1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Approach

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

Book project: where people and their land are safer - A Compendium of Good Practices in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) (where people and their land are safer)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

Terre des Hommes (Terre des Hommes) - Switzerland

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

14/08/2013

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Ja

1.4 Reference(s) to Questionnaire(s) on SLM Technologies

2.1 Short description of the Approach

Terre des hommes and Greendots introduced the Peer to Peer pass-on system to enable women's groups in Bangladesh to spread the Keyhole Garden technique within their communities with the aim of enabling year-round homestead vegetable production despite the risk of flooding and tidal surge.

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

Keyhole Gardens, a type of small, productive homestead vegetable garden based on Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA) techniques, have been used in various African countries for over 15 years and shown to increase the availability of food and dietary diversity (FAO). They were developed by gardeners and small-scale farmers (with the support of Send a Cow UK) to suit different situations, such as the cold, dry winters of Lesotho, the small backyards of Rwanda, and the humid heat of central Uganda. To improve year-round homestead nutritional self-sufficiency for vulnerable families in South Asia (where rates of acute malnutrition in young children regularly cross emergency thresholds), Keyhole gardens were adapted by Terre des hommes (Tdh) and Greendots to the conditions of river basin and coastal areas of Bangladesh (and eventually to India's Sundarbuns) . As a component to Tdh's maternal neonatal and child health (MNCH) programme, the technology is intended to support year-round homestead gardening despite weather extremes (flooding, tidal surge, cyclones).

To promote spontaneous replication of the Keyhole gardening in the local communities, the programme initiated a Peer to Peer Pass-on system within 40 mothers' groups (having a total membership of nearly 800 women). Each mothers' group selected five representatives (200 women) to form a Garden Extension Group (GEG) and participate in the first round of training with the understanding that they would share knowledge with other women in the MNCH programme and the surrounding community. The project team trained each GEG on building gardens and LEISA small scale agriculture techniques (including integrated composting, water retention, use of local materials, natural pest and disease control techniques and soil fertility measures, proximity to the kitchen for optimal management and harvesting). GEG group members practiced garden construction by working together to build gardens at the homes of all five members. All 200 initial gardens were monitored by Tdh extension workers on a weekly basis. Tdh verified output, use and the capacity of gardens to withstand monsoon conditions, and the extent of the of the Peer to Peer Pass-on experience.

See the Chart in Section 3.3 for more information.

2.3 Photos of the Approach

2.4 Videos of the Approach

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied

2.6 Dates of initiation and termination of the Approach

2.7 Type of Approach

• project/ programme based

2.8 Main aims/ objectives of the Approach

The main aims of the approach are to involve women by building their capacity and peer network to replicate the Keyhole gardening approach within their communities.
The main objective of the approach is that that families, led by women 1) garden year-round with LEISA techniques, 2) increase the quantity and diversity of their homestead vegetable production and 3) verify that the DRR garden design reduces the consequences of flooding and tidal surge.

2.9 Conditions enabling or hindering implementation of the Technology/ Technologies applied under the Approach

3.1 Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles

3.2 Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach

	Involvement of local land users/ local communities	Specify who was involved and describe activities
initiation/ motivation	passive	Terre des hommes and Greendots working through existing women's MNCH nutrition groups, requested groups to nominate five women to receive the training.
planning	passive	As with all village-level activities, Terre des hommes works with a community volunteer in each village to plan the training and group interventions.
implementation	self-mobilization	Once the women were trained, they were free to honor their commitments to train other women.
monitoring/ evaluation	interactive	Self planning and monitoring tools were introduced to the women--who decided whether to use them. Tdh provided monthly support visits to help interested women to update the planning and monitoring documents as needed, and to collect data.

3.3 Flow chart (if available)

3.4 Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology/ Technologies

Specify who decided on the selection of the Technology/ Technologies to be implemented:

• mainly land users, supported by SLM specialists

Explain:

The Keyhole garden technique was introduced by Tdh, and went through informal adaptation and development with farmers and women's groups so that the final design was chosen by the communities and reflected the construction preferences and innovations of the users.

