazari in Tahoua region and Union Guidawnia in Birnin Lalle, Union Guidawnia in Adjekoria and Union Bounkassa in Korahane all operating in CEB’s zone) in a participatory review and evaluation of progress against each Union’s organizational action plan. Key findings from this evaluation of the six Unions’ plans are as follows: • Union Amintchi (Tahoua region): Union Amintchi was able to implement parking fees for the trucks using its onion sorting complex (raising income for the Union to help cover maintenance), visited banks about agricultural credit lines and issued 5.2 m FCFA in loans to members for fertilizer purchase from their own resources. As part of the Union’s adoption of OHADA norms, they sensitized member cooperatives on membership dues and 100 of their 155 cooperatives already paid ahead of schedule. The Union also has a new F&A policy manual. • Union Adaltchi (Tahoua region): The Union conducted training for leaders of each of its member cooperatives on cooperative operations and management in October 2018. The Union made planned

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repairs to warehouses and sold all seed stock from previous years. However, the general assembly meeting, at which the Union planned to discuss women’s membership and dues, was postponed. • Union Nazari (Tahoua region): The Union sensitized group members (and 540 husbands of group members) about animal fattening sales at the local level; this is one of the Union’s gender equity strategies to promote local sales more easily under the control of women and help ensure buy-in by their husbands. The Union helped member groups open bank accounts with MFIs and obtain and reimburse credit. The Union’s new logo is finalized and they have a new office/warehouse. However, the Union is still looking for credit lines open to men members of the Union after initial outreach with banks and MFIs found that most local institutions refused to lend to men. • Union Guidawnia of Adjekoria (Maradi region): Union leaders sensitized leaders of member cooperatives about cereal warehousing and negotiated a loan for warrantage operations. The Union conducted outreach and education with their member cooperatives about OHADA regulations and revised their statutes and processes in order to register in compliance with these regulations. • Union Guidawnia of Birnin Lalle (Maradi region): The Union sensitized leaders of member cooperatives on cereal warehousing; the Union negotiated a loan from a local MFI for warrantage. The Union collected bricks to build their own office on space donated by the Mayor. The Union conducted outreach with member cooperatives about OHADA regulations through meetings and spots on community radio and revised their statutes and processes to complete OHADA registration. • Union Bounkassa (Maradi region): Union Bounkassa now has organizational statutes and is in the process of registering according to OHADA regulations and has mobilized 30 sacks of peanuts and .5 tons of millet for processing and/or sale on behalf of their members.

Each Union also developed an organizational capacity action plan for the coming year, setting new deadlines for activities that weren’t completed, adding new activities and adjusting plans as needed.

Union Nazari hired an external facilitator to train 176 leaders (27 men and 149 women) of the Union, all members of the Board and/or leaders of one of the Union’s cooperatives, on OHADA cooperative regulations, organizational planning and organizational management practices and tools over a series of 3- day workshops in April and May 2019. LWR also provided technical support to the Union in developing an agenda, preparing the annual budget and financial report, developing an action plan in advance of the Union’s next annual general assembly meeting planned in July 2019.

ICT-enabled extension: This quarter, the project team continued working with PEAs to provide Airtel SIM cards to members of partner Unions and community members in CEB’s zone as a unique identifier for each project participant and the first step for farmers to access Airtel’s mobile products and services. In late 2018, LWR purchased Airtel SIM cards and worked with partners and Airtel on the design of the distribution strategy; drafting community sensitization messages on the distribution, extracting lists of the producers in the ICT Hub without a telephone number, working with Unions and their cooperatives to verify and certify their membership (required by Airtel to provide numbers to individuals without identity documents). Of the over 19,000 producers identified in the ICT Hub, 4,700 already had phone numbers, so the distribution targeted 14,798 farmers; the remaining cards have been stored until new members who may not have a mobile number are added to the ICT Hub.

LWR organized the SIM cards by lot by village and trained Union leaders, project supervisors and PEAs on the SIM card distribution strategy and related tasks in the ICT Hub (which include a brief sensitization message, a photo and signature by the beneficiary following distribution) last quarter. Following the training and reception of the lots of cards by each partner, project staff supervised the first distributions targeting heads of households in all target villages to assist the PEAs and troubleshoot any issues or problems. Subsequent distributions targeted producers who are not heads of households but who have a head of household already identified with a telephone number in the ICT Hub and those whose heads of

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household do not participate in the project. As of June 30, 2019, 6,437 women and 2,938 men have received SIM cards; the distribution and verification process has been very time-consuming, but it has been an opportunity to verify demographic data with each beneficiary and correct for possible errors and duplications. Union Adaltchi and Union Amintchi have finished the distribution, but because there are more project participants in 10 of the larger villages targeted by Union Nazari and CEB, the activity continues in these zones.

