Profitable goat enterprises lifting poor farmers communities out of poverty. Kenya Learning Route, Case 5

By Elaine Reinke and Silvia Sperandini

“Efficient breeding accounts for 30% of goats’ productivity, the rest is appropriate feeding and proper management”, was one of the key messages our “Ruteros” got from the Meru Goat Breeders Association (MGBA) we visited in the Eastern province of Kenya at the last stop of our Learning Route. The case was truly impressive as an example of sustainable development cooperation where a project designed and implemented by FARM-Africa is proving its economic, social and environmental impact eight years after its official closure.

Field visits to producers revealed the success of the project when local smallholder farmers proudly explained how they were able to move from below the poverty line into the middle class of their community thanks to the profitable goat enterprises and services introduced by FARM-Africa.

At the heart of this model is the approach to improve the productivity and economic returns of goats kept by families on small farms through enhancing the management, health and breeding of the animals. Breeding is improved by the genetic upgrade of local goats with a superior exotic breed, the Toggenburg. The result is the Meru Goat, a 75% Toggenburg, which proved to be more adapted to hash environment, to the locally available fodder, more resistant to diseases and more productive, giving 4 liters of milk per day compared to the local breed with 0.5-1 liter. The Meru Goat is a valuable asset, growing faster than local goats and yielding three times the monetary value.
Over two days we spent with the Meru Goat Breeders, the Learning Route participants understood how forming farmer groups has been critical for the sustainability of the project. The role of the association includes the organization and management of all necessary support services and inputs (from veterinary services, breed registration and inspection to quality control and processing milk and milk products), all instrumental to maximizing returns from the goats enterprises.

One of the most discussed issues was the introduction of the zero-grazing approach and its benefits in a context like Meru where the population density is high and land is limited. Farmers confirmed that housing goats in pens keeps these animals secure and healthy, also reducing their exposure to parasites from grazing on common land contaminated by other livestock - which is one of the biggest health problem of goats in Africa.

The case showed that which appropriate technical support, farmers were able to become very efficient breeders, sharing the genetic resources as a community. Associations like MGBA serve as support centers for the adaptation and uptake of new technology (genetic and husbandry improvement) and livestock marketing (guaranteeing high quality standards). Today, the Meru goats are exported to Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. Farmers have gained good knowledge on goat husbandry and forage development, and the high quality manure collected at the goats’ houses is fertilizing a rich vegetable production to generate additional incomes in the Meru Country.

With this case, the Kenya Learning Route on Innovative Livestock Marketing comes to its end, while the good practices and lessons learned will now travel with our “Ruteros” back to Sudan, Somaliland, Ethiopia, Madagascar and the US to benefit other communities and prove once again that livestock really plays a critical role for the livelihood of poor rural families.

PS. Picture of how innovations travel and view the photo story of the route: http://www.slideshare.net/ifad/lr-kenya-photo-story-ii-compressed

The power of camel milk: the story of the Anolei Camel Milk Cooperative. Kenya Learning Route case 4.

By Silvia Sperandini and Elaine Reinke“We are a community of camels”, is how Kalif Abey of the Kenya Camel Association (KCA) welcomed us in Greater Isiolo in the arid and semi-arid low plains of the upper eastern part of Kenya. The majority of the “ruteros” are from Sudan and Somaliland, therefore have extensive experience with camels and been eagerly awaiting to meet the hosts of this case, local camel raisers and members of the Anolei Camel Milk Cooperative.

Through the discussion with these local champions, it became clear that the potential of the camel and its products has been immensely underutilized in Kenya until it was considered a food animal in the current livestock policy passed by the government in 2008. This policy finally recognized the importance of the camel to safeguard livelihoods due to its ability to survive remain productive even under drought conditions in most of the Arid and Semi Arid Land (ASAL) districts.

With the camel raisers surrounded by some 400 Somali camels (Horr and Gelab sub-breeds), we understood the intensity of camel rearing in an environment where water and forage are scarce, and could sense the depth of the relationship between the pastoralists and their animals. We witnessed the milking process, not missing to taste the fresh camel milk, and learned about the efforts of the herders and the cooperative to open new marketing channels for this valuable product.

Camel milk is a natural and essential food item. Compared to cow and goat milk, it is richer in iron, minerals, vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids, while its fat content is lower. The camel’s lactation period is also longer (from 1 to 1.5 years), all year round and under the harshest conditions. Recent researches indicate some medicinal potential such as anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties and positive impacts in cases of diabetes and tuberculosis. The producers therefore proudly pledge that it is much more than simple milk.

Camel-owning cultures traditionally place the men as the camel owners, while women possess and market the milk. Today, this female-dominated business of camel milk marketing contributes KSH 8 billion (US$ 95 million) every year to the Kenyan economy, and the profits are usually managed and controlled by women. Having recognized the marketing potential and growing demand for camel milk, the Anolei women, a pro-active group of Somali women, got organized as a self-help group in 1997 and registered as a cooperative in 2010. They managed to set-up a new, profitable business purchasing camel milk from local producers and marketing it in Isiolo and Nairobi. With some support of the KCA and other partners including SNV, VSF and FAO, the Anolei women upgraded their business processes, improved hygiene standards and herd management. They now collect and transport to Eastleigh Nairobi some 4,000 (in the dry season) to 6,500 (in the rainy season) litres of camel milk per day from producers within a 40km radius from Isiolo. They also run a milk bar where our “ruteros” were invited to enjoy camel milk, tea and meat.

