Quarterly Report FY2019 Quarter 2 – 01/01/2019 to 03/31/2019

Submission Date: 30 April 2019

Agreement Number: AID-625-A-17-00001 Activity Start Date and End Date: 12/23/2016 to 01/22/2021 AOTR Name: Jennifer Karsner

Submitted by: Alissa Karg Girard, Chief of Party Lutheran World Relief YN 7, Boulevard Mali Béro, Niamey, Niger 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 AOTR Agreement Officer’s Technical 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 ICT Information and Communications Technologies 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 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 Tahoua 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 (Maradi Region) (Communes and Regions) Konni, Bazaga, Tsernaoua, Dogueraoua, Illéla, Badaguichiri, Malbaza Communes (Tahoua Region) of Niger Reporting Period: January 1-March 31, 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 Dakoro (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 migrated new extension content in Hausa to the project’s Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Hub and coordinated with Airtel on SIM card distribution for project participants; SIM card distribution began in February 2019. LWR hosted reflection and/or steering committee meetings with implementing partners, staff, Global Development Alliance (GDA) and local authorities on ICT, functional literacy and project progress and planning this quarter. LWR worked with external enumerators to collect data on irrigated production and completed a participatory review of Year 2 results with all partners to inform strategies and planning. LWR supported the review and revision of functional literacy materials and rolled out functional literacy training for instructors of 15 functional literacy centers. LWR also worked on assessments of social safety nets and planning for 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, 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 Adjekoria 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 Performance On Annual Target Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Standard Indicators* Baseline* Achieved to the End Target FY2019 FY19 FY19 FY19 FY19 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, 6,000 1,525 men, 2,620 2,972 men, 0 0 83.3% Y security programs (Feed The Future/FTF EG.3-2) FY18 women women 5,354 women Number of people using climate information or 955 in implementing risk-reducing actions to improve FY17, 3,500 women, 1,500 2,620 women, 1,525 0 0 0 82.9% Y resilience to climate change as supported by USG 1,777 in men (5,000 people) men (4,145 people) assistance (EG.11-6) FY18 Millet (kg/ha): 450 men Yields of targeted commodities among program Millet (kg/ha): 363 Millet: 80.7% men, participants with USG assistance (EG.3.10,11,12) (M), 300 women (W) New in men, 339 women; 113.0% women Cowpeas (kg/ha): 190 0 0 0 Y FY18 Cowpeas (kg/ha): 146 Cowpeas: 76.8% men, men (M), 150 women 1 (W) men, 144 women 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 2,439 in 2,500 women, 1,500 2,620 women, 1,500 who have applied improved management practices 0 0 0 103.0% Y FY18 men (4,000 people) men (4,120 people)3 or technologies with USG assistance (EG.3.2-24) 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% Y 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 FY19Q2 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: The 12 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 the ongoing technical support provided by LWR and its partners; support this quarter included helping each group define roles and responsibilities of their management committee. Two of the 10 moringa sites in Union Nazari’s zones that were destroyed last quarter have been replanted with saved seed from other groups; 5 groups harvested moringa leaves and 3 groups harvested moringa seed this quarter, noting sales of 11,000-12,000 FCFA (approximately $20). The two women’s garden groups in Dakoro harvested 83 tias (local measuring bowls holding approximately 500g-1kg) of fresh moringa leaves for household use or sale. Households in Korahane also produced 70 tias of leaves for consumption, but no leaves were collected in March 2019 due to limited irrigation and localized damage from insects.

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 (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. 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.

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 locally-identified instructors and their alternates over 12 days on facilitation techniques for adult learners, introduction to the manuals and technical curriculum, classroom management, record-keeping and lesson planning. 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. Functional literacy sessions began in May 2018 in the 7 pilot villages with 351 enrolled learners, adding 5 additional learners as courses progressed; this 6-month phase for 356 people concluded in November 2018.

Based on the evaluation from the first phase of the pilot, pre-literate learners (those tested below level 3/4) will continue with the first modules for beginners for another 6 months, while those considered functionally literate (3/4 or above) will continue instruction with the training modules for intermediate learners to reinforce and improve their nascent literacy. Training on managing these “multi-grade” literacy centers was held in December 2018, but the post-training evaluation showed an ongoing need to strengthen functional literacy instructors’ knowledge and skills in entrepreneurism/farming as a business.

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To address this concern—and prepare to open 8 new functional literacy centers with learners of different literacy levels in 2019—LWR held a reflection and strategy meeting with partners and Inspectors from the Government of Niger’s Division of Literacy and Non-Formal Education and commissioned a new consultancy to review and refine functional literacy manuals (including incorporating images developed for the ICT Hub) and provide training for former and new functional literacy instructors in March 2019.

Specifically, the meeting with LWR staff, partners and Inspectors from the Government of Niger’s Division of Literacy and Non-Formal Education on March 11, 2019 reviewed the results from the first six months of instruction, discussed the project’s updated functional literacy strategy based on lessons from the pilot and discussed plans for training (both refresher training for continuing instructors and more comprehensive training for new instructors), MOUs for supervision and the anticipated functional literacy calendar. For the 8 new centers, the consultants and Inspectors pre-tested 10 potential candidates identified in each target community; the project trained 1-2 qualified candidates (where possible, in order to prevent potential interruption in lessons due to the absence or departure of the instructor) from March 15-29, 2019, with the instructors finally confirmed following the training post-test. Instructors from the 7 pilot centers joined the training on March 20-29, 2019 in order to refresh knowledge on farming as a business and participate in the practical sessions on lesson planning and classroom management along with their peers to promote cross-learning and exchange. Updates to the functional literacy manuals were also finalized in March 2019 for placement tests, administration (printing, contracting and MOUs, etc) and instruction to resume or begin in April 2019.