LWR migrated video-clips and technical content in Hausa to the ICT Hub last quarter and all 115 PEAs and project staff have smartphones configured to access it. Over the quarter, LWR rolled out training for PEAs and project supervisors on conducting community and individual sensitization sessions over 11 days in using the technical and video content, focusing specifically on the content for sheep fattening, millet and cowpeas, topics most useful at this time for producers. Each session included animation techniques, practical exercises accessing and using the smartphone content and small group exercises to practice sensitization techniques. Following the sessions, LWR’s team provided technical support, mentoring and accompaniment in the field in June 2019, working with small groups of PEAs (5-6 PEAs located in nearby villages) and supervisors as they began community sensitization.

To help improve outreach by the PEAs, LWR and partners rolled out a community sensitization guide on farming as a business with members of Union Nazari, Union Amintchi, Union Adaltchi and farmers in CEB’s zone. The sensitization sessions reached 884 men and 706 women (1,590 people, some who participated in one or several sessions) on farming as a business, how to improve margins from animal fattening and the services and information available through the PEA to help increase members’ incomes and returns this quarter. See “3.9 Science and Technology and Innovation Impacts” for additional details.

IR2.2: Strengthened disaster risk management capacity: This quarter, LWR concluded a rapid diagnostic assessment of implementing partners’ social safety nets like cereal reserves, animal feed banks, animal restocking initiatives (habbanayé) or seed banks. The diagnostic and needs assessments explored which social safety net/risk management activities the partners are currently implementing, how they operate and are managed, what gaps or challenges they are facing and what recommendations can be made and what technical support can be provided to improve them. In total, LWR’s team identified 28 cereal reserves with active operations and 22 habbanayé groups with ongoing rotations across the project zone. No functional animal feed banks or seed banks were identified, nor were any social safety net initiatives found in Union Adaltchi’s zone. Groups managing cereal reserves reported similar operational challenges, like planning operations, cash and stock management tools, planning meetings and managing risks. Habbanayé groups identified during the assessment struggle with risk management and managing revolving operations. LWR’s Capacity Development Advisor plans to share the initial results of the assessment with partners for feedback and is working to develop a strategy and tools to help partners strengthen these capacity areas.

Other activities: LWR project staff participated in several other visits and meetings over the quarter. LWR’s COP participated in meetings on labor market assessments, seed sector reform and the USAID partner’s roundtable in April 2019. LWR hosted USAID/Senegal’s financial management team for a monitoring visit from May 27-30, 2019. LWR also met/spoke with representatives from the FAO, ICRISAT, World Vision, CLUSA and USADF over the quarter to discuss coordination and collaboration.

2.2 Implementation challenges

Several challenges affected implementation over the quarter, including operational issues and programmatic ones.

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Operations: • LWR’s project Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) left the organization in November 2018; given the required qualifications and tight national job market, the process was unsuccessful over two recruitment rounds. LWR reviewed the requirements for the position and reposted at the Head of Field Operations/Program Manager level to have a larger applicant pool; this new staff member was recruited and hired, reporting on June 1, 2019. LWR’s project M&E Assistant also left in June; the vacancy was filled and the new staff member will report on July 15, 2019. • Union Adaltchi’s and Union Amintchi’s Accountants resigned last quarter; LWR helped the partners recruit and both positions were filled as of April 1, 2019. LWR trained these new staff on the project subaward agreement and budget, project financial management, financial reporting, fund requests, supporting documentation, entering transactions in Quickbooks and LWR’s monitoring processes. Unfortunately, Union Amintchi’s Technical Coordinator and new Accountant were both ill and on leave for several weeks over the quarter which delayed implementation and reporting. • The smartphones and solar panels used by PEAs have been damaged from wear in rough conditions. LWR has procured replacement phones and is performing maintenance and repairs; replacement solar panels have also been ordered. • Recurring security issues in the areas bordering the project zone (both in northern/eastern Tahoua and in Nigeria close to Konni) and close to Niamey have led LWR to review security protocols, which carry additional requirements and/or restrictions for staff traveling to some target villages.

Programming: • CEB is continuing to work to recover animal fattening committees funds’ in Mallamaoua, Farin Baki and Garin never deposited at the bank by CEB’s former supervisor. The former supervisor continued to reimburse funds this quarter and only 82.000 FCFA (the final installment to be repaid out of the 775.000 FCFA total) remains to be recovered for the committees. Although no project funds were affected, LWR has also increased monitoring and has reduced transfers to CEB to specific expenditures over a one-month period. • LWR’s partners continue to struggle with access to sufficiently capitalized and reliable financial services. The accounts where 5 of Union Adaltchi’s members secure their sheep fattening funds with the MFI Yarda are in the groups’ names and apparently, some individual members of these same groups had unpaid loans, so the bank seized the groups’ funds. Last quarter, Union Adaltchi leaders called a meeting between the MFI and local authorities to resolve the issue; the MFI agreed to seek reimbursement from the individuals who took the loans, rather than their groups, but has not returned the funds while this reimbursement is complete. Fortunately, many individuals did repay and only 3 of the 5 groups remain affected, with less than 20% of the 3m loans to recover; sensitization and recovery is ongoing. Two of the sheep fattening groups in Union Amintchi’s zone had deposited funds with Asusu; this MFI has faced significant management issues and local branches have closed, leaving groups without access to 860.000 FCFA on deposit (with the closures, the Union isn’t sure the funds are recoverable). LWR continues outreach with Ecobank on access to loans for Union partners; this quarter, LWR advanced discussions with Ecobank on a partial guarantee mechanism to promote access to credit for Union input and warehouse financing. • SH Biaugeaud has yet to begin investments in the onion value chain in Niger. LWR and Union Amintchi began onion seed multiplication for the 2019 irrigated production season in anticipation of SH Biaugeaud’s investments the following year. SH Biaugeaud attended the March 2019 steering committee meeting to discuss this collaboration, but these investments have yet to begin, constraining growth in the onion sector and limiting the GDA private sector match.

