ANNUAL REVIEW
www.selfhelpafrica.org 2010 SeLf HeLP AfricA AnnuAL reVieW 2010 OUR VISION
AN AFRICA FREE FROM HUNGER AND POVERTY
Tending a field of beans, Zambia 2020370 (0)1 00353 Ltd. Publications Baily by produced and Designed
2 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010
Letter from our CEO
And when it comes to small changes, there is little as It starts with important as the seed. Across Africa, farmers simply cannot improve crop yields because they are unable to get their hands on improved a seed seeds. More than any other factor, what a farmer sows affects what she reaps. Hunger in Africa is concentrated in rural areas, in the districts where smallholder farmers struggle to eke out a living from For many years, Self Help Africa has concentrated much of its their land. It is here that generational hunger and poverty efforts on ensuring that farmers have access to better quality begins - children don’t eat enough because the family farm seed and to different varieties of seed. Much of this work doesn’t produce enough, poor nutrition stunts these children’s takes place through cooperatives, where farmer members are growth and development, and their parents are simply too taught to ‘multiply’ or grow more quality seed, which is then poor to improve crop production on their small farm. sold to other farmers.
Looked at from one perspective, there are many reasons for It’s part science and part organisation, and it’s all just part of this hunger and poverty - farmers don’t have access to water, the solution for farmers in Africa. But our work in providing to good soil, to quality seed, to agricultural advice, to storage, tens of thousands of farmers with access to improved seed to transport, to markets, to finance. is breaking the cycle of hunger and poverty for hundreds of thousands of their dependents. Everything, it seems, that developed world farmers take for granted is in short supply in Africa. Add to this the This work would not be possible without the support of our complexities of world food markets and trading regulations, donors. You are planting the seeds of hope across Africa. The and you’d be forgiven for wondering if there’s any point in journey starts with a seed, and ends, thanks to you, with a trying to tackle this problem at all. harvest.
But at Self Help Africa, we look at it from another perspective. We know that small changes on a family farm can make a big difference. With just a small improvement in crop production, a family can be lifted out of hunger. Raymond Jordan
3 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010 HORN OF
malawi AFRICAzambia
burkinafaso zambia ETHIOPIA ERITREA
Location fisheries. Location: services and industry. burkinafaso Situated in the Eastern ghana On the Red Sea in the eastern ‘Horn of Africa’, Ethiopia is Agriculture accounts for ‘Horn of Africa’, Eritrea shares Eritrea’s principal agriculture landlocked, and bounded by almost 45% of GDP. The borders with Sudan to the crops are sorghum, lentils, Sudan in the east and by agricultural sector suffers west, Ethiopia to the south, vegetables, corn, cotton, Somalia to its west. from frequent drought and and Djibouti to the east. Eritrea tobacco, sisal and livestock. poor cultivation practices. ghana kenya gained its independence from Human Development Coffee is critical to the a federation with Ethiopia in Since the conclusion of the Index: Ethiopian economy, with 1992. Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 2000, exports of some $350 million the government has maintained (A comparative measure in 2006, but historically Human a firm grip on the economy. As of life expectancy, literacy, low prices have seen many Development a result few private enterprises education, and standards farmers switching to qu’attogo to kenya Index: remain in Eritrea. Eritrea’s of living for countries supplement income. economy depends heavily on worldwide): 157 out of 169 (A comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education, taxes paid by members of the countries ranked Under Ethiopia’s constitution, diaspora. the state owns all land and and standards of living for Population: provides long-term leases countries worldwide) : Eritrea is one of just a handful of Erratic rainfall, poor soil quality, togo to the tenants; the system and limited access to inputs 90,000,000, of whom 83% continues to hamper growth countries worldwide not to live in rural areas. have a HDI ranking. This is as affect agricultural productivity, in the industrial sector as and recent harvests have been entrepreneurs are unable a result of insufficient available Economy: data. unable to meet Eritrea’s food to use land as collateral for needs for the country. 85% of population are loans supported by small scale Population: Life expectancy farming, 5% are employed in Life expectancy 5,900,000, of whom 78% live at birth: industry, and the remaining at birth: in rural areas. 55.6 years. 10% in the service sector. 56.2 years. Ethiopia’s main agricultural Economy: Self Help Africa: crops are cereals, pulses, Self Help Africa: coffee, oilseed, cotton, 80% of the labour force are has been working in Eritrea sugarcane, potatoes, qu’at, has been working in Ethiopia employed in agriculture. The since 1995. cut flowers, livestock and since 1984. remaining 20% work in
4 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010
