1. HarvestPlus Reaching End
Users Project
By Sylvia Magezi
November 6th , 2010

2. OBJECTIVES
 To promote the production, consumption and
marketing of OFSP with the aim of reducing VAD
 Develop and implement a cost-effective strategies
for farmer adoption and consumer acceptance of
orange flesh sweet potato (OFSP)
 Measure impacts and draw lessons learned for
future efforts

3. FOCUS OF THE PRESENTATION
Activities undertaken
Level of women participation
Impacts of intervention

4. GETTING STARTED
Selection of
operational
areas
Selection of
partners
Selection of
farmer groups
BUKEDEA
L. Victoria
L.Albert
L. Kyoga
L. Edward
L. George
SO
R
O
TI
KUMI
KAMULI
LUWEERO
MUKONO
KAYUNGAÊÚ
ÊÚ
ÊÚ
Kampala
Jinja
Mbale
Implementation Areas
Non-OFSP Areas
ÊÚ Major Towns
LEGEND
ÊÚ
ÊÚ
ÊÚ
N
50 0 50 Kilometers

5. SELECTION OF FARMER GROUPS /
BENEFICIARIES
 One of the project objectives was to address the
vitamin A status of women and children
 Site selection targeted groups that had mothers
with children under 5 years of age.
 Farmer groups selected had quite a high proportion
of women –above 50%
 Crop (sweet potatoes ) usually grown by women for
household consumption

6. IMPLEMENTATION STRUCTURE
Senior Project
Staff
Project Staff
based in
partner
institution
Community
Volunteers
Villages
Team
Specialists
Extension
Staff
Agric
Promoters
Nutrition
Promoters
Farmer Groups

7. PROMOTERS/VOLUNTEERS
 Because of the crop, women
took part in activities
 Directly benefitted from training
(knowledge and skills)
 Were engaged in making
products for sale and selling
vines
 Were at the fore front of
planning and evaluating the
activities
Promoter Ratio
Male : Female
Agric 2 1
Nutrition 1 3
Total 3 4
Female involvement Promoter ratio

8. WOMEN IN PRODUCTION
 High percentage of
farmers were women
(twice as much)
 Crop considered one
for Hh consumption
and not income
 When men realized
women were earning
they got interested

9. COOKING DEMOS WITH NUTRITION
PROMOTERS
•Targeted mothers and
caregivers
•Conducted nutrition
education focusing on
maternal and child
nutrition.

10. DRAMA AND SONGS BY WOMEN
• Mainly done by
women
• Men involved in
leading and playing
music instruments
-

11. MARKETING THE OFSP ROOTS
 Bicycle traders
 Village retailers
 Market traders

12. SWEET POTATO TRADERS BY GENDER
Type of trader Male Female
Bicycle traders 20 0
Farmer traders 2 14
Retailers 22 79
Wholesalers 4 16
Total 48 110
 Apart from the
bicycle traders all
other traders are
predominantly
women
 True for both
markets in towns
and in the village

13. RESULTS
 Built their capacity and confidence
 Took on leadership roles in the community
 Sold vines –some built and roofed their houses with
iron sheets
 Took on making OFSP products and today earn
some income
 Sell OFSP roots at homes and in near by markets

14. CONCLUSIONS
The project contributed to:
 decreasing gender inequalities – (both men and
women had access to training)
 Decreasing asset disparities because both male
and female sold their vines, and OFSP roots and
bought assets and
 Improved livelihoods. However
 Social relations in households were affected both
negatively and positively

15. CONTINUED ACTIVITIES
 Expanding to new areas - 2 districts
 Adding iron rich beans to the
OFSP
 Targeting 10,000 beneficiaries this year in the new
areas
 Continuing support to the old areas to enable them
continue marketing

16. THANK YOU