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2.3 MEL Plan Update

LWR submitted the FY2019 AMELP update in October 2018 that includes changes to standard indicators based on new FTF guidance from mid-2018, a revised version of the plan to incorporate comments from the AOR in November 2018 and a final version to respond to comments from USAID/Dakar and USAID/Washington in February 2019. LWR also entered FY18 FTFMS data in the online portal in November 2018 and incorporated revisions following feedback from USAID/Dakar and USAID/Washington in February 2019. Table 1.2: Summary Results to Date and Annex A: Progress Summary reflects these updated FY19 indicators, targets and recommendations.

As mentioned in the previous quarterly report, LWR used the ICT Hub and smartphone-based survey with a team of external enumerators to collect complementary performance data on gross margins for irrigated onions and wheat in March 2019; the survey on irrigated production was conducted in target villages in and around Konni (the only locations in the project zone where these irrigated crops are grown) to help inform both the baseline7 and potential strategies.

Among the 1,007 (883 men and 124 women) onion producers identified in the ICT Hub, 278 producers were selected at random for the survey; a 95% confidence interval and 5% margin of error. As only 13 male producers grew wheat in 2018-19, all were selected. However, given that some producers were absent, declined to participate or hadn’t completed the production cycle, only 257 onion producers (241 men and 16 women) and 12 wheat producers were interviewed, increasing the margin of error to 5.28% for onions and 8.17% for wheat.

In addition to the known limitation of the small sample, the initial results of the survey were so surprising—with women’s gross margins from onions far exceeding men’s—that LWR hired additional enumerators to complete follow-up interviews with the same respondents to ensure the questions were understood and confirm the recorded data. The results, confirmed through this process, are as follows: women’s gross margins from onions were 2,717,231 FCFA (approximately $4,900), compared to men’s gross margins from onions of 1,422,696 FCFA (approximately $2,500). The reason for this higher gross margins by women is that nearly all women in the sample grew onions during the rainy season (which is typically more risky due to losses, but with much higher market prices); most men produced and sold onions after the first onion harvest of the dry season, with reported sales prices less than half of that of rainy season onions. Reported onion market prices were also generally higher than in previous years. The reported gross margin for wheat was 663,453 FCFA (approximately $1,200).

3. INTEGRATION OF CROSSCUTTING ISSUES AND USAID FORWARD PRIORITIES 3.1 Gender Equality and Female Empowerment

LWR’s 2017 gender assessment and planning consultancy identified a number of gender constraints in the project’s target value chains: more limited access to land by women; fewer opportunities to generate income and less ability to make decisions on use of that income by women; women are discouraged from doing certain agricultural tasks (and as a result, pay men to do so); women are discouraged from interacting with male buyers or input suppliers and some value chain actors don’t consider women as “real” producers. The consultant recommended that LWR encourage women to become TOTs and PEAs,

7 The gross margin indicator was added in FY18, but there was no wheat production that year, so no baseline data has previously been available.

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promote use of mobile financial services (including training women on phone use), promote access to credit for women and help the Unions develop inclusive organizational policies and strategies for collection points for bulking operations, input provision and extension services that are more adapted to the specific needs of women members, including helping secure women’s access to land and processing of agricultural products.

Many of these recommendations are part of LWR’s overall strategy for the 12/12 Alliance, but LWR finalized the project’s detailed gender action and monitoring plan in mid-2018 to identify the key actions, who is responsible for implementation and technical support and the implementation timeline. LWR’s Capacity Development Advisor monitors progress on the gender action plan; the next review is planned for July 2019.

3.2 Sustainability Mechanisms

LWR’s strategy of working with local farmer associations as implementing partners under the project is helping lay the groundwork for sustainability. The project is supporting each partner’s tailored organizational capacity development plan focused on member services (organizational governance, financial management, business planning and communication) and market integration (collecting and bulking, marketing and negotiation and market information exchange). LWR continues to support the groups’ management and operations through training, technical support and accompaniment—helping Union leaders transparently procure goods and services, recruit and manage their employees, develop policies and procedures to assist operations and connect with new potential partners and collaborators.

