Oxfam West Africa Blog

Learning from the Biofil Toilet System Exploration Visit to Ghana

January 16th, 2012 Posted in Bloggers in West Africa, Countries, English, Liberia, Water and Sanitation | No Comments »

From our field visit, the team learned the following:

·       This new system eliminates the need for septic tanks in new constructions as they system is more compact.

·       The system does not generate sludge, and requires very little maintenance.

·       It allows the reuse of waste water from the system

·       It is easy to install, and is suitable for all soil conditions

Monitoring of the biofil toilet system has few basic areas to consider.

1.    The usage has to be monitored in order to ensure that it is hygienic at all times. It can be easy at the household level but at the community level more awareness is needed to ensure that the facility is maintained.

2.    The toilet can be used to raise income when it is used by a community. It is expected that biofil toilet can generate more income because it has a very low maintenance cost. Another reason is that many people will want to use it because of its sanitary and hygienic environment – no odour or stank. Once people get to know that they can use the latrine with comfort, many will use the facility which can bring in lot of income.

The income generation is not limited to fees people pay but rich nitrogen liquid from the waste can be used to grow plants. It serves as a very good source of fertiliser. It will save the money that they use to buy fertilisers which in turn will increase their income. This aspect can be monitor to assess other benefits of the Biofil Toilet System.

3.    Another aspect to monitor is the amount of people that will use the toilet per day compare to how it can work effectively. That is very important because the latrine is highly recommended for housing units. If many people are using it, it is expected to be monitored carefully to assess the durability if it is use by many people.

The main outcomes to monitor are suggested below:

a.    The health status of people who use it – that is mainly cases of cholera and diarrhoea. This is important because many people take in their own waste as it is not disposed properly.

b.    Income generation – the money generated from the system. How is it used? What benefits have it brought to users? What else can they do to multiply what they have? These are questions that we can answer as we go along.

c.     What is the adoption level – are many people aware of the system? How many people have installed the facility in their homes? How can we ensure that government support biofil toilet system to be in many if not in all households?

As we implement this project we can gather lessons to ensure that we improve on the way we want to take sanitation issue in Liberia. We can also look at other outcomes to monitor as we implement this project.

Visiting the Biofil Toilet System Exploration in Ghana

January 16th, 2012 Posted in Bloggers in West Africa, Countries, English, Liberia | No Comments »

A blog from Jeff Juaquallie, Programme Quality & Learning Officer
Oxfam Liberia

 I was part of a ten (10) people delegation made of Liberia    Government officials and Oxfam Liberia 3 staffs travelled in December 2011 to Ghana where the Biofil Toilet Technology was invented by K. A. Anno to gain practical and theoretical knowledge of this technology, to explore the income generation component, document good practices/policies guidelines, and to expose the Government of Liberia to this new innovation in order to promote or adopt the technology.

The team visited the BIOFILCOM Office where Mr. K. A. Anno explains how the Biofil Toilet System works.

He said that the Biofil Toilet System combines the benefits of the traditional flush toilet system and those of the composting toilets while eliminating the drawbacks and disadvantages of both systems. The key difference between this system and the traditional septic tank system is the rapid drainage of water from the waste stream. This allows the system to operate more efficiently under aerobic conditions, eliminating the foul smells associated with anaerobic decomposition, and reducing the need for excavation of large septic tank to deposit waste water and sludge. The system is able to break down solid organic waste up to thirty times faster and more efficiently than the traditional septic system.
 

Biofil Toilet site visit

The site visit was done for 2 days, one in and around Accra and the other in the central region of Ghana. Have a look at this slideshow to see illustrations of the system.

I could not believe myself opening where faeces go without holding my noise and changing my facial expression. This was what I saw during the visit around Accra. We visited Ayidekie Street area where we talked to George Clottey, a beneficiary of Biofil toilet. Nicely constructed within small space, the facility did not have any smell or flies. What was more interesting is that the hand washing unit is installed in every Biofil toilet. This proves the technology to be very hygienic and sanitary.

Our next stop was at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Junior High School. The facility there was installed a year ago with about 1000 student using it. There was no smell from the Bio-digesters. However, for every public latrine, the last user determines the cleanness of the facility.

We travel to the Gomoa Nyanyano Community School where the Biofil Toilet was constructed. Many users are very optimistic about the technology, saying it will give the school a good sanitary environment. The headmistress said the school has about 700 students and what was needed is good awareness about the use of the facility by students.