RURAL SAVINGS & CREDIT ELABARED RDP GOGNE RDP PROGRAMME (RUSACCO) ETHIOPIA//ERITREA Elabared rural development programme is promoting water harvesting, early Gogne rural development programme is being implemented to support Self Help Africa’s RUSACCO programme maturing crop, small scale horticulture, and livestock development amongst agricultural production and water conservation amongst 3,300 promotes saving, and supports the development 5,000 farm households in the Elabared district of Anseba region of Eritrea. households in the low-lying Gash Barka region of Eritrea’s south-west, of micro-finance amongst primary cooperatives with a particular emphasis on early maturing crop varieties, livestock and cooperative unions, so that households development, and the establishment of catchment water harvesting can have access to credit to establish business schemes. enterprise and income generating activities. ERITREA More than 31,000 mainly women members are receiving financial services through the programme, which is working with over small buttons EMNI HAILI RDP 200 primary co-operatives affiliated to five denote districts where rural co-operative unions – Awash, Keleta, Ifa Boru, Emni Haili rural development programme is working to improve food programmes are Yenetsanet Fana, and Sidama Chalala. The production and income generating activities amongst 20,000 households being undertaken, project is being implemented in collaboration in 44 villages in the Debub region of Southern Eritrea. The project is also larger shaded with the Local Government and Regional and supporting the strengthening of agricultural extension services, is promoting areas where Federal Cooperative Agencies, and with donor a range of early maturing seed varieties, and supporting the development of regional and technical support from the Irish League of irrigated horticulture, agro-forestry and natural resource management. Credit Unions Foundation, and from Terrafina development Micro Finance. activities are taking place ETHIOPIA KIMIRA WATER PROJECT RDP
Kimira Water is a micro-project that is aiming to improve access to water – for both human and livestock consumption, as well as for small-scale irrigation Self Help Africa’s ACDP is working with farmers purposes, around Kimira village in the Afambo district of co-operative unions to promote measures to Eritrea’s hot and dry Southern Red Sea region. increase farm production, diversification and marketing of produce. The project is being undertaken in collaboration with the Southern Region and Oromia bureaus of rural development and agriculture, and the farmers unions of Meki Batu Vegetable and Fruit Growers BEEKEEPING RDP Cooperative Union; Walta Farmers Cooperative Union; Melik Farmers Cooperative Union; Raya Self Help Africa’s national beekeeping Wakana Farmers Cooperative Union; and Siko development programme is supporting the Mendo Farmers Cooperative Union – who promotion of apiculture as an income generating represent a total of 17,500 farming households activity amongst rural households in the (approx. 100,000 people). The scheme is being Mendefera, Elabared and Merhano regions of supported by the European Union and ICCO SODO II RDP Eritrea. More than 1,500 bee colonies have been (the inter church organisation for development reared and distributed to rural farm households, co-operation). Sodo II is a rural development programme that is seeking to improve food production, crop while over 400,000 tree seedlings to provide diversification and income generation amongst close to 5,500 households in the Sodo region of forage crops were distributed and planted, and Gurage district. Communities are also being supported to combat soil erosion and land degradation, 1,000 rural farmers have taken part in technical AGRICULTURAL CO-OPERATIVE training in different aspects of beekeeping. DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (ACDP) to have better access to water for drinking and irrigation, and to have a better access to services.
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malawi
EAST zambia
burkinafaso
AFRICA ghana
malawi kenya UGANDA KENYA
Location: Coffee accounts for the bulk of Location: The country’s principal togo zambia export revenues. Since 1986, Kenya is a republic in eastern agricultural produce is tea, Eastern Africa, west of Kenya, coffee, corn, wheat, sugarcane, east of the Democratic Republic the government -has acted to Africa, with borders with rehabilitate and stabilize the Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and fruit, vegetables, dairy products of the Congo, and bounded by and meat. Lake Victoria to the east. economy by undertaking currency Somalia, and with a coastline to reform, raising producer prices the east to the Indian Ocean. burkinafaso on export crops, increasing Although the regional hub for Human prices of petroleum products, and trade and finance inE ast Africa, Development improving civil service wages Human Kenya has been hampered by Index: Development corruption and by reliance upon (A comparative measure of life The global economic downturn Index: several primary goods whose expectancy, literacy, education, has hurt Uganda’s exports, (A comparative measure of life prices have remained low. ghana and standards of living for although GDP growth is still expectancy, literacy, education, countries worldwide) : 143 out of relatively strong due to past and standards of living for Post-election violence in early 169 countries ranked reforms, management of the countries worldwide) : 128 out 2008, coupled with the effects downturn, and revenues from oil of 169 countries ranked of the global financial crisis on and taxes. Instability in southern remittance and exports, reduced Population: GDP growth to 1.7 in 2008, Sudan is the biggest risk for Population: kenya 34,612,000, of whom 87% live the Ugandan economy in 2011 but the economy rebounded in in rural areas because Uganda’s main export 41,000,000, of whom 78% live 2009-10 partner is Sudan and Uganda is in rural areas. Kenya has a rapid Economy: a key destination for Sudanese rate of urbanization however, Life expectancy refugees. with rural to urban migration at birth: 82% of the workforce is in togo growing at 4% a year. 48 years the agricultural sector, 5% in Life expectancy industry, and 13% in the service at birth: sector, according to latest figures. Economy: Self Help Africa: 53.2 years 75% of the labour force is has been working in Kenya employed in agriculture, with since the mid-1990s. Uganda has substantial natural Self Help Africa : resources, including fertile soils, the balance in industry and the regular rainfall, small deposits of has been working in Uganda service sector. copper, gold, and other minerals, since the mid-1990s. and recently discovered oil.