PEAs have been trained in using Airtel Money products, for which they will earn commissions from sales, as a new income stream; some are looking to manage point-of-sale transactions and cash-outs to earn additional income. Airtel is also exploring how to roll-out low-cost telephones and possible repayment plans for PEAs or community members who would like to purchase their own telephones. PEAs have integrated the SVPP network and provide paid animal health services; PEAs who produce compost for sale have been added to the project’s input supplier registry and are already earning income from animal health services and compost sales. The project continues to explore collaboration with other private sector input suppliers, researchers and service suppliers—like ICRISAT and INRAN that are rolling out the use of parasitoid wasps to control millet borer or producers of seed balls—to explore similar win-win relationships that can lead to additional income for the PEAs.

3.3 Environmental Compliance

LWR’s EMMP for the 12/12 Alliance project was approved by USAID in 2017. After developing tools for EMMP monitoring and concluding the training for Alliance partners on the EMMP in early 2018, LWR began monitoring the EMMP using a monitoring tool, administered by the project’s Agriculture/NRM Officer, to document each partners’ progress on implementing planned environmental mitigation measures and includes recommendations and a timeline for the partner to address any identified gaps. For example, the monitoring verifies if the partners’ signed agreements and training modules contain the provisions required by the EMMP; each monitoring report documents which specific agreements or modules are reviewed during the visit, summarizes the content of the agreement or module with regards to the EMMP, documents if the partner is compliant, and provides a recommendation and a timeline to correct any potential issue of non-compliance.

Many of the recommendations of the EMMP have already been fully implemented. For example, Ecobank’s loan policies are in compliance with Equator environmental principles and the EMMP is an appendix to all implementing partner agreements and the partners’ MOUs with the SVPP, so no further

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monitoring is needed unless the policy or agreement changes. The contracts Union Nazari signed with the construction firm and the firm hired for independent quality control respected the EMMP. Union Amintchi completed forms certifying the suitability of selected plots for small-scale irrigation. The only issues identified during the EMMP monitoring trips conducted last quarter were that the training modules on crop production for Union Nazari, Union Adaltchi and CEB from 2018 did not formally discuss water management, even if they did discuss soil and water conservation techniques; the review of the modules developed this quarter have included this point.

3.4 Youth Development

With the project’s focus on the use of ICTs and mobile technologies, many PEAs—as well as project staff, survey enumerators, literacy instructors and other service providers—are young farmers and professionals. Among the 115 current PEAs, 46 (40%) are 35 or under.

3.5 Policy and Governance Support

N/A

3.6 Local Capacity Development

LWR continues to work with each sub-grantee to implement policies and procedures as needed to help essure compliance with the requirements of their award agreement. LWR is helping draft F&A operations policy manuals for the Unions without comprehensive policies and procedures (the procurement and petty cash management manuals each partner already has in place as of 2017 will become chapters/sections of the manual which can be updated over time as needed).

LWR conducted programmatic and financial monitoring visits to all implementing partners in April 2019, with a corrective action plan developed during each financial trip to provide clear, actionable recommendations for improvements in the partners’ financial and administrative management.

3.7 Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Global Development Alliance (GDA) Impacts

Planned investments under the MOU for the GDA total over $8 million US dollars in funds leveraged from the private sector in cash or in-kind; the MOU was signed in July 2017. The 12/12 Alliance annual steering committee meeting was held in March 2019 with USAID, LWR, Ecobank, Airtel, SH Biaugeaud and key stakeholders like the Ministry of Community Development and Union Adaltchi, Union Amintchi, Union Nazari and CEB to review activities and implementation, examine progress and lessons learned from the second annual performance survey and analyze opportunities for collaboration for the project’s third year. LWR and partners conducted follow-up meetings to share the recommendations and opportunities with other staff and union Board members who did not attend; LWR has met or spoken with all private-sector partners on the actions and plans discussed during the meeting.

MACF support to the project is now expected to end in September 2019, so LWR is working on close-out and final reporting on this award.

3.8 Conflict Mitigation

N/A

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3.9 Science, Technology, and Innovation Impacts

The project’s ICT Hub is designed to help: a.) PEAs promote quality local extension services, provide access to information on potential input suppliers and market outlets, b.) Unions better plan for bulk acquisitions, sales and communications with their members and c.) LWR compile and analyze project performance and management data. The technical library is accessible for PEAs and the project team in a mobile application called “Search,” will be eventually converted to a Google Play application for even wider dissemination; videos on production techniques, entrepreneurism and mobile phone and mobile money use have added to the TaroWorks application. The technical library now includes 48 short video clips--with video, graphics and narration in Hausa--on sheep fattening, millet production, cowpea production, onion production, wheat production, and entrepreneurism/farming as a business, using mobile phones and Airtel mobile money and short technical summaries in French and Hausa along with simple drawings on key extension topics.

The quarter, a PEA was identified and trained in the remaining project village in CEB’s zone; all 115 target villages now have coverage with a PEA. As mentioned, quarterly refresher training for PEAs focused on community sensitization using content in the ICT Hub. There were 1,992 hits to the ICT Hub’s market price data and vendor information (for seed and compost suppliers), 6,139 hits to the technical content library (“Search”) and 6,541 hits to videos this quarter, 14,672 hits in total. The videos with the greatest number of hits were on millet, cowpeas, sheep fattening and farming as a business.

