Research and evaluations

We conduct regular evaluations of our projects to ensure our work is effective, provides value for money, and promotes learning and knowledge among our network of partners.

Project evaluations

Enhancing Food, Nutrition, Income Security, and Livelihoods of Smallholder Farmers in Ethiopia

Enhancing Food, Nutrition, Income Security and Livelihoods for Smallholder Farmers, Ethiopia

The project is a continuation of the global ‘Potato Coalition Program’ of which AOP is a consortium partner. The consortium comprises international NGOs United Purpose, Vita, AOP and the International Potato Centre; agricultural research agencies in Ireland, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Mozambique; the private sector; and universities in Europe and Africa.

In this phase of the project, in Ethiopia, the project focused on activities leading to increased adoption of agricultural technologies and practices; strengthening local enterprises; post-harvest handling and processing; creating universal access to improved potato seed; increasing the yield of potato and highland maize and other crops used as a rotation crop with potato; increasing access to potato seed through enhancing the capacity of seed multiplier cooperatives and research centres; supporting the Quality Declared Seed System; leveraging innovation and learnings from previous Vita potato initiatives; implementing best practice replicable models from the Ethiopian Potato Coalition; and establishing a holistic community-led model.

Victory Gardens Project, Malawi

This project aimed to create resilient communities by helping villagers attain food security by creating no-cost, high-yield, sustainable gardens and promoting rural development through the selling of surplus produce, to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty.

The project encouraged households to establish, at little cost, high-yield organic gardens referred to as ‘victory gardens’. Working in the districts of Lilongwe, Phalombe and Nsanje, the project had the goal of supporting the most vulnerable to achieve increased resilience by being able to grow their own food. Its purpose was to create 30,000 new kitchen gardens and record 32,000 existing Victory Gardens, producing food for 128,000 people throughout the year. It would also explore ways to foster local economic development by helping the growing number of successful Victory Garden owners invest in profitable livelihood activities.

Improving Food Security and Economic Empowerment for Smallholder Farmers in Malawi

Improving Food Security and Economic Empowerment for Smallholder Farmers, Malawi

In this phase of the project, in Malawi, the project focused on supporting Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) farmers through capacity building to enhance their production both in terms of quality and quantity, and to provide a market linkage to a reliable and sustainable market for their products.

Improving Food Security and Economic Empowerment for Smallholder Farmers in Mozambique

Improving Food Security and Economic Empowerment for Smallholder Farmers, Mozambique

In this phase of the project, in Mozambique, the project concentrated on the sustainability aspects in terms of actions with government, seed producers and the private sector. The project also involved activities related to value addition through post-harvest handling and packaging with the aim of building consumer confidence in purchasing nationally grown potatoes and enhancing market linkages. Small technological innovations such as low-cost irrigation systems and net tunnels to protect sweet potato planting material from diseases were to be introduced to farmers.

Maasai Women’s Economic Empowerment Project, Tanzania

This project aims to reduce the vulnerability of Maasai women using a twofold approach – challenging gender inequity, and increasing women’s access to income generating opportunities. The overarching goal of the project is to promote a Maasai society where women have equal rights to own, access and use the productive resources available to them.

Our local partner, CORDS, is a Maasai run NGO that is well placed to challenge social norms that disadvantage women. The project is a cluster of initiatives built around raising awareness, identifying community leaders, promoting initiatives designed to enhance women’s ownership of and control over and access to productive assets, and facilitating access to capital, to build economic empowerment to reduce vulnerability. The project was implemented in three villages, through the establishment of a flour milling plant.

Improving Food Productivity and Market Linkages Project, Zimbabwe

The project was to expand an integrated package of interventions aimed at reducing seed and food insecurity, while increasing income generation, in selected areas of Mutoko District, by developing value chains and creating market linkages to increase rural farm incomes.

The project was designed to increase food security and income generating capacity of target communities; strengthen the capacity Asset Building Groups (ABGs); and link farmers with access to inputs, information and strengthen value chains and market linkages.

Production of key crops would be increased, and their value addition promoted. Pilot pen fattening and artificial insemination interventions will be scaled up, resulting in increased market returns. Access to water for irrigation would be increased to enable year-round production of higher value crops and allow for multiple harvests. Work would continue to increase access to quality seed for poor farmers and support existing quality seed certification systems. Farmers would receive support for Internal Savings and Lending activities to increaser access to cash in times of stress.

Socio-economic Empowerment Project, Timor-Leste

Socio-economic Empowerment Project – Executive Summary

Since 2016 the Socio-economic Empowerment Project has provided training and support to survivors of domestic violence and abuse. It has also given support to inmates in two prisons to provide training in livelihoods and literacy, psycho-social counselling, and access to legal support. The project improved the quality of life for approximately 260 survivors of domestic violence and their families, and is giving support to over 100 prisoners in Gleno and Becora prisons.

Pacific Regional Food and Water Security Project, Timor-Leste

Pacific Regional Food and Water Security Project

Between 2013 and 2022, with funding from the Australian Government’s ANCP program and donations from people of Australia, AOP with Timorese partner, Timor Aid, implemented the Timor-Leste component of the Pacific Regional Food and Water Security program, achieving the following goals:

Increased production supply of locally available nutritious food in target communities; increased household income generated through the sale of surplus produce; enhanced household water security and sanitation in targeted areas – including increased irrigation for food production; increased community coordination and collaboration with provincial/district government service providers; increased technical support for local partner NGOs.

Walk for Life, Bangladesh

Walk for Life – Executive Summary

Walk for Life has improved quality of life for over 21,000 children with clubfoot. Focus groups reported increased awareness of clubfoot and its treatment. Mothers of children with clubfoot have greater dignity and self-esteem due to the reduced stigma associated with the project’s awareness-raising campaigns. Diverse funding sources and government partnership ensure the project’s sustainability.

Research papers

Bridging the Gap, Solomon Islands

Bridging the Gap – Research Paper

This report documents the outcomes and impact of the Bridging the Gap project in the Solomon Islands.