1. Capacity Strengthening Program

Capacity strengthening is a broad subject area that covers a range of interventions and stakeholders. There are great demands placed on CORAF/WECARD as an organization to build capacity in the NARS.  The objective of the Capacity Strengthening Program (CSP) is the institutional capacity strengthening at individual, organization and system levels enhanced for improving a broad- based agricultural productivity and markets sustainably for target groups in WCA.

Under this program a Commission project Ref: CW/CP/03/KMCS/01/2011 targeting Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) active in agriculture and three projects referred to as CSO commissioned projects are being implemented in WCA. Key results obtained so far include the following:

Under the Governance Project:

• an Operational Plan for the Institutional capacity strengthening of PROPAC members ;
• Capacities of PROPAQ members strengthened in negotiation, lobbying and advocacy;

Capacities of 250 people including 40% of women and mainly farmers strengthened in governance principles, Organizational change, appropriate leadership, packaging and certification, standard Certified seed production and marketing according to regional standards, Accounting (SYSCOA accounting System, financial reporting).

 Under the PADEC/ETA Project achievements are:

• Capacities of 55 people including 47,3 % of women and 60% of youth in financing procedures, Sale Authorship and development of processing sheets.
• Development of business plans for four enterprises.

Under the PROPAQ Project achievements include the following:

• The state of the 11 beneficiary processing units determined
• Capacities of (i) 135 people including 65% of women in administrative and financial management of processing units, hygiene and quality management
• 03 processing units with 04 equipments (03 “remplisseuses doseuses de 1HP sans convoyeur” and 01 “presse d’ananas en inox avec Vérin de 4,5HP”

2. Livestock Fisheries and Aquaculture

The project AMPROLAIT strengthened capacities of stakeholders as follows:

• Twenty five (25) participants, including 13 women, trained in organizational management of Innovation Platform. The specific objective of the training was to master administrative and financial management techniques, participatory and inclusive approaches as well as advocacy techniques. The expected outcome of this training is a better management of the Innovation Platform and the increase of its impact on milk value chain.
• Three (3) young scientists have been trained in improving productivity and competitiveness of local milk value chain.

Under the project “Promoting Integrated Aquaculture with Rice and Poultry Production in West and Central Africa (SIARP-ESEA project)” stakeholders’ capacities were strengthened as follows:

• 110 youths were trained for 3 days in the adopted school in Kainji in Integrated Aquaculture System with rice and poultry
• 3 project members were sent to south Africa on short term training on Tilapia seed production

Capacities of twenty two (22) young scientists (PhD, MSc & BSc), including 3 women, in research and development for improving the productivity extensive family fish farming systems, strengthened.

 

Promoting Integrated Aquaculture with Rice and Pig Production in West and Central Africa (SIAD-RP project)

Poverty eradication and grassroots empowerment through sustainable integrated aquaculture development: fish cum rice and pig production is an integrated aquaculture – agriculture system that seeks to improve food security and economic growth as a major priority for fighting poverty especially at community level. The project will be carried out in three West African countries (Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Cameroon). Adaptable technologies compatible with local experiences coupled with participatory learning through research demonstration will be adopted. The project will develop strong participatory extension scheme, strengthen institutions capacity and competence of innovation platform actors to conduct quality research for development through higher degree training. The capacity strengthening activities have generated several outcomes:

• Best management practices acquired and assimilated by actors in the integrated aquaculture systems.
• Capacity of research institutions to carry out action-research enhanced: (i) Capacity of the undergraduate and postgraduate students enhanced through the use of the adaptive research facilities for research and training; (ii) Over 2000 students have been trained in Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Nigeria; (iii) Over 16 universities and 4 colleges of agriculture benefited; (iv) Capacity of the department in charge of aquaculture and fisheries management in the collaborating universities is further enhanced to do action research; (v) The project has led to about 150% increase in admission of students in the department of host institutions.

3. Crops Program

Four Innovation Platforms were set up during the period under review: 2 in Senegal, 1 in Ghana and 2 in Mali.  In Senegal 300 stakeholders (189 men and 111 women) were sensitized (On what) in the project intervention areas through some talks and sessions of restitution meetings. In Ghana, 400 stakeholders were trained in practices to reduce aflatoxin contamination among them 49 extension agents from MOFA. Those agents will train other stakeholders in their various communities.

4. Policy Market and Trade Program

The country project implementation teams benefited from training on results based management and M&E particularly on during the review and planning meeting of the PFNL-4P projects organized in Yaoundé in March 2015. Capacities of the participants were strengthened in how to track indicators and to better report on achievements.  A total of 14 MSc students are being supported by the project.

5. Natural Resources Management

Reversing the negative effects of agricultural intensification in peri-urban areas: methods and tools for assessment and alternative practices           

A “Soils and Environment” module for Master in Soil Sciences developed at the University of Ouagadougou and students were orientated in chemical composition of urban waste. A significant insight into local conditions with implications for public health was delivered to 500 students (150 females) in the University of Ouagadougou.

A total of 30 women of the green brigade of Ouagadougou received training on the production of compost from urban waste collected in the city of Ouagadougou. The women will apply the acquired knowledge to produce appropriate compost that will boost yields while having due consideration of health hazards of the urban waste and possible prevention.

 Introgression of Sahelian zebu cattle into trypanotolerant Boss  obili population of West Africa

Capacity for molecular analysis enhanced: A laboratory space provided by INERA for the project was refurbished with demarcation of 3 rooms; two for analytical services and one for housing students. Key equipment including PCR plate, centrifuge and water bath were installed. The laboratory is now functional and can analyse blood samples a service that was sought outside the continent earlier in the project. This will certainly facilitate genetic studies in Burkina Faso and neighbouring countries.

Herders capacity in breed management enhanced: Number of project beneficiaries who received short term training on breeds management: Burkina (322 out of which 60 women); Benin (95 out of which 35 women); Mali (36 out of which 7 women).

Long term training support provided to four candidates: Burkina (2 Licence students); Benin (2 MSc students).