Specify on what basis decisions were made:

• personal experience and opinions (undocumented)

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Ja

Specify who was trained:

• land users
• field staff/ advisers

Form of training:

• on-the-job
• farmer-to-farmer

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

Ja

Specify whether advisory service is provided:

• on land users' fields

4.3 Institution strengthening (organizational development)

Have institutions been established or strengthened through the Approach?

• no

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Ja

4.5 Research

Was research part of the Approach?

Nee

5.1 Annual budget for the SLM component of the Approach

If precise annual budget is not known, indicate range:

• 2,000-10,000

5.2 Financial/ material support provided to land users

Did land users receive financial/ material support for implementing the Technology/ Technologies?

Nee

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

• none

If labour by land users was a substantial input, was it:

• voluntary

5.4 Credit

Was credit provided under the Approach for SLM activities?

Nee

5.5 Other incentives or instruments

Were other incentives or instruments used to promote implementation of SLM Technologies?

Nee

6.1 Impacts of the Approach

6.2 Main motivation of land users to implement SLM

6.3 Sustainability of Approach activities

Can the land users sustain what has been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?

• yes

If yes, describe how:

The gardens have no physical inputs from Tdh, and require low external inputs required from families thanks to use of local natural resources. The ‘Farmer to farmer’ or peer to peer pass on learning system is the preferred method for dissemination, and favors group learning and working on the garden planning, monitoring, construction and maintenance together. Once initiated during a project cycle, does not require resources to continue. The diversity of vegetables decreases risk of total crop losses, increases opportunities for nutritional optimization and decreased risk of recurrent malnutrition. Finally, the use of local seed banks, homestead seed production and seed sharing promotes crop genetic diversity.
One woman described how a neighbour has asked her to help build a Keyhole Garden; over the 4 to 5 months she has had it, two to three neighbours have expressed serious interest in the garden. Garden management requires weeding and other work; and because Tdh gives low support she is doing it for herself.

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Those who pass on their vegetables and skills are sometimes invited to share positive testimonials and participate in official events to further share the techniques
Skills and knowledge can be passed on not only to other women/farmers but also to local school students—who can pass on new skills to their parents.
One Send a Cow UK beneficiary described her happiness about being part of the “chain of giving” in her community.

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
The underpinning ethos of this nutrition/gardening project is that it is developed and implemented using participatory processes.
Beyond dissemination of technology, peer farmers have a bigger emphasis on support and understanding principles of the different practices since the focus is on two-way communication.
Local champions of the pass-on approach have returned to support implementing partner staff through training and extension work in other communities.
Passing on can also help restore dignity and pride in smallholder farming communities--and strengthen the social fabric.

6.5 Weaknesses/ disadvantages of the Approach and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
Discontent could arise if the pace of outreach from peer pass-on system is slow while the interest is high (to receive training). For example, women could start to prepare materials to build gardens and get frustrated if the	Once the techniques to be shared have demonstrated success, the pass-on group should carefully plan and communicate the initiative for sharing the techniques to the wider community.

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Replication and synergies with other projects and organizations must be continuously explored.	Sharing experiences with local and regional Agricultural Extension authorities, potential partner organizations and other institutes active in SLM techniques.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

The impact of Peer Farmer training in Western Kenya: Pricing peer training services for a sustainable Peer Farmer organisation, Martin Viera, Send a Cow UK, 2013

Available from where? Costs?

http://www.sendacow.org.uk/assets/files/Kenya%20Peer%20Farmer%20Review%20Summary%20Report.pdf

Title, author, year, ISBN:

The Volunteer Farmer-Trainer Extension Approach: A User Guide. Technical Manual. Kirui J, et al., World Agroforestry Centre, 2016.

Available from where? Costs?

http://www.worldagroforestry.org/downloads/Publications/PDFS/TM16068.pdf

7.3 Links to relevant information which is available online

Title/ description:

Send a Cow UK - Peer to Peer Pass on Approach

URL:

https://www.sendacow.org/the-pass-it-on-approach