The learning route participants appreciated how this group built a successful business for the benefit of their communities and became an important player in an effective milk marketing chain. Along the way, they faced many constraints particularly related to hygiene and transportation. In response, they introduced aluminum cans and cooling and established pooled transport arrangements. Demand for camel milk is gradually increasing, also beyond the Somali communities in Kenya, but there is need for further improve business process. Women traders are now using M-PESA as a means of cash transactions, increasing security and reducing losses. Bank accounts have been opened and the cooperative is planning to take a loan to purchase their own truck tond improve their transport.

Other challenges remain beyond their control, such as the lack of trained specialized veterinarians in the country and recurrent tribal conflicts in the Isiolo area based on competition over pasture, calling for continued collaboration and partnership among the different actors.

Within their capacity, the Anolei women have significantly increased their incomes and their decision-making power in their households and communities. With their commitment and business skills, camel milk production and marketing has become the backbone of the livelihoods of the Isiolo people.

M-PESA: The power of mobile technology in livestock marketing. Kenya Learning Route, case 3.

By Elaine Reinke and Silvia Sperandini

“I don’t need to go to the bank, I have the bank in my phone.” This is what all the actors in the Kenyan livestock and meat value chain have in common: they use M-PESA. On our journey of good practices across Kenya, the learning route participants discovered why this innovative solution has not only revolutionized the Kenyan business sector but also facilitates market access of rural pastoralists and livestock traders day by day.

Since 2007, Safaricom (Vodafone group) leads the way with an electronic money transfer system based on SMS messaging that has changed the lives of millions of Kenyans across all demographic and social segments of the population including the rural poor. M-PESA allows quick, easy and immediate payments from one person to another and from individuals to businesses, from supermarket expenses over electricity bills to school fees and remittances. To exchange e-money into cash and vice versa, customers use M-PESA kiosks to deposit or withdraw bank notes when needed.

For pastoralists and livestock traders in rural areas M-PESA has innovated their way of making business. Even who is miles from the next commercial bank and moving cattle along remote grazing areas and trekking routes can now transfer money back home anytime or easily sell livestock without the risk of carrying cash over long distances as well as reducing debts and delayed payments caused by promissory payments.

The success of M-PESA among pastoralists also links back to the availability of mobile network coverage even in remote areas and prevalent use of mobile phones in pastoralist communities. Thanks to this technology pastoralists are now connected to their family and friends, can quickly find out where to bring their cattle for grazing instead of roaming in search of water and pasture, and communicate with their business contacts at livestock markets while still at rangelands, saving time for other income generating activities and household chores.

Today, 15 million M-PESA customers use about 28,000 agent outlets countrywide for cash disposal and withdrawal. Safaricom’s innovation started as a small pilot project which now transfers more money than all Kenyan commercial banks together.

Designed to reach the poorer segments of the population who are not able to access the formal banking system, it is also becoming important gateway to enter into the commercial banking system since Safaricom in collaboration with Equity Bank introduced M-Kesho. This innovative banking product offers a bank account that includes micro-savings, micro-credit and micro-insurance products. M-PESA customers who join M-Kesho can also withdraw cash from the bank using their M-PESA accounts, save money and obtain small loans using the MPESA e-money as guarantee.

But what is it that made M-PESA such a success here in Kenya, while the uptake in other countries in the region remains relatively low?

This is one of the questions the “ruteros” discussed with our hosts of this case which include local M-PESA agents, maasai pastoralists, livestock and meat traders. Enabling factors which emerged from the discussion are the investment and commitment of Safaricom but also the entrepreneurial culture and readiness of the business sector and supportive government policy.

From pastoralists to terminal market: journey along the livestock value chain. Kenya Learning Route case 2.

by Silvia Sperandini and Elaine Reinke

“If you want to understand the livestock value chain, just follow the cow!”, is the first thing that the “Ruteros” learned once we arrived in Kenya. By now, following the cow, we have reached the terminal market of Kiseria, south-eastern Kenya, where the Keekenyokie slaughterhouse is located and where the livestock value chain ends and the meat value chain starts.

During this journey we met various actors of the livestock chain from pastoralists and agro-pastoralists at village level (producers) to different types of traders which include: primary itinerant traders who move cattle from producers to primary markets, middle level traders who sell cattle into secondary and terminal markets, middlemen who operate as brokers, mainly at the market, taking animals from producers, itinerant traders and middle level traders, and negotiating with buyers and transporters.

Interacting with them we learned the tips and tricks of grading systems and pricing mechanisms but also understood that all these actors along the chain face a variety of challenges. Frequent drought periods cause market fluctuation and massive depreciation of stock. High incidences of livestock diseases and pests affect production as well as trading due to frequent quarantine. Poor market infrastructure and absence of organized facilities (feeding, water, vet services, troughs etc.) put animals and humans at risk. Limited capital and scarce access to credit affecting the production as well as trading. Limited livestock transportation mechanisms and continued moving on the hoof to markets affects quality of stock.

Kiseria is the most vibrant pastoralist-managed livestock market in Kenya and the Keekonyokie slaughterhouse is more than an abattoir. It is the gateway to the urban market and offers business opportunities to the pastoral Maasai communities located in southern Kenya and Tanzania. It is an innovative business enterprise that was established by Maasai pastoralist groups controlling the slaughterhouse management to the benefit of their communities.

The most innovative aspect of the business was found to be the IFAD-supported biogas plant to convert slaughterhouse waste into energy and bio fertilizer, reducing the environmental impact linked to its business activity. The company uses the biogas produced to generate electrical power for the meat cold room, processing equipment and heating water for cleaning the abattoir.

