About Us: NGO Narrative Report

BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION

Our Focus in 2019 to 2022 is on Sweetpotato Production and Value Chains

From the two key actors of RA4D Stichting and Foundation, Drs. Ted Carey and Erna Abidin having their intensive experiences leading the sweetpotato proof-of-concept projects in a number of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, based on the previous job with other international organisation, they could build and identify several important components on the pathway of sweetpotato and its value chains, a roadmap for its sustainability. The process of scaling can be easily done accordingly. Each innovation component in the map above can be handled according to the scaling readiness approach.

The readers can learn from it. This result is from her personal working experiences. No personal conflict of interests is in this presentation. Anyone can gain or use it as a basic thought to start with, however, we’d be happy to acknowledge our NGO, RA4D as a source of information as necessary. The intellectual property of this sweetpotato value chain roadmap should belong to the RA4D NGO. As our NGO is for public benefits, this could be part of our services to benefit people who are interested in playing any roles for sweetpotato sustainability.

The identified components written in the map are collected from the experiences in the past 25 years from Uganda, Malawi, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Nigeria. Dr. Erna Abidin has prepared this roadmap. It started from sweetpotato production to various market opportunities along with its value chains and linkages between research and production, transportation/packaging management and its adding values.

Based on the given information above, RA4D in general, could do some field operational efforts to see the impacts in the agricultural sustainability.

Here, we provided reports from our NGO can be seen as part of our activities which are being considered as a roadmap with a clear path to reach sustainable sweetpotato value chains in a business model as referred to in the diagram seen above.

SUMMARY OF NARRATIVE REPORT (PERIOD OF 2019 to 2021): ‘RA4D Stichting’, an umbrella registered in The Netherlands and local registered NGO, ‘RA4D Foundation’ in Ghana

This is the Narrative Report of the NGO, Reputed Agric4Dev (RA4D) Stichting established in The Netherlands on 25 April 2019 and Reputed Agric4Dev Foundation and Limited by Guarantee registered in Ghana on 16 September 2019. The NGO registered in Ghana has an additional function, having been able to commence to business in Ghana. A year later, e.g. it was on 19 Nov 2020, RA4D has been annually registered at the Social Welfare as a National NGO in Ghana, its registration number, D.S.W./9647.

Summary Report: April 2019 through Dec 2021, reported on 31 Jan 2022

Mission:	We are working in agriculture to create healthy, sustainable development opportunities through partnerships.
Vision:	Fostering environmentally friendly, community-based sustained agricultural development.
Goal:	Increasing private investment towards sustainable community based agricultural development, profitable and nutritious farming systems, and climate smart agriculture are the focus of our work in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Ensuring ownership and benefits to youth, women and men.

Strategic Objective (SO) 1:

Establish partnerships and consortia within the private and public sectors, including international and national organizations, and educational institutions.

April 2019-Dec 2020 (the First Fiscal year of Establishing the RA4D Stichting and Foundation: Plan and Achievement)

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
1.1  Identify partners with potential and willingness to invest time and resources to partner with Reputed Agriculture 4 Development Stichting in the agricultural sector	1.1. Preliminarily informal survey conducted, and report produced and communications captured through emails and skype meeting.	1.1. At least 6 private sector partners; 6 relevant government agencies (Ghana and Indonesia); 1 local & 4 International NGO; and 2 universities contacted and visited.	1.1. 3 MoUs have been signed with E-Darkey & Associates Limited, El-Green Agribusiness Limited (Ghana) and Yayasan Masyarakat Pertanian Indonesia (YAMPI Foundation, a local NGO in Indonesia). We have lobbied (i) 6 other private sector partners (2 in Ghana, 1 in Indonesia, 1 in The Netherlands, and 2 Multi-national companies) which have showed interests to work together. (ii) 3 International NGOs, i.e., Kofi Annan Foundation; Rijksdient voor Ondernemend Nederland (RvO-Netherland) – a mandatory NGO by the Royal Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Trade Programs showed interests supporting our efforts; and former management team of USAID-RING project in Tamale, Ghana. (iii) Universities in USA: Louisiana State University (LSU) and North Carolina State University (NCSU), (iv) University in Indonesia: Brawijaya University in Malang, Indonesia. (v) Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, (vi) Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands, (vii) Institutes in Indonesia: Legumes, Tubers and Roots Institute (ILETRI) in Malang, East Java, and Research on Tropical Crops Institute in Solok, West Sumatra. (viii) Indonesian Agricultural Research and Development Agency in Bogor. (ix) In Ghana: CSIR-Crop Research Institute (CSIR_CRI) in Kumasi and CSIR-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) in Tamale. (viii) CGIAR-centers: CIAT, Bioversity were visited and CIP was approached, and (x) the Technical Attache at the Netherlands Embassy in Accra was approached with specific suggestions and remain to be followed up.

