Quarterly Report: Socioeconomic Reintegration of Vulnerable Rural Malian Households

The project team conducted activities related to the selection of beneficiaries, preparation of vouchers, and preparation of beneficiary cards for rice farmers in the project area. The team also supported the Monitoring & Evaluation team in conducting market analysis and rice value chain analysis. The project team held meetings with selected NGOs, the State Technical Services, and local authorities in Niafunké to inform community members and local leaders on the project's objectives and discuss expectations in relation to the project's intervention modalities in agriculture, livestock, and income-generating activities. The project team also organized 10 fairs in major markets with a supplier to provide certified seed and good quality fertilizer to project beneficiaries. According to the supplier, a significant quantity of certified seed was sold to others in addition to the vouchers provided by the project. In relation to gardening, 111 functional perimeters in the project area were identified for assessment, and a list of all business operators has been established. Communities validation sessions are underway to determine the final beneficiaries and the amount of seeds and other needed inputs. For livestock restoration, beneficiary targeting is ongoing and will focus on geographical areas with an economy based on livestock breeding. The project encountered some challenges, including robberies on market days, the presence of seed-eating birds in the town of Dianke, and the late onset of rain in some municipalities, which disrupted farmers' agricultural schedule. The project team also encountered difficulties in identifying a supplier for certified seed due to low cash capacity among local retailers and the unavailability of certified seed. The project has made progress in achieving its objectives, with 1000 vulnerable households benefiting from agricultural inputs for rice production, including 138 households headed by women. These households are composed of 9712 members, of which 3217 are women. The project has also influenced positively the local tradition by ensuring the direct participation of 11% of women in rice production. The project's monitoring and tracking table shows that some targets are not on track, including the projected increase in the number of months of food self-sufficiency due to distributed seed systems/agricultural input for beneficiary households and the number of people benefiting from seed systems/agricultural input activities, by sex. However, the project has made progress in other areas, including the number of people assisted through livelihood restoration activities, disaggregated by sex, and the total USD amount channeled into the program area through sub-sector activities. The main activities for the next quarter include the continuation of beneficiary targeting and voucher process for livestock activities, the organization of post-distribution and evaluation surveys, and the reporting of quantitative data on targets.