The Keekenyokie community has strong ambitions for the future of their slaughterhouse. Apart from expanding the facilities for slaughter, meat processing and biogas generation and storage, the business seeks to improve its hygiene and sanitation in order to meet quality standards for the export market. Packaging meat products with the Keekenyokie branding and selling them directly to supermarkets will further require additional capital to purchase machinery and training on using technical facilities. But the main innovation they would like to introduce is packaging and selling biogas to rural and peri-urban consumers.

The “Ruteros” were particularly impressed with the initiative and business-orientation of the Keekenyokie community, the effective integration of the value chain, as well as the biogas innovation, and gave a wealth of constructive recommendations to their hosts.

Bridging the gap: Connecting Maasai pastoralist communities to livestock markets. Kenya Learning Route, case 1.

By Elaine Reinke and Silvia Sperandini

“To improve a value chain, you have to be part of it”. With these words Michael Kibue, Director of Agritrade and one of the three PROCASUR Technical Coordinators of this route, opened his briefing to the “Ruteros” before visiting the first case in Amboseli, south-eastern Kenya. Here, in a beautiful natural scenario in the savanna near the Kilimanjaro, the participants met the Siana Masaai Women and Kilitome Market Access Committees (MAC) to discuss the livestock value chain and learn how these pastoral groups gained better access to the livestock market.

Thanks to a partnership between the local Maasai communities, African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), an international NGO, and Agritrade, a private sector company, MACs were created in 2009 to facilitate the development of an efficient pro-poor market chain that benefits livestock producers including pastoral women.

AWF established the conservation areas in which the Maasai groups live, gave a loan to Agritrade under the condition that the private sector player provides start-up trading capital to the Maasai groups and do business with them.
After witnessing and participating in traditional singing and dancing with jingling jewels, the group entered into a lively discussion with the MACs to better understand how they were able to bridge the gap between producers and markets. After many hours of storytelling, role plays and question and answer sessions, the route participants fully immerged into the MAC concept based on an integration of social, economic and environmental aspects through effective win-win partnerships.

The MACs replace the role of the middlemen shortening the livestock value chain and, in combination with value addition through fattening, enable the pastoral communities obtaining better income from livestock marketing. It also offers pastoralists access to urban meat markets, hence higher returns for producers who are typically exploited in the standard livestock marketing practices. In addition, MACs facilitate the transfer of awareness, knowledge and skills that empowers pastoralists to gain profitable returns from their livestock resources.

Another innovative practice that emerged from this case is the Siana women group which successfully ventured into a sector traditionally dominated by men. Given that male community members hold control over family herds and means of production, women occupy a lower status in decision-making processes with limited opportunities for their socio-economic empowerment. Transforming such culturally rooted norms and systems requires the commitment of champions to drive the change.

The Siana women group is leading this change process.With technical and financial support mobilized through the aforementioned partnerships, they are now more experienced in dealing with market dynamics, pasture and livestock management. Last year they also established their own cattle head thanks to a small donation received from the IFAD Help Fund. They are now livestock producers and traders with a stronger decision-making role within their households and communities. The challenges to overcome are still many (such as market and climate instability, animal diseases and poor access to veterinarian services etc.) – but the “Ruteros” believe that with their strong commitment and entrepreneurial spirit, the Maasai groups will continue their journey towards a better livelihood.

How do innovations travel? In people’s mind. Kenya Learning Route on Innovating Livestock Marketing, day 1

by Silvia Sperandini and Elaine Reinke

“We are the birds who letting innovations travel around the world”, is how Diana Puyo, PROCASUR Africa Coordinator, yesterday opened the Learning Route on innovative livestock marketing from Northern to Eastern Africa organized by PROCASUR in partnership with IFAD’s Near East, North Africa and Europe Division and technical support of the Policy and Technical Advisory Division.

22 “Routeros”, route participants from various IFAD-supported projects and implementing partners, are now gathered for an intense 12-day journey across various districts and communities in Kenya. The majority of them comes from Sudan but the group also includes participants from Somalia, Madagascar, Ethiopia, the US and Europe, who are all connected through the common interest of improving their practice in the livestock sector and become agents of change in their countries by bringing new ideas and successful solutions back to their projects, organizations and communities packaged in concrete innovation plans they will develop during the route.

Over the next days, the route participants are the knowledge seekers who will learn directly from rural communities and practitioners – the local champions. The trainers probably never went to school, and are unlikely to read or write, but they are the real experts since faced similar challenges and identified solutions to overcome them.

The first day in Nairobi was preparatory for the field experiences but already stimulated a lot of rich and lively discussions , fueled by group of Kenyan livestock experts who presented an overview of the national livestock industry. Now many questions are on the table and are waiting to be answered by the good practices that will be visited: What are effective ways to bridge the gap between markets and producers? How to meet market information needs of different stakeholders, and how to improve effectiveness and performance of development projects aimed at livestock marketing?

In the next days the participants will visit the following host cases:
- Siana Masaai Women and Kilitome Market Access Committees
- Using M- PESA as an Innovative Livestock Marketing Tool for Pastoralists
- Linking Community Slaughter Houses to Urban Markets
- Anolei Camel Milk Cooperative
- Meru Goat Breeders Association

Tomorrow will be our first encounter with some of the rural champions who will be our trainers during this route … don’t miss it. Remember, innovations travel in people’s mind – stay tuned join our journey!

