World Relief "seeds of hope" project

The program originally targeted 26,260 families in the districts of Chokwe, Guija, and Mabalane (areas in which World Relief"s child survival program operates), but was later expanded to include more than 8,000 additional families in the districts of Chicualacuala and Massengena. Overall, World Relief distributed 34,227 agricultural packs (seeds and tools) in more than 53 different villages. Activities included the procurement, transport, wholesale distribution, and final delivery of the seeds and tools to the recipient families through ground, rail, air, and sea transport. The primary funding for the program was a grant from the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA). Additional funding was provided by other charitable organizations and NGOs with whom World Relief developed partnerships. The initial PACD was 3/31, but environmental, procurement, and weather factors and OFDA"s expansion of the program to two additional districts delayed completion to 5/11. Early indications from a final evaluation currently in process are favorable, as maize yields are plentiful due to the substantial subsoil moisture and silt deposited by the floods. Additionally, the 16 May issue of "Noticias", the premier newspaper in Mozambique, hailed the collaborative efforts of OFDA and World Relief as successful and dramatic. Recognized as leaders in the agricultural relief efforts, both organizations were lauded for the comprehensive seed and tool program that reached these five districts and met the needs of these rural communities.