Summaries of HUNGER PROJECTS in Africa
Working with LWR Partners

Tanzania—Integrated Community Development Project

Partners: LWR and Mtumba Rural Women’s Training Center (MRWTC)

Chronic poverty and food shortages compounded by the lack of reliable cash crops and direct markets for the plague the Dodoma region of Tanzania. Food insecurity results from erratic rainfall, poor soils, low-yielding farming techniques, and limited market outlets for the farm produce. In addition, local women suffer from harsh gender oppression and discrimination, including participation in household and community decision-making, access to and control over the means of economic production and autonomy over their own reproductive health. These communities need a participatory development process addressing gender-centered development and giving women a control role in the diversification and strengthening of rural livelihoods in this weak economy.

GOAL: To improve the quality of life for women and their households (1450 direct and 3,435 indirect beneficiaries) through the creation of greater gender awareness, assistance to three communities in identification and development of diversified and sustainable economic activities and fostering of a more participatory decision-making process. Project activities will ensure adequate water supply for domestic and livestock use, increase food supply for household consumption and increase cash income.

OBJECTIVES: LWR’s partner, MRWTC will:

• Introduce gender-sensitive training to 180 villagers who will participate in planning and implementing community livelihoods projects.

• Introduce Low Economic Input Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA) to potential beneficiaries in three villages, who will select production technologies appropriate to the region.

• Train model farmers in the selected technologies (for example, oil seeds production and processing, fish farming and goat raising). Model farmers will then transfer these techniques to other farmers in their communities.

• Acquire and distribute essential inputs (e.g. oil seed, plough, ox carts, tractors, fish fingerlings, goats, etc.).

• Establish a group-based agricultural credit facility to enable farmers to access these inputs (cash-in-kind).

• Assist in the formation of a community-based farmer’s cooperative to improve the marketing of agricultural products such as fresh fish and cooking oil derived from locally processed seeds.

• Provide a water pump and troughs for livestock in three villages.

Total Project Support: $152,165 through 2004

Project 2

Hunger Projects : Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sudan, Togo and Uganda.