6 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010 UGANDA//KENYA KUMI BUKEDEA RDP RONGAI-GILGIL RDP HIV/AIDS
Kumi Bukedea rural development project is Rongai & Gilgil rural development is aiming to enhance food ‘HIV/AIDS Awareness & CVT Programme’ seeking to increase agricultural productivity for production and livestock development, and access to water is a scheme to reach out to most at risk 6,800 households in seven sub-counties in North for 1,000 rural households in Visoi and Lengenet areas of groups, and support the provision of Eastern Uganda. Together with improving access Rongai, and provide training and support to rural groups and counselling, education and training to to seed, to extension services, and to agricultural institutions in Rongai and Gilgil division of Nakuru District this group within the Naivasha District of training and markets, the project also assists of Kenya’s Rift Valley, so that they can diversify production, Kenya. Training has been provided to 182 communities to access basic social services. and successfully market produce community educators, as part of an outreach programme that is targeting at risk groups including sex workers, bar and hotel hosts, prison inmates, uniformed officers and truck drivers in Naivasha District. Training and education has also been provided to more than 1,800 young people affiliated to 57 youth groups.
MARKET LED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
UGANDA Self Help Africa’s Market Led Natural Resource Management Programme is supporting households, schools and farmers associations in Gilgil Division, Kenya, to market nature based enterprises, KENYA develop commercial and multi-purpose tree nurseries, and promote the use of energy saving devices, as a means of rehabilitating and sustainably managing the natural environment of the region around Gilgil and Elementaita in Rift Valley Province. 4,000 households have been supported with tree KAYUNGA RDP planting activities.
Increasing food production amongst 17,400 households, promoting diversification of household incomes, and promoting the participation of women in development activities are the primary objectives of the Kayunga RDP, which was started in Central Uganda in 2007. The project is also working to improve local access to hygiene and sanitation.
7 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010
SOUTHERN
AFRICAmalawi
malawi ZAMBIzambia A MALAWI
Location: Poverty remains a significant Location: Macadamia nuts and livestock. burkinafasoproblem in Zambia, despite a zambia Zambia is a southern African The Republic of Malawi is Agriculture has benefited from republic situated to the east stronger economy. Zambia’s fertiliser subsidies since 2006, dependency on copper makes a landlocked country that of Angola and south of the is bounded by Zambia and and accounts for more than one- Democratic Republic of Congo. it vulnerable to depressed third of GDP and 90% of export commodity prices, but Mozambique in southern Africa, and is bounded for almost its burkinafasorevenues. The performance of the Human ghanarecord high copper prices tobacco sector is key to short- and a bumper maize crop entire eastern border by Lake Development Nyasa (Malawi). term growth as tobacco accounts Index: in 2010 helped Zambia for more than half of exports. The rebound quickly from the Human economy depends on substantial (A comparative measure of life world economic slow-down inflows of economic assistance expectancy, literacy, education, in 2008. Development ghana Index: from the IMF, the World Bank, and standards of living for kenya and individual donor nations countries worldwide) : 150 Life expectancy (A comparative measure of life out of 169 countries ranked at birth: expectancy, literacy, education, Malawi faces many challenges 52.36 years. and standards of living for however, including developing Population: countries worldwide) :153 outkenya of a market economy, improving 169 countries ranked educational facilities, addressing 13,800,000, of whom 62% togo Self Help Africa: live in rural areas. environmental problems, and Has been working in Zambia Population: dealing with the rapidly growing since 1985. Economy: 15,880,000, of whom 80% live problem of HIV/AIDS. 85% of the workforce is in rural areas. togo employed in agriculture, Life expectancy 6% in industry and 9% in Economy: at birth: services. Zambia’s principal 90% of the workforce is 51.7 years. agricultural crops are corn, employed in agriculture, with sorghum, rice, peanuts, 10% working in local industry Self Help sunflower seed, vegetables, and services. The country’s Africa: flower, tobacco, cotton, principal agricultural produce Has been working in Malawi cassava, and sugar cane. is tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, since 1995. tea, corn, potatoes, cassava sorghum, pulses, groundnuts,
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SEEDFS PROJECT LITETA RDP PROP/FSSP ZAMBIA//MALAWI
The Seed Entrepreneurship for Economic Liteta Project is working to improve The Project for the Reduction of Poverty (PROP) and Food Security & Nutrition for Vulnerable Development and Food Security (SEEDFS) food production, agricultural practices Households Project (FSSP) seeks to reduce poverty levels amongst 5,000 poor rural households project is designed to enable 100,000 rural and management of natural resources in Zambia’s Eastern Province, and also to improve food security, livelihood and coping capacity small-scale farmers in Zambia to produce and amongst 2,000 households in of people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in Mwinilunga and Kabompo districts. The work distribute their own locally produced good quality Chibombo District in Zambia’s Central focuses on community enterprise development, expanding access to financial services, improving seed. The project is taking place across ten Province. The project is supported by basic business skills, and strengthening the capacity of partner organisations. Activities include districts – in six of the countries provinces, and UK Big Lottery Fund and Development the promotion of small-scale out-grower schemes and producer groups, technical support to is being undertaken in collaboration with local Fund of Norway, and is being develop and market produce, community based micro-finance, and business training. Half of the development partners - Mthilakubili Sustainable implemented by local partners OPAD households participating in the scheme are female-headed. Agriculture Project (MK-SAP); Eastern Province (Organization for the Promotion of Farmers Cooperative (EPFC); Organization for Meaningful Development through Promotion of Meaningful Development through Active Participation). Active Participation (OPAD); Keepers Zambia KARONGA RDP Foundation (KZF) and NIRAS Zambia. The project is being funded by the European Union. Self Help Africa and local development partners KRAAD SEEDFS PROJECT and FOCUS are working to strengthen agricultural extension services through a farmer to farmer approach for over 2,250 rural farming households, and promoting a range of crop diversification and income generating activities amongst 7,500 households in Northern Malawi. MORE - NORTH WEST PROVINCE MSUMBANKHUNDA RDP
