A Rwandan family.
Feed the Future Orora Wihaze Activity
In Rwanda, TMG is a partner on the Feed the Future Orora Wihaze Activity led by Land o’Lakes/Venture 37. Orora Wihaze is applying a market system development approach to sustainably increase the availability of, access to, demand for and consumption of animal-source foods (ASF) through the development of profitable markets. TMG’s role is to ensure that social and behavior change considerations are fundamental to the design and development of the market-based activities wherever they are focused along the prioritized ASF value chains. Recognizing the extremely low levels of ASF consumption especially among vulnerable populations in Rwanda, in Year 1 TMG led a study of consumption practices and the factors that influence them to better understand the root causes of low consumption and to inform decision-making on interventions within the project’s ASF value chains (sheep, goats, pig, chickens and fish, and their products milk and eggs) that would address consumer need. TMG integrated critical social and behavior change priorities across the Orora Wihaze strategy for each of its intervention areas from production through marketing to and family consumption. Additionally, TMG provides technical assistance to consortium partner CRS for SBC communication activities, and capacity development in this area to consortium partner Urunana. This assistance focuses on enhancing innovative communication as a tool of strategic social and behavior change, a role beyond information dissemination.