Stories from the Field
Sometimes we get so caught up in results and indicators, we miss the human stories of how NIRAS projects impact people’s lives. Here are some voices that are not often heard.
With 22 hectares of land and a lot of will, a Mozambican women’s village savings and loan group starts commercial forest plantation
Thanks to a new grant to generate sustainable rural income and restore degraded forest areas, the Nathelaca Association is launching a business to sell firewood to tea and tobacco companies in Mozambique
The early bird misses the drought and increases yield
It is probably fair to say many farmers in Zambia are anxiously awaiting the rains following patterns of poor rainfall in the past few years. One farmer has made sure that, when the rain does come, he’ll be ready to make the most of the precious precipitation.
What's in a name?
This past June, a family in Torit, South Sudan, christened their newborn "Niras" in appreciation of the positive impact stemming from a six-year Dutch-funded integrated water resources management project
Creating new and sustaining existing agri-jobs in Mali
With co-financing and training support from Danida, small and medium-sized businesses, cooperatives, and public-private partnerships have upgraded operations and improved infrastructure, increasing income and improving livelihoods
From hobby to profession: one welder's story
After undergoing on-the-job training as part of the E2E programme in Serbia, this young man managed to align his passion with his career
The early adopter bringing others on board
After receiving help to improve his dairy farming enterprise, Gilbert Mweemba wants to give back by teaching his rural neighbours everything he knows
With practical hands-on advice, South Sudanese farmers are finally seeing returns
Working side by side with farmers, a local agribusiness support service showcases the potential for success.
Four women providing business answers to Africa’s challenges – with a little help from FemBioBiz
The four women entrepreneurs who won Season 2 of the NEPAD SANBio FemBioBiz Programme in 2018 all have one thing in common: the drive to find innovative solutions through business.
Youth employment programme benefits the unemployed and local businesses alike
While the From Education to Employment Programme focuses on raising the employability and creating employment for Serbian youths, the approach it takes also benefits the local business partners, such as the Silikon Komerc Company in Kruševac.
A simple intervention to minimise fodder wastage improves smallholder farmer's productivity
The Zambia Dairy Transformation Programme is drawing on international skills and experience to improve the lives of smallholder dairy farmers in Central and Copperbelt Provinces. For one farmer and her family, a simple new system is having an impressive impact.
FemBioBiz country coordinator leads by example to empower women entrepreneurs in Zambia
In a bid to keep supporting women-owned businesses after donor funding came to an end, WECREATE Executive Director Nambula Kachumi led the organisation’s transition to a social enterprise and found a sustainable business model that serves as an example to the women they help.
How a programme in Western Kenya changed hundreds of thousands of lives
NIRAS has been part of improving the livelihoods of up to half a million people through the now completed Programme for Agriculture and Livelihoods of Western Communities (PALWECO).
Land registration opens a door to further opportunity
After getting their second-level land certification, Adamu Tilaneh and his wife, Haimanot Abie Belay, were able to finance their new business.
Farmer gives back after the Community Forests Pemba project helped save his crop
After the team from a local project help save Kibano Omar Kibano’s vanilla crop, he joined the EU-funded programme and uses the training he received to train others.
Safe and sustainable agriculture pays off for one Cambodia cucumber farmer
The Core Agriculture Support Programme (CASP II) agriculture project is transforming the Great Mekong Subregion into a hub for safe and sustainable agricultural products. One farmer recounts how his prospects have improved.
Education to Employment (E2E) helps hard-to-place youth find employment and acceptance
It was impossible for Semin Dolovac to find a job until an E2E-arranged training programme and his hard work gave him the chance he needed.
AgroBIG helped me get better prices for my potatoes
The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ joint initiative with the Government of Ethiopia – AgroBIG – is making a difference by giving women entrepreneurs a chance to succeed ... particularly in the life of one woman potato wholesaler.
Community members report multiple benefits from Tana Beles watershed project in Ethiopia
The Tana Beles watershed project in Ethiopia has become a regional role model, creating benefits for the entire community - poor and rich, young and old, workers and unemployed, as well as disabled people. Some share their story.
Serbian women bake for sweet empowerment and a life without violence
Despite various laws in place to protect domestic violence victims in Serbia, the reality on the ground means that women like 23-year-old Kristina can’t easily escape abusive husbands. But by giving her on-the-job training, the From Education to Employment (E2E) programme has given her - and other marginalised individuals - a shot at a new life.