The Primate’s World Relief & Development Fund (PWRDF) and the Church World Service (CWS) Tanzania are implementing an agriculture and livelihoods project with nutritional activities in the Nyarugusu refugee camp in Kigoma region of Tanzania.
Kigoma Region has hosted refugees from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since 1972. As one of the poorest regions in the country, the district struggles to attract investment in industry or other job-producing sectors. As such, most refugees survive on rations and non-food items provided by humanitarian agencies, while some also practice skilled work or manual labour on local farms.
The government of Tanzania has recently implemented restrictions on their movement, however, which has led to an increase of malnutrition amongst young children who comprise nearly 60% of the refugee and asylum-seeking population. Competition with host communities for resources has exacerbated deforestation, soil quality, and water scarcity, in turn affecting local ecosystems, and sometimes leading to conflicts and social unrest.
The main goal of the project is to improve food and nutrition security, through agricultural training, inputs and extension services to promote sustainable vegetable farming, environmental conservation, and gender equity. CWS will work with 900 households comprised of 7,200 people. The farmers’ trainings will include development of seed banks for promoting and sustaining the cultivation of a variety of vegetables. Gender equity training will be conducted to support female farmers. A nutrition-sensitive agricultural approach will be used to ensure people have access to safe, affordable, and nutritious food. Extension services will be delivered by CWS staff and extension workers through a network of lead farmers who will disseminate knowledge and provide technical assistance to farmer groups.