Biofil Toilet is not only installed in homes and schools, we saw that it can be installed in institution buildings. The Bio-digester was installed on the Ghana National Fire Service and the UNHCR Office building in the Bojubora Liberia Refugee Camp and a private housing unit within the Central Region of Ghana.

To farther show that the technology can be widely used, we visited the Egyikrom Ivorian Refugee Camp around the Cape Coast area.

The Biofil Toilet Sytem can help solve sanitation issues specially in countries like Liberia (part 1)

January 16th, 2012 Posted in Bloggers in West Africa, English, Health, Liberia, Water and Sanitation | No Comments »

 A blog from Jeff Juaquallie, Programme Quality & Learning Officer
 Oxfam  in Liberia

 There has been a lot of excitement in Liberia and Oxfam GB Liberia about the Biofil Toilet System technology introduced in the country. The essence of this is that many people do not have adequate latrine facility mainly in their homes and even the public one become the worst ever due to maintenance problems. It is not only that people do not have latrine facilities it all depends on where, how, and the effect on the environment ranging from pollution of underground water sources to our rivers and streams. A major part of the problem is that many people who have latrine use the traditional flush system with a septic tank system.

With the septic tank system, there is a foul smell because the waste is decomposed under anaerobic (without oxygen) conditions and there is a need for more excavation of large septic tanks to deposit waste water and sludge. In Liberia, many people do not construct latrine due to the high cost of installing a septic tank or a pit latrine. This has left many communities in Liberia to have a bad sanitary environment. We are pressing for much stricter national controls on what can and should be done to improve the way we dispose our faecal waste even in the absence of regulation in the country.

In the Liberia case, just one-third of Monrovia’s 1.5 million residents have access to clean toilet. There are limited latrine facilities in Monrovia’s overcrowded communities such as West Point, Buzzi quarter, Clara Town and Sawmill. Poor or non-existent clean water and sanitation facilities are linked to high malaria and diarrhoea rates, Liberia’s two leading child killers.

In the Clara Town slum, 75,000 people share 11 public toilets and 22 public taps; West Point’s 70,000 residents must do with just four public toilets, said Bessman Toe, head of the Montserrado County slum dweller association, which represents over 40 slum communities in and around the capital.

Some households build their own toilets, but these tend to collapse during the seven month rainy season, so people defecate in the narrow alleyways between their houses, on the beach, or into plastic bags, which they dump on nearby piles of rubbish or into the sea.

To me the sanitation problem illustrates that there is not an adequately sustainable and environmentally friendly system of sewage disposal in the country.

Because of these circumstances, Oxfam GB Liberia is Piloting the Biofil Toilet system in 5 homes/communities in Monrovia. The major stakeholders in Liberia especially from Government have taken keen interest in the Biofil Toilet system.

Have a look at this video among others to have an idea about the efforts invested by the Liberia Water Hygiene and Sanitation Consortium to support the populations to be in a healthier environment.

WAF Newsletter November December 2011

December 27th, 2011 Posted in Document Library, English | No Comments »

JOOKO November December 2011 English

Tchad – Ils sont déjà en route…

November 28th, 2011 Posted in Agriculture, Changement Climatique, Français, Nutrition et sécurité alimentaire, Tchad | No Comments »

Par Madeleine Evrard Diakité
Conseillère Régionale  sur la Sécurité Alimentaire et les Moyens d’existence

Cette année encore les familles d’éleveurs du Nord Bahr El Ghazal ont quitté leurs villages pour passer de longs mois loin de chez elles à la recherche de pâturages pour leur troupeaux de moutons, de vaches et de dromadaires. Le plus souvent, hommes, femmes et enfants font tous partis du voyage.

Mais cette année leur départ est plus précoce que d’habitude… Il n’a pas assez plu et les terres autour des villages sont désespérément sèches, sans trace de paille. Même les champs cultivés un peu plus au Sud n’ont rien donné. Lorsque le manque de pluie n’a pas totalement hypothéqué les perspectives de récoltes, ce sont les criquets et les oiseaux qui ont profités des quelques épis qui avaient résistés. Les familles n’ayant pas les moyens de partir, car sans animaux pour subvenir à leur besoin sur la route, restent sur place et commencent à ramasser les graminées sauvages en prévision des temps difficiles qui s’annoncent, et d’une période de soudure qui sera très longue.

Oxfam est présent depuis le début de l’année 2011 auprès de ces habitants Kreda (agropasteurs) et Goran (éleveurs transhumants) de la région du Bahr El Ghazal, et met en œuvre  un programme pour améliorer leur résilience face aux chocs récurrents et leur capacité d’adaptation à un environnement de plus en plus fragile et aride.