8,500 farming households are being assisted in a programme that supports crop diversification and livestock
MALAWI development, while rural farming communities are being assisted in promoting rural enterprise development, and ZAMBIA mechanisms that can help to link farmer-producers to market, and to add value to their surplus agricultural produce. SEEDFS PROJECT MORE - WESTERN Local seed growers are being supported to produce and PROVINCE distribute high quality certified seed varieties to 8,000 households, a further 500 households are being assisted MORE with horticultural production, and 600 farm households in livestock breeding. Self Help Africa is assisting and collaborating with 47 local development committees and Self Help Africa’s MORE is the Rural Enterprise programme in four districts in Western and agencies in Kalembo District. North Western Provinces. MORE worked with 4,100 household to improve crop, vegetable, livestock and honey production and access to markets. Self Help Africa worked with Keepers Zambia Foundation and the project was mainly funded by the European Union. KALEMBO RDP
9 malawi
Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010
zambia
burkinafaso WEST malawi
ghana zambia malawi
burkinafaso AFRICAkenya zambia
ghana BURburkinafasoKINA TOGtogoO GHANA FASO
Location: both commercial and Location: kenya Ghana is well endowed with Location: ghanalandlocked country that subsistence agriculture, natural resources and agriculture Burkina Faso is a relies heavily on cotton Togo is located in western Ghana is situated in western and gold exports for Africa, flanked on the east which provides Africa, bordering the Gulf of accounts for roughly one-third of landlocked west African employment for 65% GDP and employs more than half country situated north revenue. The country has and west by Benin and Guinea, between Cote d’Ivoire few natural resources and Ghana respectively, and of the labor force. Some and Togo. of the workforce. of Ghana, and south of basic foodstuffs must a weak industrial base. on the north by Burkina togo Mali, on the fringes of the kenya Faso. It has a narrow still be imported, while Human Gold and cocoa production and Sahara Desert. cocoa, coffee, and cotton individual remittances are major Since 1998, Burkina coastal strip to the Gulf of Development Faso has embarked upon Guinea. generate about 40% of Index: sources of foreign exchange. Oil Human export earnings, with production at Ghana’s offshore Development a gradual privatization of cotton being the most (A comparative measure of life field began late last year and state-owned enterprises Human expectancy, literacy, education, Index: (A comparative togo Development important cash crop. is expected to boost economic measure of life and in 2004 revised and standards of living for growth. its investment code to Index: (A comparative countries worldwide) : 130 out expectancy, literacy, Togo is the world’s education, and standards attract foreign investment. measure of life of 169 countries ranked As a result, the country expectancy, literacy, fourth-largest producer In 2009 Ghana signed a of living for countries of phosphate. Economic three-year Poverty Reduction and worldwide): 161 out of has seen an upswing education, and standards in gold exploration and of living for countries growth prospects remain Population: Growth Facility with the IMF to 169 countries ranked marginal however improve macroeconomic stability, production. By 2010, gold worldwide): 139 out of 24,791,000, of whom 49% live had become the main 169 countries ranked due to declining private sector competitiveness, cotton production and in rural areas. human resource development, Population: source of export revenue. underinvestment in and good governance and 16,751,000, of whom Population: phosphate mining. Economy: civic responsibility. Sound 74% live in rural areas. Life expectancy at 6,771,993, of whom 57% 34% of the workforce is macro-economic management birth: live in rural areas. Life expectancy at employed in agriculture, 24% along with high prices for gold Economy: 53.7 years in industry, some of which is birth: and cocoa helped sustain GDP 90% of the labour force Economy: 62.7 years agri-processing, and 41% in growth in 2008-10. the service sector. A majority of are involved in agriculture, This small, sub-Saharan the population in the far north, and 10% in the industrial Self Help Africa: Life expectancy and services sector. Africa economy suffers where Self Help Africa works, weak economic growth has been working in west at birth: Africa since 2008 are supported by small-holder 57.4 years and depends heavily on agriculture. Burkina Faso is a poor,
10 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010 BURKINA FASO/TOGO/GHANA
BURKINA FASO
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT BURKINA FASO PROGRAMME Self Help Africa’s Agricultural Development programme is working to improve agricultural production TOGO for more than 2,500 households in more than a dozen villages in Zondome, Bazèga, Kourritenga, PROGRAMME FOR Boulgou, Doulougue, Central East, POVERTY REDUCTION and Bam Provinces of Burkina Self Help Africa’s Faso. Work is being undertaken in Programme for Poverty collaboration with local partners PER Reduction (PPR) is being (Projet Ecologique et Reboisement) undertaken in Tune, ORGANIC (Organisation pour une Tajoare and Kpendja Nouvelle Initiative Communautaire) districts of Northern and ASCDIS (Association de Togo to assist 2,500 Solidarite Communautaire pour un farm households with Developpement Integre au Sahel). increasing food production and diversification of food production. Together with activities to improve TOGO agricultural development, GHANA the project is working GHANA to enable rural women to develop income generating activities, and BOLGATANGA - POVERTY REDUCTION PROGRAMME to improve community Self Help Africa is working in collaboration with TRAX access to safe and clean Ghana in Dachio and Pelunga areas of Bolgatanga in drinking water. Northern Ghana to improve food production, and restore degraded farm land in the region. The project is developing local community based farm advisors to support project activities, and is promoting a range of alternate crops including groundnuts, soy bean and fruit tree production.
