APRIL 2004

Update on the African Woman Food Farmer Initiative (AWFFI)

Jennifer Thomson, AWFFI Senior Program Officer

Credit committee members from Loaga Epicenter in Burkina Faso
present Jennifer Thomson with a basket of peanuts they grew.

Overall Accomplishments of AWFFI to Date

As of the end of March 2004, AWFFI has cumulatively granted over 43,000 loans totaling more than $2 million to groups of women farmers in seven countries of Africa since the inception of the program in 2000. The seven countries are Senegal, Benin, Burkina Faso and Ghana in West Africa, and Uganda, Malawi and Mozambique in East and Southern Africa. The average loan is about $47 for each woman in the AWFFI program. In 2003 alone, about 4,800 women received credit for almost $450,000. In 2004, the AWFFI program projects to be able to disburse an additional $750,000 to about 10,000 women.

In addition, each AWFFI country is focused on the goal of ensuring long-term, sustainable credit and savings facilities through the creation of women-owned and managed rural banks in each of The Hunger Project’s epicenters. In 2003 and early-2004, intensive rural bank training and mobilization has been conducted with the AWFFI groups in epicenters in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Senegal and Uganda; and official recognition of 14 rural banks is anticipated in 2004 in these countries.

<< One group of AWFFI women started a salt-making business. The area has a naturally high level of salt in the soil which they extract by mixing the soil with water, filtering mud through sacks, and then boiling the water down to salt crystals. The final product is a very fine white salt that’s table-ready!

 

AWFFI-Benin

Shortly after the new AWFFI Program Coordinator, Mrs. Irène Mensah, took her post in August 2003, the Global Office ended the one-year freeze on AWFFI credit disbursement. Since then, AWFFI has disbursed over $44,000 in credit to 1,100 women in four epicenters and two sub-epicenters. Since 2002, AWFFI-Benin has cumulatively provided 8,400 loans for over $426,000 to women farmers in Benin since 2000.

With the credit activities recommencing, the AWFFI-Benin staff also used this opportune time to re-animate the AWFFI women to make sure that they are working together effectively for group credit solidarity and that the Credit Committees are fully trained and prepared to play their critical role in the program. In addition, the Global Office visited THP-Benin from November 23rd - 30th to monitor and evaluate the work on the ground. I visited the AWFFI women in seven Epicenters and Sub-Epicenters: Kpinnou, Bonou, Dassa-Paouignan and Wawata Epicenters as well as the Ouissi, Kissamey and Abomey Sub-Epicenters.

During the First Quarter 2004, in response to the AWFFI women’s request for training in income-generating activities, AWFFI-Benin also launched a technical training series in post-harvest grain conservation in several epicenters so that the women can reduce the loss of their harvests to spoilage and pests.

A meeting of AWFFI woman at Dassa Epicenter in Benin

AWFFI-Burkina Faso

Since inception in 2000, AWFFI-Burkina had disbursed over 5,900 loans for nearly $375,000 to Burkinabe women farmers. In the First Quarter of 2004 alone, some 990 AWFFI women in the epicenters utilized over $36,000 in credit for their activities.

At the same time, AWFFI-Burkina worked very closely with the rural bank specialists at the Burkina Faso Ministry of Finance in order to conduct the specialized training of the Credit, Administration and Supervisory Committees of the four new rural banks that are being formed in the Fétombaga, Loaga, Nongfaïré and Toulfé Epicenters, as well as to finalize their statutes and by-laws. In those epicenters which are not yet ready to form a rural bank, AWFFI conducted trainings in business management of income-generating activities as well as Vision, Commitment and Action Workshops (VCAs).

In addition, the Global Office visited Burkina Faso from December 1st-6th, 2003. I visited the AWFFI women in the epicenters of Kouy and Loaga. The AWFFI women demonstrated their knowledge of AWFFI credit as well as an emerging mastery of the fundamentals of rural banking.

 

AWFFI-Ghana

In Ghana, the AWFFI program has disbursed over 2,000 loans for nearly $132,000 to farmer women in the epicenters since program inception in 2000. During the First Quarter 2004, almost $22,000 was disbursed to 274 of the members of the new Atuobikrom Epicenter rural bank.

During the Global Office visit to THP-Ghana from November 19th - 23rd, 2003, I met with the members of the newly forming rural banks in two epicenters, in Atuobikrom and Nsuta-Aweregya. The Atuobikrom Epicenter will be home to the first officially-recognized rural bank organized and supported by THP in Ghana.

In November 2003, over 325 women had signed up to be members of the Atuobikrom Epicenter AWFFI rural bank, and they had saved about $1,000. By the end of March 2004, the women had saved an additional $1,750, bringing their total savings to $2,750. To mobilize savings, the women have set the minimum deposit (called a "share") at 50,000 Cedis ($6), and had set the deadline for collecting the deposits at the end of November so that the women could sell their recently harvested crops and have enough money for the deposit. Conveniently, 50,000 Cedis is also equal to the 10% savings requirement needed for a 500,000 Cedi loan (about $60) which is the average AWFFI loan size at Atuobikrom. The success of the Atuobikrom Epicenter rural bank will create a wonderful example for the other THP-Ghana epicenters as well as for other credit programs in the country.