IFAD scales innovations through the ‘Learning Routes’

by Valentina Gullotta Sauve 

On 27 October, IFAD held an informal lunch‐time seminar on the “Learning Routes” as a knowledge management and capacity building tool to scale up best practices and innovations during the “Scaling Up the Fight against Rural Poverty” Event.

Ariel Halpern (PROCASUR) and Roberto Haudry (IFAD) ‐ with the intervention of  Paineto Baluku from Uganda (Bukonzo Cooperative, partner of PROCASUR)‐ presented PROCASUR and the learning routes methodology showing how knowledge sharing can open learning and innovation scale up spaces.

PROCASUR started as a Latin America and Caribbean regional training programme for IFAD and it is now, fifteen years later working at a global scale, implementing Learning Route Programmes for Latin America, East and Southern Africa and Asia and Pacific divisions of IFAD.

PROCASUR’s objective is to feed learning loops by making visible the voices of the ones that are invisible.

‘Already being in this room is an achievement for PROCASUR’, Ariel said, because it is an opportunity to make visible an approach and a movement to which many partners are involved and engaged. The LR is a methodology but also a way to promote rural development knowledge market with a positive inclusion of project staff and grass root organizations learning and local champions: this methodology is allowing IFAD projects approaches and tools to stay after closed, being recreated, adapted and expanded.

Helen Gillman from IFAD intervened underlining the fact that the Learning Routes are not just field trips or study tour, but a systematized journey with an intensive learning process, considering carefully the design, implementation and follow up phase.

Replying to Johannes Linn’s final question on how PROCASUR see itself in 5 years from now, it was explained that PROCASUR wants to keep the strategic partnership with IFAD on its expansion process and complement each other role.

Next 5 years vision is to reach out an increasing number of rural people in the Global South offering and demanding knowledge and skills generated by practicing rural poverty in the front line. Establishing this network, or hub as Ariel calls it, bring to a successful adaptation and adoption of the Learning Route methodology to the regional settings where IFAD is operating.
Check this cartoon to understand what a is Learning Route is and visit PROCASUR site in Spanish and English

Testimonios Directos - Lo que las mujeres aportan al desarrollo local

Las rutas de aprendizaje permiten a las mujeres latinoamericanas conocer otras formas (exitosas) de administrar lo público


“Conociendo lo que otras compañeras políticas están haciendo aprendí que las mujeres podemos hacer de lo público un espacio más justo y eficaz”. Rebeca Rojas, regidora del municipio peruano de Tarma, visitó en 2008 experiencias exitosas de gestión local con perspectiva de género en Bolivia y Ecuador, en el marco de una Ruta de Aprendizaje organizada por INSTRAW y PROCASUR.

Tras una semana de viaje, visitas, conversaciones —y confesiones— en las salas de aeropuertos, Rebeca volvió a Tarma renovada, en el más literal sentido de la palabra: volvía con mucho entusiasmo y muchas ideas para ejercer su rol de administradora local. “Aprendimos a reconocer nuestro modos diferente de hacer política”, asegura.

Uno de los principales resultados de su paso por la Ruta fue la elaboración de un Plan de Igualdad para el municipio. Para ello realizó un diagnóstico sobre los problemas y necesidades específicas de las mujeres en Tarme y, posteriormente, buscó alianzas para lograr un amplio apoyo entre sus compañeros de gestión.

La unión hace la fuerza. Esta fue una de las certezas que Rebeca se trajo de la Ruta, tras conocer la labor de las Asociaciones de Mujeres Municipalistas de AMUME, AMJUPRE y ACOBOL en Bolivia, y las políticas locales de equidad e integración social de los Municipios de
Cuenca y Nabón en Ecuador. Por eso, uno de los ejes principales de su Plan fue la promoción del asociacionismo femenino. Así nacieron la Mesa de Diálogo de la Mujer, a nivel municipal en 2008; la Asociación de Mujeres Políticas de la Provincia de Tarma, en 2008; la Red de Mujeres Autoridades de la Región de Junín en 2009, y la asociación de estas instancias con la Red Nacional de Mujeres Autoridades (RENAMA). En el total de estas asociaciones participan cerca de 1500 mujeres.

Otro de los cambios que Rebeca trajo a su gestión fue el de la capacitación de las mujeres: “necesitamos capacitar a las mujeres –explica–, darles conocimientos y herramientas para que sean capaces de expresar lo que piensan, para que conquisten los espacios que les correspondan y no sean meros instrumentos electorales en manos de los hombres”. Rebeca ha organizado desde entonces seminarios locales, regionales y nacionales, dirigido a las mujeres autoridades de Tarma, Junín y Perú, así como seminarios sobre sensibilización e información sobre derechos ciudadanos.

La incorporación de las mujeres a la esfera productiva, es otra de las áreas que Rebeca está incentivando mediante la formación de asociaciones para la producción y la comercialización. Queda mucho por recorrer, asegura Rebeca, pero esta historia demuestra el poder catalizador de herramientas de intercambio como las Rutas de Aprendizaje.

Enlaces Útiles

• Nueva Ruta!
  
• Caribbean Regional Unit for Technical Assistance (CARUTA)
• Latin America Center for Rural Development (RIMISP)
• Confederation of Family Producers Associations of the MERCOSUR (COPROFAM)
• Central American Regional Unit for Technical Assistance (RUTA)
• International Development Research Center (IDRC)
• Specialized Meeting on Family Farming in the Mercosur (REAF)
• PROCASUR
• Regional Program to Support Rural Afro-Latino Populations (ACUA)
• Africa-Brazil Agricultural Innovation Marketplace
• Regional Rural Dialogue
• PREVAL

Testimonios Directos - Innovación en las Rutas de Aprendizaje

Fortaleciendo la Transversalización del Género en la gestión del Municipio de Belén – Heredia, Costa Rica

Ana Betty Valenciano, Regidora del Municipio de Belén, Provincia de Heredia, en Costa Rica participó en el 2008 de la Ruta de Aprendizaje “Fortalecimiento de la gobernabilidad, género y participación política de las mujeres en el ámbito local” (Región Centroamérica) organizada por Procasur y UN-INSTRAW.