LWR’s ICT team developed a read-only portal (“community”) for USAID to access the ICT Hub directly. LWR shared the link and password to the portal with the AOTR and USAID’s regional M&E team and hopes to review and finalize content, to incorporate feedback and FY19 indicators, soon.

4. STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT

LWR and project implementing partners regularly conduct community-level meetings, participatory review of reports and progress notes by Board members and site visits. For example, in May 2019, Union Amintchi organized a meeting with 12 men and 2 women Board members, technical staff and LWR to present project activities and results, lessons learned, discuss recommendations from the steering committee meeting and discuss accountability mechanisms. Union Adaltchi also held a meeting to review the January-March 2019 quarterly report with members of the Board and discuss project implementation and challenges. Having PEAs now deployed in all target villages and equipping them with a closed user group for unlimited mobile communications between all members of the project team is also helping with timely reporting of issues or concerns.

5. MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES

There are a few pending management and administrative topics, including upcoming travel plans: • USAID/Senegal conducted a financial monitoring visit to the project in May 2019 and LWR is waiting to hear from the team about any findings or recommendations from that visit. • LWR submitted a request for a budget amendment to USAID/Senegal in order to remove construction activities (activities no longer needed) in favor of other activities in June 2019.

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• LWR is requesting incremental funding in order to support project activities in advance of the 2019 irrigated production season. • The COP will be travelling outside Niger from August 2-31, 2019.

6. LESSONS LEARNED

Key lessons from this quarter of project implementation, including the review of gross margin analysis for the performance survey on irrigated production, include: • The review of annual performance data with partners included discussions on results disaggregated by sex and what might contribute to these differences; interestingly, access to agricultural land, inputs and markets by gender vary widely across the project zone. In some locations, there were only minor differences in yields and gross margins from onions and cowpeas for women exceeded those for men. This analysis, different from the findings of the 2017 gender and value chain assessment, will help inform project approaches and implementing partners’ organizational capacity development strategies. • Progress on the Unions’ collective marketing of cowpeas, wheat and other crops initially targeted remains limited; current market prices for cowpeas are considerably lower than at the same time in previous years and only 13 farmers produced wheat in 2019. However, other commodities, like peanuts, tomatoes, dill, cilantro and other cereals seem to have market potential, so LWR examined these commodities in an update to the project’s value chain analysis. For example, partner Unions sold 116.7 MT of millet and 150 MT of sorghum collectively in 2019.

7. PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT QUARTER INCLUDING UPCOMING EVENTS

Key activities planned for the coming quarter include steps to: • Continue technical support and monitoring of project activities with local partners on animal fattening (including sales for Tabaski), veterinary service provision, savings and credit operations, functional literacy, market gardens, demonstration plots and field days, training on marketing, organizational capacity and farming as a business. Support Unions’ operations manuals, tailored organizational capacity plans and value chain actor outreach. • Draft a strategy for strengthening social safety nets as follow-up to the diagnostic assessment and conclude the internal value chain assessment. • Conclude SIM card distribution with Union Nazari members and project participants in CEB’s zone. Review and clean beneficiary lists, correcting or deactivating incorrect names. Continue ICT Hub maintenance and upgrades, including processes redesigned without SMS. Conclude configuration of the ICT Hub “community.” Continue refresher training sessions with all PEAs. • Work with Airtel to activate SIM numbers for use and, for interested individuals, begin mobile money account creation. Coordinate with Airtel to set up mobile money accounts and interface for Unions to begin payments to PEAs with mobile money. • Host a reflection meeting with project implementing partners and staff to review progress and develop the FY20 draft work plan on July 23-25, 2019. Complete the midterm review by September 30, 2019, use initial findings to adjust the plan as needed. • Orient LWR’s new project M&E Assistant and provide technical support to new partner staff.

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8. WHAT DOES USAID NOT KNOW THAT IT NEEDS TO?

The Millennium Challenge Corporation/Millennium Challenge Authority (MCC/MCA) issued a solicitation in 2017 to provide technical support services to farmers using the irrigated perimeter slated for repair in Konni, including functional literacy, demonstration plots, access to inputs and markets and cooperative development (including formally separating the roles and functions of water user associations with those of cooperatives). LWR’s 12/12 Alliance partner, Union Adaltchi, whose membership is constituted from users of the irrigated perimeter in Konni is slated for restructuring under this strategy. MCA awarded this solicitation in November 2018. LWR is keen to coordinate with the chosen contractor to understand the implications for Union Adaltchi’s operations, membership and structure. This quarter, one of Union Adaltchi’s cooperatives was awarded a grant from MCC/MCA valued at approximately $100,000 for crop production and marketing, including purchasing a tractor, inputs and building new warehouse space; the cooperative has already mobilized the required match for the grant.

Lutheran World Relief is in the process of combining operations with IMA World Health, a public health agency headquartered in Washington D.C., operating with a single CEO leadership team and staff and identical boards of directors as of January 1, 2019. IMA is an international NGO that was founded by faith-based organizations, including LWR, 60 years ago to provide medical supplies and quality medical care to the world’s poorest populations. The process of merging operations is expected to continue throughout the fiscal year and into FY2020.

