USAID-IFDC C4CP TEAM VISITS AU SAFGRAD OFFICE ON FRIDAY 12th OF NOVEMBER 2016
During the visit, the team, included Dr Micheal SIMSIK (Chief of Party USAID C4CP) and Mr Abey Woldesenbet Meharka (Project’ Gender Consultant), held a work session with AU SAFGRAD staff.
The “Partnership for Cotton in the C-4 countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad)” project commonly referred to as USAID C4CP is among the USAID funded projects. The project is mobilizing arround USD14.8million for four years (2014-2018) with the goal to improve food security in the targeted areas of C-4 countries while the strategic objective is to increase the incomes of male and female producers and processors of cotton and rotation crops in the targeted areas. The project is implemented in colloboration with about forty (40) regional and national implementation partners, the main partners include the direct actors of the regional cotton value chain at the national and local levels.
In a bid to ensure the sustainability of its achievements, and also to expand its lessons learnt at regional level in order to influence policy work, the project, through its community of practice, is working with African Union and other key partners to organize a forum on women’s access to productive resources such as land, credit, inputs and equipment.
The team informed that they called to finalize AU participation and strengthen collaboration with AU-SAFGRAD as the AU interest group in the C4CP project and future advocacy.
AU-SAFGRAD is expected to make an opening presentation (Day1) on AU’ initiatives on Women’s’ Access to Agricultural inputs and equipment in the forthcoming Forum.
About 60 participants drawn from the Government of the 4 countries, members of the community of practice, AU, ECA and female producers and processors are expected to take part to the forum in Bamako, Mali from November 22 to 25, 2016.
Mr Abey Woldesenbet Meharka (Project’ Gender Consultant) and Dr Micheal SIMSIK (Chief of Party USAID C4CP) (at the center) posing at the end of their visit with two AU SAFGRAD staff members
