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General

1. What is FARM-Africa?

   FARM-Africa is a specialist, non-governmental organisation that works with marginalised farmers and herders in Africa. We aim to reduce poverty through developing innovative approaches to natural resource management, helping African farmers find their own pathways out of poverty.

   We are a registered charity in the UK (Registered Charity Number 326901) and a registered company (Registered Company Number 01926828).




2. Where does FARM-Africa work?

   FARM-Africa works in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. We have also recently started a new programme in Southern Sudan.

   • Ethiopia
     South Omo Zone, Bonga Forest (Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Regional State - SNNPRS) Chilimo and Borana Forest (Oromiya Region), & Zones 3 & 5 (Afar Region)
   • Kenya
     Meru Central, Meru South, Isiolo, Mwingi, Kitui, Marsabit and Moyale Districts
   • South Africa
     Northern Cape and Eastern Cape Provinces
   • Sudan
     Warrap Province of the Bahr el Ghazal Region of Southern Sudan
   • Tanzania
     Babati, Mbulu & Hanang Districts (Manyara Region)
   • Uganda
     Mbale and Sironko Districts

   FARM-Africa aims to share the lessons from experiences with a number of outreach countries (for example, Malawi and Somaliland) to increase the impact of our successful grassroots programmes.




3. Why does FARM-Africa work where they do?

   FARM-Africa was established in Kenya in 1985 and its first project was the 1986 Kenya Pastoralist Development Project. From this point, we expanded our work to neighbouring countries: Ethiopia in the north and Tanzania in the south, often in partnership with AMREF.

   FARM-Africa started work in South Africa in 1992, Uganda in 2003 and more recently Southern Sudan in 2005.




4. What does the 'F.A.R.M.' in FARM-Africa stand for?

   It stands for Food and Agricultural Research Management, reflecting our aim to research better agricultural and natural resource practices in partnership with rural communities.




5. How is FARM-Africa funded?

   FARM-Africa receives funding through a variety of sources, including statutory donors, the general public, trusts and major donors. Sources of its charitable income include:

   • Trusts, notably The Rockefeller Foundation and The Gatsby Charitable Foundation
   • Companies
   • Individual donations from the British public, particularly the rural and farming communities
   • Donations from churches
   • Schools
   • Government International Development Departments (particularly the UK, Canada, Netherlands, Sweden and USA)
   • European Commission
   • International charities including Ethiopia Aid, Christian Aid, the Dutch agencies, NOVIB (a member of Oxfam International), Cordaid and German Agro Action
   • The Community Fund and Comic Relief




6. How does FARM-Africa spend their money?

   In 2006, we generated an income of over £8million - 71.5% of expenditure was spent directly on our programmes, with the remaining 28.5% being spent on governance and generating funds.




7. Is FARM-Africa involved in emergency work?

   FARM-Africa is not a relief agency. However since we operate in remote and often marginalised areas, we may be the only NGO present when an emergency strikes. As such, we are well placed in raising the alarm and advocating rapid responses from specialist relief agencies. However, if help is not forthcoming FARM-Africa will get involved in emergency feeding programmes, through targeted employment generation schemes, if possible. When involved in emergency situations FARM-Africa always integrates development principles into relief work to ensure the greatest long-term benefit possible for the stricken communities.




8. What is FARM-Africa's perspective on HIV/AIDS?

   FARM-Africa recognises the profound impact of HIV/AIDS on the communities with whom we work. However, we are not a specialist HIV/AIDS organisation - but will collaborate with such specialist organisations where appropriate. Some of our programmes do have a reproductive health component - e.g. The Participatory Forest Management Programme in Ethiopia and Tanzania, where forest communities are encouraged to balance their families with available resources.




9. Can I work for / volunteer for FARM-Africa?

   The London office recruits staff for posts in Britain and senior posts in Africa. Other in-country posts in Africa are recruited locally. When recruiting staff, full job details will be posted on our website, as well as advertising in the mainstream press. We also make use of the BOND network to advertise any new positions.

   FARM-Africa occasionally works with volunteers in the London office and any such opportunities will be posted on the website. However we are unable to respond to unsolicited applications.




10. Can FARM-Africa provide funding for my project?

    FARM-Africa is not a donor agency. As a small non-funding organisation, we need all the money raised for our own programmes in East and South Africa. However, the one exception to this is The Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund, which we manage and which provides small grants to agricultural projects in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Further information is available at www.maendeleo-atf.org




11. What work does FARM-Africa do to improve the lives of women in Africa?

    FARM-Africa works with some of the most marginalised people in Africa, many of whom are women. Our projects are aimed at improving the livelihoods of the poorest people in the communities in which we work, and this often means female-headed households. Many of our projects start through the formation of women’s groups to enable women to raise their standing in their communities, for example through credit groups.

    Some of the projects that specifically help women are listed below:

    • In Ethiopia, our hugely successful Women’s Enterprise Development Project aims to empower over 770 women by increasing their access to resources, rights, opportunities and knowledge. In the region of Afar, we work with pastoralists on building women’s confidence and helping them to play a more active role in community decision-making.
    • Our Nou Joint Forest Management Project in Tanzania teaches women alternative sources of income as part of the project to conserve fragile forest resources for the communities making a living from them.
    • One of our most successful projects is the Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund, which offers grants to small businesses, research institutes and voluntary organisations that use innovative ways to make agricultural technologies accessible to farmers. Many of the people who benefit from this scheme are women.