20 cooperative members, living with HIV and AIDS in Nyagatare district (eastern province of Rwanda) plan to grow mushrooms on a commercial scale. They hope to lift themselves out of the poverty trap and to improve their health status through increased mushroom consumption. Help them build a mushroom growing house, a furnace for sterilising the substrates and buy a crushing machine for the production of powder substrates.
HIV and AIDS has forced poor families living in Nyagatare district in the eastern province of Rwanda to sell off their land in order to pay for their medical expenses. This has left women and children exposed to poverty. Rwanda Development Organisation will introduce mushroom farming to 20 cooperative members. Unlike other agronomic crops, mushroom production is cost-effective, requires small space and uses limited fertilisers. This has the potential to create jobs, income and provide food.
Rwanda Development Organisation (RDO) will train 20members in substrate preparation, production of spawn, harvesting, post harvest techniques and packaging and marketing techniques. Cultivation techniques will be shared with the cooperative members through participatory demonstration methods by RDO hired experts. RDO will also offer supportive role to link these farmers to the product market and continuous accompaniment whenever necessary.
20 members will receive skills training in mushroom growing and handling techniques. Members' incomes are expected to rise, creating financial satability for the families. Thus moving them out of finacial poverty. The health of the affected members is also expected to improve as a result of increased mushroom consumption. The project will also have a positive effect on food security for the families and the community.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
