Partners For Development

TO WORK WITH VULNERABLE AND UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.

BENIN PROGRAM:AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PFD'S APPROACH TO AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN PINEAPPLE PROCESSING FOR EXPORT (PINEX)TO ENSURE THAT TRAINING OF PINEAPPLE FARMERS ON BEST PRACTICES CONTINUES, DURING 2020 AND 2021, PFD CONTINUED TO TRAIN THE TECHNICAL STAFF OF THE LARGEST PINEAPPLE PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION, PPNB, AND 40 MASTER FARMERS, WHO ARE THE MOST EXPERIENCED PINEAPPLE PRODUCERS AND WILLING TO SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE WITH OTHER PRODUCERS ON PINEX'S 45 DEMONSTRATION PLOTS AND 100 DEMONSTRATION FIELDS, BOTH OF WHICH ARE USED AS FARMER FIELD SCHOOLS. BECAUSE OF COVID-19 IN 2020, PFD STARTED PRODUCING LEARNING VIDEOS THAT THE MASTER FARMERS USE TO TRAIN INDIVIDUAL FARMERS AND SMALL GROUPS.PROCESSING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTSPFD IS ALSO BUILDING THE CAPACITIES OF PINEAPPLE JUICE AND DRIED FRUIT PROCESSORS AND THE LARGEST PROCESSOR ASSOCIATION, CETRAB, TO IMPROVE PRODUCT QUALITY AND MEET REGIONAL AND EUROPEAN MARKET DEMAND. DURING 2021, EIGHT PROCESSING COMPANIES SECURED THE FOOD SAFETY CERTIFICATION HAZARD ANALYSIS CRITICAL CONTROL POINT (HACCP), AND THE TWO LARGEST PROCESSING COMPANIES EARNED INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION (ISO) 22000, REQUIRED BY INTERNATIONAL MARKETS. THOUGH PFD PROVIDES MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL TRAINING, CREDIT TO ENABLE PRODUCERS TO PROCURE INPUTS SUCH AS FERTILIZER AND SEEDLINGS LOANS ARE ISSUED DIRECTLY BY PARTNER MICRO FINANCE INSTITUTIONS. TO ENSURE LONG-TERM SALES OF FRESH PINEAPPLE AND PROCESSED PRODUCTS, PFD ASSISTS EXPORTERS AND PROCESSORS TO EXECUTE CONTRACTS WITH RETAIL AND WHOLESALE BUYERS IN REGIONAL AND EUROPEAN MARKETS. PRODUCERS INCREASED FRESH PINEAPPLE VOLUME SOLD ON REGIONAL AND EUROPEAN MARKETS AND TO PROCESSORS TO 597,079 MT AND FOR A TOTAL VALUE OF OVER $66 MILLION.PINEAPPLE PRODUCTS SALES ALSO INCREASED ON REGIONAL AND EUROPEAN MARKETS WITH THE VOLUME OF PINEAPPLE JUICE INCREASING TO 28,106 MT OF JUICE AND VALUED AT $28,239,434 AND DRIED PINEAPPLE SALES INCREASED IN VOLUME TO 123 MT WITH A VALUE OF $886,961. 20,030 MORE JOBS WERE CREATED, MAINLY FOR WOMEN AND YOUTH. 640 HECTARES OF PINEAPPLE FIELDS CERTIFIED GLOBALG.A.P., A FOOD SAFETY CERTIFICATION REQUIRED BY EUROPEAN FRUIT MARKETS.76 JUICE AND DRIED FRUIT COMPANIES WERE USING LEARNED TECHNIQUES OF MODERN PROCESSING, AND BEST PRACTICES FOR GOOD HYGIENE, AND EIGHT COMPANIES HAD EARNED INTERNATIONAL FOOD SAFETY CERTIFICATION OF HAZARD ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINT (HACCP). OVER 5,400 PINEAPPLE FARMERS ARE APPLYING NEW TECHNIQUES OR TECHNOLOGIES AND PRACTICING IMPROVED FARM, AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. INTRODUCED NEW VARIETIES OF PINEAPPLE TO BENIN, WITH 2,000 QUEEN VICTORIA PLANTS SUCCESSFULLY GROWN ON 45 DEMONSTRATION PLOTS AND WITH AN ADDITIONAL 100 DEMONSTRATION FIELDS USED AS FARMER FIELD SCHOOLS TO TEACH BEST PINEAPPLE PRODUCTION PRACTICES. PARTNERING WITH CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES (CRS) IN BENIN ON SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAMSIN 2021, PFD COMPLETED A THREE YEAR CONTRACT WITH CRS TO ASSIST IN ITS SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM IN NORTHERN BENIN. THAT SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND IT PROVIDES HOT MEALS IN OVER 140 SCHOOLS WITH MORE THAN 43,000 SCHOOLCHILDREN. PFD WORKED WITH FARMERS AND FARMER ASSOCIATIONS TO ESTABLISH OR STRENGTHEN TWELVE COMMUNITY FARMS WHOSE PRODUCTION OF CORN, RICE, AND VEGETABLES SUPPLEMENTED MEALS PROVIDED BY USG FOOD AID. SOME OF THE FARM PRODUCTION WAS ALSO SOLD AT LOCAL MARKETS, THUS HELPING COMMUNITY ECONOMIES. PFD ALSO ASSISTED IN THE PROMOTION OF SOLAR DRYERS FOR CROPS AFTER HARVEST AND TRAINED FARMERS IN IMPROVED POST-HARVEST TECHNIQUES. ASSISTING TECHNOSERVE IN BENIN IN JUICE PROCESSING ALSO IN 2021, PFD COMPLETED WORK WITH TECHNOSERVE TO IMPROVE JUICE PROCESSING THROUGH FOUR OBJECTIVES:1. IMPROVE CASHEW APPLE JUICE PROCESSING, JUICE QUALITY AND FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS BY WORKING WITH TEN COMPANIES IN ENHANCED LOGISTICS AND COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS.2. TRAIN OVER FIFTY STAFF IN TEN JUICE COMPANIES IN HYGIENE AND PROCESSING BEST PRACTICES.3. CREATE A MORE PALATABLE BLEND OF SWEETER PINEAPPLE JUICE AND ASTRINGENT CASHEW-APPLE JUICE (CASHEWS ON TREES HAVE A LARGER "APPLE" UNDERNEATH WHOSE JUICE CAN BE EXTRUDED).4. TRAIN CASHEW APPLE JUICE COMPANIES IN MARKETING AND BRANDING AND ASSIST THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN MARKET TOURS AND TRADE FAIRS, INCLUDING IN BENIN ITSELF AND IN NIGER AND SENEGAL. THE IMPACT OF PFD'S TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE CASHEW APPLE JUICE PROCESSORS WAS SHOWN IN ITS CASHEW APPLE PRODUCTIVITY AND SALES. WHEREAS THE COMPANIES COLLECTIVELY PRODUCED 40,000 EIGHT-OUNCE BOTTLES IN 2019 PRIOR TO THE LAUNCH OF THE PROJECT, CASHEW APPLE JUICE PRODUCTION INCREASED TO 45,655 BOTTLES IN 2020 AND TO 67,589 EIGHT-OUNCE BOTTLES IN 2021 REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF 67% OVER THE 2019 PRODUCTION. THE CASHEW APPLE JUICE SALES ALSO INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING 2020 AND 2021, WITH THE COMPANIES COLLECTIVELY SELLING 62,970 EIGHT-OUNCE BOTTLES OF CASHEW APPLE JUICE AND CASHEW APPLE-PINEAPPLE BLENDED JUICE.MICROFINANCE ACTIVITIESDURING 2021, PINEX PROVIDED $670,000 IN 878 LOANS TO PINEAPPLE PRODUCERS THROUGH MFI PARTNERS ALIDE, RENACA, AND UNACREP. IN OCTOBER 2021, PINEX EXECUTED NEW AGREEMENTS WITH FIVE OTHER LOCAL PARTNERS - FECECAM, REPAB, IRA/PROMO FRUITS, PEBCO AND COMUBA. THE LARGER NUMBER OF PARTNERS WILL ENABLE PINEX TO MEET INCREASING DEMAND FROM PINEAPPLE PRODUCERS FOR CREDIT. TO ENSURE PROPER OVERSIGHT WITH THIS GREATER NUMBER OF MFI, PFD HIRED A SECOND FINANCE AND CREDIT OFFICER AND ALSO PROVIDED ADDITIONAL TRAINING TO SIX FIELD AGENTS WITH REPAB, THE PRODUCERS' ASSOCIATION.PFD CONTINUES TO ASSIST OPERATIONS OF PROCESSING COMPANIES THROUGH ACCESS TO CREDIT, AND AS OF DECEMBER 2021, PINEX'S MFI PARTNERS FINADEV, RENECA AND FECECAM HAD PROVIDED AN ADDITIONAL 24 LOANS TO PROCESSORS TO PURCHASE SUPPLIES SUCH AS BOTTLES, LABELS AND FRESH PINEAPPLE. THE VALUE OF THE LOANS WAS $82,181, WITH AN AVERAGE LOAN VALUE OF $3,425.MARKETING VALUE-ADDED PINEAPPLE PRODUCTSPFD ALSO ASSISTS BENIN'S PINEAPPLE FARMERS AND PROCESSING COMPANIES BY CONDUCTING MARKETING TOURS AND WITH MANY OF THE COMPANIES PARTICIPATING IN NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT FAIRS.DURING 2020 AND 2021, PFD ASSISTED OVER 30 PINEAPPLE PROCESSING