En esta Ruta pudo conocer experiencias de transversalización de la equidad de género en la gestión municipal, siendo especialmente importantes los casos de asociatividad entre municipios así como la relevancia de las instancias más locales, como espacios de innovación e impulso de políticas de equidad.

A partir de estos aprendizajes, Ana Betty retorno a su labor dentro del Municipio de Belén, que ya contaba con un Plan de Igualdad de Genero en el Gobierno Municipal. A partir de sus experiencias en la Ruta se enfatizó la necesidad de llevar adelante un proceso de sensibilización dentro del Municipio, así como la relevancia de fortalecer la voluntad política para llevar adelante los planes de equidad. Para ello, se desarrollo una serie de acciones con las diferentes reparticiones municipales, para problematizar e incluir el enfoque de género de forma integral en las acciones del municipio y las prácticas de sus funcionarios. Destacan por ejemplo las iniciativas de incluir la mirada de genero en los proyectos de obras publicas (caminos, puentes, etc., ), en las gestiones y tramites municipales, a través de espacios de cuidado infantil abiertos a las usuarias del municipio, y en los planes de desarrollo económico local, donde muchas mujeres están siendo beneficiadas con capacitación y fondos para emprendimientos productivos.

El liderazgo personal de Ana Betty también se ha visto fortalecido en este proceso: actualmente es la presidenta del Consejo Municipal, el que está siendo recientemente renovado con una abrumadora mayoría de representantes mujeres entre el total de regidores/as (4 de 5).

Otro ámbito de innovación ha sido la apertura al intercambio de experiencias y a la autoevaluación constante del proceso llevado adelante por el Municipio de Belén. Como parte de los Planes de Innovación apoyados por la Ruta se propició un intercambio y asesoría para la elaboración de una política municipal para la equidad de género en el hermano Municipio de Talamanca – Costa Rica, el que actualmente ya cuenta con un Plan de Equidad y esta implementando sus primeras acciones. El Municipio de Belén ha sido convocado a mostrar sus experiencias a nivel nacional e internacional, siendo reconocido por sus buenas prácticas como un modelo a replicar. Esto se demuestra también en su participación como experiencia exitosa en otra Ruta de Aprendizaje organizada en conjunto por Procasur y UN-INSTRAW en abril de 2010.


Enlaces Útiles

• Nueva Ruta!
• Caribbean Regional Unit for Technical Assistance (CARUTA)
• Latin America Center for Rural Development (RIMISP)
• Confederation of Family Producers Associations of the MERCOSUR (COPROFAM)
• Central American Regional Unit for Technical Assistance (RUTA)
• International Development Research Center (IDRC)
• Specialized Meeting on Family Farming in the Mercosur (REAF)
• PROCASUR
• Regional Program to Support Rural Afro-Latino Populations (ACUA)
• Africa-Brazil Agricultural Innovation Marketplace
• Regional Rural Dialogue
• PREVAL

Value of cross-continental learning route

by Nguyen Thanh Tung


After flying from Hanoi across Asian, African and Latin American countries and taking long transit hours in Kuala Lumpur, Cape Town and Buenos Aires we finally landed in Lima, Peru after 44 long hours. Our team of 11 people including provincial leaders, IFAD project directors and staffs from Vietnam then climbed to Arequipa, Chivay and Sibayo in the Andes mountains and wondered if the intercontinental trip would have learning value. “I thought farmers in my province suffer harsh conditions, but really here their livelihood is much more challenging, the area has more stones than we have ”, said Mr. Tien, Vice-Chairman of Ha Giang Province when he saw the land surface in the southern region of Peru made up only of stone like on the moon.

We were surprised from the first day of the Learning Route, by the cold climate in the highlands at altitudes of 3,800 meter and above and by such a warm atmosphere of the community’s dynamics and ownership of development. “No need for reading the project completion report or any of monitoring and evaluation, the presentation skills and understandings on business management by the women’s groups we met in the villages and during a CLAR contest showed us the successes of the IFAD project”, concluded Ms. Vien, IMPP Project Director from Tra Vinh province after the four-day visit to women’s household-tourism and handicraft associations in Sibayo and their actual participation in the final CLAR contest on poverty reduction impacts of their activities. Recalling similar Cham ethnic minority women in her province who are shy and reluctant to talk at community meetings, Ms. Vien added: “I do think that the CLAR mechanism makes the local poor women change their capacities and we need to learn from this from Peru for replication under IFAD projects in Vietnam”.


Why the CLAR mechanism was so attractive to the Vietnamese team? CLAR in Spanish is “Comité Local de Asignación de Recursos” (local resources allocation committee), in which community groups compete with their business ideas and plans for accessing pubic resources that they will own and manage to procure technical assistance and build up infrastructure they need. CLAR members are representatives of the beneficiary communities and enterprise associations and information on the CLAR process and decisions are publicly announced. Resources allocated by the CLAR are up to the 80% of the total budget of a business plan and the other 20% is invested by the local communities, so both become partners. This factor makes the community groups the real owners of their business plans, e.g. they decide to hire someone locally available to teach poor women weaving handcrafts or cooking food for tourists. There is no need to wait for training services by government staffs.