As of March 31, 2019, 491 learners (231 men and 260 women, adult leaders or members of a farmer group in accordance with the project strategy) have been enrolled (or re-enrolled) in the 15 centers; registration is ongoing. Over the quarter, partners worked with target communities to complete construction of the hangars where classes will be held, sensitized each village’s functional literacy management committee on their roles and responsibilities and procured classroom supplies and printed functional literacy manuals. Courses have already resumed in CEB’s zone and lessons are progressing normally. However, after several men who had registered for classes in CEB’s zone migrated with their herds, the local literacy committee has been looking for a solution to replace them with other interested community members.

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 have also received tool kits and donkey carts to help members transport materials and apply soil and water conservation techniques on their own fields. CEB has distributed 30 cattle carts to cooperatives in their project zone.

Over the quarter, LWR conducted monitoring to see how the kits were being used. According to this review, as of March 31, 2019, the soil and water conservation kits/tool banks have been used to dig over 22,000 zai, over 2,400 half-moons and build over 1,100 other household and community structures across the project zone. The cattle and donkey carts were used 414 times, primarily to transport manure to the fields or crops following the harvest, but some to fetch water or other uses. Management committees collect small 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

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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committees have already collected over 90,000 FCFA (over $160) in user fees to pay for future repair or replacement of the tools and over 180,000 FCA (over $320) for repairs to the carts. However, at the time of the monitoring visits, a few communities in CEB and Union Nazari’s zones had yet to use the tools and/or carts, so the partners are conducting follow-up to learn more about possible barriers to their use and support additional community sensitization and outreach as needed.

In late 2019, members of Union Amintchi will be trained on improved violet de Galmi onion production to meet Alliance partner SH Biaugeaud’s specifications, which include a quality varietal, 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.

In order to improve access to seed needed to produce high-quality violet de Galmi onions next year, 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) and includes details on how the Union will: select, equip and train seed multipliers; monitor seed multiplication; store parent bulbs and seed; set improved seed purchase prices for multipliers; be reimbursed for the cost of inputs the multipliers received in-kind in order to again purchase foundation or first-generation seed; and plan to re-sell the improved, multiplied seed for contracted onion crop production to its members. Training for the 30 (all male) onion seed multipliers, along with 27 PEAs (24 male and 3 female) was conducted in October 2018. Each producer 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) and began production in November 2018; the onion plots cover an estimated 1.715 ha of G4 and 1,243 ha of R1 bulb production.

LWR’s Agriculture/NRM Officer visited the plots multiple times over the quarter, observing good practices in transplanting, weeding, application of compost and use of mechanical and natural pest control methods, although one onion plot was damaged by animals and one seed multiplier faced difficulties irrigating after his motor pump was stolen. Unfortunately, while the production of parent bulbs advanced well through early 2019, by March 2019, many of the onion plants, in particular those grown from R1 seed, started bolting—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. Regardless, the Union met with all 30 multipliers and agreed to the following to ensure the quality of future multiplied onion seed: the R1 parent bulbs will be declassified and sold as raw onions; the multipliers who had produced R1 will purchase parent G4 bulbs from the Union’s multipliers; and all 30 multipliers will produce R1 seed from G4 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). Each woman 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 purchased 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 should no payout from the insurance be made, these funds were also returned to participants.

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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 3rd and 4th fattening cycle and the Year 2 operations on a second cycle. As of March 31, 2019, from the initial project investment of 1,760 sheep purchased for 880 women, 1,805 women in total have benefitted from sheep fattening. Many new sheep purchases are planned in April 2019--from the same initial investment--to 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 1,118 sheep. Unfortunately, 15 sheep died in Union Amintchi’s zone from diarrhea/food poisoning, broken bones, respiratory problems and anthrax and two died from pasteurellosis in Union Adaltchi’s zone; all but 2 were replaced with support from each groups’ local insurance fund. As mentioned in prior reports, mortality rates for the project’s fattened sheep have declined over time, from 2.26% in the 2017 pilot phase to 1.41% over all cycles completed in 2018; no other fattening cycles have been completed as of March 31, 2019.

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). Trained PEAs/AEs have been provided the 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 739 animals, those in Union Adaltchi’s zone treated 319 animals, those in Union Amintchi’s zone treated 2,127 animals and those in CEB’s zone treated 1,227 animals (4,412 animals in total) including sheep, goats, donkeys, camels, poultry, horses and cattle. As 10 of the PEAs/AEs in Dakoro had treated few animals at the time of the review in late 2018, CEB did not renew these PEAs/AEs stocks or supplies and sensitized them about how to better market their services, which helped increase these PEAs/AEs outreach and animal health service provision; the supplies were distributed this quarter. PEAs provide basic animal health services using the same fee schedule as other AEs and will 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) in March 2019; a single foundation with shared walls and roofing for the building that includes a warehouse with a wide entry ramp, a meeting room, two offices and external flush toilets with sinks. A private architectural firm and the government of Niger’s Department of Rural Engineering provided independent quality control and oversight of the construction firm’s work. The Union is now starting preparations to connect to the town’s power lines, budgeting for operations and equipping the warehouse to be able to begin using the new facilities.

Last quarter, 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; Union Amintchi sold 19 tons of cowpeas to WFP, but Union Adaltchi ultimately declined WFP’s offer because of the relatively low purchase price. Union Nazari began discussions this quarter with a Federation of Unions to purchase 72 tons of cowpeas. Union Adaltchi received a 5 million FCFA (approximately $9,000) no-interest loan from FMCN-Niya last quarter to fund inputs for irrigated sorghum production, repayable in-kind as part of a negotiated purchase contract; the loan was deducted from the purchase of

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150 tons of sorghum sold for 24m FCFA (approximately $43,600) paid in January 2019. Union Guidawnia of Birnin Lalle and Union Guidawnia of Adjekoria (unions of cereal banks 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 and will come due next quarter.

