Want to improve household income and food security? Want to help widows or orphans? Are you a non governmental organization working for vulnerable people. Have a look at this proposal. This proposal is design to improve household income and food security. With the help of this proposal children should be facilitated to access education, adequate nutrition and medical care hence empowering of caregivers and women need to be facilitated to access productive means in order to improve household income and be food secure in turn contributes to generally improvement of the quality of life for the family hence whole community. The project aims to empower widows through trainings, provision of livestock and crops seeds to access quality food to 400 orphan direct beneficiaries. Take a deep look how this proposal will overcomes with the challenges like lack of investment capital in farming projects, Poor methods of farming and soils for farming, inadequate organized forums/groups to lobby for change/ raise farmers’ voice, unclear marketing channels to cartel out middlemen who exploit peasant farmers and HIV and AIDS scourge.
Executive Summary
ABC Foundation as a community organization intents to start a project that will ensure Food and Income to 500 Vulnerable Families targeting three zones of our working in XXXX District with members over 500. The project will ensure 100 widows with 400 orphans are food secure, access adequate nutritious food and have sustainable incomes inlet projects for sustainable livelihood.
The ABC Foundation target beneficiaries are entangled in a viscous cycles of poverty because of low income resulting from low farms yields caused by lack of knowledge and skills in farming, depleted soils, small land sizes marketing.
Maize is a stable food in the district and in spite of good rains the area receives, food deficit is the order of the day. Community members value rearing cattle especially poultry for recognition in community, income and source of animal protein. In the last few years these has been a challenge because reducing land sizes and best alternatives are dairy goats and poultry that require small space, less labor and investment but high yield/income. These to be integrated with drought resistance crops that are nutritious and ready for climate change.
The project components are objectively focused on improving the 100 widows, 400 orphans and entire community nutrition status, food security and income. This will be realized through training on organization development, sustainable farming, livestock management and provide 50 widows were with 50 cross breed does, 5 Sanen pure breeding bucks and local poultry – pullets and improved cockerel. Each family to receive 1 cross doe, 5 local bullets and 1 cockerel. Other 50 widows/widowers to receive 10 Kgs of seed and 50 Kgs of Fertilizer each. These will be enhanced through clear an ABC Foundation structure that accommodates Government relevant ministries and other partners that will ensure practical training approach, resource mobilization and dairy Goat management, enhancement of Farmers to Farmers trainers’ skills, monitoring and evaluation of activities for sustainability within 3 years of project implementation.
Background Information
ABC Foundation – Kenya is a community organization started the way back 2006 and dully registered with Kenya register of societies as a welfare organization. The organization stated with express aim of uplifting vulnerable children in terms of food, health and education. The organization work closely with widows and caretakers of orphans to build their capacities to be food sufficient through training them on sustainable Agriculture and other related services hence:
Mission: Provide support for vulnerable families to gain knowledge and skills in strategic Farming techniques for food production and advocate for their oppression in the society.
Vision: Be leading agent in positively changing vulnerable families in communities.
Core Values: ABC Foundation Kenya is committed to nurturing the following core values:
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- Leadership- We are committed to Godly transformation which focus on the module of servant leadership
- Community Focus- We exist and serve in the community. We believe that it is our responsibility to impact them in the holistic manner. We stand in solidarity with those vulnerable within our communities.
- Integrity and Accountability– We are committed to the culture of transparent and accountability to our members, donors and general public.
- Partnership- We are committed to partnering with likeminded individuals, organization, donors in the provision of relief to the unprivileged of our communities
The organization has 315 registered members, 125 of them are widows/widowers/ caretakers in common interest groups (CIGS). We have over 400 orphans staying with caretakers.
Achievements
Since its inception the organization has achieved the following;
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- Trainings:
- We have trained 130 direct families representing 650 members in composting, kitchen gardening establishment, banana establishment and small scale business organization and management. The members are practically implementing in their farms.
- Revolving fund programme:
- We have advanced revolving fund worth Ksh.130, 000 to ABC widows/widowers/caretakers for agri-business and the repayment is 70% successful to revolve more.
- ABC Foundation Compassion Centre.
- The organization has a training demonstration farm that eventually will graduate into a training Centre in sustainable agriculture and other community related services. We have different technologies for training purpose in the centre i.e. Dismodium seed bulking project. Members have set a foundation to build the centre if funds are available.
- Orphans Support
- The organization has facilitated in provision of uniforms to 45 orphans and other organized events like Orphans day where orphans shared directly with members and reflections.