En effet, que ce soit le manque de pluie, les invasions des ravageurs des cultures, les épidémies du bétail ou encore des denrées trop rares ou trop chères sur les marchés,  les facteurs qui fragilisent ces ménages et les rendent vulnérables à l’insécurité alimentaire et à la malnutrition sont nombreux. Et pour les contrer, des actions à long terme fondées sur une approche participative et communautaire avec un fort engagement de tous sont nécessaires.

Les animaux étant au centre de la vie de ces communautés, Oxfam s’investi dans le développement  de la santé animale : en aidant les villageois à identifier et à former en leur sein des « auxiliaires d’élevage », y compris des femmes, capables de prodiguer des soins aux animaux et de diffuser les bonnes pratiques d’élevage et en les dotant en petit matériel de soins et en organisant des campagnes de vaccination avec les services techniques de l’élevage.  

Là où l’agriculture est possible Oxfam s’emploie également à diffuser la connaissance de pratiques culturales plus efficaces tout en  respectant cet environnement fragile (utilisation de semences de qualité, intercaler le mil et le haricot qui maintiennent la fertilité des sols, utiliser le fumier pour enrichir le sol, traiter les cultures contre les insectes avec des solutions à base de plantes).

Oxfam s’engage surtout à répondre à l’un des principaux défis que les habitants de Bahr El Ghazal rencontrent : l’accès à l’eau. En réparant les pompes, les familles ont accès à une eau de qualité pour les besoins domestiques, et en réhabilitant les puits, les éleveurs peuvent abreuver leurs troupeaux dans de meilleures conditions. En parallèle, les communautés sont incitées à gérer leurs ressources en eau de manière responsable et durable mais elles sont également sensibilisées à des pratiques de promotion de l’hygiène et de prévention de la malnutrition en évitant les maladies des enfants et en particulier la diarrhée.

Cette dynamique contribue à redonner espoir aux habitants de Bahr El Ghazal, en contribuant à répondre à certains de leurs besoins et en appuyant leurs initiatives communautaires.  Oxfam souhaite les rendre moins vulnérables et leur permettre de s’appuyer sur des mécanismes de  solidarité communautaire en cas de difficultés. Pour cela nous travaillons en étroite collaboration avec les autorités administratives,  traditionnelles locales et avec les services étatiques qui ont du mal à couvrir un tel territoire avec une situation si complexe.

Une nouvelle année marquée par des pluies trop rares, rappellent l’importance de cette approche mais également le fait que des efforts sont nécessaires sur la durée. Alors à leur retour de transhumance, les familles savent qu’elles  pourront compter sur Oxfam pour appuyer les nouvelles initiatives qu’elles porteront : accès à l’aliment bétail, accès accru des femmes aux activités productives et aux moyens d’existence, travaux communautaires (tels que l’aménagement des mares) rémunérés en argent ou en nature…

Les populations du Sahel ont développé des modes de vie complexes en réponse à un environnement fragile. Elles ont besoin qu’on leur donne l’opportunité de maintenir leurs moyens d’existence tout en ayant un meilleur accès à leurs besoins essentiels.

When displacements end: finding durable solutions for Ivoirians

October 24th, 2011 Posted in Cote d'Ivoire, Countries, Emergencies, English | No Comments »

 Six months after the resolution of the political stand-off that followed the presidential elections, 500,000 Ivoirians have returned. To better understand the factors influencing the voluntary return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees to their places of origin and the challenges they face, Oxfam partnered with the Danish Refugee Council and Care to conduct a survey of return intentions and conditions in the region the most affected by the crisis.

 The joint report “Towards Durable Solutions for Displaced Ivoirians” contains many findings of interest for the humanitarian community working to support IDPs and returnees to rebuild their lives.  It showed that unmet humanitarian and protection needs are threatening efforts the ability of people to return home and could trigger further violence and displacement. 

Beyond the need to guarantee the security of the civilian population, the study revealed that food, shelter and support to rebuild lost livelihoods are pressing needs that should be prioritised to give people the support they need to return home, rebuild their lives and live in peace.  Food and shelter are overwhelming priorities. More than three quarters of people interviewed said they do not have enough to eat and half the displaced people who expressed their intention not to return cited the destruction of their house as the main reason. Yet, despite the identified need for large-scale humanitarian support, the UN’s international emergency appeal remains 29% funded.