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
1.2  Visit and lobbying approach to introduce the program	1.2. Trips made to The Netherlands, Ghana, and Indonesia with own resources.	1.2. At least 7 international trips (The Netherlands, France, USA, Indonesia, Ghana) and 11 local trips (Ghana & Indonesia).	1.2. All trips were successfully completed with contacts made and discussions on collaborations.

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
1.3  Select interesting topics as entry points to engage with partners	1.3. Topics selected as entry points included: (i) sweetpotato seed dissemination, market strategies in value chains, (ii) important food security crops chosen in each country, (iii) smart agriculture strategies, mitigating climate change and strengthening use of sustainable resources for agri-industries.	1.3. (i) Building on the sweetpotato seed system and dissemination programs, market and value chains strategically introduced by the CIP led project Jumpstarting OFSP in West Africa through diversified markets is usefully used for scaling it out. (ii) RTB crops, such as banana, cassava and sweetpotato were chosen. (iii) good agricultural practices including crop rotation, minimum tillage, intercropping, and dry season planting method discussed.	1.3. (i) We have successfully engaged around seed systems with an enterprise a seed enterprise, providing technical support to El-Green Agribusiness Limited on sweetpotato multiplication for commercialization. (ii) Sweetpotato was our entry point. Meanwhile, for banana and cassava, we are yet to bring them into our next priority. (iii) Implementing smart agricultural approaches, use of minimum tillage for soil conservation at El-Green Agribusiness Limited (Ref: at https://reputeda4d.nl/blog/ and https://reputeda4d.nl/gallery/). (iv) Strengthening linkage between private and public sector for quality seed production.

Two Fiscal Years of 2020 & 2021 under a two-year work plan with the Outcome_1 of Strategic Objective (SO)_1 and Project Objective (PO)_1

Outcome 1 of SO 1	Established partnerships are leading to the implementation of a new project funded by AGRA in Ghana, ‘Demand Creation and Impact Scaling Project for OFSP (DCIS)’. This project has been adjusted to become a one-year project: 25 March 2021 to 24 March 2022 (ref.: AGRA meeting on 1 Dec 2020).
Project Objective (PO) 1 from Outcome 1 and SO 1:	The role of ReputedAGRIC4DEV Stichting/Foundation as AGRA consortium member for the DCIS-AGRA project is conducting Monitoring & Visits, Supervision in Ghana (ground level), Writing up Reports, and Assisting the KAF to all preparation needed on-ground in Ghana for its implementation. RA4D is under Group-1 of DCIS-AGRA project and led by Kofi Annan Foundation.

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
Activity 1.1.1.1: Monitoring of innovation Platforms	Outputs 1.1.1.1: Innovation Platforms strengthened	12 meetings of the Sweetpotato Innovation Platforms (at regional or national level)	Up to Dec 2021, 5 meetings were held. One Sweetpotato Value Association initiated and managed by E-Darkey & Associates Ltd since 2017 was brought it back to be active at this DCIS-AGRA project since the last meeting (2nd quarter meeting in Sep 2021).

