USAID's Integrated Community Agriculture and Nutrition (ICAN) Activity was Uganda's flagship project on resilience awarded in July 2018 to May 2023 with a tune of 23 million dollars. The overall aim of ICAN Activity was to enhance the resilience of vulnerable households by increasing economic opportunities for poor households and improving nutrition with a focus on women and children and strengthening community and local governance. Implemented in Kigezi, Karamoja and Northern subregions, Caritas Kabale alone contributed 65% of the overall project target in the district implementation areas of Kisoro, Kanungu, and Rukungiri through community Saving with a purpose group, MIYCAN groups, Bataka, Ngozi groups, and community groups.
Caritas Kabale trained 398 Business Service providers (BSPs) who further trained 2,599 Community groups composed of to 83,199 farmers who were trained on VSLA, Group management practices, Agriprenuership, crop agronomy, linkages to formal Agriculture markets and formal financial institutions, and non-agriculture opportunities. Under Natural resource management, 900 Rocket Lorena energy stoves and 90 water-harvesting tanks were adopted by communities. Over 2,500 bamboo trees & 300 Hass Ovacado were planted on eroded hills whereas L. Kyahafi and Kayumbu communities were supported with Calliandra and sesbania seedlings in addition to restocking with 1,000 mirror cap fingerings and Secured 72 small in-kind grants to groups worth 744,705,739 shillings ($203,481)
Under sub purpose 2 (Nutrition); 230 VHTs were trained on the MIYCAN curriculum and supported with MIYCAN job aides, MIYCAN registers, data entry and reporting tools. They reached out and trained 27,486 members (5,948 pregnant, 1,2472 lactating and 9,066 caregivers/others) with MIYCAN sessions and trainings on the use of family MUAC, assessment for Malnutrition, WASH, backyard gardening for improved nutrition, nutrition of babies and young children, breastfeeding and referrals. A total of 51,949 children (<5 years were reached with nutrition interventions and routinely screened 29,379 children.
Under sub purpose 3 (Governance) Caritas Kabale engaged 85 government-aided primary schools via 170 teachers to form 145 Child Right Clubs composed of 6,505 pupils trained by teachers on journeys curriculum sessions focusing on discipline, resilience practices, learning, and adolescent counseling, and psychosocial support that increased school retention and completion; 49,771 participants participated in community dialogue meetings where community action plans were developed, enabled 3 districts to form disaster plans and inducted 532 leaders on their roles and over 500 Adolescent Girls and Young women were trained on identifying voice, making choice and skilled in different enterprises. youth were trained in leadership roles to support their communities.
Under Financial Mgt controls and MEL, USAID ICAN helped in Caritas Kabale staff and organization capacity building. It enhanced staff skills in reporting, financial management, accounting, grants management, and compliance which helped in the timely preparation of accurate financial reports. Staff were trained on the use of financial management software and donor reporting tools which improved accountability and transparency. At the organization level, USAID ICAN strengthened Caritas' financial management systems by developing and enforcing clear financial policies and procedures that have enabled smooth running of the organization. These strengths have contributed to a more resilient organization with stable financial systems and controls that have remained in place even after ICAN closed out. Under MEL system, Caritas adopted MEL frameworks and policies that has enabled it to embrace routine joint monitoring and evaluation so as to make data informed decision in the daily project management. Uniquely, it has embraced result-based payment to the staff, the approach adopted from USAID ICAN project. Data quality checks and regular project review meetings have been adopted.