Resilience and Economic Growth in the Sahel – Accelerated Growth (REGIS-AG) Monthly Report May 2016

AID-625-C-14-00001. The project is implemented by Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) and aims to promote resilience and economic growth in the Sahel region. Key activities in Niger include facilitating the participation of cowpea processors in the 23rd annual craft festival in Niamey, opening 25 Literacy Centers in the program implementation area, and organizing workshops linking actors in the small ruminants value chain. The project also secured land reclaimed by REGIS-ER under Component 5. In Burkina Faso, the project trained 33 Business Development Service (BDS) providers and 31 Livestock Auxiliaries in the Centre-Nord and Est regions. The project also supported the development of a Strategic Plan for Interprofessional Organizations to facilitate marketing at the national and international levels. In Burkina Faso, the project improved marketing channels for poultry through identifying someone in charge of marketing in each producer group and linking producers to trained collectors in one market event in each country. The REGIS-AG project has made significant progress in implementing its activities in both Niger and Burkina Faso. In Niger, the project has completed the identification of Livestock Auxiliaries (AE) in Torodi and Makalodi, and has secured land for women farmers through lobbying, donation, and loan agreements. In Burkina Faso, the project has completed the training of 33 BDS providers and has identified beneficiaries for literacy training. Meetings and visits played a crucial role in the implementation of the project. In Niger, the project team met with USAID officials to discuss progress and challenges, and received a visit from the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) Jenna Diallo and USAID Niger Agriculture Officer Jennifer Karsner. In Burkina Faso, the project team participated in two RISE workshops with partners and attended a gender sensitization workshop and best practices in gender mainstreaming. The REGIS-AG project has made significant progress in promoting resilience and economic growth in the Sahel region. The project's focus on farmer training programs, infrastructure development, and market linkage facilitation has contributed to improved crop yields and increased household income among project participants. The project's efforts to improve marketing channels for poultry and support the development of a Strategic Plan for Interprofessional Organizations have also contributed to the project's success.