LWR and representatives from 6 Unions participated in the annual Salon de l’Agriculture in Niamey from February 19-25, 2019. The Unions brought samples of their goods to sell at a stand (seed, processed goods made from moringa, milk and milk products, cereals, cowpeas and fresh tomatoes and onions). LWR helped Union Amintchi, Union Adaltchi and Union Nazari update and print new marketing flyers and facilitated discussions between Union leaders, tomato and grain processors and input suppliers. LWR also promoted networking between Unions partnering with LWR on other development projects. In total, the partners made over 200,000 FCFA (over $360) in sales.

LWR also followed up on the recommendations from the animal market stakeholder days held last year in Badaguishiri (Tahoua region) and Adjekoria (Maradi region). During the review, not all stakeholders were able to be reached, but workshop participants mentioned some progress on access to credit (19 groups had received credit in Badaguishiri) and progress on improving performance of cereal banks through audits by local authorities in Adjekoria (the issue was brought to the municipal council, built into the communal budget and terms of reference for the activity were developed).

IR 1.3: Increased access to financial services CEB worked with a consulting firm to train 120 women leaders from 30 savings and credit groups (4 leaders from each group) over a four-day training workshop from March 26-29, 2019. The training focused on revolving savings and loans and commercial credit, including an introduction to microfinance, how to manage cash and how to plan and market business activities. Following the workshop, CEB provided small kit of supplies (mats, cups, registers, calculators, rulers, pens, etc.) for the 30 groups.

The technical teams of Union Nazari, Union Amintchi and CEB conducted follow-up visits to 148 savings and credit groups trained and supported in this or previous quarters. All of the groups were 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 50 groups in Union Amintchi’s zone had over 7.6m FCFA (over $13,800) in savings, the 73 groups in Union Nazari’s zone had over 7m FCFA in savings (approximately $12,700) and 50 groups, including the 30 groups trained in March 2019, had already mobilized over 1m FCFA (approximately $1,800) in savings. Several of the groups have also started other income-generating activities, like storing grains for resale when market prices are higher.

Airtel has now trained all current PEAs, project staff, partner leadership and members of the partners’ technical teams on Airtel Money mobile financial services and how to use them. All of LWR’s partners signed agreements with Airtel to open mobile money accounts for the organizations’ financial transactions. The video-clips on using mobile telephones and Airtel mobile money products were migrated to the ICT Hub this quarter; PEAs will be sensitized on the new videos and the related tasks in the coming quarter, but PEAs in Union Nazari’s zone already reached 188 women and 42 men with sensitization on mobile money use.

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

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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) as they implement actions and record progress against their organizational action plans. Union leaders acted on the training LWR provided on OHADA cooperative norms in November 2018 and many Unions and cooperatives advanced on their own processes for OHADA compliance. Key progress on this and other activities under the six Unions’ plans is 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, like repairs to toilets), helped a women’s group secure use of their group plot in writing and visited banks about agricultural credit lines. As part of the Union’s adoption of OHADA norms, they also sensitized member cooperatives on their membership dues and 100 of their 155 cooperatives already paid their dues ahead of schedule. • Union Adaltchi (Tahoua region): The Union of cooperatives conducted training for leaders of each of its member cooperatives on cooperative operations and management in October 2018. 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 to ensure buy-in by their husbands in the process). The Union’s new logo is finalized. • Union Guidawnia of Adjekoria (Maradi region): Union leaders sensitized leaders of 55 member cooperatives about cereal warehousing, including using PICS sacks, and planning for a loan for warrantage operations. The Union conducted outreach and education with all 55 of their member cooperatives about OHADA regulations and revised their organizational statutes and processes in order to register in compliance with these regulations. • Union Guidawnia of Birnin Lalle (Maradi region): The Union sensitized leaders of 33 member cooperatives on cereal warehousing; the Union negotiated a loan from a local MFI for warrantage. The Union already started preparing bricks to build their own office on space donated by the Mayor. The Union conducted outreach and education with 26 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, has mobilized all planned contributions to build a shelter to host meetings and has mobilized 30 sacks of peanuts and .5 tons of millet for processing and/or sale on behalf of their members.

ICT-enabled extension: This quarter, the project team began working with PEAs to provide Airtel SIM cards to members of partner Unions and community members in CEB’s zone--the first step for farmers to access Airtel’s mobile products and services. As mentioned in previous reports, since there are no national identity documents and members have different spellings of their name which can result in multiple entries for the same person, data collection and review is very time-consuming for LWR staff

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and partners. A unique identifier is also needed to complete the farmer registration process in the ICT Hub and report on household-level data, with individual household members grouped by unique identifier. In late 2018, LWR purchased 17,000 Airtel SIM cards to be used as the unique identifier for each person 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) over 8 days in February 2019. 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 will target 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 household do not participate in the project. To date, over 8,000 SIM cards have been distributed.

While last year’s annual performance survey that found that many men and women were making decisions based on information received from PEAs, there was rather limited progress against targets for PEAs to sensitize and raise awareness on farming as a business and access to financial services over the project’s second year. To help improve this outreach, Union Adaltchi’s Board invited all PEAs to a meeting to review their roles and responsibilities and the importance of their contributions. LWR and partners developed and began rollout of a community sensitization guide on farming as a business with members of Union Nazari, Union Amintchi and farmers in CEB’s zone. The sensitization sessions reached 713 men and 960 women (1,673 people in total) on farming as a business, how to improve margins from animal fattening and the services available through the PEA to help increase members’ incomes and returns. LWR plans refresher training sessions on technical content and new videos on farming as a business and mobile money in the ICT Hub for all PEAs and to continue this sensitization with members of Union Adaltchi in the coming quarter. See “3.9 Science and Technology and Innovation Impacts” for additional details.