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
Activity 1.1.1.2: Documentation of Lessons Learnt & Best Practices	Output 1.1.1.2+3+4: Demand Creation & promotion of OFSP	(1) Semi and Final Reports Documented; (2) 4 report documents quarterly produced; (3) 4 Awareness campaign/sensitization on OFSP processing and utilization organized. It is in densely populated communities in Central Region (CR), Great Accra Region (GR), Brong Ahafo Region (BA) and Ashanti Region (AR); (4) 12 SIP meetings conducted; 2 monitoring visit done; 3 workshops (ToC, ToS, Dissemination Workshop of the Final Results from AGRA scaling project) and 1 inception meetings done; 5 trips to the Advocacy Engagement by KAF. This funding contributed by KAF as part of sharing funding with DKCL and Fresh Logistics Implementing Stakeholders.	(1) Semi Annual report is through the Midline Survey Report is ready and will be available by 3 Jan 2022. (2) 3 Reports quarterly produced. (3) 2 Awareness Events were conducted, i.e. on 20 Oct 2021 at Multistakeholder meeting and awareness event in Great Accra, and the five day National Farmers Day 2021 in Cape Coast on 29 November to 3 Dec 2021. We have Printed and Distributed the IEC materials during the two Awareness events and gave away to 7 direct implementing partners, 5 members of DCIS-AGRA consortium and 2 Scaling partners. The Numbers of IEC materials printed were 300 books of ToTs on OFSP processing and utilization, 270 Golden CookBooks, 750 brochures of Guide Storage of Sweetpotato in Sand Pits & Boxes, Sweetpotato Cropping Guide (CABI pub), Quality Declared Planting Material (guidance); 4,500 leaflets of Simple GAPs, flyers on Green veggies of Sweetpotato leaves; 4 banners of ’14 Ghanaian dishes from Low Dry Matter of OFSP’, ‘Project (DCIS) banner made by Fresh Logistics’, ‘Project DCIS banner made by RA4D, and ‘Jumpstarting OFSP: Go for Orange”. Again, due to Covid-19 restricted movement, we could not do the Awareness Campaign in other projected areas up to Dec 2021. One inception and 1 kick off meetings were done. KAF visit to Ghana was postponed due to Covid-19 protocol movement restriction in Ghana.
Activity 1.1.1.3: Partners Meetings	See above	(1) Semi and Final Reports Documented; (2) 4 report documents quarterly produced; (3) 4 Awareness campaign/sensitization on OFSP processing and utilization organized. It is in densely populated communities in Central Region (CR), Great Accra Region (GR), Brong Ahafo Region (BA) and Ashanti Region (AR); (4) 12 SIP meetings conducted; 2 monitoring visit done; 3 workshops (ToC, ToS, Dissemination Workshop of the Final Results from AGRA scaling project) and 1 inception meetings done; 5 trips to the Advocacy Engagement by KAF. This funding contributed by KAF as part of sharing funding with DKCL and Fresh Logistics Implementing Stakeholders.	(1) Semi Annual report is through the Midline Survey Report is ready and will be available by 3 Jan 2022. (2) 3 Reports quarterly produced. (3) 2 Awareness Events were conducted, i.e. on 20 Oct 2021 at Multistakeholder meeting and awareness event in Great Accra, and the five day National Farmers Day 2021 in Cape Coast on 29 November to 3 Dec 2021. We have Printed and Distributed the IEC materials during the two Awareness events and gave away to 7 direct implementing partners, 5 members of DCIS-AGRA consortium and 2 Scaling partners. The Numbers of IEC materials printed were 300 books of ToTs on OFSP processing and utilization, 270 Golden CookBooks, 750 brochures of Guide Storage of Sweetpotato in Sand Pits & Boxes, Sweetpotato Cropping Guide (CABI pub), Quality Declared Planting Material (guidance); 4,500 leaflets of Simple GAPs, flyers on Green veggies of Sweetpotato leaves; 4 banners of ’14 Ghanaian dishes from Low Dry Matter of OFSP’, ‘Project (DCIS) banner made by Fresh Logistics’, ‘Project DCIS banner made by RA4D, and ‘Jumpstarting OFSP: Go for Orange”. Again, due to Covid-19 restricted movement, we could not do the Awareness Campaign in other projected areas up to Dec 2021. One inception and 1 kick off meetings were done. KAF visit to Ghana was postponed due to Covid-19 protocol movement restriction in Ghana.
Activity 1.1.1.4: Inception Meetings	See above	Stakeholders in the project understood about the AGRA scaling project ‘s mission and vision. Workshop on Theory of Change and Theory of Scaling is conducted.	Stakeholders understood about the project goals, vision and mission.