9. HOW IMPLEMENTING PARTNER HAS ADDRESSED A/COR COMMENTS FROM THE LAST QUARTERLY OR SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT

There was no specific feedback from the AOTR on the FY19Q2 report.

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ANNEX A: PROGRESS SUMMARY Table 1(a): PMP Indicator progress - USAID Standard/FTF Indicators and Project Custom Indicators* Goal: Increased ability of households in Niger’s agro-pastoral and marginal agriculture livelihood zones to adapt to climate shocks and stresses all 12 months of each year

Baseline data FY 2019 Quarterly Status – FY 2019 Annual Data Performance Indicator Annual Annual Comment(s) Source Year Value Cumulative Cumulative Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Achieved to Planned target Actual Date (in %) Proportion of households resilient 0 at baseline; 48% to a shock experienced the Survey 2017 60% 78% 78% 0 0 0 130.0% Survey data in FY18 previous year (RISE) 42% men (M); Proportion of individuals 23% women (W) 75% men; 65% 86% men; 86% M, 114.7% men, reporting current household Survey 2017 at baseline; 70% 0 0 0 Survey data women 86% women 86% W 132.3% women resilience capacity (Custom) M; 60% W in FY18

Number of rural/vulnerable 0 at baseline; 1,439 Project Project households benefitting directly 2017 in FY17; 3,175 in 12,760 10,906 3,175 5,269 10,906 0 85.5% Records records from USG interventions (Custom) FY18

3,842 M, 2,972 3,842 Number of individuals 1,525 M, 2,620 W Project 4,000 men, 7,681 W 1,525 M, M, M, Project participating in USG food 2018 (4,145 people) in 0 115.2% Records 6,000 women (11,523 2,620 W 5,354 7,681 records security programs (EG.3-2) FY18 people) W W

Intermediate Result (IR): Leverage private-sector investment and innovations to increase and sustain household incomes, assets and adaptive capacity

272,442 CFA (M); 225,961 CFA (W); 391,215 391,215 384,159 CFA CFA men, CFA (M), 330,000 CFA households (HH) 208,421 208,421 118.6% men, men; 250,000 at baseline; CFA CFA (W), 83.4% women, Average value of assets (Custom) Survey 2017 CFA women; 0 0 0 Survey data 314,712 CFA (M); women, 599,636 103.4% 580,000 CFA 204,564 CFA (W); 599,636 CFA households HH households CFA (HH) 8 519,276 CFA households

8 The baseline survey estimated land prices at 1m CFA/ha, which overestimated total asset values in certain project zones (and reporting of total assets at 4.24m CFA for men and 2.19m CFA for women); survey data was therefore adjusted to remove land values. Per the PIRS for this indicator, the estimated household value is the aggregate of these values.

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Baseline data FY 2019 Quarterly Status – FY 2019 Annual Data Performance Indicator Annual Annual Comment(s) Source Year Value Cumulative Cumulative Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Achieved to target Actual Date (in %)

Number of people using climate 1,525 1,525 men, information or implementing risk- 0 at baseline; 352 men, 2,620 reducing actions to improve men, 1,425 women 1,500 men, 2,620 82.9% (4,145 of Survey 2017 women 0 0 0 Survey data resilience to climate change as (1,777 people) in 3,500 women women 5,000) (4,145 supported by USG assistance FY18 (4,145 people) (EG.11.6) people) 25,440 CFA (M) 48,000 CFA 21,937 Average value of individual 10,790 CFA (W) 21,937 CFA men, CFA (M), 45.7% men, savings accumulated by project Survey 2017 at baseline; 45,240 men, 33,354 0 0 0 Survey data 25,000 CFA 33,354 133.4% women beneficiaries (Custom) CFA (M); 22,943 CFA women women CFA (W) CFA (W) in FY18 Sub-IR: Diversified economic opportunities % of households reporting at least 0 at baseline; 93% one new income source due to Survey 2017 95% 65% 65% 0 0 0 68.4% Survey data in FY18 project interventions (Custom)

Sub-IR: Intensified production and marketing for livestock and high-potential crops 0 at baseline; 97,835 $125 USD $2,500 M, 2,000% M, $2,500 CFA ($178 USD) onions (M/W), $4,500 W $41 men, 3,600% W M, Gross margins per hectare (for cowpeas men, $175 USD onions; $41 $28 onions; 23.4% $4,500 cowpeas, wheat and onion) and 81,370 CFA ($148 cowpeas (M/W), M, $28 W women M, 16.0% W Survey 2018 0 W 0 Survey data animal (sheep) of selected product USD) cowpeas $350 USD cowpeas; cowpeas, cowpeas; onions, (Custom) women; 11,246 wheat (M/W), $1,200 M $2 women 342.9% M $1,200 CFA ($20) sheep $15 USD (W) wheat; sheep wheat; 13.3% W M wheat women in FY18 sheep $2 W sheep sheep Millet kg/ha: 333 Millet (M), 260 (W) Millet: 80.7% Millet: 450 Millet (kg/ha): Cowpeas kg/ha: 168 men, 113.0% kg/ha (M), 300 (kg/ha): 363 363 M, Yields of targeted crops reported (M), 120 (W) at women kg/ha (W) M, 339 W; 339 W; by project participants (EG.3-10- Survey 2018 baseline; Millet 0 0 0 Survey data Cowpeas: 190 Cowpeas: 76.8% 12) kg/ha: 431 (M), 293 Cowpeas Cowpeas kg/ha (M), 150 men, 96.0% (W) Cowpeas kg/ha: (kg/ha): 146 (kg/ha): kg/ha (W) women 145 (M), 104 (W) in M, 144 W 146 M, 10 FY189 144 W

