Quarterly Report FY2019 Quarter 1 – 10/01/2018 to 12/31/2018

The program, implemented by Lutheran World Relief (LWR) in partnership with various organizations, seeks to leverage private sector investment and innovations to increase and sustain household incomes, assets, and adaptive capacity. The program's objectives include strengthening the organizational capacity of farmer associations to sustain member services, manage risks, and leverage business opportunities. To achieve this, LWR has been working with its implementing partners, including Union Adaltchi, Union Amintchi, Union Nazari, and Contribution à l'Education de Base (CEB), to provide technical support on crop and animal production, access to financial services, organizational capacity, and marketing strategies. During the first quarter of FY2019, LWR performed upgrades and migrated new content to the project's Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Hub. The organization also coordinated with Airtel on mobile money accounts and plans for SIM card distribution. Additionally, LWR hosted a reflection workshop for staff and partners in October 2018 and worked with external enumerators to collect annual project performance data using smartphones and the ICT Hub. The program has made significant progress in achieving its objectives. According to the quarterly report, the proportion of households resilient to a shock experienced the previous year increased to 130.0% in Q1 FY19, exceeding the annual target of 60%. The number of individuals participating in USG food security programs also increased, with 4,145 people participating in Q1 FY19, representing 41.5% of the annual target. Furthermore, the value of new USG commitments and private sector investment leveraged by the USG to support food security and nutrition reached $2,717,000 USD in Q1 FY19, exceeding the annual target of $5.5 million USD. The program's implementing partners have also made significant progress in achieving their objectives. Union Nazari and CEB, for example, supported 12 market gardens managed by different women's groups, each receiving a start-up kit of moringa oleifera seed and basic tools. The program's Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (EMMP) and gender monitoring plans are also being implemented, with LWR providing technical support to partners. Overall, the 12/12 Alliance for Year-Round Resilience in Tahoua and Maradi, Niger is making significant progress in achieving its objectives and improving the resilience of households in the target areas. The program's implementing partners are working together to leverage private sector investment and innovations to increase and sustain household incomes, assets, and adaptive capacity. The program's geographic coverage includes 10 communes and 115 villages located in agro-pastoral and marginal agriculture livelihood zones of Iléla, Konni, and Malbaza departments (Tahoua region) and Dakoro (Maradi region) in Niger. The program's timeframes are from December 23, 2016, to January 22, 2021, with the reporting period covering October 1-December 31, 2018. The program's implementing partners include Union Adaltchi, Union Amintchi, Union Nazari, Contribution à l'Education de Base (CEB), Baharti Airtel Ltd, Ecobank, SH Biaugeaud, Margaret A. Cargill Foundation (MACF), and others. The program's major counterpart organizations/alliance partners include Baharti Airtel Ltd, Ecobank, SH Biaugeaud, Margaret A. Cargill Foundation (MACF), and others. The program's key findings and methodologies include the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to support project implementation, the establishment of market gardens managed by different women's groups, and the implementation of the Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (EMMP) and gender monitoring plans. The program's implementation details include the provision of technical support to partners, the coordination with Airtel on mobile money accounts and plans for SIM card distribution, and the hosting of a reflection workshop for staff and partners. The program's geographic focus and context include the agro-pastoral and marginal agriculture livelihood zones of Iléla, Konni, and Malbaza departments (Tahoua region) and Dakoro (Maradi region) in Niger. The program's timeframes are from December 23, 2016, to January 22, 2021, with the reporting period covering October 1-December 31, 2018. The program's recommendations include the continued implementation of the Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (EMMP) and gender monitoring plans, the scaling-up of work on organizational capacity development with three Unions in Dakoro, and the continued provision of technical support to partners.