11 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010 Can Africa feed itself?
Surveying a crop of upland rice, Uganda
12 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010
The short answer is yes. to markets is difficult, storage after harvest is poor and farming knowledge Today, one To many observers, it seems as if the is limited. This can all be fixed, but it battle to end hunger in Africa cannot will take sustained investment. third of be won. In 1990, over 150 million Africans were hungry; by 2010, despite Investing in African agriculture people in hundreds of millions of dollars in aid in makes sense from an economic the interim, that number had risen to standpoint - food aid typically costs almost 240 million. more than $250 for each metric ton of sub-Saharan cereals delivered in rural areas, while Today, one third of people in sub- smallholder farmers can produce the Africa are Saharan Africa are chronically hungry, same amount locally for $100 or less . and rising food prices during 2010 chronically and into 2011 are likely to push that Small increases in agricultural figure higher. investment can make a massive hungry, and difference not only to food security, That paints a bleak picture - of human but also to the local economy. In suffering and of government failures. sub-Saharan Africa, agriculture directly rising food contributes to 34% of GDP and 64% But there is hope. While food of employment . According to the prices during production has grown globally by World Bank, growth in agriculture is at 145% over the past 40 years, African least two to four times more effective in 2010 and food production has fallen by 10% reducing poverty than in other sectors. since 1960 . This is where Africa’s future food security lies - in gaining African governments have pledged into 2011 are ground that it has lost to the rest of the to increase their own investments in world - and in the process sparking agriculture - to at least 10% of national likely to push sustainable economic development. income - while donor governments have also promised to increase that figure There are many reasons for Africa’s their supports. In some cases, those agricultural failure, but the main one promises are starting to be delivered. is lack of investment. For decades, the higher. world ignored African agriculture, and it Across Africa, smallholder farming shows. Just 4% of the continent’s crop communities hold the key to Africa’s land is irrigated, compared with almost future food security and economic 40% in South Asia. Quality seeds are growth. expensive and in short supply. Access
13 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010 Will new farming technologies end African hunger?
Ploughing with oxen in Ethiopia
14 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010
There’s a saying - ‘When you’ve use locally-sourced seed, seen one farmer in Africa, you’ve which is very often an older, The one seen one farmer in Africa’ - lower-yielding variety. The seed that reflects the diversity of is saved from season to season, factor that agricultural practices across the allowing subsistence farmers to continent. Different climates and plant with minimum investment. unites many different soils have produced a Buying new hybrid or GM wide range of farming practices seed every season - because of these based on many different food this seed cannot be saved - is staples, livestock and fishing. not something that most poor farmers can afford. farmers is The one factor that unites many of these farmers is their African farmers also use very their poverty. poverty. Most of the 80 million low quantities of fertilizer - just smallholder farmers in Africa 10% of the world average of Most of the live on less than $2 a day, and 100 kilos per hectare . Part of they are caught in a poverty the reason for this is because trap. Unable to invest additional fertilizer is so expensive - high 80 million resources into their farms, they transportation costs mean that are condemned to a cycle of fertilizer in Africa is two to six smallholder poor harvests and low incomes. times the average world price. For most farmers, organic farmers in For many developed world fertilizer – using crop waste and commentators, the solution to what local livestock produce - is poor agricultural productivity a much more affordable option. Africa live on depends on new seeds, including genetically modified For Self Help Africa, the question less than $2 seeds, together with the is not GM or traditional seed, application of large amounts of organic or chemical fertilizer; a day chemical fertilizers. it’s what solution can farmers afford. Our experience suggests For Africa’s smallholder farmers, that low-cost inputs - whether however, investing heavily seeds or fertilizers - are most in these new ‘farm inputs’ is sustainable for smallholder wishful thinking. Most farmers farmers.
15 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010 Why are women so important for African agriculture?
Grinding maize in the traditional manner, Togo
16 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010
In Africa, the hand that rocks the cradle also tills the fields.
