Gender focused service provision and its impact

IPMS Goma experienceBy Yisehak Baredo

Presented at the Gender and Market Oriented Agriculture (AgriGender 2011) Workshop

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

31st January–2nd February 2011

Map of Goma

Fact files of GomaFact files of Goma

Location : 389 km south west of Addis Jima zone Oromya region

Area 962 KM Agro-ecology

Wet Woina Dega 96% Wet Kola 4%

Wet Dega ---%

Rainfall Min.1791mm Max. 2021mm Temp Min.13 mm Max. 21mm

Population 247,326 (49% women) Farming HH 45,567 Female headed farming HH 10,034

36 PAs 2 Coffee state farms

ApproachesIPMS used a district level participatory market oriented commodity

identification and development planning approach, aimed at identifying

i. Main farming systems, ii. Potential marketable commodities and livestock

commodities by farming system,iii. Problems, potentials and interventions for each

value chain component iv. Value chain stakeholder assessment with

potential (new) roles and linkages.

IPMS’s philosophy in rural development

Commodity Value Chain development approach Productivity and production

New technologies New approaches New practices Skill and knowledge

Inputs supply component for the specific commodity What inputs are needed How could the inputs easily be available Constraints from input providers side Capacity building for input suppliers (skill, knowledge, financial) Linking producers and inputs suppliers

Financing the rural to acquire technologies and inputs

Linking to markets

Targeting female farmers Female farmers are given special attention

Either putting as one of the criteria to engage more women

Or influencing target farmers

FS and Priority Commodities IdentifiedFS and Priority Commodities Identified

Farming systems1. Coffee livestock complex2. Crop livestock complex

Priority Commodities Coffee Apiculture Fruits Fattening of both small and large ruminants Poultry Dairy***

Achievements

Small ruminants fattening

Fattening is not a new practice but tow critical constraints identified were:

Elongated fattening period in most cases 6 months or more

Death accident of fattening animals which exposes target farmers to loss of assets and/or indebtedness in case the fattening animal is bought through credit.

Gender focused targeting in Kilole PA Total target was 120 One to one male to female ratio was expected More than 5 consecutive meetings were held to realize

more female In the first awareness development meeting out 150

farmers who turned up only 8 were female Male farmers were very reluctant to allow female to take

a lead Male suggested that female farmers could have training

but should not sign for credit and collect the cash by their own.

When they understand the firm stand of facilitators towards female participation

the mood of male farmers changed by saying

“Let our wives sign for the loan and get the money as you suggest but we will see from where you can get your money back”

However, after intense effort 50 female farmers appeared

But 12 slipped due to various pressure and 38 female farmers become member

Services provided

1. Training on fattening technique was provided to all female farmers

2. Credit amounting 1500.ETB was

provided to each

And the loan was expected to cover cost of buying 5 sheep, concentrate enough for 3 months, drugs, and community based insurance premium for each farmer

3. Provision of Bonga Breed 3 female and one male fast growing Bonga

breed were provided to one female and one male model farmers.

The purpose is to develop sustainable lamb supply for fattening group

Assessment result of performance

1.Out of 120 farmers the top two in fattening performance were found to be female farmers

W/ro Misku Hadha Faris

2. Compliance to fattening programe Out of 120 target farmers

Only 49 percent of the target farmers managed to buy 5 sheep as recommended,

34% of target farmers bought 4 sheep, 12% bought 3 sheep . Three farmers completely waved the loan to

other livestock schemes such as ox and goats Other three farmers consumed the total loan to

address some other social problems.

However, none of the 38 female target farmers violated the consumption of loan.

3. Compliance to community based livestock

by laws

A reluctant husband was to kill a sick sheep before reporting to community based livestock insurance

His wife who signed for loan resisted the killing and as the result managed to secure insurance for her sheep

4.Repayment status in Kilole PA

Groups Total participants

Gender composition

Loan repayment status

Female % Male %

Group I 38 12 26 11 28.9 26 31.7

Group II 38 15 23 14 36.8 13 15.9

Group II 44 11 33 11 28.9 20 24.4

Total 120 38 82   94.7

72.0

Fruits developmentand gender focused service

Goma farmers are used to produce some tropical fruits production

However planting materials were from unknown sources

Constraints identified were Elongated fruits setting time (7 to 12 years) Poor quality and low yield Total failure to set fruits Disease and pests Female farmers less access to benefit

Proposed interventions were

1. Characterization of the existing tropical fruit tress so that certain action could be taken to improve its productivity

2. Introducing improved varieties which has shorter fruit setting time with better quality and productivity

However due to various reasons only the second option was acted

Strategies adopted

Introducing improved planting materials

from known sourcesMaking the input supply system inbuilt and

sustainableEffecting gender equity so that female

farmers could benefit from tropical fruits production

6 model farmers (3 f,3m) were selected

Experience sharing tour was made to develop awareness on improved tropical fruits production

Tools like fruits cutting knife and seizures were provided

Hands on training on grafting techniques was conducted on model farmers field

Mother trees were established to serve as scion source

PA Farmer name  Income in 2008/9

No. of seedlings Unit price ValueETB

Beshasha Kalid Shifa 1375 25 34,375

Kota Kedija A/Raya 120 25 3000

Kota Fozeia Awol 300 25 7500

Kilole Shito Nasir 100 25 2000

Chedro Suse

Sewde Zeleke 120 25 3000

Kilole Tewofik Nedi 130 25 3,250

   Total  2055   53,125

Income generated by by selling grafted tropical fruits

Impact on livelihood and vision of target female farmers

Some of female farmers started building assets which they never had Fozia bout 0.4 ha coffee plot Kedije bout heifer Misku bout better yield Boran breed cow

All the female farmers witness that the intervention helped the in improving hh food security

W/ro Misku

Sent her daughter to technical school covering school fee, house rent and food

She also improved house hold items such as gust seats (ETB 1500) which she never had

Bought a wooden box to keep her belongings which her husband is proud of

W/ro Shito

Managed to change the relation with her husband which was not good in her earlier time because of her less or no cash contribution

She got much reorganization from her husband because of skill and knowledge in tropical fruits grafting which he had not

W/ro Misku’s vision change

She witness that her earlier vision was to see her family having enough meal

Now She wants to see all her daughters and sons

got higher education and employed Have a hand dug well with hand pump fixed

to easy her water fetching load(This month she got her hand dug well but pump

not yet)

W/ro Kedija

Her husband was secretary for village cooperative office but since the last 10 years no job

She has 15m X 35 m plots only Her only income source was pet-itrade She witness that she hassled a lot to have daily meal Now she secured household food need and bought a

heifer

Thank You