The principle of competition in the CLAR contest is also a key factor, motivating creation of new business ideas and assurance of product quality. Trade fairs, integrated with the CLAR contest, generate opportunities for producer’s associations to promote the marketing of their products in urban areas. All these factors were discussed by our team during analysis workshops conducted during the Learning Route right after each day of field visits and interviews with local stakeholders. The more we learned about the CLAR mechanism the more we fell in love with this tool and asked for its detailed guidelines. We believe that this tool may overcome the current constraints to development of producer’s associations under IFAD projects in Vietnam, in particular in their access to financial and technical assistance due to bureaucratic and top-down mechanisms of public service management.


“I found CLAR a very effective and efficient system for pro-poor public resource management. However, adopting CLAR in Vietnam will need the political commitment of local government for introducing changes like in Peru. Thank you, IFAD and PROCASUR very much for helping me in crossing the world’s continents to learn many new things that we are ready to replicate in Vietnam”, said Vice-Chairman Tien during the final workshop of the Learning Route in which each of us presented our follow-up innovation plans based on the Peru experience.

We all fully in agree with Vice-Chairman Tien that we learnt more than expected. In addition to the CLAR itself we learnt in Peru how to develop sustainable community-based tourism and off-farm activities in remote and difficult areas, how to conserve indigenous techniques among ethnic minority groups and integrate the production workshops within tourism activities, how to promote public private partnerships (PPP) in development of saving groups in cooperation with private banks, provision of training to government staffs and communities by private mining companies, etc. but there are more and more interesting things to list here. For example Vice-Chairman Tien was most happy when he saw in the Peruvian household he stayed with in Sibayo village the model of wood-saving stove that he was looking for promoting in his province.

Saying goodbye with warmest hugs with our Peruvian friends we invited them to join us soon in a Learning Route to IFAD projects in Vietnam since we believe that sharing knowledge does need to be organized focused on key innovation that we want to bring back home, and in face-to-face interactions with project stakeholders, in particular the poorest ethnic minority women in the most disadvantaged areas.

Africa!!!. La ventana abierta por los servicios financieros

Como imaginar un lugar sin estar ahí, desde todo punto de vista el mundo tiene muchas inequidades pero lo que hemos visto aquí, en estos primeros días de Ruta, es de gente que trata de salir de la forma que sea de su pobreza, gente que ha estado reprimida a lo largo de la historia moderna y que a la pequeña oportunidad abraza el entusiasmo y con sus limitaciones nos muestra que con poco si es posible hacer mucho.
Lo que hemos visto en estos primeros cinco dias, es una enorme capacidad de hacer cosas grandiosas, algunas con resultados debatibles, pero en fin de cuentas generadoras de un enorme capital social, relacional y de capacidades que no deja de sorprendernos, desde el inicio de la ruta nos dimos de cara a una realidad dura, o hasta hostil con una población casi olvidada, pero con las mismas inquietudes y miras inquitas de saber quienes éramos y que cosa podíamos dejar para su utilidad.

Pasando los días nos abriga la calidez de la cercanía a la línea ecuatorial con un paisaje que incluye elefantes, cebras, antílopes, hipopótamo y miradas extrañas de ver a gente ………..

Che esperienza meravigliosa questa Ruta! Mai nella nostra vita ci siamo svegliati cosi presto ma cosi volentieri! Ogni giorno della Ruta e´ un giorno in piu´ di apprendimento, di conoscenza, di scambio di informazioni, di straordinario arricchimento professionale e personale. L´idea che tutti i partecipanti rientrino nei loro paesi di origine e applichino cio´ che hanno imparato e cio´ che ritengono piu´ utile per il loro paese e per la loro comunita´, e´semplicemente elettrizzante e rappresenta la forma di cooperazione allo sviluppo (cooperazione sud-sud) dei prossimi decenni!

Alla fine della Ruta potremo dire di aver visitato 4 casi concreti di istituzioni microfinanziarie (e di averle poi analizzate e approfondite durante i wrap-up meetings, ciascuno esprimendo i propri compiacimenti o le proprie preoccupazioni), di aver imparato molto ma di aver anche risposto noi alle domande che le nostre amiche e i nostri amici africani ci ponevano per sapere cio´ che accade nei nostri paesi.

Durante la Ruta si lavora, ma il piacere e il divertimento non mancano di certo! Che divertenti i nostri viaggi in bus, cantando le canzoni piu´ conosciute (Akuna Matata,ecc…) ma anche quelle dei singoli paesi dei partecipanti, cosi come i vari inni nazionali! E poi mangiare i piatti tipici ugandesi (platano, riso, fagioli, patate, carne di capra, verdura…) cucinati dai nostri amici che cosi calorosamente ci ospitano nei loro villaggi e nelle loro case! E che accoglienze indimenticabili, con balli e canti che ci coinvolgono tutti! Alla fine della giornata siamo tutti un po´ stanchi, ma felici di essere stanchi perche´ esserlo ha significato passare una giornata intensissima e bellissima! Ogni giornata della Ruta e´ come un seme piantato, con tutte le possibilita’ che diventi presto albero e dia i suoi frutti non appena i partecipanti rientrano a casa!