In Kenya, In addition to caring for children and the elderly, collecting firewood and carrying water, women produce up to 80% women of Africa’s food on small farms. Yet, they receive as little as constitute 5% of the supports to do it. If African agriculture is underperforming, one of the reasons is because women do not have equal access to 75% of the the resources and opportunities they need to be more productive. Just five percent of farm advice services agricultural around the world go to women , while they receive less work force, than 10% of the credit directed to smallholders. In Kenya, women constitute 75% of the agricultural work farming mostly force, farming mostly for subsistence. However, only 1% of women in Kenya own the land on which they work.” for subsistence. Closing this ‘gender gap’ would generate significant gains for the agriculture sector and for society. If women had the However, only same access to productive resources as men, they could 1% of women increase yields on their farms by 20 to 30 per cent. This could raise total agricultural output in developing countries by up to 4 percent, which could in turn reduce in Kenya own the number of hungry people in the world by up to 17 the land on percent. In Africa, that would mean over 40 million fewer people which they going hungry every day. Equal treatment for women farmers will not be achieved overnight, as it involves challenging firmly-entrenched beliefs about a woman’s work. place in society, particularly in respect of land ownership. But progress is being made and sustained, particularly where small improvements in supports to women farmers have resulted in dramatic changes to family incomes.
17 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010 Does the smallholder farmer have a future?
Three generations, at work in the fields, Uganda
18 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010
In the developed world, farms In poor, labour-abundant have gradually become larger as economies, not only are small farms In time, farmers benefit from increased more efficient, but because they mechanisation and economies of also account for large shares of the African scale. Across Africa, however, small rural poor, small farm development farms are the norm and in many can be a “win-win” proposition for farms are countries they are getting smaller. growth and poverty reduction. Asia’s green revolution demonstrated how Some commentators view this as a agricultural growth that reaches likely to problem, equating small farms with large numbers of small farms can poorer productivity. In fact, small transform rural economies and raise begin to farms have several advantages over enormous numbers of people out of large farms - they can be more poverty. consolidate, efficient, they employ more people and they’re better at reducing Small farms also contribute to following poverty and increasing food security. greater food security, particularly in areas with poor infrastructure where Many studies have shown an high transport costs mean that the pattern inverse relationship between farm locally produced foods are cheaper size and land productivity. Small in many cases than food which is experienced farms are more productive even grown elsewhere. though they have less capital elsewhere invested in them. This is critical In time, African farms are likely for Africa, where capital is scarce to begin to consolidate, following relative to labour. the pattern experienced elsewhere in the in the world. For the foreseeable Many types of farming enjoy few future, however, the small farm will world. economies of scale, and so the continue to be critical to Africa’s greater availability of family labour economic growth. on small farms then creates a distinct advantage. Because labour is relatively cheap, small farms can use labour-intensive methods rather than capital-intensive machines.
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Chairman’s Report
This report records the financial activities and At a fundraising level, Self Help Africa performed strongly accomplishments of Self Help Africa across nine country in 2010. At a time of economic downturn we maintained programmes during 2010, together with some of the notable funding levels across a number of different income streams, activities and achievements that took place across the and actually grew significantly the backing we are receiving organisation during the year. from trusts and foundations.
It is heartening to be able to report that the organisation has At organisational level Self Help Africa, work was almost attained a considerable level of financial stability in the two completed during 2010 on a new strategic plan, which years since the successful merger created Self Help Africa, will guide the organisation for the next five years. We also and has achieved this at a time of considerable economic strengthened our financial reporting and operational systems uncertainty and insecurity in the wider global economy. with the recruitment of heads of programmes and of heads of finance in each of our African country offices, while in Ireland During 2010 we forged valuable new funding partnerships we appointed a head of policy & strategy to our management with the European Union, and saw the commencement of team. major new programmes in both Ethiopia and Zambia as a result of that support. A large group of people have contributed to this success in 2010. In particular, I want to thank all our donors, large and 2010 was the penultimate year of the Irish Government’s small, for their continued support for this work during difficult multi-annual programme scheme (MAPS), in which Self economic times. Thanks also to our fundraisers and our field Help Africa has been a participant since the inception of the staff - two vital groups at opposite ends of our work. I am programme in 2003. We received e2.8 million from MAPS also very appreciative of the continuing contribution of our in 2010, and are grateful for the continuing backing that we board, and to the Irish Farmers Association, for selecting Self receive from Irish Aid under this scheme. Help Africa as their charity of choice.
