Goal:
Support synergistic food-security related programming opportunities at the grassroots level.

Life of Project:
October 2011 – July 2017

Total USAID Funding:
U.S. $3.55 million

Geographic Focus:
Ghana, Senegal, Liberia, Benin, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon

Program Description:
Working together, USAID and the Peace Corps leverage investments in training and capacity building in multiple West African countries to extend benefits across the region. Cross-border technical exchanges and regional trainings lead to the dissemination of best practices. This exchange results in increased food security activities in the communities where Peace Corps Volunteers work in West Africa, with a special focus on women. 

This program also builds community capacity at the grass-roots level to strategically respond to food security vulnerabilities such as food shortages and price increases. USAID will provide resources for ten countries till July 2017. The three key objectives of the program are the following:

• Increase availability of healthy foods, especially for women and children.
• Increase accessibility of healthy foods by decreasing poverty and increasing incomes.
• Improve utilization of available food to improve nutritional status of women and children.

Key Accomplishments to Date: (from 1,110 volunteers)
• FY 2012: 4 countries, 50 food security projects:
U.S. $110,500.00
• FY 2013 to Sept. 2014: 10 countries, 62 projects:
U.S. $149,000.00
• 6,147 people trained in child health and nutrition
• 3,472 people trained in maternal health and nutrition
• 8,436 people received agricultural sector productivity or food security training
• 4,221 farmers applied new technologies or management practices
• 1,236 members of producers organizations and community based organizations received capacity-building assistance
• Database with 1,100 technical food security resources