Agriculture Market Development Initiative: A HANDS sub-program
The Problem: Liberia’s food supply has been unstable and thus a concern for a number of years. After years of civil war, 85% of Liberians have no access to healthcare, 70% depend solely on agriculture for their food production, and 50% are at ‘poor’ or ‘borderline’ food consumption. As a result, the country is at 80% Food Insecurity.
The Solution: In partnership with OIC International, our team implemented a Food-for-Work program as a part of the USAID/OICI HANDS (Health, Agriculture, Nutrition, Development and Sustainability) program. With a focus on agricultural market development, our team developed vocational training and micro-grants initiatives, as well as provided food to community members in return for working on projects that benefited the community. This included: road rehabilitation and infrastructure reconstruction work programs, small jumpstart grants, intertwined with extensive agricultural training, mentoring and coaching, followed by the distribution of $100 micro-grants.
The Impact: Micro-grants given to 422 farmers; 123 community members employed through the food-for-work program; 6 new shelters, 2 bridges and several latrines constructed.
Funder: USAID Food for Progress, through OIC International
Duration: 2010-2012
