West Africa Regional
Food for Peace (RFFP) Office
The mission of the West Africa Regional office of Food for Peace (RFFP) is
to improve food availability, utilization and access for poor, rural West Africans.
RFFP implements food security enhancing programs through the direct distribution
or the sale of food made available by the U.S. government. In 2003, RFFP made
available 245,000 metric tons of foodstuffs worth over $122 million to 19 programs
implemented by American private voluntary organizations (PVOs) and to an additional
16 programs implemented by the World Food Program (WFP) in 14 West African countries.
Roughly half of RFFP's resources are used to respond to food emergencies. The
other half funds a variety of community development programs.
RFFP Development Programs: PVOs use development food aid for direct
distribution and the sale of food in West Africa, using local currency proceeds
to finance development activities. Direct distribution can provide a safety net
for the most needy through mother and child feeding activities or may contribute
to improving rural infrastructure such as roads and small dams through Food for
Work (FFW) activities. The proceeds from the sale of U.S. food fund programs in
the areas of agriculture, education, microfinance and nutrition.
RFFP Emergency Programs: RFFP responds to natural and man-made emergencies
that have had a negative impact on a population's food availability or access.
For example, in 2003, RFFP provided over 87,000 metric tons of food worth almost
$60 million to assist people affected by the effects of war in Côte d'Ivoire,
Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Also in 2003, RFFP responded
to the extremely poor 2002 harvests in the western part of the Sahel region (Cape
Verde, The Gambia, western Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal) by providing 18,000
metric tons of cereals worth $10 million to assist 580,000 persons.
Selected RFFP programs
Niger: A consortium of PVOs in Niger (Africare, CARE and Catholic Relief
Services/CRS) uses FFW to support drought mitigation projects to construct small
dams, rehabilitate rural roads, plant trees and undertake soil conservation activities.
The consortium also helps vulnerable households recuperate abandoned farmland
and acquire livestock in order to generate income from cereal and meat/milk production.
Cape Verde: Agricultural Cooperative Development International and Volunteers
in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA), through rural associations, implements
rural public works and agricultural activities which have not only improved natural
resource management but have also helped reduce rural poverty by providing seasonal
employment to some of the most vulnerable populations of Cape Verde. ACDI/VOCA
uses the receipts from the sale of corn and wheat to fund its program.
Mauritania: The World Vision/Doulos Community Development activity in
Mauritania improves access to clean water for target communities in Nouakchott.
More than 18,000 people in over 3,700 poor urban households are benefiting from
the provision of clean water from World Vision cisterns and now have safe easy
access-often for the first time in their lives-to water which is among the cleanest
and most affordable in the city.
Partners
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), ACDI/VOCA, Africare, CARE,
CRS, Counterpart International/US, Opportunities Industrialization Center International
(OICI), USAID Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fewsnet), WFP, and World Vision.
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