 

AWFFI-Malawi

Since program inception in 2001, the AWFFI-Malawi women have taken over 2,400 loans for almost $168,000 to invest in their farms and other income-generating activities. In the First Quarter of 2004 alone, 400 AWFFI women took out over $20,000 in credit to start off their activities for the year. The Global Office also conducted a monitoring and evaluation visit to Malawi during the First Quarter, from February 3rd - 8th, during which time I visited the AWFFI partners in both the Jali and Nchalo Epicenters and the Mpingo and Nsondole Sub-Epicenters in Malawi.

The AWFFI-Malawi staff is currently conducting the preliminary research on the requirements for formation of rural banks which may receive official recognition in Malawi. AWFFI-Malawi envisions the process of rural bank creation starting in 2005.

 

AWFFI-Mozambique

In February 19, 2004, we learned of the untimely passing of Father Prosperino Gallipoli, the founder and Executive Director of “UGC” (The Hunger Project’s partner organization in Mozambique). His passing was a great loss, as he was truly a tireless advocate of the people in Mozambique and the world, especially of the many men and women and their families who have been denied the opportunity to live free from hunger and poverty.

Despite this sad beginning, this year - 2004 - stands to be a year of considerable expansion and success for AWFFI-Mozambique within the seven areas where the program is working. Between its inception in 2001 until the end of 2003, AWFFI-Mozambique expanded the program slowly to disburse over 550 loans for almost $116,000. Then, with a boost of confidence and enthusiasm in the First Quarter 2004, AWFFI-Mozambique disbursed an additional 382 loans, of which 180 are new women, and with the others getting a second loan. The amount totals $32,100 in credit for their farms and other income-generating activities.

The Global Office also conducted a monitoring and evaluation visit to Mozambique from January 28th to February 3rd, 2004. Dr. Tadesse and I visited all of the AWFFI areas, and took the opportunity to conduct VCAs as well as technical training on how to ensure the success of the AWFFI credit program and to create their own rural banks in the future. Like Malawi, Mozambique is also planning to start creation of rural banks in the most dynamic AWFFI-Mozambique areas starting in 2005.

AWFFI-Mozambique also expanded their literacy classes during the First Quarter 2004 in two areas, opening five classes with 81 AWFFI learners. In addition, 180 women who received credit for the first time during the First Quarter attended the required 3-day accounting and business management training so that they will be well-prepared to manage their new loans.

 

AWFFI-Senegal

The Hunger Project’s rural banking was in fact started in Senegal and, to date, rural banks managed by women have been initiated in all of the 17 Epicenters. So far, two Epicenters - Mpal and Dahra - have already received the official recognition from the government as rural banks (in 2000 and 2001 respectively), and seven others - Coki, Ndioum, Namarel, Richard Toll, Rosso-Sénégal, Saly-Vélingara, and Dioukoul - are preparing for official recognition this year.

During the First Quarter 2004, AWFFI-Senegal has focused on training the AWFFI women on rural bank management, so that the women will be able to manage their newly forming rural banks. In addition, considerable efforts have been channeled into formalizing the rural banks’ procedures so that they will have the tools to operate autonomously in the shortest possible time. Since program inception in 2000, AWFFI-Senegal has disbursed almost 14,000 loans for over $260,000.

In addition, the Global Office conducted a monitoring and evaluation visit to Senegal from December 6th-14th, 2003, and visited eight epicenters. The AWFFI women in the epicenters in Senegal are a vibrant force for development and have truly seized the opportunities that access to credit has opened to them.

AWFFI credit committee members from Sanar Epicenter in Senegal

AWFFI-Uganda

AWFFI-Uganda’s priorities over the last few months have been to disburse credit to the women in the new Epicenter of Iganga and to prepare the AWFFI women who are forming the first THP rural bank in Uganda at the Wakiso Epicenter this year. During the quarter, AWFFI-Uganda disbursed over $31,000 to almost 400 AWFFI women; this brings AWFFI-Uganda’s overall totals up to 4,100 loans for over $340,000 since program inception in 2001. In addition, the AWFFI women in Uganda have mobilized over $14,000 in savings.

During the Global Office monitoring and evaluation visit from February 8th-15th, 2004, I conducted intensive rural banking training with the AWFFI women at the Wakiso Epicenter as well as the women from the Namayumba Sub-Epicenter, which will apply for its own rural bank recognition in 2005. In addition, I met with the Ugandan rural bank experts that are assisting AWFFI-Uganda to conduct the comprehensive training of the women at the Wakiso Epicenter and Namayumba Sub-Epicenter.

The process of creating the rural banks in Uganda has brought a new energy and excitement to the AWFFI women in Uganda. Their enthusiasm and dynamism during the rural bank trainings and meetings stands in stark contrast to the quizzical looks they once cast when the AWFFI program staff would talk about one day running their own rural banks. Now, the AWFFI meetings even touch on issues like inflation and how to determine the best interest rate that they should charge on loans in the future once the rural bank is autonomous to ensure affordable rates all members as well as sustainability of the loan funds!! Rural banking has proven to be a powerful tool for mobilization, confidence building and economic empowerment for the rural women in Uganda.