In order to increase crop production and productivity, CPAR-Ethiopia has been distributing various improved seed technologies to the farming communities in Were Jarso district since 2010.

Improved wheat, teff, maize, potato, and chickpeas were the major seed types distributed and demonstrated at field level by Farmer Field School groups. The performance of these seed technologies were found successful and generally demonstrated a yield advantage of more than two folds over the local varieties.

Recently CPAR Malawi’s Farmers First Program expanded into the two new group villages of Chinzu and Kabudula. This has brought both excitement and hope to vulnerable small-scale farmers living in the two areas. In the two areas, the project is supporting 500 beneficiaries through Farmer Field Schools (FFS). Through these Farmer Field Schools, small-scale farmers have learned new and improved agricultural methods.

When the security situation improved in 2005, Ayella and his family moved to a transit camp at Okidi Parish that was closer to their ancestral home. They stayed at this transitional camp for three years before returning home completely. Ayella's journey

In previous PAL Reports, you learned about the challenges that rural Ethiopian farmers face in securing an adequate food supply for their households. CPAR-Ethiopia is also working in the Jarso Program area to support HIV & AIDS-affected communities. One of the support initiatives involves the establishment of positive People Living with HIV & AIDS (PLWHA) associations like the New Hope Gohatsion

Thanks to new funding secured through the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), CPAR-Uganda is launching two new programs to meet the needs of war-affected communities in the north.

Engaging youth in peacebuilding.

In February, CPAR began work on a pilot youth and community peacebuilding initiative funded by DFAIT called "By Youth for Youth". The project is intended to enable a broad spectrum

It has been three years since I last stepped foot on African soil. This time, I was making the journey to Uganda and Malawi with three objectives: visit CPAR projects to gather stories and photos documenting the impact of CPAR's work on peoples lives - conduct communications training sessions to further build the capacity of CPAR field staff and last but not least, do two Poetic Art Workshops on how war-affected and HIV/AIDS-affected youth can use both art and poetry to

Engaging youth in peacebuilding

In February, CPAR began work on a pilot youth and community peacebuilding initiative funded by DFAIT called "By Youth for Youth". The project is intended to enable a broad spectrum of Gulu district youth (internally displaced, returnees, the war-affected,

The grant which is being provided by CIDA's International Humanitarian Assistance Division, will help to ensure that the basic human needs of internally displaced families in northern Uganda are being met.

The 12-month project, is designed to address the needs of more than 28,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Lira District. The initiative will be implemented in partnership with