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

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

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

Yes

2.1 Short description of the Approach

group approach where women groups are visited by local specialists for on-farm demonstrations on use of double dug beds

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

Aims / objectives: Women group approach to promote vegetable growing for improvement of food availability to the home and improvement of moisture availability and rooting depth in the home gardens. Improve moisture availability and rooting depth in the home gardens.

Methods: Group farm is used for demonstrating the performance of the technique and after seeing the benefits the individualmembers of the group are expected to transfer the technology into their own farms. At the group level, the group plot is used as a teaching class for all the members where they observe and participat in the preparation of the beds, planting, weeding upto harvesting of the produce. The produce is sold to raise funds for the groups investiments

2.3 Photos 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 Approach focused mainly on SLM with other activities (Fertility improvement, kitchen gardening, nutritional improvement)

promote food production for rural families through techniques that enhance moisture availability. - to target the women who are the main producers to ensure food availabity for the whole family

The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: food security for the rural farm families and inadequate moisture availability for vegetable production on kitchen gardens. Poor nutritional provision for rural families.

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	interactive	Mainly:public meetings; partly: workshops/seminars; the groups were sensitised through meetings with specialists. Field training/demonstrations were also carried out
planning	self-mobilization	public meetings; the women group members were invited for meetings by specialists where activities planning was carried out.
implementation	interactive	Mainly: group work; partly: casual labour; rich farmers can afford hired labour, but others benefit from group work
monitoring/ evaluation	none
Research	none

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 SLM specialists, following consultation with land users

Explain:

Consultative. The technology was on trial stage initially through few groups but the demand increased

Decisions on the method of implementing the SLM Technology were made by mainly by SLM specialists with consultation of land users. Land user driven (bottom-up). Specialists exposed the land users who later demanded it through women groups

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Yes

Specify who was trained:

• land users

• school children/students, teachers

Form of training:

• farmer-to-farmer
• demonstration areas
• public meetings

Subjects covered:

manure handling and quality maintenance, compst making and moisture conservation

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

Yes

Specify whether advisory service is provided:

• on land users' fields

Describe/ comments:

Name of method used for advisory service: women group visits and training; Key elements: group demonstrations and farm visits, individual member farm visits, participatory learning and doing; 1) Mainly: non-governmental agency, Partly: government's existing extension system 2) Mainly: non-governmental agency, Partly: government's existing extension system; Extension staff: mainly government employees 3) Target groups for extension: land users; Activities: demonstration on establishment of double beds

Advisory service is very adequate to ensure the continuation of land conservation activities; the NGO promoting the technology had few staff and was mainly relying on government extension in the project area

4.3 Institution strengthening (organizational development)

Have institutions been established or strengthened through the Approach?

• yes, moderately

Specify the level(s) at which institutions have been strengthened or established:

• local

Specify type of support:

• capacity building/ training

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Yes

Comments:

economic / production aspects were ad hoc monitored

area treated aspects were regular
no. of land users involved aspects were regular

management of Approach aspects were None

There were no changes in the Approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation

4.5 Research

Was research part of the Approach?

Yes

• efficiency of the system

Give further details and indicate who did the research:

determined through its potential to increase yields of crops

Research was carried out on-farm

5.1 Annual budget for the SLM component of the Approach

If precise annual budget is not known, indicate range:

• 2,000-10,000

Comments (e.g. main sources of funding/ major donors):

Approach costs were met by the following donors: national non-government (-): 20.0%; local community / land user(s) (-): 80.0%

5.2 Financial/ material support provided to land users

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

No

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

• equipment

• agricultural

Comments:

Women group members worked on each others farm

5.4 Credit

Was credit provided under the Approach for SLM activities?

No

6.1 Impacts of the Approach

6.3 Sustainability of Approach activities

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

• uncertain

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
improves vegetable supply for the kitchen
improves nutrition
better yields
increased moisture
the approach has helped them to learn from one another.
encouraged development of leadership skills

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
key members of the family, woman/children (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: the women group can be tranformed into a group to provide soft credit to facilitate commercial production of vegetables to pay back for the investiment)
acts as group pressure for adoption
trains farmers in their familiar surroundings
women form the backbone of farmers and are best target

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?
unfair distribution of benefits by inactive members.

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
encouraged laziness for certain individuals	duty roster and division of responsibility
suppressing of the opinion of the weak ones