Outcome 2 of SO 1	Established partnership with CGIAR-CIP leading to the implementation of RTB scaling project, ‘TRICOT Scaling’ in Nov to Dec 2020; and its expansion of the second year in 2021.
Project Objective 2 from Outcome 2 and SO 1:	Established partnership with CGIAR-CIP leading to the implementation of RTB scaling project, ‘TRICOT Scaling’ in Nov to Dec 2020; and its expansion of the second year in 2021.

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
1.2.2.1 Supervising activities for former CIP staff from ongoing work on the test of Tricot technology in 2020 (before handing over in Nov 2020)	Testing the Tricot technique in 2020.	Following up on AEAs to complete data collection for preharvest and harvest for all Round 1 Tricot trials	17 Genotypes included in trials were released varieties and advanced selections.Twenty cuttings of each of 3 genotypes were given to each farmer in packets labelled with red, white or black ribbon. A total of 1268 on-farm trials was planted in 12 experiments across 7 regions of Ghana in the major rainy season. A further 451 trials were planted in the minor season in the south, and data collection for these will commence soon. Harvest data have been collected from more than 70% of the farmers. There are some challenges getting complete data from the remaining participants for various reasons including plots destroyed by animals, stolen, or in some cases, farmers that are difficult to reach. Taste data collection was planned in 2021.
See above	See above	Complete the harvesting of on-farm trials and collection of data for cost effectiveness analysis.	7 out of 8 on-farm trials were harvested and data collected, analysed for cost effectiveness study. A report was produced. It was in 7 regions of North and South of Ghana. It was involved 1,281 farmers and trials were conducted only in one main rainy season.
See above	See above	Facilitate the analysis and reporting of TRICOT trials and cost-effectiveness studies.	TRICOT trials were analyzed by generating reports for each project on the climmob platform. The analysis was made for only agronomic performance, but postharvest assessment and taste were yet to be included, and they were planned to be done in the final Tricot scaling project.
See above	See above	Organize workshops in all regions/districts for feedback and learning.	2 workshops were organized in the northern and southern part of Ghana. Reports on variety performances, cost effectiveness, and TRICOT implementation in Ghana were presented. Discussions with stakeholders were made concerning the way forward for the project in the second year. Final report for Year 1 project for two countries, Ghana and Rwanda was written and published at CGIAR-RTB website and one scientific article on On-farm Tricot Scaling project was published, Ghana, and both RA4D scientists became the co-authors. RA4D Stichting and Foundation was contracted to lead the 2nd and final year of Tricot Scaling project in 2021.
See above	See above	(1) Self-motivated Agric-Extension Agents identified; (2) Training for understand well on the knowledge; (3) The MMDA/MLE team at the district level involved; (4) Many more scientists at NARS involved; (5) the selected varieties from year 1 used.	(1) self-motivated Agric-Extension agents were identified through new NGO partners, private companies and School Garden programs. (2) Intensive online training supported by Bioversity and organized by RA4D scientists. Training of trainers approach was done. The trained NAR scientists have capacity to down stream the training to various new institutions as needed. (3) Increase of MLE teams of new partners involved was recorded. (4) NAR Scientists at the CSIR-Savanna Agriculture Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) have used the Tricot technology in peanut and they will extend to other crops which they have.
1.2.2.2 Plan Activities for 2021, the second year of project implementation programmed.	Tricot Scaling in the second and final year of 2021 (Jan to Dec 2021) in Ghana was managed by RA4D Stichting and Foundation.	(1) Self-motivated Agric-Extension Agents identified; (2) Training for understand well on the knowledge; (3) The MMDA/MLE team at the district level involved; (4) Many more scientists at NARS involved; (5) the selected varieties from year 1 used.	(1) self-motivated Agric-Extension agents were identified through new NGO partners, private companies and School Garden programs. (2) Intensive online training supported by Bioversity and organized by RA4D scientists. Training of trainers approach was done. The trained NAR scientists have capacity to down stream the training to various new institutions as needed. (3) Increase of MLE teams of new partners involved was recorded. (4) NAR Scientists at the CSIR-Savanna Agriculture Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) have used the Tricot technology in peanut and they will extend to other crops which they have.