 In addition, displaced people and returnees still face significant protection threats due to ongoing inter-community fighting, racketeering at checkpoints, lack of access to basic services and continued acts of violence, harassment and intimidation by armed people. 

 The report makes recommendations around the implementation of sustainable returns policy that respects the voluntary nature of returns and provides medium term support to rebuild livelihoods, an enhancement of humanitarian assistance and measures to re-establish the rule of law, disarm and demobilise armed groups, and support reconciliation.

The publication of the report has been well received with extensive coverage in the media, both at the international and national level, and it’s been largely disseminated to the humanitarian community and national authorities in Côte d’Ivoire. Whilst 450,000 remain displaced in Côte d’Ivoire or in neighbouring  and new waves of returnees are expected from Liberia, the report serves as a reminder that the west of Côte d’Ivoire is struggling with the effects of the post-electoral crisis and need sustained support to ensure that return is a durable solution and to enable peace and reconciliation.

 Oxfam is working in Côte d’Ivoire since April 2011, to provide assistance and protection to people affected by the humanitarian consequences of the post-electoral crisis. Our humanitarian response programme focused on the prevention of outbreaks, the promotion of access to water, hygiene and sanitation, food security, support to agricultural and economical recovery and livelihoods. Over six months, Oxfam has provided humanitarian assistance to more than 65,000 beneficiaries in the region of Moyen-Cavally.

The Big Mark on me from the GROW Week

October 18th, 2011 Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

By Jamillah Mwanjisi- Campaigns Manager , Nigeria

It took me a long time to decide what specific issue to write about on our just ended GROW week to mark this year’s World Food Day (WFD). Should I talk about the exciting rally that was led by Nigerian Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development to showcase the government’s commitment in supporting agriculture? Or should I talk about the interesting exchange between farmers and traders discussing the key drivers of food prices in the country? How about the experiences of our small-scale farmers who shared their personal stories, highlighting their everyday challenges and their expectations in participating in the WFD? Although all these could be interesting, but one incident in particular left a big mark on me so let me be share with you.

The GROW Campaign in Nigeria aims at giving a voice to small-scale farmers particularly women. On events like the WFD, we tend to support the participation and visibility of small-scale farmers.  We encourage them to bring in their produce for exhibition during the agricultural show which takes place a day before the WFD and they will always try to sell their produce at the end of the day.  

This year, one of our farmers from Benue State in middle belt of Nigeria brought a sack of Irish potatoes to the agricultural show. She told me how she had to wake up at a crack of dawn, carry her load from the house to the road, and argue with transporters on how much she should pay. When she finally she reached the show ground she had to carry the load on her head from the gate to the stand—almost 2kms away.

I thought this would be the end of this miserable story now that her Irish potatoes have reached the ‘market’ place, with thousands of potential buyers. Unfortunately that was not the case; she had to deal with prospective buyers. My farmer had priced her potatoes for N 2500 (£10) but come a well dressed said he will buy the potatoes for N500 (£2). “You take it or leave, I can buy somewhere else.” “Please sir, what you are offering is not even enough to cover for my transport to bring me here. Please sir, just add,” my farmer begged. But the prospective buyer stood his ground and became more arrogant.

I could feel my blood boiling. God, why did you allow me to listen to this conversation? I did not insist to bring farmers so that they can be exploited by well to do people like my buyer here.  I found myself intervening and explaining all the challenges our farmer went through to bring that one sack of potatoes to agricultural show.  “Can’t you see how much she struggled? What you are offering is equivalent to a plate of chips, not a bag of potatoes.”

Thanks to my outburst, my farmer lost a buyer. “This is what we go through everyday and sometimes we have to agree with whatever the customer offers because you can’t go home empty handed.  You need to feed your family.” 

Finally I why we the GROW campaign in critical to change the power dynamics. Why we want women and men living in poverty to claim power on how we manage our resources. For me, this was a real life case of disempowerment, on the vulnerability of small-scale farmers who produce more than 80% of the food we consume in the country and the justification on why we should put our efforts together to raise awareness, mobilise people and build movements in support of food justice.

I think if my buyer was just a little aware of what it takes to produce that sack of potatoes, what key challenges the farmer had to overcome to access that market, maybe he would emphasise and not add his weight to exploit. It reminded me of a popular Kiswahili saying: Usichojua ni sawa na usiku wa giza directly translated as “what you don’t know is equivalent to the darkest night.” So I have decided, my mission will be to transform this darkest night into a bright dawn for my farmer.