Per finire non possiamo non citare le bellezze naturali apprezzate durante tutta la Ruta, tra foresta e savana, montagne e laghi, campagne, piantagioni di te´ e tanto altro, e poi gli straordinari animali! Abbiamo imparato molto anche della storia, della cultura e della tradizione ugandesi grazie agli appassionati racconti dei nostri amici ugandesi. E infine il gruppo, un gruppo di persone da vari continente e infiniti paesi (Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Camerun, Somalia, Italia, Olanda…!!!!) che gia´ a meta´ Ruta son in realta´ un gruppo di amici!!

A questo punto non possiamo che dire grazie a chi ha permesso che tutto cio´ abbia avuto luogo: grazie Procasur, grazie Diana, grazie Fred!!!!"

LEARNING ROUTE ON GENDER AND MICROFINANCE- Uganda

Solidarity and Trust: Key elements for improve rural livelihhod


by Maria Fernanda Arraes

For the last 9 days we have travelled to different regions of Uganda, looking for new ideas and successful experiences in rural microfinance services and products that pay attention to gender differences. Now we have arrived in Iganda district in the Nile valley.

Our last field visit to this adventure journey had the objective to learn fromthe "Kugumikiraza" and "Together we stand" groups, who are using he Village Savings and Loans method to improve their liveliood. The group welcomed us with song, theater and a poem that explained in detail their experiences, starting with the visit of the first technical staff that arrived to sensitize them about this idea.

When someone coming from Kampala told the community for the first time to "put their money together in a box", the first impression of the community was of course to suspect their savings would be stolen...today they laugh when they remember this time.

Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) is a good practice that focuses on very poor people and supports them to manage their household cash flow. Based in a communiy, VSLA can be complemened with other services from microfinance institutions, which normally focus on provinding credit for clients who already have a business activity.

After a number of meetings and trainings, the communities form their own associations. In general these groups invovle 15-30 persons, men and women, chosen by themselves. They define their objectives, adhere to standard VSLA rules, elect their officials and design their saving system. Members put their money into a fund from which they can borrow after three cycles and pay back with 10% interest, so that the fund can grow. The regular savings contributions to the group are deposite for a whole cycle and then distribted partially or totally for the individual members, who will use these saving for their own needs. Most of the groups can function independently without support from the technical staff after 12 months.

Poor women have to create their own economic activities; they need to save money to feed their families; plan for social evens such weddings, pay schools fees and uniforms; health services, etc. It was a good lesson to see how the community changes and how well they have understood the importance of saving money.

The VSLA give them the possibility to socialize an meet regularly, to be trained, to benefit from the solidarity of the community, save mone and invest. Now they appreciate the savings, even more than the loans. In both groups that we visited in Iganga we observed that the women improved their livelihood through asset accumulation, better nutrition and improved health after having participated in this initiative.

These cases showed us that beyond economic empowerment, women also go through a process of social empowerment. They became more confident, motivated and engage. As one women said: "before joining VSLA, I would not be able to stand up in front of you and reply to your questions". The relationship with their husband changed and women started to participate and become involved in decisions at the family an community level.

The communities groups still have challenges: it is time now to think how to improve their products and how to access new markets. More than the opportunity to develop income activites, this experience represents an important cultural change, different family relationship and community dynamics.

After these moving visits, we returned back to Kampala to discuss all these cases and think how we can adapt and apply the lessons in our activities related to microfinance and rural development in our countries....See you in the next post, when i will share with you some of the lessons learned and innovative ideas !!

Learning Route on Gender and Microfinance-Uganda

Learning for empowerment !!!! by Maria Fernanda Arraes

Our third stop was in Kyarumba, Kasese District on the foothills of Ruwenzori to visit the Bukonzo Joint Cooperative Microfinance Ltd. This was an excellent case to learn about their good practices, mainly in skills development for microfinance services. We were able to see new approaches in microfinance gender sensitive services and adaptions of the products to the communities’ reality. It was clear that women have fewer resources for accessing financial products and this has always constrained them from building assets and satisfying their financial needs. There is need to tailor the products and services to meet their needs.

Bukonzo Joint Cooperative has offered products to its members that range from savings, loans and investment building on the savings made which act as collateral. The loans offered are for buying coffee cherries during coffee season, payment of children’s schoolfees and buying scholastic materials, money for small businesses and investment in these other economic activitis.

To understand the products and services as well as delivery methodology used by Bukonzo Joint Cooperative and the changes at the communiy and household livelihoods, we spend one full day with them... We were overwhelmed by the warm welcome the community gave us: traditional, joyful music performed by the friendly, ever smiling women was just the beginning. This was followed by a wonderful taste of their very own organically grown coffee.

The introduction was great, we were invited to pick a friend (one visitor, one host) in order to break the language barriers, the host taught us how to use symbols to introduce themselves. The day’s agenda in symbols was all planned by them and presented based on a picture drawn in detail with a lot of curious symbols.

Based on their experience, they told us about their main issues and their main activities, in the community, group and individual levels. They expressed the role of men and women in the economic activities, the income and outcome of these activities and many other details about their situation. They shared their vision and all the steps that they planned to achieve these ideas, all expressed through colorful and structured pictures!

This way, we could know about some women individual lifestories, and also their visions and dreams: plans of building a house, the reduction of family violence, or the opportunity for their children to receive education. We saw that they had clear ideas how to achieve these goals and the necessary steps to do it, like diversifying their economic activities, accessing new markets and becoming part of the decisions in their cooperative and in the community.

Given the high illiteracy rate among the community members, the Bokonzo Cooperative could help them to really improve their skills using the pictorial methodology. The trainers told us that the most of the trainings have focused on having women issues at the forefront, however the realization of the training focus on women is counterproductive as the men became hostile. So, they recommend that all trainings should incorporate issues of both sexes and involve all family.

