Germany Bread for the World Supports ESAFF

30/09/2010

 The German based charity organization, Bread for the World (BftW) has entered into agreement to support ESAFF to implement its strategic plan 2008-2011. The support worth Euro 50,000 will largely help in strengthening small scale farmers’ national forums and enhance capacity in lobbying and advocacy of the agriculture budget.

The support of BftW came after a due diligence visit by Miss Urlike Binder, a senior officer with the organization. During her visit Ms. Binder had talks with representatives of ESAFF led by the Vice Chairperson of ESAFF M. Mubanga Kasakula (ESAFF Zambia) and The General Secretary Mr. Moses Shaha (ESAFF Kenya) and Elias Kawea of Mviwata – Tanzania.

Speaking after the meeting, the Vice Chaiperson Mr. Kasakula says the focus of the support is to enhance institutional capacity of upcoming national small scale farmers in Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lesotho and Burundi as well as Zambia. The project will strive to see “increased self reliant, active, vibrant and efficient national small scale farmers forums with basic office infrastructures, policies and guidelines, with strong leadership, and human resources to enable to fundraise to achieve their mission of empowering small scale farmers” said Mr. Kasakula.

He added that the objective is to ensure enhanced managerial, technical and organizational capacity of small scale farmers in these countries. Some of the major activities will be to Support national farmers forum to undertake and implement gaps identified in the Self Capacity Assessment (OCA); Facilitate development of interventions to address identified capacity gaps through mentoring and handholding  and assist national farmers forum with OD processes: strategic planning, M&E frameworks and ensure smooth communication among members of ESAFF.

Another area of support will be focus on building and enhancing ability of smallholder farmers to influence agriculture policies, resource allocation/engagement in budgeting processes from districts to national and regional level. Specifically the project will strive to enhance  smallholder farmers participation in government planning and budgeting processes in which at least 10% of the budget will be allocated to the agriculture sector as per the Maputo Declaration of AU of 2003. The process will also enhance engagements between national smallholder farmers forum and parliamentary committee for land, agriculture and rural development to advance farmers advocacy agenda. Another expected result area is on enhanced ability of small scale farmers (SSF) to engage with regional economic groupings (EAC, COMESA, SADC) on agriculture and rural development declarations and policies.