NIGERIA: Strategic alliances to make GROW campaign a success

October 17th, 2011 Posted in Agriculture, Bloggers in West Africa, Campaigns, English, GROW Campaign, Nigeria | No Comments »

By Charles Bambara – Regional Media and Communication Coordinator

A round table discussion with media groups’ editors in Abuja has kicked off the launch of the GROW Campaign in Nigeria.  VFS, Voices for Food Security, Oxfam partner in Nigeria was closely associated to this event and to many others during this celebration.

The variety of activities and events makes it very attractive indeed. On Thursday 13^th together with the ministry of agriculture, a quiz competition on food security was organised with representatives of six different secondary schools.

A symposium was also on schedule to highlight price volatility in the country while stressing that food security remains in Nigeria a challenge not only for the federal state but for all development actors on the ground. 

Oxfam is taking the Agricultural exhibition opportunity together with VSO Nigeria, to launch its Female Food hero competition with the ambition within the next six months to give some awards to heroines in agriculture, the ones who make the difference by their attitude, fighting odds, and improving their daily life, together with their families.

Raising Editors’ Interest

The Editors round table discussion was well attended by Radio and television journalists as well as newspapers editors. Almost thirty journalists were curious to know more not only about the Grow campaign but also food insecurity, and price volatility in Nigeria one of the biggest oil producers in the world. 

Oxfam GB Regional director Mamadou Biteye who was attending this special event together with honourable Nkoyo Toyo member of Nigeria’s Federal House of parliament, and one of Oxfam Board of Trustees’ member in their addresses pointed out why Oxfam was keen to tackle this challenge of food insecurity across the world, and in Africa in particular, stressing that beyond this issue it is about food quality, food availability, and getting the right prices for food. The ultimate aim of this meeting was to create a sustainable relationship for engagement with media groups in Nigeria in the fight against poverty through GROW campaign. The contributions and questions of journalists show their willingness to report on agricultural information in their newspapers, radio and TV programmes like politics, economics, and other issues.

Raising School Children Interest

The quiz competition won   by a state school was also very dynamic and proactive. Participants were very impressed by questions raised by young school boys and girls. This activity objective was to promote youth involvement and interest to agriculture in their country. And it looks like if good policies are in place, the federal government aims to attract millions of youngsters in the agriculture sector can reasonably be achieved. Oxfam’s Associate Country Director, Tunde Ojei, who gave an address at the event encouraged the youths to consider what support and areas of agriculture they can engage in, in order to ensure sustainability of food and at the same time be entrepreneurs.

Raising Women Farmers Interest

Alongside journalists and school children events around GROW campaign and the World food Day, Oxfam and its partner VFS, have organised a dialogue with farmers, particularly women farmers, to analyse food price volatility in the country.  Why is it an issue today? What can be done? Who is to blame?  The participation of women farmers at this event was impressive, up to the end there were listening carefully to presenters and panellists. It was an opportunity to highlight the case for small scale farmers who represent 70% of the food production in Nigeria. And an important part of this production is done by women farmers.

A Partnership that is Working

The partnership between Oxfam, Voices for Food Security, and the ministry of Agriculture for the World Food Day and around the GROW campaign is interesting, and give farmers a strong signal that all stakeholders in the development of Agriculture in Nigeria, and working together, for their benefit. And most of the time, directors of ministry or Agriculture were openly acknowledging the good work done by Oxfam in Nigeria.

In this country of 150 million inhabitants on the long term Oxfam campaign together with its partners can have a huge impact. This partnership seems to be beneficial to al stakeholders involved: farmers, ministry of agriculture, VFS, Oxfam. The domino’s effect is starting to build up to improve food security in Nigeria, and Oxfam is playing decisively its role.

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction – A celebration in West Africa

October 13th, 2011 Posted in Climate Change, Emergencies, English, Food and Security, Livelihoods | No Comments »

 October 13th marks the celebration of the international Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.  The  West Africa Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Task Force  celebrated the event today with the theme : “Children and youth as partners for disaster risk reduction”.

 The regional taskforce  comprises  the  World Bank,  ECHO, FAO, IFRC, OCHA, OHCHR, IOM, WHO, OXFAM, WFP, PLAN INTERNATIONAL, SAVE THE CHILDREN, UNHCR, UNICEF, and WORLD VISION.  This group  aims to address the challenges posed by increasing risks in the region. It maintains that this day should remind everybody of the need for more effective prevention of natural disasters to mitigate their consequences in the short as well as the long term.