It was also the first full year of operations since the formal registration and attainment of charitable status for Self Help Africa Inc. in the United States, and it was with great pleasure that I joined our American colleagues and supporters for a very successful gala fundraising ball in Manhattan in November. Tom Corcoran
20 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010
The road to market, Malawi
Financial Report
21 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010 Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31st December 2010
unrestricted restricted total total unrestricted restricted total total Funds funds funds funds funds Funds funds funds 2010 2009 2010 2009 Notes e e e e GBP GBP GBP GBP
Incoming resources
Incoming resources from charitable activities - Grant income 257,895 4,647,751 4,905,646 5,524,696 221,255 3,987,432 4,208,687 4,919,741 Incoming resources from generated funds - Voluntary Income 1,555,968 612,149 2,168,117 1,989,868 1,334,908 525,179 1,860,087 1,771,978 Other incoming resources - Interest and other income 3,245 38 3,283 43,616 2,784 33 2,817 38,840 ------Total incoming resources 1,817,108 5,259,938 7,077,046 7,558,180 1,558,947 4,512,644 6,071,591 6,730,559 ------Resources expended
Charitable activities 1,596,917 5,812,634 7,409,551 6,159,462 1,370,039 4,986,817 6,356,856 5,485,002 Costs of generating voluntary income 372,015 0 372,015 484,156 319,162 0 319,162 431,141 Governance costs 43,473 24,226 67,699 72,764 37,296 20,784 58,080 64,797 ------Total resources expended 2,012,405 5,836,860 7,849,265 6,716,382 1,726,497 5,007,601 6,734,098 5,980,940 ------
Net (outgoing)/incoming resources before other recognised gains and losses (195,297) (576,922) (772,219) 841,798 (167,550) (494,957) (662,507) 749,619
Gain on revaluation of assets 1,997 0 1,997 2,373 1,713 0 1,713 2,113 Transfers between funds 73,447 (73,447) 0 0 63,012 (63,012) 0 0 Exchange gain/(loss) on consolidation 14,360 55,131 69,491 (117,943) (37,333) (5,423) (42,756) (234,207)
Net movement in funds (105,493) (595,238) (700,731) 726,228 (140,158) (563,392) (703,550) 517,525
Funds at beginning of year 1,263,412 1,306,743 2,570,155 1,843,927 1,136,817 1,175,808 2,312,625 1,795,100 ------Funds at end of year 1,157,919 711,505 1,869,424 2,570,155 996,659 612,416 1,609,075 2,312,625 ======
22 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010
1. HOW YOUR MONEY WAS SPENT
Charitable activity (94%), Generating voluntary income (5%), Governance costs (1%)
2. WHO ARE OUR MAJOR DONORS? euro Irish Aid 2,802,500 General Donations 2,171,400 European Union 1,293,145 Trust/Foundations/Others 810,001
3. SHARE OF CHARITABLE EXPENDITURE
Food Security 2,559,486 (34%) Sustainable Rural Livelihoods 3,743,875 (51%) Building Community Capacity 964,614 (13%) Research, learning, advocacy 141,576 (2%)
23 Duncan Goose, founder of Global Ethics, is pictured in Malawi, last year
Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010
Peter Lennon and Sean Walsh from St. Fundraising Mary’s Academy, Carlow, who ran a series of fundraisers last year
Self Help Africa is grateful to the many fundraising events and activities taking place the designated overseas charity of the Irish groups, individuals and organisations who in support of our work. Farmers Association, and met thousands of lent backing and funding support to our work our rural supporters at the National Ploughing during 2010. At the same time donations from regular Championships, which took place in the givers and co-operative farmers, and from autumn. Charity giving has come under considerable public collections were in line with previous Supporters from Leixlip are pictured at the pressure in the current global economic years, while we also benefited from a number During the year we again benefited from the annual Yoga summer Solstice funraiser, e recession, yet Self Help Africa’s fundraising of generous legacy gifts in 2010. We are efforts of the ‘Combines 4 Charity’ cereal which netted over 3,000 in 2010. e portfolio strengthened and recorded growth in also grateful to our field officers and church farmers group, receiving 25,000 from a Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in support of Self Help Africa a number of key areas during the year. collectors who continue to strengthen our hugely successful Monster Raffle that they public funding across the country. organised. In the autumn the Combines 4 We have benefited from enormous support Charity group also launched their own ‘charity and goodwill from our supporters in Europe Dozens of community groups, clubs, farm’, a 100-acres enterprise in Meath that and the United States. Backing received from organisations and schools across Ireland the members will farm voluntarily, with all Trusts and Foundations grew significantly and the UK supported our fundraising efforts profits going to support their designated in 2010, as did the range and variety of during 2010, while we continued to be charities.
Leah Baker, Crysie Philalithes and Hilary McMahon at the Change- Maker’s Ball in Manhattan Paddy Berkery from Dublin is pictured in Tanzania, as he cycled the ‘Tour D’Afrique’ last November route from Cairo to Capetown in support of Self Help Africa.
