ACORD Weman 2011-2014 Since November 2007 Oxfam Novibs Womens Empowerment Mainstreaming And Networking (WEMAN) programme has been spearheading the development of an innovative Gender Action Learning System (GALS). GALS is a key methodology employed by Oxfam Novib to challenge and change gender inequalities in households and communities. It also addresses power issues between communities and service providers, religious and traditional authorities, private sector and government actors. It is an adaptation, specifically for promotion of genderjustice, of the Participatory Action Learning System (PALS) used since 2002 for livelihood improvement, participatory monitoring and impact assessment in programmes supported by Trickle up, Oxfam Novib (ON), Hivos and Agha Kahn Foundation. The method has reached about 75,000 men and women globally.

In August, 2011, 3 ON partner organizations in Rwanda, participated in proposal development toIFAD which was approved in August 2011.  These include ACORD, DUHAMIC & BAIR

All the 3 Civil society organisations, ACORD Rwanda, Duhamic-Adri and BAIR have participated in the GALS capacity building as part of the small IFAD grant and the larger WEMAN programmeof Oxfam Novib. They will be implementing the community-led gender action learning system, strengthening the capacity of their staff and the vulnerable stakeholders in the value chain to improve livelihoods in a gender equitable way, and to sustainably engage themore powerful (private sector) stakeholders. The CSOs work directly with farmer cooperatives or other forms of association in the community, such as social forums or ihuriro. These are spontaneous, traditional or solidarity-based community associations, formed by poor people for a social purpose (related to care for the sick or response to emergencies in the households). To advocate for pro-poor and gender sensitive policies the CSOs will play a role in facilitating the dialogue between the farmers and vulnerable stakeholder groups with the authorities, private sector including financial service providers.

OTHER STAKEHOLDERS/PARTICIPANTS:

The project will link with a number of IFAD supported projects that are implemented through the Ministry of Agriculture: Kirehe Community-Based Watershed Management Project (KWAMP), Support Project for the Strategic Plan for the Transformation of Agriculture (PAPSTA) and also the Project for Rural Income through Exports (PRICE) which is currently being developed. This enables linkages on the maize, rice value chains with KWAMP and PAPSTA, and on horticulture and coffee value chains with PRICE. Oxfam Great Britain will play a role in the horticulture value chains in PRICE. The possibility has been identified for Oxfam Great Britain to integrate GALS in this component of PRICE. Other priority value chains for these IFAD projects, such as beans, milk and tea will benefit through the learning exchange on GALS and capacity building of key staff.

The implementing CSOs will use the IPER platform for peer sharing with otherorganisations and institutions. The IPER  platform in Rwanda is part of Agri-ProFocus . IPER brings together producer organisations, NGOs, financial institutions, research institutes, private sector actors and Dutch development and research partners. The key purpose of the platform is to stimulate agri-entrepreneurship in Rwanda. The parties involved in IPER will benefit from the lessons learned in the project, and it will be a platform for peer learning between organisations; brokering on appropriate technologies and linking on advocacy issues.

The Higher Institute of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry in Busogo for example is involved in research on improvement of potato seeds, and can provide technical knowledge relevant for the value chains. YES Rwanda, also a member of IPER, can both share best practices for working with young people, at the same time strengthening their own approach to stimulate entrepreneurship amongst youth.


What project intends to achieve

1. Platforms established by at least 2 CSOs for multi-stakeholder win-win communication and collaboration, which include the use of roadjourneys and strategies by vulnerable stakeholder groups.
2. 8000 women and 3000 men in the target group of the CSO partners use the community-led methodology for improving livelihoods and VCD.
3.  22,000 indirect beneficiaries that are not involved in the programmes of the CSOs and/or are not involved in the focus chains have the capacity and platforms to use community-led methodology for improving livelihoods.
4. Sustainable multi-stakeholder win-win strategies identified, negotiated and planned with vulnerable and more powerful actors in the selected value chains in at least 2 chains
5. 3CSOs have integrated the community-led value chain methodology in their interventions and M&E systems, providing more effective andgender sensitive services in VCD.
6. Use of the methodology has produced at least 5 documented examples of possible win-win strategies for combining pro poor value chain upgrading with gender justice in each value chain
7. Training material and various models of integrating the methodology developed for at least 2 different chains, organisations and interventions.
8. Engagement and initial capacity developed in staff of a tertiary research /education institutes to involve marginal women and men farmers in planning and implementation of research and outreach projects.
9. Opportunities for wider upscaling of the participatory methodology (including gender dimensions) identified in IFAD and Oxfam supported projects, initial steps for integration in at least 2 IFAD supported projects.