The women’s abilities to express their stories and visions about life through pictures has been built up with the extension staff for 12 months. Improving the method while practicing, the Cooperative seeks to educate its members in the importance of individual and business savings. Finally, they could achieve many of these objectives through an empowerment process based on a learning process, a lot of effort, work and agriculture and small business loans to members offered by their cooperative.

Generally the women are the biggest target of microfinance institutions because the lack to financial services and because they are consider more responsible and better financial managers. This experience shows us that the microfinance products can be more adapted to the rural communities needs, gender sensitive and based in families and rural communities’ dynamics, involving men and women and given then opportunities to understand the role of each. It can permit changes in the social inequities.

If you want to know more about these issues, please joint us in this journey... we´re going to our next stop in Iganga to learn from the Farmers Association and their experience with the Village Savings Loans.

Learning Route on Gender and Microfinance, Uganda

Unexpected Safari along the Route by Maria Fernanda Arraes

Mbarara District. Here we come ! After traveling southwestern direction for three hours from the capital city of Kampala, we arrived in the second stop.

The objective of our visit here is to understand the operations of the NGO Uganda Women's Effort to Support Orphans (UWESO) and its offshoot into the Success Microfinance Services (SMS) Ltd in financial services.

This case brought out a lot of questions and deeper group discussions, for examplem can an NGO providing social services based in charity at the same time operate a microfinance instituition that is more focused on economic development ? Are these services complementary or contradictory ?

The participants learned that the process to separate social and business case involves a lot of technical, institutional and financial challenges ! We realize, for example, the importance to clarify for all target groups the new institutional arrengements, to separate the management and actions of these two areas and to invest in the technical capacities of team.

The learning process from this experience was composed by different activites. We started with the institutional presentation from SMS. This was followed by the field visit in the Bushenyi rural community where we saw the SMS branch office and met their women's client group.

After the welcome speeches from the local and regional authorities, we listened to stories from the women's leaders, clients of SMS through solidarity group loan.

We also did a good discussion in smaller groups to understand in detail how the access to loans changed their life. They shared with us that this gave them an opportuniry to start or improve an economic activity and meet their household expenses.

The women group prepared a sumptuous lunch time for the participants and this was really appreciated because the rich and tasty local food. In addition to the food, they also danced and acted a play for us indicationg the benefits of microfinance. We also have the opportunity to visit their business. For example, Madam Margaret is a successful businesswoman who, with a loan, built a business premise which serves as her house, shop, another thres rooms that she rents to business neighbors and ten rooms that she rents out.

In the end of the afternoon, in order to recognize the warm reception they accorded us the Procasur team gave them certificates of recognition to each women group and to SMS for their knowledge service.

When we were on the road to our next destination of Kasese town we tought that all emotions of the day had finished but surprise, surprise: We found ourselves in a free safari as we crossed the Elisabeth II National Park and the Equator imaginary line ! This experience gave us the opportunity to see bush backsm gazelles and one of the big five: the elephants.

Our learning route is certainly a different training experience !!!

See you soon, when I come back to tell you more about our next surprises in the Ruwnzori mountain region...

Learning Route on Gender and Microfinance, Uganda

WELCOME ON BOARD!!! by Maria Fernanda Arraes

We have just started our Learning Route in Gender and Rural Finances - New approaches, services and products in Uganda. We would like to share with you this unique experience…Welcome on board!

We are a diverse group formed by 15 practitioners from 13 different countries, from Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Rwanda and Zambia); from Asia (china and Japan), Latin America (Colombia, Chile, and Brazil) and Europe (Belgium).

A quick assessment on my colleagues’ expectations for this journey affirmed their curiosity to learn from each other, see different and practical experiences in the field and get new information to bring back home. They are also looking forward to improve their knowledge on microfinance management including monitoring & evaluation of impacts, working with partners on different levels and improve gender and HIV issues within their programmes.

After a warm welcome by the Procasur Team coordinating this Route, we started with a first presentation on the overview of microfinance in Uganda. This was really interesting getting to know the history of the first country in Africa that started the regulation and supervision of microfinance institutions and as well the only country that has a Ministry of Microfinance. This was just the first impression and made clear, why the learning route will be taking place here!

The second part was the fair experience- exchange of institutional information by participants' focusing on the key areas of microfinance and gender issues, opportunities and challenges that our organizations currently face to improve the interventions.

In the afternoon we were introduced to the gender issues in microfinance. In group exercise, we drew pictures of how we thought an empowered woman looks like. Some of the ideas the group came up with were: “a woman thinking on her own and a voice to express herself, who has the capacity to provide education and health conditions for her family”; “someone who has access to financial and technical services for economic activities, among others”.

But the most exciting activity until now was the opportunity that we had trough our first field visit. We went to Kiboga district North West of Kampala to learn from the experience of two women’s groups supported by FINCA a deposit taking microfinance institutions regulated by Bank of Uganda using “Village Banking model”.

Other than the technical information, we were treated to the women’s artistic expressions though dance, comedy, drama, and poems performances to show us their lives before and after the participation in their village banking groups and all changes that they experienced. It was an amazing and unforgettable experience!!

And now we are preparing ourselves for the next stop: Tomorrow we will be moving on to Mbarara, southern part of Uganda to learn about interesting experiences with Uganda Women’s Effort to support Orphans (UWESO) and its offshoot the Success Microfinance Services (SMS) Ltd in financial services for people living with HIV and aids.

See you tomorrow after this next adventure!