Click here to view the report online.

To download the report click here.

In hot, sub-Saharan African climates, perishable food items do not have much of a shelf life, rendering them even more precious. But when processed, many crops can last up to six months.

Cassava, also known as yucca, is a great source of nutrients such as essential carbohydrates and vitamins – necessary elements to fuel hardworking families. However, if not processed within 48 hours of harvesting, farmers can experience as much as 40 percent loss of their cassava crops. Processed as flour or gari (a granular mixture), cassava can be fortified to add nutritional value that especially benefits vulnerable populations who are at great risk of malnutrition or stunting.

Known as Super Gari, OIC International produces this fortified cereal to include in food rations for program beneficiaries, with the aim of reducing chronic malnutrition. Made locally, Super Gari is comprised of three easily accessible ingredients: cassava gari, defatted soy flour and a micronutrient mixture.

With funding from the United States Agency for International Development, Office of Food for Peace, OIC International is implementing the Super Gari project in Liberia to take the production of Super Gari one step further by improving the cassava value chain including introducing, testing and bringing the fortified cereal to markets.

Starting at the farm level, OIC International supplies clean planting material and necessary inputs, along with agricultural training for poor farmers. The farmers are then organized into production groups to sell their cassava tubers in bulk to processing facilities that employ women and are owned by OIC affiliates. In return, the processing facilities receive new equipment and additional training to enhance the quality of operations.

Currently in the pre-commercialization phase of the project, OIC International’s Super Gari project team has been exploring various supply chains and distribution channels, with the goal of commercializing Super Gari.

For more information on OIC International’s Super Gari project, click here.

To read the full report, click here.

For poor communities in Ghana, growing enough food for their families is only half the battle. Preventing unnecessary waste due to spoilage and pests poses a real challenge, but at OIC International, we are working alongside poor farmers to tap into a 300-year Ghanaian tradition through our Mud Silos program.

The solution is simple and one that farmers in some areas have used for hundreds of years – a grain storage unit made from local materials. To bring this cost-effective technology to scale, OIC International is working with rural communities to raise awareness of the technology and train local artisans to construct the storage systems.

Here’s why it makes sense:

Made from local materials such as dried grass and mud, the silos are designed with three compartments that can store several commodities. With good crop/seed treatment, coupled with a lifespan of up to 50 years if well maintained, this makes the system a smart choice for farmers who raise multiple crops.

To date OIC International has helped rural farmers construct 5,724 mud silos that have the capacity to store up to 1.5 metric tons of grain. OIC International’s research has found that when grains are well dried and treated before storage, the silos yield almost zero percent loss. And for poor families in Ghana, less spoilage means greater food security during the “lean months.”

In 2001, Ghana’s Ministry of Agriculture evaluated a number of grain storage systems and found that mud silos were the most cost effective and successful method for maintaining the nutritional value of crops while in storage. For less than $25, OIC International’s Mud Silos program helps farmers invest in increasing their own food supplies by reducing spoilage and pests.

Working alongside poor farmers, OIC International provides the artisan to build the mud silo, while farmers supply the cementing agent, water supply, clay and grass. To date, we have arranged for master builders to train 457 artisans (craftsmen/women) as mud silo construction experts, thus creating a skilled labor force that can generate income in nearby communities.

To read the full report, click here.

One of OIC International’s main areas of focus is Food Security & Agriculture. Our aim is to promote food security by encouraging best practices in agriculture through effective and appropriate technologies and knowledge sharing in growing, processing and marketing. We are committed to ensuring that no individual goes hungry due to poverty or lack of market access.

In short, we are committed to ensuring that agricultural best practices are developed and shared to improve yields, secure livelihoods and promote balanced diets in communities.

Toward this end, we proudly partner with local communities, governments, and foundations around the world. For example, over a five-year partnership with USAID’s Technical and Operational Performance Support (TOPS) program, OIC International implemented ENHANCE, a multi-faceted, anti-hunger program in Ghana. The results are as follows:

The program emphasized the importance of exclusive breastfeeding of newborns to mothers, improving childhood nutrition and ensuring infants have a healthy start.

By offering farmers access to better seeds, harvesting tools, and storage methods, almost 50% of households reported a reduction in “hungry months”, with over half of households saying they were now food secure year-round.

By maximizing the use of water resources, ENHANCE enabled farmers to cultivate fresh produce during the dry season.

By explaining the benefits of more advanced care, feeding, and housing options for livestock, fewer animals were lost due to preventable causes, enabling a more secure source of income and food for farmers

Women’s groups were formed and supported by local implementers. These groups served as focal points for discussions, advocacy, and business activities, supporting women in economic and social realms and benefitting the empowerment of women

To read the full report, click here.