9New FTF indicator, but prior custom indicator with slightly different calculation. 10 Disaggregation: Age for millet yields (358 kg/ha youth/15-29, 351 kg/ha adult/30+); age for cowpea yields (148 Kg/ha youth/15-29, 145 kg/ha adult/30+)

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Baseline data FY 2019 Quarterly Status – FY 2019 Annual Data Performance Indicator Annual Annual Comment(s) Source Year Value Cumulative Cumulative Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Achieved to target Actual Date (in %) Number of individuals who have 0 at baseline; 806 men, 979 578 M, 806 received USG-supported short-term Project 700 men, 600 2017 730 in FY17, women (1,785 423 0 M, 0 137.3% Project records agricultural sector productivity or food Records women 933 in FY18 people)11 women 979 W security training (Custom) 0 at baseline; Number of hectares under improved 3,038 ha under 1 6,583 ha under management technologies or practices 6,583 Survey 2017 or more 5000 ha 1 or more 0 0 0 131.7% Survey data as a result of USG assistance (EG.3.2- ha12 technologies in technologies 25) FY18 Number of individuals in the 0 at baseline; agricultural system who have applied 1,700 women, 1,500 men, 1,500 M, 1,500 men, improved management practices or Survey 2017 739 men (2,439 2,620 women 2,620 0 0 0 103.0% Survey data 2,500 women technologies with USG assistance farmers) in (4,120 people) W13 (EG.3.2-24) FY18 0 at baseline; 54 45,000 MT 19 MT Volume per value chain marketed MT wheat and onion; 700 cowpeas; 150 19 MT Project collectively by smallholder farmer 2017 60 MT millet in MT cowpeas; MT sorghum; 0 cowpe 0 0 2.7% cowpeas Project records Records associations (Custom) FY17; 3MT 500 MT 116.7 MT as millet in FY18 wheat14 millet Sub-IR: Increased access to financial services 6% (M), 15% 38% Proportion of project participants who (W) at baseline; 40% men; 38% men; 71% men; 95.0% men, used financial services in the past 12 Survey 2017 0 0 0 Survey data 25% (M); 72% 75% women women 71% 94.7% women months (Custom) (W) in FY18 women Value of agricultural-related financing Project $200,000 $45,000 accessed as a result of USG assistance 2017 0 $45,000 USD 0 0 0 22.5% Project Records Records USD USD (EG.3.2-27)

11 In accordance with the PIRS, trainees are counted once per year, even if they participate in multiple sessions. This adjustment will likely be made in FY19Q4. Formal training sessions target resource persons for crop and animal production, marketing and organizational capacity development for Union leaders. 12 Disaggregation: Sex (men 3,360 ha, women 3,223 ha); Age (15-29/Youth 523 ha and 30+Adult 6,059 ha); Technology type (crop genetics 1,662 ha; cultural practices 6,445 ha; soil fertility and conservation 6,445 ha; pest/disease management 2,076 ha); Type (cropland 6,583 ha); Commodity (disaggregates not available 6,583 ha) 13 Disaggregation: Actor (all smallholder producers); Age (15-29/Youth 320; 30+/Adult 3,800); Technology type (crop genetics 1,978; cultural practices 4,079; soil fertility and conservation 4,079; pest/disease management 2,472, improved livestock management 3,745, marketing/postharvest handling 3,757); Commodity (disaggregates not available 4,120) 14 Targets for onions may not be met due to the delay in support to operations by SH Biaugeaud and for wheat given limited recharge and repairs to irrigation scheme in Tahoua. Given water scarcity, many farmers grew irrigated sorghum rather than wheat in 2018.

