The project was implemented with the aim of reinforcing the institutional capacity of the stakeholders, strengthening the productive capacity of smallholder farmers and improving their linkages to markets. It was developed in the provinces of Kwanza-Sul (Amboim, Cassongue, Cela, Conda and Quibala) and Huíla (Cacula, Caconda, Chicomba, Chipindo and Caluquembe), covering ten municipalities (five in each province: Amboim, Cassongue, Cela, Conda and Quibala – Kwanza-Sul; and Cacula, Caconda, Chicomba, Chipindo and Caluquembe – Huíla).
The main crops included corn, beans, potatoes and various vegetables, benefiting 60.000 families, 300.000 people, and 10.000 families were trained in field schools.
Main project activities:
- Improve sampling methodology, including sample distribution to select smallholder farmers, especially women and youth;
- Development of data collection tools, such as questionnaires and interview guides to obtain qualitative data, both at the agricultural and youth market level;
- Development of a strategy to ensure data quality;
- Involvement with the project management and control unit, ensuring that data collection tools met the measurement objectives of the project’s key indicators;
- Performing appropriate statistical analyses on the data and preparing a two-phase research report;
- The project team worked closely with the monitoring unit to ensure that the M&E (monitoring and evaluation) framework and field implementation strategy were aligned with the research findings. For the KAP (knowledge, attitudes and practices) survey on nutritional assessment, secondary sources related to the nutritional status of under-age children and women were consulted on food availability and feeding practices in the project areas.