- Trainings:
This project is a community and farmers’ demand initiative brought by ABC Foundation – Kenya in XXXX District.
The project in shall be carried out in three Locations of XXX, XXX, XXX, XXX It will put emphasis on capacity building, training, demonstrations and provision of livestock for a period of two years.
Source of funds for Organization activities:
The organization has been able to finance its operation and projects from:
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- Members contributions
- ABC Foundation Kenya well wishers
- Shares from ABC Farm Members.
Future Planned Additional Sources:
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- Investments
- Interest from loans
- ABC Income generating Projects.
Current ABC Foundation Structure
The organization is run by board of ten directors who are members elected from the community. Board members are elected basing on their interest on the target people. Further we have management committee that consist of representative from common interest groups (CIGs), Affiliate groups (women and self-help groups) and ABC registered members.
Present Situation
XXXX District has population of 178,897 whereby poverty index stand at 60 % (Population Census 2009). The District is faced with a cute food shortage and many challenges. The community people are peasant farmers – growing food crops for subsistence and cash crops (sugar cane and tobacco). The returns are quite negligible to sustain the family. The contributing factors for the food shortage are; poor farm planning, depleted soils, reduced cultivation area due population, poor farming techniques.
Average land size holding is between 1 and 2 acres per household. Maize is a stable food in the district and in spite of good rains the area receives, food deficit is the order of the day because the available land has been put under sugarcane or tobacco. People have to buy food to bridge the deficit; this hardens people’s lives given that few are able to buy food due limited resources of income. In this bracket it just like adding insult upon injuries for widows and orphans situation. The area is generally poor, which is reflected in the community poor infrastructure, like roads, schools etc. Children perform very poorly owing to their poor health occasioned by lack of adequate nutrition and sound learning environment.
There is no community support system; there is overdependence on family relations for few who happen in employment. HIV/AIDS scourge is sweeping across the community, living behind orphaned children and widows/widowers without the means to support them. Hardening living standard due to economic meltdown, the situation in the community is worse, with vulnerable children and widows/caretakers of the community are bearing the brunt.
As situation grows from worse to worst, women are the hardest hit. 80% household income and chores depend on women, the worsening economic situation contribute greatly to deny children and women their basic rights. It is therefore imperative that ABC Foundation – Kenya need urgently to implement ABC Foundation Livestock and Crops Livelihood Project upon availability of funds targeting 50 widows and 250 orphans as direct beneficiaries to reverse this devastating trend in the community.
Project Justification
The project aim at improving household income and food security after two years of project implementation for the targeted 100 widows and 400 orphans.
Children should be facilitated to access education, adequate nutrition and medical care hence empowering of caregivers. Women need to be facilitated to access productive means in order to improve household income and be food secure in turn contributes to generally improvement of the quality of life for the family hence whole community.
XXXX started three years ago and has put in place structures within the community. Already farmers are practicing Sustainable farming towards replenishing the soil fertility to enhance food production.
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- There are 3 zonal service Centres in which CIG’s of between 10 and 20 farmers have been formed and registered.
- There is a demonstration center where farming technologies have been established for training and farmers skills will be continue enhanced.
- Farmers are very committed towards the centre and they come there on weekly basis to for practical learning and work on the technologies to be replicated on their farms.
Target of the Project
The project participants are vulnerable earning less than a dollar per day. We are targeting 100 widows from our common interest and affiliate groups. Each widow has an average of 4 orphans which total to 400 orphans for targeted 100 widows as direct beneficiary.
Constraints/challenges:
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- Lack of investment capital in farming projects
- Poor methods of farming
- Poor soils for farming
- Inadequate organized forums/groups to lobby for change/ raise farmers’ voice.
- Unclear marketing channels to cartel out middlemen who exploit peasant farmers.
- HIV and AIDS scourge
Project Aim: Empower 100 widows through trainings, provision of livestock and crops seeds to access quality food to 400 orphan direct beneficiaries.
Strategies of the Project
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- Share with key collaborators on implementation of the project i.e. Government Ministry of Agriculture, Gender children and social services, Financial Institutions, Other None Governmental Organization etc.
- Strengthen organization of 5 groups of 10 widows for basic training on dairy goat, poultry and maize and bananas management/establishment and poultry.
- Facilitate 50 groups with revolving funds to assist members establish Goats and poultry sheds.
- Build the capacities of members to establish fodder for the animals through monitoring committees.
- Through compositing goats and poultry droppings through compositing to replenish lost soil fertility to increase high yielding food production.
- Link the groups with other stockholders that have direct reference to their activities.