Strategic Objective (SO) 2:	Develop projects and mobilize resources. Potential donors or mobilizing resources from The Netherlands or elsewhere to start with a commercial company for public benefits.
Outcome 3 from Strategic Objective (SO) 2:	Established partnerships with the private sector outside of Ghana to work together in the agricultural development program (2020 & 2021).

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
2.3.1. Contacted potential donor Irish Aid for funding a project on food and nutrition security	(i) we were advised to contact the Irish Aid Technical Advisor (TA) for their on-going activities in Sierra Leone. (ii) Irish Aid may have interest in Ghana	At least one funded project could be implemented in the near future.	A one-year feasibility study is going to be done from Jan 2021 to June 2022. This feasibility study is funded by Irish Aid through an Irish company. Various sweetpotato varieties and Taro were used as the entry-point. The semi-final report is on its way to be submitted to the Irish company.

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
2.3.2. Contacted an advisor of PUM senior experts in The Hague, Mr. Maarten Oomes.	An opportunity to approach the ‘Hans Blankert fund’ for development activities in Africa and Asia. This could help support efforts for public benefits or social enterprise development.	At least one funded project could be implemented in the near future.	It is not happening.

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
2.3.3 Involvement in the COPESA SDGs Agendas 2030.	In Nov 2021, RA4D leader was approached by The Grassroots Organization in Nigeria to be part in the established Foundation to help grassroots such as women, widows, orphans, and youth (‘vulnerable people’) have their voices and be accounted in the 2030 SDGs Agendas, by 31 Dec 2030.	At least one meeting could be participated in.	RA4D Stichting and Foundation has voluntarily supported the set up of a congress for Grassroots in Nigeria through COPESA, an acrynom from Community Participations and Empowerment Scheme Augmentation). It was from 25 to 28 Nov 2021. We gave our presentation on 28 Nov 2021 in this congress (ref. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dr-erna-abidin-b715042a_ofsp-community-training-activity-6884228549281247232-jCN3/)

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
2.3.4. Having a collaboration with Sweetpotato Forum based in Nigeria	Sweetpotato Forum approached RA4D to give a presentation about sweetpotato through one of their regular webinar.	At least one meeting could be participated in.	On 4th Dec 2021. RA4D Stichting and Foundation was invited in the 6th Edition Sweetpotato Forum webinar. We have chosen a topic: the inclusion OFSP in School Feeding Program in Nigeria: It can be a good Model to Grassroots for creating Wealth, Good Health and Zero Hunger while Improved Access to Quality Nutrition to young generation in Nigeria.

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
2.3.5. RA4D Stichting is opening another African Office, it will be in Malawi.	An effort of opening an NGO office locally registered in Malawi came from the former colleagues of Erna Abidin who worked for CIP as Sweetpotato Scientist and Project Investigator/Leader for Rooting out Hunger in Malawi with Nutritious OFSP (2010-2014).	At least this effort should become a reality by Dec 2021.	The RA4D-Malawi Foundation has registered at Malawi Revenue Authority through Middleton Chambers of Lawyers on 24 Nov 2021.