IR2.2: Strengthened disaster risk management capacity: Implementing partners have identified local contacts for potential alerts; these contacts will be entered into the ICT Hub to receive reports of individual alerts and trends in a given zone, but the process for redesigning the ICT Hub is underway since the Airtel server hasn’t been able to support SMS messaging.

This quarter, LWR began preliminary work to assess implementing partners’ social safety nets (like cereal reserves, animal feed banks, animal restocking initiatives (habbanayé) or seed banks). The diagnostic and needs assessments are planned to explore 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. The tools were finalized and initial visits to a few partners were conducted in March 2019; the initial assessment process will continue in the coming quarter.

Other activities: LWR project staff participated in several other visits, meetings and reporting over the quarter. LWR’s COP attended a meeting on plans for joint LWR-IMA World Health operations in Niamey from February 11-15, 2019. She also participated in a meeting with USAID consultants working on a digital/ICT assessment on February 27, 2019. Two LWR staff attended financial management

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training hosted by USAID in Niamey from March 26-27, 2019. LWR hosted a monitoring trip by LWR- IMA’s internal auditor the last week of March 2019. LWR also met/spoke with representatives from World Vision, REGIS-ER 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.

Operations: • LWR’s project Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) left the organization in November 2018; the recruitment for a replacement is underway but given the required qualifications and tight national job market, the process has thus far been unsuccessful over two recruitment rounds. LWR is considering reviewing the requirements for the position to repost as a Head of Field Operations to have a larger applicant pool. • Union Adaltchi’s Technical Coordinator and Union Amintchi’s Accountant resigned over the quarter. LWR helped the Unions’ Boards draft the recruitment announcements, identify qualified candidates for the shortlists, administer tests and conduct panel interviews for these positions. Union Adaltchi’s former Accountant was ultimately selected as the new Coordinator, so LWR supported a similar process for recruitment of two Accountants (one for Union Adaltchi and one for Union Amintchi). Both positions were filled and the candidates will report on April 1, 2019. • Since the integration of SMS with the ICT Hub seems technically impossible within Airtel’s current configuration, LWR worked to eliminate bulk SMS components of tasks in the ICT Hub—like alerts for identified hazards, reminders and surveys for members, etc.—but which fortunately has had little to no incidence for extension support activities for farmers, as PEAs continue to provide these services directly to farmers using the ICT Hub as planned. The smartphone used by all PEAs has now been taken out of production by the manufacturer, so maintenance has become a challenge and several phones have been damaged from wear; LWR has procured some replacement phones and is performing maintenance and repairs. • Recent security issues in the areas bordering the project zone (both in northern/eastern Tahoua and in Nigeria close to Konni) have led LWR to review security protocols for the project zone, which carry additional requirements and/or restrictions for staff traveling to some target villages.

Programming: • CEB is continuing to work with local authorities to recover animal fattening committees funds’ in Mallamaoua, Farin Baki and Garin Dirkou never deposited at the bank by CEB’s former supervisor. The former supervisor continued to reimburse funds this quarter and only 150.000 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, CEB’s Coordinator and leadership team increased monitoring and LWR has also increased monitoring and has reduced transfers to CEB to specific expenditures over a one-month period. • Partners continue to struggle to find sufficiently-capitalized and reliable financial institutions for agricultural lending. The accounts where 5 of Union Adaltchi’s members secure their animal 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 animal fattening 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 yet to return the funds while this reimbursement is complete. Fortunately, many individuals did repay and only 3 of the 5 groups remain affected. The Karhi credit union in Kornaka was ultimately unable to provide the total 20 million FCFA in loans contracted last

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quarter for warrantage operation by Union Guidawnia of Birnin Lalle and Adjekoria; the total loans were reduced to 6.2m FCFA and 7.2m FCFA (approximately $11,270 and $13,090), respectively. LWR continues outreach with Ecobank on access to loans for Unions, but thus far the lending requirements have been too restrictive and/or costly for the Unions. GDA steering committee members encouraged Ecobank to develop more cooperative-friendly banking practices (like allowing multiple signatories on savings accounts to promote transparency in operations), consider opening branches or service points closer to communities in the project zone and encouraged Airtel to provide low-cost phones or payment plans to acquire phones to expand mobile money uptake.

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 AOTR 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 to collect Year 2 performance data in late 2018. Among the 4,145 direct beneficiaries (2,620 women and 1,525 men) reached with project activities5 as of September 30, 2018, 352 (122 men and 230 women) were systematically sampled for the survey; a 95% confidence interval and 5% margin of error. The questions were uploaded into the ICT Hub’s Salesforce instance, downloaded to smartphones and a report query and dashboard generated by the ICT team for each indicator to help the M&E and management team review survey results in real-time. LWR recruited 17 external enumerators (12 men and 5 women) from across the project zone, conducting two-day practical training and a field pre-test of the survey questionnaire. The survey enumerators were paired with the PEA in each village to help sensitize community members on the survey, identify the individuals to be surveyed and provide contextual information to the enumerator to help improve data quality. The annual survey was conducted from November 21-December 14, 2018, with LWR’s M&E and ICT teams providing technical guidance and troubleshooting to the hired enumerators in the field throughout the process. Following the survey, the project M&E team reviewed the data in Salesforce, reviewing for outlying data and other errors. Survey results are included in Table 1.2: Summary Results to Date and Annex A: Progress Summary.

