Food Security and AgriBusiness Skills for 20 Women

Status - Project has commenced
Objective - To provide training to women that are engaged in agriculture in Ugwogo Nike community on how to convert poultry waste to biogas for cooking and production of bioslurry as an organic fertilizer for farming for the reduction of greenhouse gases emission and food security
Activity dates - March to June
Progress - The twenty women that will participate in the project have been selected and the five project leads have been trained on their role in the coordination and sustainability of the project. The 5 women have been equipped with adequate knowledge on the importance of biogas, sources of biomass, materials used in the construction of a biogas plant and the role of the project in ensuring improved health for families, reducing deforestation,reducing green house gases emissions and promoting food security in Ugwogo-Nike community. They are prepared to carryout their role of guiding the other women towards the achievement of the project goals.

Success Indicator (What would determine that an activity /activities was/were successful): The trainees acquired the knowledge and the importance of biogas, learned how to convert agricultural waste to wealth 

Baseline (The actual information as at the beginning of project): The women involved in the agric business had no idea of biogas, its usage and the importance of the biomass for generating cooking gas and bioslurry as organic fertilizer for farming. 

Target (What was planned to be achieved): Train the women in biogas, its usefulness and ways to utilize biomass generated as a result if agricultural activities.

Result as of Date (What was achieved): The women are excited to be part of the biogas innovative project. They have been equipped with the relevant knowledge and they are eager to serve as project lead.

Challenge Lessons learned / Solutions
The global pandemic (Covid-19) which has led to a new nornal has caused a lot of changes in the project. The state was on total lockdown from March 31st to June 2020. Presetly, there is an ease on the lockdown and activities have partially commenced in the state. This situation has caused a lot of delay in the project timeline. The women in Ugwogo-Nike have been at home all along,unable to plant in their farms as a result of the lockdown.Most women are involved in farm work so scheduling a time for the practical session with the women is taking a little time.
I had to meet the 5 women that will serve as project lead in their farm for the training. I am working with the trained women and the town union president to fix a date for the practical training.

Next Steps 
To carry out the practical session of the training which involves the construction of the biogas plant.

Partner Relationship update
We are working with the town union president and the project leaders to fix a date for the practical construction of the biogas plant.

ADDITIONAL REQUEST/COMMENTS

Purchase of hand sanitizers, nose masks,buckets and soaps for hand washing during the training sessions as the recent outbreak of corona virus in the state has caused a lot of panic amongst people as regards gatherings.