Help rural farmers in Africa gain access to land

Dear Friends,

We continue to be humbled by the generous support from individuals like you to help the poorest families in the world gain secure land rights. As of March 1, we have raised over 75% of our $8,000 goal!

In Africa, 2019 is already shaping up to be an important year in the development of land rights. Across the continent, Landesa and our local partners continue to be at the forefront of developing pro-poor and gender-sensitive land governance laws, including the recently passed Liberia Land Rights Act, which returned land to the rural communities who depend on land for their livelihoods.

Spotlight on Lorpa

Lorpa lives in rural Liberia with her family. After her father’s passing, Lorpa inherited property, causing conflict with one of her brothers. Given strong biases toward male inheritance within traditional Liberian culture, Lorpa is unsure of her future on the land and very concerned about how she will provide for her five children. Through community dramas and awareness gatherings presented by Landesa and our local partner, DEN-L, Lorpa and others in the community are learning about land and inheritance rights. Lorpa is optimistic after learning more about the rights of women in her community, and across Liberia, and hopes that increasing awareness will “bring unity to my family so that everyone understands their rights to land.”

The impact of Landesa’s work extends far beyond Lorpa’s village. In other parts of the country, as well as across Africa, Landesa is committed to ensuring all families have secure land rights:

• In Tanzania, Landesa recently began training government officials, civil society organizations, and paralegals on how to responsibly invest in land, using a guidebook developed by Landesa and now available in Swahili. These guidebooks each focus on a different audience—private companies, rural communities, and government officials—and provide valuable insight and best practices on land-based investments. This crucial resource helps stakeholders from each of these groups protect land rights for communities and smallholder farmers.
• In Liberia, Landesa is working with our local implementing partners, Development Education Network-Liberia and the Foundation for Community Initiatives, to develop a host of resources to train and educate community members on the recently passed Liberia Land Rights Act and other laws that protect women’s land rights. These resources, presented in community-friendly mediums like songs and community theater, play an important role in changing norms around the rights of youth and women.
• In Zimbabwe, Landesa staff prepared and presented a report on land dispute resolution strategies to the Zimbabwe Land Commission. The research, which analyzed 15 case studies from countries around the world, will help guide land conflict resolution training for the Zimbabwean government facilitated by Landesa later this year.
• In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Landesa is working to support Mercy Corps in addressing land conflict issues as they arise through programs supporting small farmers, and is partnering closely with a local organization to raise awareness on women’s land rights on all levels as the country moves forward in developing a national land policy.

Thank you so much for your support for land rights across Africa. Together, we will continue to champion secure land rights for millions of the world’s poorest women and men, providing opportunity and promoting social justice. For additional updates on our work around the world, please, visit https://www.landesa.org or follow us on social media.

With gratitude,

Eleanor Trenary
Philanthropy Officer 

Links:

• Landesa in Liberia
• Blog: Closing the Gap on Women's Land Rights
• NEW: Landesa's Instagram