In January 2019, as follow-up to the annual survey, LWR worked to review progress against planned activities, analyze and validate annual performance survey results with partners and discuss any outlying data, differences in sex- or age-disaggregated data and review any recommendations or needed course corrections. During the same meetings, LWR also conducted a participatory review of partners’ budgets and activity plans to incorporate any resulting adjustments; each meeting culminated in an annual activity plan and proposed incremental budget for Year 3. In general, the survey showed that most Year 2 performance targets were achieved or exceeded--with the exception of targets for income diversification, yields for millet and cowpeas for men and gross margins for cowpeas and sheep--with key differences related to gender and age disaggregation and in results in each partner’s zone. Other analysis from the review and discussions are summarized here:

Indicators on resilience: Overall, 78% of survey respondents reported their households were not affected or were able to recover from a shock experienced over the previous year, with higher rates of reported

5 For example, trained community resource persons and model farmers, demonstration visit participants, animal fattening recipients, savings and credit trainees, Union management committee trainees and PEAs.

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recovery near Tsernaoua in Tahoua region (88%) than around Dakoro in Maradi region (65%). However, 86% of respondents, both women and men, said they thought their household had the capacity for resilience (that is, could face or recover from a new shock), including 95% of respondents in Dakoro. These results were higher than anticipated.

Indicators on assets, savings and adaptive practices: The reported value of productive assets like tools, agricultural equipment and livestock was higher for men (391,215 FCFA) than women (208,421 FCFA) and highest around Tsernaoua in Tahoua region and lowest around Dakoro in Maradi region. Asset values for men were considerably higher than the baseline, but fell slightly for women over the same period. At the same time, men’s reported savings (21,937 FCFA) were lower than women’s reported savings (33,354 FCFA), with women’s reported savings over three times that of the baseline. Some partners suggested that men tend to invest their incomes in physical assets, but it may be easier for women to have cash savings remain under her control, which may not be possible with relatively more visible physical assets. 38% of men and 71% of women reported using financial services over the previous 12 months, higher than the expected target. All survey respondents, both men and women, reported applying climate adaptation or risk mitigation practices. Reported income diversification declined to 65%, down from the Year 1 performance survey, but this was to be expected since many households continued the same income-generating activities in the project’s second year.

Indicators on yields and gross margins: Yields of millet and cowpeas were generally lower than anticipated (and lower than national estimates for the 2018 production season6 in Tahoua and Maradi), 363 kg/ha of millet for men and 339 kg/ha for women and 146 kg/ha of cowpeas for men and 144 kg/ha for cowpeas for women, but with fairly minimal differences in yields between the two sexes; millet yields remained higher than the baseline. According to the discussions with partners, late-term climate shocks affected production, especially of cowpeas. Gross margins from cowpeas—22,353 FCFA for men and 15,536 FCFA for women—were also much lower than the 2018 target. This is due in part to lower cowpea yields, but according to partners also the type of cowpea production, which is often grown in association rather than pure stands and often seen as insurance rather than a cash crop (so improved seeds may have been less frequently used). The timing of the survey (November-December, shortly after the harvest) also meant that some cowpeas had yet to be sold and those sales were at a time when market prices were low and/or when households were particularly stressed for cash. Cowpea gross margins were highest in Union Nazari’s zone (near Illela in Tahoua region), with margins of 42,410 FCFA for women and 34,273 FCFA for men. Gross margins for sheep fattened by women also declined across the project zone, to only 1,361 FCFA in 2018. The partners confirmed the principal reasons, including low market prices due to currency fluctuations and migrating herds that depressed the market (particularly the case in Dakoro in Maradi region), but the most significant single factor seems to be the high cost of animal fodder and feed in 2018 as a result of production shortfalls in 2017.

Indicators on organizational capacity and social capital: 98% of men and women respondents reported having confidence in the leaders of their producer organization, higher than the annual target and significantly higher than the baseline value (3% for men and 22% for women). 77% of men and 84% of women thought that their producer organization could help them if they faced a shock or a stress, up from 27% and 38% at the baseline, respectively. Men (68%) and women (77%) respondents also reported using ICT, most often accessing information via their PEA, to help make decisions; this was very high across most of the project zone, but only 19% in Union Adaltchi’s zone (around Konni in Tahoua region).

6 According to the preliminary production estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture from November 2018, millet yields were estimated at 561 kg/ha and 604 kg/ha and cowpea yields 394 kg/ha and 406 kg/ha in Tahoua and Maradi, respectively. The project’s 2018 demonstration plots had fairly similar yields for crops grown in pure stands.

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LWR also worked 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 to help inform both the baseline7 and potential strategies. LWR applied the same ICT-based approach and methods as during the annual performance survey, collecting data with support from external enumerators from March 20-23, 2019. Data analysis will be completed in the coming quarter.

