Feed the Future Guinea Strengthening Agriculture Value Chains and Youth
Guinea
Overview
The Feed the Future Strengthening Agriculture Value Chains and Youth (SAVY) program (2016-2018) implemented by CNFA facilitated improved access to agricultural inputs, credit tools, and market information along the rice, horticulture, and livestock value chains in Guinea.
Impact
- 85 Guinean youth graduated from the SAVY AVENIR program
- 76 host organizations supported by AVENIR graduates
- $250K+ facilitated in agricultural and rural loans
- 76 MSMEs received agricultural-related credit
- 95 firms received technical assistance to improve business performance
Approach
The $11 million SAVY program, which fell under the Guinea Agricultural Services project, was funded by USAID and implemented in partnership with six international nongovernmental organizations focused on animal health promotion and animal disease outbreak mitigation, financial inclusion, and market facilitation. These three intervention areas had one major cross-cutting activity, the Apprentissage en Vulgarisation, Entreprenariat et Innovation Rurale (AVENIR) program, which engaged 85 entrepreneurial and ambitious youth and provided training, mentoring, and work experience needed to become successful entrepreneurs and change agents in a competitive agricultural sector. Over the course of the program, SAVY worked to:
- Develop Human and Institutional Capacity: CNFA collaborated with the Strengthening Market-led Agricultural Research, Technology, and Education (SMARTE) program implemented by Winrock International to implement the AVENIR program.
- Boost Private Sector Engagement and Entrepreneurship: SAVY activities increased positive risk-taking, the use of mobile money, and access to and use of affordable credit tools to facilitate new market linkages.
- Support Women’s Empowerment: SAVY’s activities facilitated opportunities for women in the horticulture and livestock value chains and in processing and marketing activities. The program mitigated constraints faced by women and girls, such as limited access to and understanding of credit, heavier work burdens, and limited ability to make decisions about agricultural production, expenditures, and division of land parcels.
Partners
To implement SAVY, Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) collaborated with a diverse group of both international and local partner organizations, including Strengthening Market-led Agricultural Research, Technology, and Education (SMARTE) program implemented by Winrock International, World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), and Enclude Inc.