Outcome 4 from SO 2:	Established partnership with Local/Diaspora private sector in Ghana which is willing to invest their business in Sweetpotato in Ghana (2020 & 2021)
Project Objective (PO) 3 from Outcome 4 and SO 2:	(1) Strengthen sweetpotato value chains by involving out-growers mostly resource-poor farmers. (2) Improved and Increased sweetpotato production to possibly reach the export market in Europe.

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
2.4.3.1 Supervising El-Green Agric-industry Ltd on sweetpotato multiplication for sales. It is based in Ashanti-Agona Region in Ghana.	GAPs, multiplication management for sales, Quality Declared Planting material (QDPM), and public-private partnerships.	(1) Good and quality vine cuttings sold according to the demand in various planting seasons in Ghana. (2) The partnership between public and private sector strengthened. (3) Sweetpotato seed systems initially introduced by CIP-led project, Jumpstarting OFSP in West Africa through diversified markets strengthened.	Within one year (Oct 2019 – Nov 2020), it has been recorded that the company has sold good quality sweetpotato vine cuttings to cover the land of 32 acres (~13 ha). As a good and appropriate multiplication management is applied, to produce vines of covering 32 acres, it came only from 1,415 square meters (0.24 ha) of beds.

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
2.4.3.2 Supervising VIAD Ltd in Volta Region on sweetpotato production and market opportunities	GAPs, Postharvest handling trained	This private company and the team had adequate knowledge on sweetpotato production and postharvest handling. A testimony was orally given by the company’s owner/CEO/Director to RA4D team.	In reality, this private company was not successful of doing their business in Sweetpotato as there were so many cooks in the end as we noticed it later on. Their main objective was to export sweetpotato to Russia. It has failed during the transportation. Therefore, the company stopped with the sweetpotato dream.

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
2.4.3.3 Supervising E-Darkey and Associates Ltd in Volta Region	Nursery management on sweetpotato trained	This private company was knowledgeable and becomes a commercial producer on good quality sweetpotato vines.	The company changed their mind to hire another person as they got funding from a German organization.

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
2.4.3.4 Supervising SAYEX team in Volta Region and Tolon	Working on the plan in 2021, on sweetpotato and other valuable crops	Working areas are identified for 2021.	Tolon District and Volta Region were chosen. Two communities were assigned by the Tolon Paramount King to be involved in the Agri-pay model. In Volta Region was a farm which was used to be the yam production by SAYEX Ltd. In Volta Region, we have done an observation of 9 European commercial varieties for its adaptability of performance.

Strategic Objective (SO) 3:	Elevate communities from poverty to prosperity, foster social harmony and stability, engage youth and women, and strengthen skills, knowledge, and entrepreneurship.
Outcome 5 from SO 3:	Increases of broader scope of partners, skills and knowledge through training, job opportunities, livelihood of resource-poor farmers in the rural poor, and contribute to some funds through Withholding taxes to Ghana Revenue Authorities (April 2019 – Dec 2020 & the year of 2021)