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, 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 monitored progress on the gender action plan over the quarter, with the following key achievements: • The images and videos migrated to the ICT Hub considered gender and included men and women in the review and validation process. For example, the videos on how to use a mobile phone feature both women and men and the videos on animal fattening show women selecting and selling her own sheep, rather than a man doing so. However, recognizing the social pressure for women to have a man market sheep on her behalf, some Unions promoted village-level sheep sales where women could more easily negotiate the sales price directly. • Several women members of Union Nazari received training from a PROMAP/GIZ project on moringa processing; the Union surveyed other groups producing moringa to how this training might be extended to others and is working to study the market demand for these products. • The Unions visited multiple commercial banks and credit unions to seek agricultural and other credit lines in late 2018 and early 2019. Several women’s groups among Union Nazari secured credit lines the previous quarter from MFI Yarda totaling 16 million FCFA (approximately $29,000); the Union is following up with members to help ensure repayment. Given that women’s groups have been relatively more successful in securing loans and that some of the institutions they visited said they don’t loan to men, the Unions have decided to continue to visit lenders to see if there are loan products accessible for all their members. • As mentioned in prior quarterly reports, several Unions revised their statutes and procedures to be more gender-inclusive. Along with registration in compliance with OHADA norms, Unions

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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Guidawnia of Birnin Lallé and Adjékoria held new elections in order to comply with required Board roles and composition. Union Guidawnia of Birnin Lallé now has a Board comprised of 10 men and 6 women leaders (38% women), where previously women only held 30% of the positions. Union Guidawnia of Adjékoria now has 7 men and 9 women leaders (56% women), where previously the Board had only 42% women. Several new women’s groups also joined Union Amintchi, bringing their membership to 157 cooperatives with 8,767 members (41% women).

This quarter, prior to starting SIM card distribution, the project rolled out community sensitization messages to help mitigate potential gender concerns about how the cards would be used by beneficiaries. As mentioned, the review of annual performance data with partners also included discussions on results disaggregated by sex and what might contribute to these differences; interestingly, access to agricultural land and gender roles in production vary widely across the project zone.

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 also 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.

Developing the capacities of PEAs through training in using Airtel Money products, for which they will earn commissions from sales, offer new income streams for entrepreneurial PEAs to help boost sustainability. 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 and service suppliers to explore similar win-win relationships that will result in 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 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 respect the EMMP. Union Amintchi

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completed forms certifying the suitability of selected plots for small-scale irrigation. The only pending issues identified during the EMMP monitoring trips conducted in February 2019 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 recommendation is that sessions planned for May and June 2019 also include this theme.

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. Since replacement PEAs were identified and trained this quarter, among the 114 current PEAs, 46 of 116 (41%) 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 assure compliance with the requirements of their award agreement. Union Amintchi worked with an accounting firm contracted under the agreement with USADF to draft a new manual this quarter; LWR continues to support the other partners on a F&A operations policy manual 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 also conducted programmatic and financial monitoring visits to several implementing partners over the quarter. A corrective action plan is developed during each financial monitoring trip to provide clear, actionable recommendations for improvements in the partners’ financial and administrative management. Formal financial monitoring for Union Nazari was conducted on February 17-18, 2019 and for Union Adaltchi from February 21-22, 2019; visits included a petty cash count, reviews of bank reconciliations, back-up documentation, liabilities and a review of progress against the corrective action plan from the previous monitoring visit. There were no significant issues discovered during the review of any partner’s project financial expenditures this quarter, but both partners were advised to improve their record-keeping to ensure that back-up documentation is readily available for review.

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 held on March 12-13, 2019 in Konni, Niger brought together representatives of the GDA including USAID, Lutheran World Relief, Ecobank, Airtel, SH Biaugeaud and key stakeholders like the Ministry of Community Development and Union Adaltchi, Union Amintchi, Union Nazari and CEB. The purpose of this second annual GDA steering committee meeting was to review activities and implementation over the second year of the project, analyze the progress made and the lessons learned based on the preliminary results from the second annual performance survey and analyze opportunities for collaboration for the project’s third year.

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The meeting included presentations on project activities and results from the second year performance review and a tour of project activities with Union members around Konni, including discussions with savings and credit groups that have opened bank accounts to secure their funds and access credit lines, sheep fattening groups, groups managing market gardens and a tour of Union facilities and warehouses used in bulking and marketing operations. Following the visits, the participants reviewed progress, provided recommendations for LWR and partners and discussed plans and possible synergies in 2019. Key recommendations from these discussions are captured in 6. Lessons Learned. LWR held a one-day follow-up meeting on March 14, 2019 to share the recommendations and opportunities with other staff who did not attend the steering committee meeting.

MACF support to the project is expected to conclude on March 31, 2019, so LWR has started working on close-out and final reporting of this award.

3.8 Conflict Mitigation

N/A

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 and drawings on key extension topics.

On February 5, 2019, LWR hosted a reflection meeting on the ICT Hub with staff and partners to finalize the SIM card distribution strategy, plan for rollout of new training and refresher sessions for PEAs and discuss the appropriate calendar and scope for training on PEA and Supervisor tasks in 2019. The meeting also provided refresher training for staff on the ICT Hub and smartphone applications to be able to provide input and any corrections on the Hausa-language version of the Search application prior to migration and training for PEAs on its use.

Four new PEAs were trained this quarter, replacing former PEAs who moved or resigned in previous quarters. The 2-day sessions, led by LWR’s ICT and technical teams, were held in Konni and Illela on February 7-8, 2019 and February 18-19, 2019, respectively. Similar to other initial PEA training, these sessions focused on the role of the PEA, farming as a business, using smartphones to connect to the ICT Hub and practice with key tasks on the smartphone.

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, Union Adaltchi

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organized a meeting with Board members to provide a debrief on the steering committee meeting, held monthly meetings to review activities and reporting and learn about the Union’s participation in the Salon de l’Agriculture. Union Nazari held similar monthly meetings with the Board to review progress and solicit feedback. CEB received complaints from members of an animal fattening group in one village about a lack of transparency in beneficiary selection. The Supervisor, group leaders and PEAs met with the concerned women in a village meeting and agreed with all participants to re-do the selection for the coming cycle, conducting a new selection process during a general assembly; all participants were satisfied with the outcome.

Having PEAs now deployed in most of the 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. LWR also provided a brief refresher training on accountability for staff and partners on March 14, 2019.

5. MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES

With the approval of the most recent quarterly report, there are no pending management or administrative issues, except for review and approval of the Year 2 Annual Report.

LWR’s ICT team developed a read-only portal (“community”) for USAID to access the ICT Hub directly. LWR has already 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 of the community, to incorporate feedback and new indicators, in the coming quarter.

6. LESSONS LEARNED

Key lessons from this quarter of project implementation, including the participatory review of the findings from the annual performance survey and the steering committee meeting, include: • Close collaboration with local authorities continues to enhance project outcomes. In one example this quarter, following advocacy by Union Nazari on the need to help its members comply with OHADA norms for cooperatives and therefore change their registration status (from membership associations to cooperatives), the Mayor of Illela waived the groups’ registration fees. GDA steering committee members encouraged the Unions to sensitize members on the role of communal authorities, the importance of taxes and levies for community development and developing the potential of Unions to serve as strong advocates for resulting services. • In partner CEB’s zone Dakoro, sheep prices remained high through the end of March 2019, so women have been reluctant to make new purchases on local markets and a few have been able to select sheep suitable for fattening in their village; CEB worked with the SVPP to validate the women’s choice of sheep and provided initial care and treatment for these animals. This practice might be considered elsewhere if it proves successful. • Union Adaltchi procured certified onion seed from multiple sources to mitigate possible risks of procuring poor-quality seed stocks (the Union had a previous experience with poor quality foundation seed). The Union was very pleased with the G4 seed provided by the research station this year and members have regained confidence in the quality of the local station’s foundation seed. The Union’s seed multiplication strategy includes replacing foundation seed following multiplication of second-generation onion seed, so plans to continue working with the station.

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• Many of the animal fattening groups, savings and credit groups and membership cooperatives in partner Unions are comprised primarily of older adults. GDA steering committee members encouraged the groups to start sharing their experience and begin mentoring groups of young people to start similar activities. • Progress on plans for the Unions’ collective marketing of cowpeas was limited. Several of the opportunities under negotiation with WFP and other buyers did not materialize this quarter, but negotiations on other opportunities, including bulk sales of other commodities like sorghum and millet, continue. Additional commodities, like corn, dill, tomatoes, coriander and other spices seem to have market potential, so the project is incorporating these commodities in an update to the project’s value chain analysis planned for mid-2019. The GDA steering committee also recommended further efforts to improve the Unions’ bulking and warehousing operations— including business planning, risk analysis and warehouse hygiene and management. The committee also encouraged tree planting around warehouse infrastructure.

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 operations, veterinary service provision, savings and credit operations, functional literacy, market gardens, irrigated production, demonstration plots and training on marketing, organizational capacity and entrepreneurism. • Continue technical support to Unions’ operations manuals, tailored organizational capacity plans and value chain actor outreach; monitor progress against the EMMP. • Conclude preliminary social safety net diagnostic assessment, analysis and reporting from the survey on irrigated crop production and continue work on the value chain assessment. • Follow-up on recommendations from reflection/steering committee meeting held with GDA partners and stakeholders on March 12-13, 2019 in Konni. • Continue the registration of farmers and upload of additional beneficiary data in the ICT Hub, review and clean beneficiary lists, correcting or deactivating incorrect names. Migrate new technical content to the ICT Hub and continue maintenance and upgrades, including processes redesigned without SMS. Conclude configuration of the ICT Hub “community.” • Orient new PEAs on the ICT Hub, smartphones and farming as a business. Continue refresher training sessions with all PEAs (to include sensitization on new video content and SEARCH in French and Hausa). • Conclude SIM card distribution with Union members and work with Airtel to activate the numbers for use and, for interested individuals, mobile money account creation. • Recruit and orient LWR’s new project DCOP/Head of Field Operations; help orient partners’ new Technical Coordinators and Accountants. • Participate in USAID partners’ meetings and host a financial monitoring visit from USAID in May 2019.

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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 was slated for restructuring under this strategy. MCA ultimately 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.

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 FY19Q1 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 households benefitting directly 2017 in FY17; 3,175 in 12,760 5,269 3,175 5,269 0 0 41.3% Project records Records from USG interventions (Custom) FY18

