Project profile — Entrepreneurship Development for Conflict-Affected Rural Population - We Prosper

• Ukraine (100.00%)

• Government And Civil Society, General: Women's rights organisations and movements, and government institutions (15170) (15.00%)
• Food crop production:
Food crop production (31161) (40.00%)
Agricultural co-operatives (31194) (45.00%)

• Gender equality (principal objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (principal objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Nutrition (significant objective)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

The project aims to improve the economic prosperity of rural women and the most vulnerable and marginalized people, especially those affected by conflict. In response to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the project adapted certain project activities to address new immediate needs and protect previous development gains. Canada’s development partners in Ukraine pivoted project activities to respond to the evolving context in several ways, such as providing emergency supplies, equipment and services, mental health, transportation and accommodation. The beneficiaries, scope, expected results and geographic location of project activities have changed from the original description. Project activities include: (1) supporting women-headed family farms and existing cooperatives through economic support programs. These programs provide much-needed agricultural inputs and equipment needed to engage in farm training and value-added processing; (2) supporting internally displaced farmers through training on agricultural techniques and entrepreneurship; and (3) providing advocacy, mental health support, and responding to immediate needs of rural communities through the Rural Women's Business Network in partnership with civil society organizations.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) enhanced economic security of rural women and the most vulnerable populations from the war; (2) enhanced competitive, innovative, and environmentally sustainable small and medium-sized enterprises for women and the most vulnerable or marginalized; and (3) improved enabling environment supporting the participation of rural women and the most vulnerable populations from the war, in the regional cooperative agri-food economy.

Results achieved as of March 2024 include: (1) enabled 222 farmers (178 women and 44 men) to employ artificial insemination services for their cows in 18 rural service points since April 1st. The project’s dairy technicians arranged and provided assistance to these farmers, including on genetics, reproductive health consultations and general artificial insemination best practices, thereby increasing the health and resilience of herds, and quality of milk; (2) provided agricultural equipment including greenhouses, and equipment for dairy farms to 292 women and 13 men. This includes electric fences, generators, fans, lighting, milking units, milk-processing machines, rubber mats and cow shutters. Together with on-farm training equipment, the support increased the capacity of farmers to increase production and quality of vegetables, fruits and dairy, while reducing energy consumption and easing manual tasks, especially for women; (3) supported the 6th Forum of the Forum VI of Rural Women's Business Network held in in Lviv on November 3 to 4, 2023. More than 140 women farmers, rural entrepreneurs, experts, local community activists, and producers of unique craft products from different regions of Ukraine took part in this year's Forum; and (4) supported 627 women and men small-producers (433 women and 194 men) to attend workshops and consultations to establish agrifood cooperatives that meet the needs of the most vulnerable. This served as a means to sensitize potential and existing coop members to the coop model. Topics included: introduction to cooperation legislation, and new cooperative law, coop start-up, and governance structure.

• Proactive disclosure