24 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010
Elsewhere, the trans-African charity cycle undertaken by development, pit latrine construction and sanitation, and Dublin accountant Paddy Berkery netted nearly e15,000, smallholder poultry enterprise development in Malawi. Charity giving Donegal supporter Albert Doherty raised thousands of has come under euro when he staged his popular Derry to Greencastle The company is now selling toilet paper and handwash Charity Boat Race, and a third successive summer Solstice at Sainsburys, Morrisons and Co-Op, ‘One Egg’ brand at considerable pressure ‘Yoga for Africa’ marathon was staged in Dublin. The Tesco, One Vitamin Water at World Duty Free, and Snack in the current global National Dairy Council lent their support at the National Packs at World Duty Free. Ploughing Championships, and Self Help Africa continued economic recession, to receive generous backing from community bodies such Amongst the highlights on the 2010 fundraising calendar yet Self Help Africa’s as the Skerries Sodo group in North Dublin and the Laois- was Self Help Africa’s inaugural US Ball – an event fundraising portfolio Rongai Project, while we hosted nearly 200 guests at our that attracted close to 350 friends to a function in New inaugural gala dinner in Dublin in late spring, and more York, and generated several hundred thousand dollars in strengthened, and than 100 friends and supporters at our second annual fundraising support. recorded growth in a Christmas charity lunch, in Dublin. The ‘Change-Maker’s Ball’ was held at the exclusive number of key areas Students across the country played their part too – with Chelsea Piers in Manhattan, and was MC’ed by during the year. Clonkeen College, Dublin raising tens of thousands to Bloomberg TV presenter Margaret Brennan, and support a school project in Kenya, and dozens of other addressed by a range of speakers including former school groups around the country staging fundraising Irish and British Lions Rugby Star and Self Help Africa events and activities to support our programmes Ambassador Denis Hickie. during 2010. Also during the year our newly established US operation In the United Kingdom we benefited for our third hosted their inaugural ‘Street Fest’ on New York’s popular successive year from the annual ‘Big Give’ appeal, which Stone Street, with bars and restaurants contributing a allowed us to double to £80,000 contributions that were percentage of their profits on ‘streetfest’ to support a made by our supporters towards our work, in the lead up programme of water development activities in Togo. The to Christmas. event netted in excess of $20,000.
The autumn ‘Harvest Appeal’ took place for its 13th year on the theme ‘Fruits of the Earth’. The campaign attracted the support of several hundred churches across the United Kingdom, and raised upwards of £20,000.
Meanwhile, the support of high street shoppers for a range of new products – including soap, eggs and Denis Hickie, toilet tissue launched by Global Ethic’s One Foundation former Irish Rugby reaped a remarkable dividend for Self Help Africa, with International and more than £100,000 received to fund vegetable garden British and Irish Lion
25 Self Help Africa Annual ReVIEW 2010
President Mary McAleese meets with Self Help Africa’s Kalongo Chitengi are pictured with Dr Selim Jahan, director, poverty division, UN Development Programme, at a conference in New York.
• In spring the organisation presented the challenges affecting the rural community of Prof. John Sweeney, members of the European Union committee on Makwatata, Eastern Zambia, where she lived for Nobel Prize winning development with copies of ‘Climate Frontline’ the duration of the assignment. climatologist, at a formal launch of the report in Brussels. A was one of the publication that highlights the stories of how • In 2010 Self Help Africa also hosted a major speakers at Self ordinary Africans are already adapting to life on workshop on the development of systems to Help Africa’s ‘Africa Advocacy the frontline of climate change, the publication improve farmer access to improved seed, in Day’ conference, was a collaborative effort between Self Help Ethiopia. Hundreds of representatives of farming which took place at Journalist Ciara Kenny Campaigning and advocating in favour of small-holder Africa and a number of other European agencies. bodies, the development sector and research University College spent five weeks living farmers and rural communities in Africa has become a institutions attended the event, which sought to Dublin. and blogging for ‘The major new focus of attention for Self Help Africa, as it • Self Help Africa also participated with a promote approaches to local seed multiplication Irish Times’ from a seeks to play a role in influencing policy formulation, number of UK based agencies in producing designed to improve production in rural areas. rural village in Eastern funding, and attitudes and approaches to development ‘Africa’s Smallholder Farmers: Approaches that Zambia, last year. and poverty eradication in sub-Saharan Africa. Work for Viable Livelihoods’, which was formally • In the schools sector a wide range of launched by the All-Party Parliamentary Group educational workshops and lectures were By collaborating with like-minded organisations, on Overseas Development in London. presented, new educational resources were participating in development fora, and gathering produced, while students at St. Wolstan’s examples of best practice both from within its own • The organisation also hosted its first ever College, Celbridge, were the lead school in programmes and by learning from the practices of academic conference – an event, which was producing the second edition of Self Help Zungrana others, Self Help Africa has sought to build a platform held as part of Ireland’s celebrations of ‘Africa Africa’s award-winning MDG books series Awaya in from where experience and lessons learned can be Day’ that was hosted by University College ‘Twenty-Fifteen – Thoughts and Reflections on Burkina Faso utilized to advance a wider advocacy agenda. Dublin’s School of Agriculture and Veterinary Universal Primary Education’. Meanwhile, Cork Sciences, and included amongst its speakers the teenager Richard O’Shea became the fourth The efforts to influence and raise awareness of both co-winner of the Nobel Prize, Professor John winner of the Irish Aid sponsored ‘Science for the challenges, and the possible remedies that can be Sweeney of NUI Maynooth. Development Award’ at the annual BT Young adopted are spread across a wide constituency – from Scientists Exhibition. major donor agencies, development specialists and • Self Help Africa also collaborated with The policy makers on the one hand, to African farming Irish Times newspaper and with young journalist communities, members of the general public, and Ciara Kenny on the presentation of ‘A Village in students in the classroom on the other. Africa’, an innovative five-weeks long blog that was hosted by the national newspaper’s online During 2010 Self Help Africa successfully advanced this edition, and which featured daily reports posted advocacy agenda in a number of areas. by the journalist on the lives, the issues and
26 SeLf HeLP AfricA AnnuAL reVieW 2010
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