 West Africa is exposed to recurrent natural and humanitarian disasters. The impact of these disasters (drought, floods, locust invasions, epidemics, famines, chronic food insecurity…) is exacerbated by socio-political conflicts and climate change. These impacts have been growing more intense for the past 70 years, in particular during the last 20 years .

 The fact that more than half of the region’s population is less than 18 years old justifies the objective to incorporate the youth in the collective effort to prevent disasters. In 2009, large parts of the population at the fringes of cities, in their majority youths, have lost their livelihoods due to devastating floods. Many schools were destroyed or used as temporary shelter. In 2010, the agricultural and pastoral crisis which raged in the Eastern Sahel (Niger and Chad in particular) affected more than 10 million people, of which a great majority were children. In 2011, close to 430,000 households have been affected by floods in West Africa. Beyond the loss of human lives, material losses, lost livelihoods and other grief for the poorest households, disasters create social and economic disruptions with long term repercussions.

 

Many efforts have already been made in the region but they remain insufficient. To further reduce the risks of disasters it is necessary to continue to work on two types of action: improve preparedness and mitigation mechanisms on the one hand and a better response on the other hand. This needs to be achieved in a coherent, adapted, efficient and rapid manner. We must assure that interventions are well targeted to offer the maximal support to the people in distress. Simultaneously, it is essential to continue to develop innovative and adapted disaster prevention strategies and to reinforce the capacities of all actors as well as of partners to create synergies.

 The development of a “Culture of Risk Prevention” is a great challenge. The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Task Force for West Africa is convinced that a common approach to reduce the risks of disasters can contribute efficiently to a significant and sustainable increase in the resilience of communities facing disaster risks, thereby supporting the fight against poverty in the region. It is essential to engage the youth of today more to better address the risks of the adults of tomorrow.

Celebrating the GROW Week in West Africa

October 13th, 2011 Posted in Agriculture, Campaigns, Countries, English, GROW Campaign | No Comments »

The World Food Week is approaching and the GROW campaign is launching a wide range of activities across the region to mark the day and get its message across to the public and to policy maker. This will be a big moment for the global GROW campaign, and equally so in West Africa. You will  see more  next week, but plans in Burkina Faso include a huge food fair and competition promoting local produce that will be opened by the Minister of Agriculture, training for journalists and public debates. In Nigeria activities include the launch of a Female Food Heroes Award, inter-school debates, and media editors’ round table, amongst others.

You can follow most of these activities through the regional blog.

More to come but so far, below are some activities :

Burkina Faso : Journalists training on GROW ; http://growweek.posterous.com/activities-grow-plans-in-burkina

Spot advertising food fair and competition (via facebook)

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Nigeria

Farmers usher in the GROW-Week in style

 Oxfam partners implementing the Voices for Food Security (VFS) campaign in Nigeria ushered in the GROW week with lot of colour and style to celebrate the 2011 World Food Day. 

 At the National assembly, the rally was received by the Chairman of Agriculture Commitee of the House Assembly who reaffirmed his committment in promoting agriculture in Nigeria.

 VFS partners mobilised about 100 small-scale farmers to participate in the rally and who had an opportunity to engage directly with policy makers.“This is the first time we see a minister, state minister and permanent sectretary dancing in a rally with us engaging with people like us,” says Peter Egwudah from Civil Society Coalition for Poverty Eradication (CISCOPE) one of the partners of VFS.

 The GROW-week comprises of a series of events organised by VFS partners to celebrate the 2011 World Food Day marked globally on October 16^th every year and the theme for this year is Food prices: from crisis to stability. Apart from the rally the GROW week includes a roundtable meeting with editors to discuss the role of the media in promoting food security as well as public dialogue on food price volatility in Nigeria. In addition over 30 small-scale farmers will take part in the agricultural show scheduled for October 14^th-15^th to aimed at promoting the agricultural sector in Nigeria.

 VFS partners will also use this opportunity to launch the Making Markets GROW awards—an award scheme to promote and recognise the role of small-scale farmers in food markets. The nominations for the award which is jointly supported by Oxfam and Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO) will run between October and December and the final winners will be awarded on March 6^th during the International Women’s Day.

 Voices for Food Security (VFS) is a platform of Nigerian Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and small-scale farmers associations across the country that aims to promote a fair and equitable food system so that every Nigerian has enough food to eat at all times. The campaign is supported by Oxfam as part of its global Food Justice Campaign.