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Baseline data FY 2019 Quarterly Status – FY 2019 Annual Data Performance Indicator Annual Annual Comment(s) Source Year Value Cumulative Cumulative Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Achieved to target Actual Date (in %)

Intermediate Result (IR): Strengthen the organizational capacity of farmer associations to sustain member services, manage risks and leverage business opportunities 2.66m CFA at Profitability of farmer associations Project baseline; Project 2017 4.5m CFA 0 0 0 0 0 0% (Custom) Records 1.82m CFA in records FY1815 Cash from $2.5m MACF, MACF and Value of new USG commitments and $100,000 Frehner/ private sector investment leveraged by the Project 0 at baseline; Frehner/ $2,717,000 2017 $5.5m USD $0 $0 $0 49.4% Murray USG to support food security and Records $2.6m in FY17 Murray family, USD family; In- nutrition (EG.3.1-14) $117,000 kind from Airtel Airtel Sub-IR: Strengthened organizational, technical and management capacity Proportion of members of farmer 3% (M), 22% 98% men, associations who say they have (W) baseline; 97% men; 98% men, 98% 101% men, Survey 2017 98% 0 0 0 Survey data confidence in their association's 96% (M), 97% 98% women women 100% women women management/leadership (Custom) (W) in FY18 Number of private enterprises, producer 4 Producer organizations, water user associations, 0 at baseline; 4 organizations, trade and business associations, and (3 Producer Project 1 CBO community-based organizations (CBOs) 2017 Organizations 5 5 5 0 0 0 100% Records adopted new that applied new technologies or and 1 CBO) in financial management practices with USG FY18 practice(s) assistance (Custom) 0 at baseline; Proportion of individuals using ICT- 68% men, 340.0% men, 7% men; 19% 20% men; 68% men, 77% assisted extension in decision-making Survey 2017 77% 0 0 0 256.7% Survey data women in 30% women women (Custom) women women FY18 Number of hits to ICT extension support Project 0 at baseline; platform (Custom) 2017 23,920 14,672 713 1,396 14,672 0 61.1% ICT Hub Records 600 in FY18

15 Baseline for 3 Unions, only 2 of 3 conducted analysis for general assembly meetings in FY18

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Sub-IR: Strengthened disaster risk management capacity Baseline data FY 2019 Quarterly Status – FY 2019 Annual Data Performance Indicator Annual Annual Comment(s) Source Year Value Cumulative Cumulative Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Achieved to target Actual Date (in %) 27% (M), 38% Proportion of members who feel their 77% men, (W) baseline; 75% men; 77% men, 84% 102.7% men, farmer association can help them in the Survey 2017 84% 0 0 0 Survey data Men 69%; 85% women women 98.8% women event of a shock or a stress (Custom) women Women 85% Number of alerts referred to designated Project individuals by the early warning system 2017 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0% ICT Hub Records (Custom)* *The summary results table reflects the FY19 AMELP submitted in October 2018 and includes several new FTF indicators for FY18, so baseline values may be from 2017 or 2018. For indicators Ga, EG.11-6, EG.3.10-12, EG.3.2-25, EG.3.2-24, data is collected via an annual survey and a“0” recorded for quarters in which no new data is collected. For indicator EG.3-2, participation is recorded quarterly, but adjusted annually for beneficiaries participating in multiple activities. Indicators EG.3.2-27 and EG.3.1-14 are recorded in the quarter in which the activity is reported.

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ANNEX B: SUCCESS STORIES

“Amazing” Onion Bulbs

Union Amintchi, one of Lutheran World Relief’s implementing partners on the 12/12 Alliance project in Niger, is a Union of cooperatives whose members produce and market onions. LWR has helped Union Amintchi initiate organic onion seed multiplication in order to produce purple organic onions that can be more easily stored and transported for the specialty export market.

The requirements of the export market include a quality varietal (violet de Galmi), use of non-chemical production processes, a traceable supply chain, limited irrigation prior to harvest and a different way of cutting onion stems as required for longer-shelf life. In order to improve access to seed needed to produce these high-quality purple onions, LWR and Union Amintchi began improved, organic onion seed multiplication in late 2018. LWR’s Agriculture/NRM Officer helped Union Amintchi develop a strategy for onion seed multiplication, which requires two seasons (multiplication of parent bulbs from foundation/G4 or first-generation/R1 seed the first season, then sowing the parent bulbs through to seed in the second) in order to produce improved seed for its members for contracted onion crop production. Each of the 30 (all men) producers were trained on organic onion seed multiplication and received a kit consisting of a motor pump with its accessories, 2 watering cans and 1.25 kg of certified onion seeds (either G4 or R1) in November 2018, for 1.715 ha of G4 and 1.243 ha of R1 onion bulb production.

Alijime Nabirni, an onion seed entrepreneur from the village of Tounga Makoki, is one of the 30 trained multipliers who together produced 2,777 tons of parent bulbs from G4 seed that will be used to produce organic onion seed in the coming season. According to Alijime, “I have been producing onion seed for years but this technique is much simpler and more beneficial than the one I'm used to. This technique is more profitable since I no longer buy chemical fertilizer which is quite expensive, but above all, the bulbs are easier to store. Before, my onion bulbs had to be verified and sorted every month, and I had to throw out a lot of spoiled onions. Now, with organic production, I only need to check once a quarter and it is rare that I find one or two rotten onions. It’s amazing! ». Alijime mentioned that, in the beginning, fellow onion producers were skeptical about organic techniques but over time, these same cooperative members came to admire his production and have sought advice and coaching from him.

Alijime will save the parent bulbs to multiply onion seed next year, but because he produced more bulbs than he can possibly plant for seed multiplication, he will also sell the surplus (as regular onions) to consumers or exporters; market prices for stored onions like these can easily be 2- 5 times more than at harvest.

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