• Purpose of project and mode of implementation:

Purpose of the project was to implement an environmentally safe method to address a community group’s, the Mayaro Greenhouse Growers Association (MGGA), constraint of an adequate water supply by adding Water Catchment System (ponds) to their existing greenhouses. The second part of the project was the Young Growers Programme which was implemented at the Mafeking Government Primary School. A building on the school’s compound was converted to a greenhouse and ongoing training programme for staff and students was implemented. The Water Catchment Systems were implemented through the MGGA, the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries and private contractors. The Young Growers Programme was implemented through the MGGA, school teachers and the 4H club.


• Project activities accomplished:
• Four ponds completed with excavation and liners, two incorporated into greenhouses and one pond liner was installed into an already established pond.
• Refurbishment of building completed and Young Growers Programme implemented in Mafeking Government Primary School


• Products generated by the project:
• Crop Production (Sweet Pepper)
• Training Materials for Young Growers Programme


• Benefits achieved for/by participants during implementation:
Farmers understand the technical process of establishing this particular water catchment system. The farmers group has a better understanding of what is required during implementation of a project such as this in terms of financial management and record keeping and overall accountability especially when multiple funding agencies and corporate bodies are involved.



• Problems encountered during execution:
• Internal organisational issues within the MGGA group.
• Lack of effective communication amongst the group
• Lack of adequate financial planning and management



• Measures taken to resolve problems:
The group underwent additional Group Dynamics Training with an external consultant to improve organizational issues and communication problems.
Additional funding was requested from the Community Development Fund to complete the remainder of the ponds with pumps and this is pending approval.

II. Project Evaluation

• Were stated project objectives met?
Two of the farmers were able to integrate their ponds into greenhouse production and utilize water when resources were low. However, the rest of the farmers were not able to fully implement and incorporate the Water Catchment Systems into their greenhouses therefore unable to benefit.
The Young Growers Programme at Mafeking Government Primary School has and continues to sensitize students and teachers on greenhouse production and the elements necessary for successful crop production.

• If not, what where the principal obstacles to project success?
The principal obstacles to success of the Water Catchment Systems were the organizational issues within the Mayaro Greenhouse Growers and a lack of experience with project implementation. There were some issues with leadership, participation from group members, communication and financial management.


• Could these obstacles have been avoided?
If the group was given less autonomy and their responsibilities abdicated by donor and sponsorship entities instead of the monitoring approach taken it may have been avoided. However, it would not have been a sustainable approach and would have encouraged dependency. Possibly more capacity building directly related to leadership, project management and financial management could have been delivered immediately before the start of the project or as a component of the project.


• What were the principal positive aspects of the project?
The project has allowed the group to gain a tremendous amount of experience while executing a project of this scope with an international funding agency. Another positive aspect of the project is the development of the Young Growers Programme which has continued in the Mafeking Government Primary School and is expanding to several other schools in the region.

• What were the principal deficiencies?
• Lack of experience in project execution and management
• Lack of participation by all members of the group
• Group Conflict

• What is the global benefit of this project?

If the group continues to capitilise on their water catchment systems and can overcome internal issues to grow in membership, the MGGA can eventually play a part in significantly reducing the import of fruit and vegetables into T&T through their ability to supply the local market. The Young Growers Programme will introduce several students to agriculture and some may continue on into careers in agriculture which will help to develop the sector locally and regionally and positively impact food security for future generations.

Account of participatory evaluation of the project (if the above is not based on a participatory exercise). Describe modality of participation. Highlight the individual and collective voices of project participants and other stakeholders.

The project was implemented through the Mayaro Greenhouse Growers Association. The group was made up of six (6) greenhouse farmers who formalized and became a registered non-governmental organisation. The group held elections and elected a President, Vice President, Secretary and a Treasurer and comprised of trustees. Other stakeholders included Community Relations personnel from Repsol E&P TT which sponsored the Greenhouse Project in which the farmers were initially involved.

The project was managed through meetings held during the project and decisions were made as a group. However, group members expressed dissatisfaction with decisions made regarding the size of ponds each farmer was allocated although they signed an agreement. They believed the distribution was disproportionate and unfair. Others were not satisfied with contractors chosen to execute project works for e.g. pond excavation. Some farmers were not pleased with the leadership and how funds were managed while others were satisfied and recognized the amount of work done by the President to manage the project. The President expressed a lack of support from the group members and that not each member participated fully.

This dissatisfaction led to issues affected the group member’s ability to effectively communicate with one another. Towards the end of the project the President of the group resigned. Repsol, intervened by facilitating a series of group dynamic workshops with the group via a consultant to reassess the vision and mission of the project and group while revisiting leadership, communication and other key organisation skills.

