Reaching Agents Of Change

The Reaching Agents of Change (RAC) project (2011-2014) was a unique initiative that was implemented by the International Potato Center (CIP) and Helen Keller International (HKI), in partnership with national research, education and extension institutions. The development goal of RAC was to increase the rates of vitamin A intake in targeted beneficiary countries. RAC advocated for increased investment in orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) to combat vitamin A deficiency (VAD) among young children and women of reproductive age. RAC also built institutional capacity to design and implement gender-sensitive projects to ensure wide access and utilization of OFSP in Mozambique, Tanzania, Nigeria, and to a lesser extent in Ghana and Burkina Faso. The project has built the capacity of national advocates, regional champions to influence key decision makers and investors to invest in OFSP projects and trained change agents on technical aspects of OFSP. Those trained have conducted step-down courses reaching tertiary trainers and farmers. Interest is emerging along the entire OFSP value chain in communities that have benefitted from RAC’s promotion, advocacy and capacity building efforts. As RAC phase 1 comes to an end, this 5 minute video documentary highlights the key results achieved and some of the key networks that facilitated the achievement of the project outcomes. The Wonder Root is a short documentary feature on the impact of the project’s activities on the lives of beneficiaries and the extent to which RAC has achieved its intended outcomes. RAC encourages donors, private sector, foundations and philanthropists to invest in initiatives that scale-up food-based approaches that link agriculture and nutrition. RAC is grateful to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for funding the project.

ofsp, sweetpotato
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