AND FRESH PINEAPPLE EXPORTING COMPANIES TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL EVENTS SUCH AS THE AGRI-FINANCE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT EXHIBITION, REGIONAL FAIRS SUCH AS THE DAKAR INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL FAIR AND THE INTERNATIONAL FRUIT LOGISTICA TRADE FAIR IN BERLIN.THOUGH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC PREVENTED REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL FROM MARCH 2020 TO MARCH 2021, PINEAPPLE PRODUCTS CONTINUED TO BE EXPORTED TO REGIONAL BUYERS. FROM SEPTEMBER 2020 TO SEPTEMBER 2021 FRESH PINEAPPLE EXPORTERS SOLD $7,353,475 TO EUROPEAN MARKETS AND PINEAPPLE JUICE AND DRIED FRUIT PROCESSORS SOLD $10,029,090 TO NATIONAL AND REGIONAL BUYERS.

NIGERIA PROGRAM:IN AUGUST 2021, PFD WON A $3.5 MILLION, 36-MONTH AWARD FROM THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID) TO IMPLEMENT THE WATER IMPROVEMENT AND SANITATION ENHANCEMENT (WISE) PROJECT IN JIGAWA AND KANO STATES IN NORTHERN NIGERIA. PFD IS COLLABORATING WITH THE GOVERNMENTS OF JIGAWA AND KANO STATES THROUGH THE STATE RURAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION AGENCIES (RUWASSAS) TO IMPLEMENT WISE IN KAUGAMA AND MIGA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS (LGAS) IN JIGAWA STATE, AND GEZAWA AND KARAYE LGAS IN KANO STATE. THE GOAL OF WISE IS TO REDUCE THE OCCURRENCE AND IMPACT OF WATERBORNE DISEASES AMONG 145,000 RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, WOMEN, AND THE ELDERLY IN 100 UNDERSERVED AND RURAL COMMUNITIES IN JIGAWA AND KANO.THROUGH THE INSTALLATION OF OVER 100 IMPROVED WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE (WASH) FACILITIES, WISE AIMS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO BASIC WATER AND SANITATION SERVICES, WHILE ENHANCING UPTAKE OF SAFE HYGIENE BEHAVIORS. WISE WILL ALSO BE STRENGTHENING CAPACITY OF WASH-SUPPORT INSTITUTIONS INCLUDING RUWASSA, LGA, AND COMMUNITY WASH COMMITTEES (WASHCOMS) THAT ARE CRITICAL FOR SUSTAINABLE RURAL WASH SERVICE DELIVERY.AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2021 PFD HAS MOBILIZED AND SENSITIZED GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL IN KAUGAMA AND MIGA LGAS AND GEZAWA AND KARAYE LGAS; BENEFICIARIES, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS ON THE OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED RESULTS OF WISE.PFD HAS CONDUCTED BASELINE SURVEYS IN 102 COMMUNITIES, THE REPORT OF WHICH WILL SERVE AS A VALUABLE TOOL FOR IMPLEMENTERS AND DONOR TO ASSESS PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WISE AND ALSO AS REFERENCE FOR KEY DATA. ALSO, PFD HAS SELECTED, TRAINED, AND SIGNED MOUS WITH EIGHT COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOS), THE TWO STATE RUWASSAS, AND THE FOUR TARGET LGA WASH DEPARTMENTS TO COMPLIMENT WISE IMPLEMENTATION.INVESTMENT IN DELTA STATE AQUACULTURE (IDSA) PROJECTIN MAY 2021, PFD EXECUTED A 24-MONTH, $500,000 GRANT AGREEMENT WITH THE WEST AFRICA TRADE AND INVESTMENT HUB (WATIH) THAT IS FUNDED BY USAID TO IMPLEMENT THE "INVESTMENT IN DELTA STATE AQUACULTURE" (IDSA) PROJECT. IDSA IS IMPROVING THE PRODUCTIVITY, TRADE, AND STABILIZING EMPLOYMENT IN THE AQUACULTURE (PARTICULARLY CATFISH) VALUE CHAIN IN THREE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS (LGA) OF DELTA STATE IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA. PFD IS PROVIDING PRIVATE SECTOR