2,972 M, 2,972 Number of individuals 1,525 M, 2,620 W Project 4,000 men, 5,354 W 1,525 M, M, participating in USG food 2018 (4,145 people) in 0 0 83.3% Project records Records 6,000 women (8,326 2,620 W 5,354 security programs (EG.3-2) FY18 people) 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 2,620 2,620 information or implementing risk- 0 at baseline; 1,425 women, women, reducing actions to improve women, 352 men 3,500 women, 82.9% (4,145 Survey 2017 1,525 men 1,525 men 0 0 0 Survey data resilience to climate change as (1,777 people) in 1,500 men of 5,000) (4,145 (4,145 supported by USG assistance FY18 people) people) (EG.11.6) 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 22,353 CFA CFA ($178 USD) onions (M/W), ($41) men, $41 men, 23.4% men, Gross margins per hectare (for cowpeas men, $175 USD 15,536 CFA $28 16.0% women cowpeas, wheat and onion) and 81,370 CFA ($148 cowpeas (M/W), ($28) women Survey 2017 0 0 0 cowpeas, Survey data animal (sheep) of selected product USD) cowpeas $350 USD women cowpeas, 13.3% women (Custom) women; 11,246 wheat (M/W), cowpeas, $2 women sheep CFA ($20) sheep $15 USD (W) 1,361 CFA sheep women in FY18 sheep ($2) 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: 12) kg/ha: 431 (M), 293 Cowpeas Cowpeas kg/ha (M), 150 76.8% men, (W) Cowpeas kg/ha: (kg/ha): 146 (kg/ha): kg/ha (W) 96.0% 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 received 0 at baseline; 578 men, 423 USG-supported short-term agricultural Project 700 men, 600 578 M, 2017 730 in FY17, women (1,001 0 0 0 77.0% Project records sector productivity or food security Records women 423 W12 933 in FY18 people)11 training (Custom) 0 at baseline; Number of hectares under improved 3,038 ha under 6,583 ha under management technologies or practices as Survey 2017 1 or more 5000 ha 1 or more 6,583 ha13 0 0 0 131.7% Survey data a result of USG assistance (EG.3.2-25) technologies in technologies FY18 0 at baseline; Number of individuals in the agricultural 2,620 1,700 women, 2,620 women, system who have applied improved 1,500 men, women, Survey 2017 739 men 1,500 men 0 0 0 103.0% Survey data management practices or technologies 2,500 women 1,500 (2,439 farmers) (4,120 people) with USG assistance (EG.3.2-24) men14 in FY18 0 at baseline; 45,000 MT 54 MT wheat 19 Volume per value chain marketed onion; 700 19 MT Project and 60 MT MT collectively by smallholder farmer 2017 MT cowpeas; cowpeas; 150 0 0 0 2.7% cowpeas Project records Records millet in FY17; cowp associations (Custom) 500 MT MT sorghum 3MT millet in eas wheat15 FY18 Sub-IR: Increased access to financial services 6% (M), 15% Proportion of project participants who (W) at 38% men; 40% men; 38% men; 71% 95.0% men, used financial services in the past 12 Survey 2017 baseline; 25% 71% 0 0 0 Survey data 75% women women 94.7% women months (Custom) (M); 72% (W) women in FY18 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. 12 Training on onion seed multiplication (30 men) by Union Amintchi and training on warehouse management for members of Union Adaltchi (20 men) and Union Nazari (5 men and 13 women) included in cumulative total. 13 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) 14 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) 15 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 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 FY1816 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; 2017 23,920 1,396 713 1,396 0 0 5.8% ICT Hub platform (Custom) Records 600 in FY18

16 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

Seeing is believing: Steering committee meeting helps boost private sector engagement

The 12/12 Alliance steering committee meeting held on March 12-13, 2019 in Konni, Niger brought together representatives of the Global Development Alliance (GDA), including USAID, Lutheran World Relief, Ecobank, Airtel, SH Biaugeaud and key stakeholders like the Ministry of Community Development and Union Adaltchi, Union Amintchi, Union Nazari and Contribution à l’Education de Base. The purpose of this second annual GDA steering committee meeting was to review activities and implementation over the second year of the project, analyze the progress made and the lessons learned based on the preliminary results from the second annual performance survey and analyze opportunities and possible synergies for the project’s third year.

The meeting included presentations on project activities and results from the second year performance review and a tour of project activities with Union members around Konni, including discussions with savings and credit groups that have opened bank accounts to secure their funds and access credit lines, sheep fattening groups, groups managing market gardens and a tour of Union facilities and warehouses used in bulking and marketing operations.

While the first annual steering committee meeting brought together members of the Alliance for review and discussion, this field-based meeting allowed Alliance partners to see, with their own eyes, the business opportunities from project activities and investments.

This is certainly the case for Airtel, as stated by Moussa Yacouba, Sales Manager for Airtel Money, "This opportunity has allowed us to identify new business opportunities for Airtel, opportunities such as the creation of sales outlets of Airtel products through the project’s Producer Enterprise Agents (PEAs, private extension agents working for the Unions to support their members’ production and sales) and the creation of points of sale or Airtel Money shops at the headquarters of the partner Unions. These efforts will both help grow Airtel’s business and help farmers and Union members better secure their funds.”

Immediately following the steering committee meeting, Airtel began negotiating and signing contracts with PEAs to become Airtel agents, selling Airtel products (refill cards, transfers, etc) to expand Airtel sales and promote a new income stream from the commissions PEAs earn.

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Social benefits from community tool banks

To address one of the barriers community members identified to adopting climate adaptation techniques—access to high-quality tools to be able to apply soil and water conservation methods—Lutheran World Relief’s 12/12 Alliance project has provided its partner Unions (and their member cooperatives) in Niger’s Tahoua and Maradi regions with soil and water conservation kits/tool banks. The tool banks include heavy tools like pick- axes, shovels and crowbars infrequently owned by most Nigerien households, which are loaned to both Union members and non-members.

Some cooperatives have gone beyond simply loaning the tools, though.

For example, older women from the village of Tounga Saddi in the Badaguichiri region of Tahoua borrowed the tools as a group to help each other in digging zai (pockets that help retain water) and preparing their fields before the next production season. The 20 women in the group, all between 50 and 70 years old, decided to meet in the field of one of their members to complete work on her field, then visit another field in turn until all the members’ fields are prepared.

On the day of our visit, the group was working in the nearly ½ hectare field of Zouera Aboubacar and had completed 1,800 zai that day. Zouera plans to put compost in the zai pockets and plant millet once the rains start. She said, “I am very happy with this demonstration of solidarity by my fellow group members because I would not have been able do this work alone and in such a short time."

Group leader Hadjia Hadiza Samaila shared this sentiment, adding that, “This activity not only saves time and labor, but it also brings us together as a group to strengthen our bonds. We all participate together with gaiety and enthusiasm.”

As of March 31, 2019, soil and water conservation kits/tool banks have been used to dig over 22,000 zai, over 2,400 half-moons (another soil and water conservation technique) and build over 1,100 other household and community structures across the project zone. Management committees collect small 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 the materials. These committees have already collected over 90,000 FCFA (over $160) in user fees to pay for future repair or replacement of the tools.

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