AAAP in the Media
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Project to Support a Resilient Agriculture Value Chain Development in Congo and DRC (PRAFS)
The Republic of Congo (ROC) and the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC) are 2 of the 6 countries that make up the Congo Basin – an area with the second largest tropical rainforest in the world. These two countries are therefore, home to a huge diversity of plants and animals that span across a variety of landscapes (including a mosaic of rivers, forests, savannas, swamps and flooded forests). The area has a huge agrosylvo-pastoral and fishery production potential, and is a vector for the promotion of the agroindustry as well as for creating benefit leading to a strengthening of the rural economy.
The objective of this project is to ensure that the existing agricultural landscape is better able to support any potential increase in demand for land and water resources while simultaneously ensuring an effective resilience to climate change. This should minimise the need for expansion of farmland into existing forest landscapes thereby avoiding forest degradation, deforestation, thereby reducing emissions and enhancing forest carbon stocks. The project includes three main components: (i) Enhancing the sustainability of agricultural landscapes; (ii) Capacity building, awareness raising and dissemination; and (iii) project coordination and management.
- Feasibility study on integrating DCAS into agricultural extension and design of the agrometeorological advisory flow and required investments for successful scaling up of advisory to small-scale farmers
- Identification of capacity building and enabling interventions to ensure uptake by of DCAS
- Training of producer organisations in the appropriate use of selected technologies
- Collaborating with ICS producers within the country to train female producer organisations in the production and distribution of improved cooking stoves
- Pilot study undertaken to test the potential of developing smoke-flavored products working with the local fish research institute
- Provision of 15 solar drying systems to 15 improved maize planting material producer groups of to facilitate the post-harvest processing and storage
- Provide 100 cassava producer groups with solar drying systems to facilitate processing and storage and bio
- Training of 60 farmer field school facilitators
- Establishment and running of farmer field schools
- 2 355 000 beneficiaries, which make up 2.5% of the population
- Enhanced abilities of regional and local-level decision-makers to promote appropriate agroforestry-based climate resilient technologies
- Promotion of increased climate resilient agricultural production landscapes using innovative technologies
- Promotion of producers, women and youth’s organizations
- Capacity development of personnel involved at different levels of planning and execution of agroforestry schemes and the farmers
- Strengthened institutional capacities to improve ecosystem services through agroforestry and enhance the climate-resilience of production landscapes
- Local communities, farmers and farmer groups trained in the management of climate-resilient agroforestry landscapes
- Use of energy efficient technologies for post-harvest processing promoted
USD 217.6 Million
Liberia -Program for Advancing Youth Entrepreneurship Investment (PAYEI)
In Liberia, the unemployment rate is estimated at 85% with the youth (15-35 years) accounting for 75%. The youth population (15-35 years) is growing 3% per annum on average and currently makes up nearly 40% of the country’s total population of about 5.2 million. Out of the young working population, 90% face vulnerable or irregular employment. Youth, not in employment, education, and training (NEET) amount to 45% of youth (15-24 years).
Employment creation in Liberia faces extraordinary challenges. A significant number of youths are engaged in the development of MSMEs – or aspire to be – yet many of them operate in the informal sector with low productivity due to limited access to financial and non-financial services which are hindering their growth. While limited education and industry and business skills may be impeding youth entrepreneurship and MSME development, weak infrastructure, limited finance, low institutional capacity, and other structural issues are limiting the prospects for rapid and sustainable MSME development and the generation of jobs
The overarching goal of the project is to foster an optimal environment for the development and promotion of youth entrepreneurship and youth-led businesses in Liberia by establishing sustainable vehicles and mechanisms to deploy financial services and non-Financial Services. This is achieved through:
- Establishing governance and stewardship for entrepreneurship
- Strengthening support to entrepreneurship and SME development
- Unlocking accessible financing to young entrepreneurs, youth-led growing small businesses and established SMEs.
- Conducting labor market assessment to identify potential adaptation jobs using an established adaptation taxonomy
- Building capacity in enterprises for climate resilient jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities in adaptation by embedding training into local institutions such as TVET centres
- Propose recommendations to create adaptation jobs through existing MDB investments in the country
- Create at least 1050 direct jobs (including 30% climate adaptation jobs)
- Support at least 300 Youth-led enterprises
- At least 1000 youth to be trained in entrepreneurship and business development to secure formal work or self-employment
- Improved support systems and frameworks for entrepreneurship that ensure young entrepreneurs, youth-led growing small businesses, and established SMEs receive the necessary guidance, mentorship, and resources to thrive
- Enhanced ecosystem that provides comprehensive support to entrepreneurs and SMEs. This includes access to business development services, training programs, networking opportunities, and technical assistance
USD 17 Million (African Development Bank, OPEC, EU)