- Form a technical committee consisting 2 XXXX board members, 1 Staff member, 1 representative from Agriculture Ministry and Gender, Children and Social services.
- Hire two staff on contract for two years, equip office, 2100 cc Yamaha motorbike to facilitate implementation of the project.
- Support ABC Foundation Compassion Centre Demonstration plots to offer practical to members.
- Instill in members the process of pass on livestock, seeds and skills to other willing need members after one year for continuity and benefit more members.
Milestone of the Project
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- Established 10 groups of 10 widows each in three zones to understand XXXX philosophy and operational structure of ABC Foundation – Kenya. 100 widows are trained on fodder, maize, vegetable establishment and Goats and poultry sheds construction.
- Purchase and distribute to 50 widows seeds and fertilizer each to receive 10 Kgs seeds and 50 Kgs fertilizer.
- Facilitate 50 widows through revolving funds to establish goats and poultry sheds.
- Scout and distribute 250 birds and 50 Kenbrew cockerels to 50.
- Scout and distribute 50 cross dairy Goats to 50 widows.
- ABC Foundation – Kenya would have linked appropriate service provider to groups for monitoring and continuity of project.
- Record of increased farm yield (15 bags of maize in an acre from 5 bags) and increase income by 80% of the targeted 100 project beneficiaries.
- Recorded 70% repayment of loaned revolving fund by all 5 groups.
- Quarterly, bi-annual and annual report produced and shared with all stakeholders including donors timely.
Objectives of the Project
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- To enable 100 members to be aware of conditions that hinders them from working towards self-reliance within a period of 2 years.
- To enable 100 members enhance sustainable resource management, food secure and increased income.
- To enable the vulnerable groups (women, widows, and children) and other farmers enhance income generating activities through accessibility to required services.
- To enable 100 vulnerable women gain skills, knowledge on food production and management, financial, resources and record keeping.
- To enable farmers improve the soil fertility through compositing, soil conservation, and organic farming trainings.
- To enable framers review their current activities and include the components that address HIV and Aids issues.
Budget Notes:
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- Considered exchange rate Kshs. *****
- Evaluation cost is covered in follow up cost
- Group leaders training will be residential at Mabanga Farmers training Centre.
- Cost of ABC Foundation Compassion has considered cost of different techniques for learning
Outcomes of the Project
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- Farmers/community members made aware and prepared to take up effective development challenges.
- Farmers and other community members motivated and challenged to find the root causes of the problems they face.
- Improved sources of income for the families.
- Increased number of orphans in school
- The ability to articulate their needs improved.
- Ability to demand their rights increased.
- Training skill acquired by members
- Training impact and effectiveness assessed
- Materials are updated
- Workshops conducted in the communities.
- High yields realized
- Soil fertility improve
- Individual income increased
- Individual and group businesses expanded.
- Proper use of loan explored.
- Field days
- Farmer to farmer visit
- Community appreciate tradition drought resistance crops
Assumption of the Project
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- That the project will be funded by the Partner
- That all the players remain cohesive throughout the Implementation process.
- That environmental condition behaves favorably towards the project.
- That political stability prevails in the country and in the project area.
- That farm produce price remains lucrative.
- That the group will be equipped for healthy competition when other organizations emerge and compete in the project area.
Stakeholder for the Project
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- Ministry of Agriculture
- Social services.
- NGO’s
- Research organizations
- Community farmers in other villages.
- Local county council
- Public works
- Seed Companies
Project Sustainability Monitoring & Evaluation
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- Strong collaboration with Government relevant Ministries extension officers will ensure to continue offer services to members even after period of project implementation period.
- Pass on process from first 50 beneficiaries to other 50 beneficiaries will ensure continuity to benefit more community members
- All measures will be taken to ensure groups maintain revolving funds to benefit more members.
- ABC Foundation Compassion centre will continue to offer training to members even after project implementation period.
- Enhancing total community participation and ownership of the project.
- Diversification of stakeholder/collaborators participation in the project and project area.
- The group shall form sub-committees to co-ordinate with Local county council and set targets in collecting revenue shared within the partners to enable the group run the project beyond the funding period
- TOTs are from FWG so they continue offering services after implementation period.
- ABC Foundation Compassion Centre will continue to offer training to the members after funding period.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The project management committee and subcommittee members will be responsible for monitoring, evaluation and the implementation process of all projects planned and budgeted activities, periodic report writing, keeping of financial documents, trainings and management of all project facilities. The XXXX Board Members will also consult with relevant stakeholders to see that planned activities are carried out as scheduled and effectively.
