Implementing Agency:
Department For International Development (PAND)

Managing Institute:
Euro Action Acord

Contractor:
Agency for Co-operation and Research Development (ACORD)

Project Code: 006-680-001	Start Date: 01/04/1988	End Date: 31/03/1992
Commitment: £510,000	Status: Completed	Type of Funding: Bilateral - JFS

Project Background:
Overall agricultural production is enough to meet the country's food requirements, but there are regional disparities. About 50% of arable land is used to grow food crops, while 15% is devoted to cash crops (cotton in the North , oil palms in the South), the remainder alternating between the two. Animal traction is used on 10% of land under cultivation. This technique had spread rapidly in the North in the cotton and maize-growing areas and led to a spectacular increase in the area under cultivation, frequently at the expense of the natural environment.

Atacora Department, covering more than 30% of the national territory, but representing only about 18% of total population, experiences particular difficulties in respect of economic and social development. Resources are limited. The lack of infrastructure and competition from other, more accessible departments, has kept this region isolated in terms of population movement and trade flows. There are no towns sufficiently large to act as a magnet for consumption or services. Nonetheless, due to its great diversity of climate, Atacora does have unrealised potential especially in the eastern, central and southern areas. The north-eastern area, where the programme is based, is the poorest.

Materi and Tanguieta sub-prefectures.

Materi and Tanguieta sub-prefectures, with populations of 63,000 and 30,000 respectively, are characterised by degraded natural vegetation as a result of the extension of land under cultivation, overgrazing, brush fires, etc. Soil impoverishment and erosion, as well as sanding up of bottom lands, hinder agricultural production and make famine a frequent occurrence.

The climate is of the Sudanian type, with a seven month dry season, during which the Harmattan (a dry, cold wind) blows, and a five month rainy season.

Project Objectives:
The long term objectives of this project are: To foster village self-reliance through the emergence and strengthening of autonomous village structures able to analyse their needs and priorities and to plant and implement their activities in accordance with local resources and constraints. Up-grading women's socio-economic status by involving them more fully in implementing, monitoring and evaluating the programme with a view to improving their participation in the decision-making process at village level, as well as their incorporation in socio-economic development activities to ensure acceptance of their new status by the village community. To contribute towards improving living standards by: seeking self-sufficient and food security through improving agricultural production techniques, while ensuring that natural resources are protected, conserved and rationally used (in the long term) by organised and empowered village communities conducting socio-economic activities likely to generate cash income (management of cereal banks, market gardening, small trading, crafts, local processing of some agricultural produce, etc). The immediate objectives are: Structuring and organisation of communities of 10 to 20 villages through sustained awareness-raising and animation. Strengthening of the technical, financial organisational and management capabilities of structured communities. Supply drinking water in 18 villages. Control of the supply and marketing circuits for basic agricultural produce: cereals. Establishment and management of a rural credit and saving scheme. Improvement of infrastructure: access tracks and other infrastructure necessary for the socio-economic development of villages. Integration of women in rural development activities and village decision making. Empowerment of the ACORD team and village partners through designing, planning, formulating and implementing their own programmes to generate cash income (management of cereal banks, market gardening, small trading, crafts, local processing of some agricultural produce, etc).

Intended Outputs:
Number of villages (10 to 20) organized and structured (groups, villages associations of groups). Number of dynamic, autonomous and functional groups established. Number of dynamics, autonomous and functional women's groups set up. Involvement of women in community decision-making (number of women). Participation of organized communities in the programming and evaluation process. Number of men and women farmers and village leaders able to read and write and keep the group's records. Number of new wells (38 wells in 30 to 38 sites) and renovated wells. Number of water point management committees (38 committees). Number of hectares of land protected against erosion. Number of ravines treated. Number of development teams established and functional. Number of hectares of land replanted with trees. Number of seedlings produced/used. Number of men and women farmers using animal traction correctly (in 10 to 15 villages) Number of harnesses supplied and used. Number of operational draught oxen. Increased crop yields (sorghum, millet, rice, yams, etc). Number of cereal banks constructed and operational. Increase local income. Establishment of rural artisans. Number of training/refresher courses organized for ACORD staff.