At one of the final meetings the remaining five members recommitted to the vision of the group and an interim-President was elected to move the group forward. The group agreed that the project was a great learning experience and more commitment by all members was necessary for a more successful project execution in the future.
















IV. Lessons learned

In this section, please discuss the lessons to be learned from this project experience. Try to be as specific, analytical, and didactic as possible. The idea here is to demonstrate how to achieve a certain objective or how to improve project and programme performance based on this project. Imagine that you are explaining step-by-step how to achieve project and programme goals to a new national coordinator or to a community interested in developing a GEF/SGP project. Describe what works, what does not work, and why.

• Describe the effects of this project in relation to the GEF focal areas and operational programs. Explain how the project was able to have an effect on biodiversity, climate change, or international waters. Assess the global benefits of this project.

The Water Catchment System will reduce the effects of climate change on farmer’s crop production. Additionally the construction of the greenhouse at the Mafeking allows for crop production under a more controlled environment which also can mitigate the effect of climate change on the crops. The implementation of the awareness programme of the Young Growers Programme will also positively impact the knowledge on the effects on climate change within the school population. These can all have global benefits in terms of increased awareness of climate change and food security.

• Did this project link the practice of sustainable livelihoods to a GEF focal area? Describe the strategies employed, indicating what works and what does not.
N/A



• Were there links between this project and the macro GEF? How were these links achieved? How have they benefited the GEF/SGP? How have they benefited the macro GEF?
N/A



• Has this project influenced government policy? Explain what the government policy is, how it has been affected, and the role and nature of GEF/SGP influence.
N/A



• Has this project increased public awareness of local and global environmental problems? Describe how this was done, and whether people are making use of the new knowledge.

The Water Catchment & Young Growers Project funded by GEF/SGP is a part of a larger Greenhouse Project that Repsol began in 2008. Since 2008 Repsol has highlighted the project along with related environmental issues via various forms of media. Additionally the Young Growers Programme is an education and awareness programme within the school community which highlights crop production and the problems farmers may encounter.

• Is this a community-driven project? How was community implementation and ownership of project achieved? How did this contribute to project success? Also indicate pitfalls and tactics to be avoided.

Yes the project was community-driven as the farmers highlighted the issue with lack of adequate water supply as one of their main issues with achieving successful crop production.

• Was there a capacity-building component in this project? How were local capacities enhanced? How did it contribute to project success?

The capacity-building component of the project was related to the Young Growers Programme and the technical support given to the teachers and students from the MGGA.

• How did women and men participate in planning, implementing, and evaluating the project? Did project proponents plan a gender focus? Or did it evolve in the course of project implementation? What are some of the issues that came up in this regard?

The project was not planned with a gender focus and no specific gender issues emerged.

• Was this project run by indigenous people or involve significant participation by indigenous people? In this context, discuss ethnic, cultural, and historical factors that affected project design, implementation, and results.

No.

• Does this project have a sustainability plan and/or prospects? What aspects of the project design, project implementation, or other factors enhanced sustainability? How could other projects or country programmes use this experience to promote sustainability?

The farmers chosen to be part of the Water Catchment Project were chosen based on their commitment to the association and based on the fact that three out of the six farmers relied solely on the profits of their Greenhouses. The group’s desire to formalize and subsequent registration as a non-governmental organisation was part of the plan to enhance project sustainability. The group intends to grow membership to ensure shared expertise amongst farmers in the region and increased production volumes. Another key component which promotes sustainability was the establishment of the Young Growers Programme, a capacity building programme which exposes youth to the techniques associated in protected agriculture as well as the need for conservation of natural resources to promote agriculture and food security. This programme has continued and is being expanded through Repsol to several other schools in the region. It is recommended that other infrastructural projects/programmes in the community include a capacity building component to enhance sustainability.


• Did this project receive co-financing? If so, indicate sources and amounts. Which project components did the co-financing support? How was the co-financing obtained? Describe how links to other donors or agencies were made, networking strategies, and negotiations. Also indicate pitfalls and tactics to be avoided.

Repsol E&P TT contributed 91,727.82 TTD to the project as a sponsor of Greenhouse Project in which the farmers group was initially involved.


• Is this project suitable for replication in other communities or regions? Could it be upscaled to a medium-sized GEF project? Please indicate any plans in this regard.

There are no current plans to replicate the Water Catchment System project with Repsol’s Social Investment Programme. However, the Young Growers Programme will be expanded into seven additional schools with different growing systems including aquaponics systems and greenhouses as a result of a partnership between the University of the West Indies and Repsol.