To fund out more about OIC International’s Super Gari project in Liberia – in partnership with TOPS – click here.

This Summit taking place is Accra Ghana, May 16, 2013, explores the “how” for unlocking human potential in unemployed and underemployed youth throughout Africa. According to the World Bank 200 million people in Africa are between the ages of 15-24. The youth bulge in African countries, with over 60 percent of young people unemployed at 40 percent of the total population, the impact of this population could serve as the catalyst to revolutionize development as we now know it. This scenario has unfortunately played out recently, in Tunisia, where tragically, a young unemployed man set himself on fire in protest over his and others economic prospects—this spark led to the collapse of governments throughout North Africa, creating the contagion called “the Arab Spring”. In sub-Saharan Africa the threat is equally strong on the one hand, for unemployed youth to stray toward death and destruction, rather than harness and nurture this incredible asset as a driver of economic growth and prosperity, on the other.

But how do you get there?

The African Union adopted a youth action plan in 2011 to address high youth unemployment in Africa (AU 2011). Recommendations from the plan include stronger concentration on Technical and Vocational Education Training, also known as TVET. As a leader in human development training and TVET for over 42 years, OIC International is convening this Summit in Accra, Ghana to facilitate stakeholders’ solutions on how to harness the youth bulge as a driver for economic growth. OIC International’s, Youth Investment Summit is designed for senior-level government and private sector officials, the donor community, TVET implementers and trainers as well as entrepreneurs and investors and others interested in human potential.

Opportunities Industrialization Centers International (OIC International) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since 1970, OIC International has differentiated itself by creating indigenous NGOs in developing and transitional countries. OIC International uses a sustainable, community-based affiliate model by which an “owner/operator” method is used to instill ownership, consistency and sustainability. OIC International’s locally registered affiliates embody the philosophy of self-reliance and operate with an independent local board and staff. This unique affiliate model was born out of the belief that the best way to foster economic change is through the empowerment of the local community. Today OIC International is building the capacity of communities through technical and vocational training in agriculture livelihoods, health and nutrition. OIC International is a global organization with affiliates and training centers in 19 countries.

Sponsors

Contact: Rashida Petersen, (202) 499-2380 ext. 288 or rpetersen@oici.org

OIC International enlists support of government of Ghana for Youth Investment Summit: The road to economic growth, Accra, Ghana, May 16, 2013

WASHINGON, DC, USA (MARCH 19, 2013)— Recently, Crispian Kirk, President and CEO of Opportunities Industrialization Centers International (OIC International) met with His Excellency Mr. Daniel O. Agyekum, Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States. The purpose of the meeting was to brief Ambassador Agyekum on OIC International’s Youth Investment Summit: The Road to Economic Growth. This one-day Summit will take place at the La-Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, Ghana, on May 16, 2013.  Government and business leaders as well as entrepreneurs, donors and community leaders will gather to examine the “how” for unlocking human potential in unemployed and underemployed youth throughout Africa. The Summit will also focus on the importance of training and investing in Africa’s youth to help the continent strengthen its local communities and reach its economic growth goals.

OIC International has had a presence in Ghana since 1971 through affiliate OIC Ghana. Through this affiliate, OIC provides training in vocational skills and offers counseling, job-placement, and follow-up services to disadvantaged, unskilled, and unemployed Ghanaian youth. Youth constitute approximately 37 percent of the total labor force, but make up approximately 60 percent of total unemployment. Youth in Africa hold great potential as drivers for economic growth through participation in labor markets. However, a large youth population that is not gainfully employed can also be a liability, further undermining growth prospects. This Summit will be an opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen youth and community empowerment, one of the 21st century challenges confronting the continent.

Stated Crispian Kirk, “Technical and vocational training of Africa’s youth will equip the private and public sectors with the skilled workforce needed to support their investments and enhance their operations. Training today’s youth in Africa is a key strategic component of development and economic growth policy. I am looking forward to working not only with Ambassador Agyekum and the Government of Ghana to ensure a successful and productive Summit” For more information on and to register for the Youth Investment Summit: The Road to Economic Growth, visit www.oici.org

OIC International is a non-profit organization headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Since 1970, OIC International has differentiated itself by creating indigenous NGOs in developing and transitional countries. OIC International’s locally registered affiliates embody the philosophy of self-reliance and operate with an independent local board and staff. This unique affiliate model was born out of the belief that the best way to foster economic change is through the empowerment of the local community. Today OIC International is building capacity of communities through technical and vocational training in agriculture livelihoods, health and nutrition.