Budikadidi interventions address limited access to diversified foods in sufficient quantity and quality, seeds, seed saving or improved storage, unaccountable institutions and structures, poor governance, limited livelihood opportunities, and inaccessible and unintegrated markets. In addition, many vulnerable farming households lack knowledge and skills in improved care practices, access to health services, climate-smart and timesaving technologies and techniques for agricultural production, and general household management.

Through this partnership, NCBA CLUSA is the lead on sustainable governance, youth and gender integration and value chain development.

Integrating Youth and Women in Governance Systems is Key

During 2018, NCBA CLUSA carried out important field activities in the three health zones of Miabi, Tshilundu and Kasansa.

Governance and Sustainability: Budikadidi supported the establishment of 471 Community Animation Cells in the health zones of Kasansa, Miabi, and Cilundu. These groups operate as platforms for citizen engagement with local government and operate under the leadership of village chiefs, in addition to leaders elected through transparent, democratic elections. Over 3,000 members, including village chiefs, and group leaders were trained in self-assessment and community action planning. This training was used by 400 groups to implement Community Action Plans, which they are using to organize joint use of agricultural parcels and self-financing construction of buildings and classrooms. Community Action Cells have also supported the election of 217 water management committees, which address the water, sanitation and hygiene needs of their communities, and carried out basic trainings with farmer’s organizations in 402 communities.

Youth and Women’s Groups: The project has carried out a mapping and institutional analysis wth over 700 youth associations, women’s groups, and producer organizations, and identified weaknesses in associative management and governance as areas where Budikadidi can provide additional support. Working directly with over 300 groups (both youth groups and women’s groups), representing over 4,500 members, leaders were trained in management, governance, and leadership training.

Agricultural Value Chains and Farmers Organizations: After an exploratory study, the project selected maize, palm oil, cowpeas and groundnuts as the main value chains for focus. To strengthen productivity, and increase the availability of quality inputs and aggregation services NCBA CLUSA trained over 200 Agricultural Private Sector Providers, or Agriprenuers. These local entrepreneurs provide goods and services needed by farmers in their community such as seed, fertilizer, processing equipment and aggregation services. Linking actors along the value chain, NCBA CLUSA convened a forum of over 150 members of producer organizations,  Agripreneurs, hotel and restaurant representatives, market directors and wholesalers.