The objective of this project is for EUCORD, in equal partnership with a local partner, Widows Empowerment Organization (WEWE) to lead and build the capacity of a consortium of ten other indigenous service providers (ISPs) to implement the ‘Children of Hope Project’ (CH). CH provides livelihood improvement opportunities to care givers of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). OVC affected by HIV/AIDS in Nigeria are an underserved segment of the population. In addition to being at higher risk for HIV/AIDS, OVC and vulnerable women caregivers are at an increased risk of suffering psychological distress, economic hardship, school drop-out, malnutrition and food insecurity, loss of inheritance, fear, isolation, stigma, abuse, neglect, exploitation and trafficking. There is a critical need to address these issues with appropriate strategies. CH will provide three core services: income generation, food and nutrition, and training. 4,000 of the caregivers will receive livelihood support reaching 12,000 HIV affected or infected OVC. CH will introduce partnerships with private sector companies, public agencies and local governments as its key strategy. Another key strategy is working in partnership with local indigenous service providers.

The Nigeria CropLife Training Program provides training opportunities to young rural men in appropriate knapsack spraying techniques in order for them to be able to gain local employment as reliable service providers. A total of four trainings have been conducted in 2008 and 2009. These training sessions are conducted in collaboration with the USAID funded MARKETS project and CropLife Nigeria, the national association of agricultural input providers.

EUCORD (Henk Knipscheer) lead a team of four consultants who drafted a Cassava Master Plan for Nigeria that has been published by the Nigerian government. Following primary and secondary data, interviews, visits, brainstorming and interactive sessions the analysis of all available data showed that the primary challenge the cassava sector faces is low productivity due to Nigeria’s subsistence cassava farming culture. A rudimentary industry although large, it is underdeveloped, inefficient and uncompetitive in the global arena. Nonetheless, a critical analysis of the data supports the view that Nigeria has the potential to achieve its US$5 billion earnings target from cassava products, once it addresses the current major bottlenecks along the Value Chain.

The Master Plan envisages a dual phased, market led and private sector driven developmental approach. In the First Phase is the development of a vibrant cassava industry, aimed at the domestic market and geared towards import substitution. Once a healthy local cassava industry has been established, in the Second Phase, Regional and Global export opportunities can then be aggressively pursued. A vibrant market will create the demand for raw material (cassava), spurring increased and improved production of tubers at the farm level. Ethanol, flour and pellets are identified as potential earners in the domestic market, while starch will be developed primarily for the export market. Encouraging joint venture partnerships in the cassava starch industry in order to facilitate international market access may fast track Nigeria into the global context for competition in the commodity.

Read more on the Children of Hope project.