MATCHING FUND OF $1.1M THAT WILL BE DISBURSED, AS LOANS, THROUGH TWO MICRO FINANCE PARTNERS LIFT ABOVE POVERTY ORGANIZATION (LAPO) AND EMERAID DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (EDI) TO IDSA BENEFICIARIES SPECIFICALLY A) 600 SMALL-SCALE CATFISH PRODUCERS; B) 15 HATCHERY OPERATORS, AND 15 FISH FEED DISTRIBUTORS. ALSO, IDSA IS PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON IMPROVED AQUACULTURE PRACTICES AND BUSINESS SKILLS AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TO THESE THREE GROUPS OF BENEFICIARIES AS WELL AS EIGHT FISH FARMERS ASSOCIATIONS AND 10 GOVERNMENT AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION PERSONNEL IN THE TARGET LOCATIONS.AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2021, IDSA HAS TRAINED 533 OF THE TARGET 600 FISH FARMERS ON IMPROVED AQUACULTURE PRACTICES, BUSINESS SKILLS, AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: STRENGTHENING CAPACITY OF EIGHT FISH FARMERS ASSOCIATIONS AND COOPERATIVES, ON RESOURCE MOBILIZATION, ENHANCING GROUP DYNAMICS, AND IMPROVING BASIC ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE THEIR SUSTAINABILITY. ALSO, PFD HAS STRENGTHENED TECHNICAL CAPACITY OF 19 GOVERNMENT AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION OFFICERS THAT PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO THESE FISH FARMERS. TO HELP MITIGATE THE ADVERSE EFFECT OF COVID-19 ON THEIR OPERATIONS, IDSA HAS PROVIDED $61,192. IN BRIDGE FINANCING (GRANT) TO 458 SMALL-SCALE CATFISH FISH FARMERS (40%OF THEM BEING WOMEN) AND $9,692 TO THE 15 HATCHERIES (THREE OF WHICH ARE WOMEN OWNED). THROUGH AN MOU BETWEEN IDSA AND EACH BENEFICIARY, RECIPIENTS HAVE COMMITTED TO USING THE BRIDGE FINANCE TO PURCHASE FEED OR SEED STOCK TO EXPAND THEIR FARM OPERATIONS.GIRLS SCHOLARSHIP BEFORE ANNE JOHNSON'S SUDDEN DEATH FROM CANCER AT AGE 57 IN DECEMBER 2013, SHE HAD A DISTINGUISHED CAREER IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND WORKED FOR PARTNERS FOR DEVELOPMENT (PFD) FOR SEVERAL YEARS, INCLUDING AS ITS NIGERIA COUNTRY PROGRAM DIRECTOR. ANNE WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT MANY SUBJECTS, INCLUDING GIRLS' EDUCATION IN NIGERIA. AS A RESULT, PFD WISHED TO HONOR ANNE'S MEMORY BY ESTABLISHING THE ANNE JOHNSON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND (AJMSF) AS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR 2014 -15. THIS WAS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH GENEROUS DONATIONS, MAINLY FROM ANNE'S FAMILY AND FRIENDS, INITIALLY TOTALING ABOUT $40,000, BUT SINCE INCEPTION OVER $60,000 FROM MORE THAN 50 INDIVIDUALS OR INSTITUTIONS. THE FUND PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FEMALE STUDENTS IN NIGERIA, MAINLY AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL. BY THE CLOSE OF THE 2020-21 SCHOOL YEAR, PFD HAD PROVIDED 212 SCHOLARSHIPS WITH ABOUT ANOTHER 50 PLANNED FOR THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR.

CAMBODIA PROGRAM:DURING THE PERIOD 1992-2021, PFD HAS WON APPROXIMATELY $24.5 MILLION IN 46 GRANTS AND CONTRACTS FROM PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DONORS FOR PROJECT ACTIVITIES IN CAMBODIA. THESE ACTIVITIES HAVE POSITIVELY IMPACTED SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND CAMBODIANS IN 16 OF CAMBODIA'S 25 PROVINCES. AS OF 2022, WE CONTINUE IN CAMBODIA, MAINLY WORKING IN IMPROVED ACCESS TO CREDIT FOR POORER HOUSEHOLDS.