Though peace was declared in 2003, Liberia continues to struggle to recover after 15 years of civil war. Addressing widespread poverty, providing employment for youth and ex-combatants and increasing domestic food production are all substantial needs. Though Liberia has no shortage of fertile land, many people, especially youth, see farming as an occupation of last resort rather than a viable business opportunity. Consequently, Liberia has to import most of its food, resulting in inconsistent supplies and high prices. On average, Liberian households spend 70 percent of their income on food—a situation that will only worsen as global food prices continue to rise, unless local agricultural production increases dramatically. Through the Agriculture for Children’s Empowerment (ACE) Project, ACDI/VOCA is addressing these needs by engaging youth and demonstrating that farming can be a profitable enterprise.
The ACE Project is developing entrepreneurship and bringing farmers into profitable value chains with the goal of increasing income, improving nutrition and enabling caregivers to better support their children. The project aims to:
- increase local production of key staple foods by supporting paddy rice development in four communities in Bong and Nimba counties, and vegetable production in two communities in Montserrado County;
By increasing household income and making farming more attractive to caregivers and youth, ACE aims to have a significant and sustainable impact on the wellbeing of Liberian children and the economic viability of their households and communities. ACE is one of five initiatives under the AED STRIVE Program exploring effective means of reducing the vulnerability of children and youth through economic strengthening.
Ruth Campbell
Managing Director, Enterprise Development
ACDI/VOCA
50 F Street NW
Suite 1075
Washington, DC 20001
United States
RCampbell@acdivoca.org
September 2008 to August 2012
Formal safety nets redistribute resources to poor people to reduce chronic poverty or to protect them agains risks to their livelihoods - risks posed by disease, loss of employment, drought, conflict, financial crises, or macroeconomic adjustment, for example. Safety nets can both reduce poverty in the short term and, when coupled with the longer-term approach taken by social protection programs, contribute simultaneously to a broader development strategy. But in order to achieve both short- and long-term goals effectively, policymakers much take up new approaches that involve partnerships between government and civil society.
This study tested an economic intervention to reduce HIV risks among AIDS-orphaned adolescents. Adolescents (n=96) were randomly assigned to receive the intervention or usual care for orphans in Uganda. Data obtained at baseline and 12-month follow-up revealed significant differences between the treatment and control groups in HIV prevention attitudes and educational planning.
The report: presents an analysis of vocational training (VT) programming and the actors involved in northern Uganda; offers VT providers concrete recommendations for programming at each stage in the VT cycle, including best practices and lessons learned; and guides VT programs and youth participants through a market-assessment and self-assessment to integrate market information into program design and create links between VT and the private sector.
Livelihoods programming is gaining increasing attention in Northern Uganda as the region transitions from an emergency situation to an early recovery environment. For many youth, vocational training is at the crossroads of livelihoods support, economic recovery, education, and rehabilitation and reintegration. Our report (forthcoming May 2008) will aim to provide program planners with relevant tools and concrete recommendations for incorporating economic planning into vocational training through thoughtful engagement of youth in decision-making about vocational training, market analysis, pre- and post-training market linkages and integration with the private sector.
