By Grace Okenwa

A team of third-party monitors from the African Centre for Rural Development and Environment (ACERDEN) recently visited Enugu State to review and assess the extent to which the NG-CARES programme in Enugu State complies with the guideline, process and procedure in the implementation of the NG-CARES activities.

During their visit, the team led by Prof Daniel Ugwu toured various NG-CARES project sites at Amorji Nenwe, Oduma Achara, Ezinesi Oduma, Amaeke Oduma, communities in Aninri LGA, as well as Amaechi Idodo and Obuofia Awkunanaw communities in Nkanu East and West LGAs.
These projects were facilitated by Fadama and CSDA platforms to bring hope to rural communities through sustainable livelihood support and food security projects.

The team’s visit to the CSDA and Fadama project sites revealed the tangible impact of these initiatives on the beneficiaries lives. One of the interventions was the construction of boreholes, which have significantly improved access to clean water for irrigation and domestic use. Additionally, the projects provided production assets such as cassava graters, cassava peelers, communal flyers, rice parboilers, power tillers among other things. These assets have not only increased efficiency but also reduced the drudgery associated with manual processing.

The team engaging with the beneficiaries to gauge the impact of the project, witnessed firsthand their enthusiastic use of the boreholes and production assets. Community members were seen fetching water from the boreholes while others were busy processing cassava with the provided assets .
They expressed their gratitude for these interventions, citing increased productivity, improved livelihoods, and enhanced food security.

Mrs. Lovelyn Chiechezonam Fidelis, Chairperson of Amorji Nenwe Farmers Community Association, happily praised Fadama platform under NG-CARES programme for providing her members with essential production assets for Garri processing, saying that the intervention has yielded substantial gains, enabling the association to acquire a permanent site for expanding their enterprise, strategically situated in the heart of the community. Notably, the monitoring team visited the site and witnessed the impressive progress, observing the structures erected in preparation for a December 2024 kickoff, marking a significant milestone in the association’s growth and development.

At Ezinesi Oduma Community, one of the beneficiaries hails the NG-CARES Initiative.
“We are indeed grateful to NG-CARES and Fadama platform for this intervention programme, which has greatly benefited our members”, said Mr. John Chijioke Ike, Chairman, Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Ezinesi Oduma Community.

When the team visited Oduma Achara Community,
Mr. Njoku Daniel, a resident expressed profound gratitude to CSDA for constructing a borehole in NJ join, effectively curbing the long-standing problem of water scarcity. Moreover, he revealed that the borehole water supply is also connected to distribute water to the ongoing smart school construction project at Community School, Oduma Achara, further enhancing the community’s development.

Prof. Daniel Ugwu, Team Leader of ACERDEN monitors, represented by his Assistant, Dr Godfrey Owoh, commended the beneficiaries across various communities for their progress and cooperation. Dr. Owoh expressed satisfaction with the impact of the programme, noting that the beneficiaries’ collective efforts had contributed significantly to its success. He encouraged them to continue working together, emphasizing the importance of unity and cooperation in maximizing the benefits of the support services provided by the programme.