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
3.5.1 In the first One and half year of establishment (2019-2020) or the 1st Fiscal Year of 2020: RA4D tried to spend time and personal money of two board members (Erna Abidin and Ted Carey) to seek a number of collaboration with various types of partners.	In the first few months of 2019 and of year 2020, our efforts were focused on establishing partnerships, visits, emails, webinars, telephone-calls to various global partners in the tropics.	(a) RA4D Stichting visited Indonesia to seek a collaboration with NARES, NGOs or private sector, such as Indonesian Research Agencies (ILETRI, Malang and Tropical Fruits in Solok, NGO-YAMPI, and Kalimantan Prima Coal Ltd. (b) RA4D Stichting has established a partnership with the RA4D Ghana-Netherlands Foundation. It is a National NGO in Ghana which was registered on 16 Sep 2019, with its Reg No: CG109862019 and TIN: C0029989485. Then on 19 Nov 2020, the Stichting has partnered with the locally registered NGO with its annual registration no: D.S.W./9647 on 19 Nov 2020. The Founders of the National and Annually registered Local NGO remained the same with the Founders of RA4D Stichting, the umbrella-base NGO registered in The Netherlands on 25 April 2019. (c) In June 2019, RA4D Stichting established a collaboration with El-Green Ltd in Ghana. We helped this company to set up a sweetpotato nursery in Agona, Ashanti-Kumasi Region, Ghana. (d) In Nov 2019, we had a webinar with the vice President of Unilever and Assistant vice President of Nestlé to discuss about sweetpotato as part of their ingredients as sustainable sources but increasing the market opportunities for resource-poor farmers in Ghana and Indonesia. For Ghana, an intercropping sweetpotato and Cocoa should be appropriately chosen for this work while in Indonesia, intercropping sweetpotato and Oil Palm.	(a) Collaboration has established from the visits and email communications. However, we found it difficult to get some fundings which we wanted to create a number of projects, such as germplasm collections on banana, sweetpotato and cassava in Indonesia, and sweetpotato as cover crop for areas to be back as natural forest after finishing the mining work; then the sweetpotato can be functioned as for improving the nutrition and food security for people surrounding the mining areas. Then, in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic, could be part of reducing our movement to Indonesia. (b) RA4D Stichting is working well with RA4D Foundation in Ghana. A number of small projects were created, we have given employment opportunities through a short contract-base project to a number of Ghanians. We also generated some institutional incomes for the RA4D NGOs, Stichting and Foundation. We also contributed to Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) some taxes through Withholding tax systems since July 2020 up to Dec 2021. (c) In Dec 2019, the El-Green company could sell sweetpotato clean planting materials to a number of companies in Ghana. However, since Oct 2019, the company could not have money to pay their labor (4 in numbers), then, the RA4D NGO through its collection from institutional incomes generated mostly from the contributions of Erna Abidin and Ted Carey, paid these manworkshipment at Agona. Now and then we could manage to sell some vines out of Agona which was enough to sustain of paying the four labor left behind by this company. The RA4D Stichting has maintained 3 workmanships at Agona up to March 2022. One person was then paid through the Tricot project in Nov 2020 to March 2021, other two through indirect costs from RA4D. However, the three is, then, paid through the Feasibility Study from April 2021 to March 2022. (d) RA4D team tried to approach CSIR-CRI as this organization could be the proper Government institution to closely work with. Nevertheless, the collaboration on the Palm Oil did not go through due to Covid-19 outbreak in 2020.
See above	In 2020, we focused our work only in Ghana as the COVID-19 outbreak has stopped our movement to outside of Ghana. Fortunately, Ghana is the last country where Ted Carey and Erna Abidin (two executive directors of RA4D Stichting) are still living in Ghana and just finished their contracts with CGIAR-CIP. They have have established good potential contacts. It made them easy to start with the newly introduced NGO, RA4D Stichting.	(a) In July 2020. We opened our collaboration with VIAD Ltd in Volta Region. The company aimed at working on Sweetpotato production for export. RA4D team in Ghana has given their services to this company up to Dec 2021. (b) In Oct 2020. RA4D tried to support E-Darkey and Associates Ltd to set up their company as sweetpotato seed dealer/production. In Oct 2020, RA4D helped set up a collaboration between E-Darkey and Associates Ltd with the Irish Company in order to bring the European acceptance sweetpotato varieties for commercialization to Ghana. The company planned to be the multiplier and export the roots to Europe. In Nov, E-Darkey has received a financial support from Germany (a German organization) to work on multiplication of the varieties from Ireland. RA4D team was then giving up in this collaboration. (c) In Nov and Dec 2020, RA4D team in Ghana has given opportunity to manage the Tricot Scaling Project funded by the CGIAR-RTB Scaling project. This was due to CIP has stopped working in Ghana by end of Oct 2020. Tricot Scaling project is a two-year project for sweetpotato variety selection for dissemination in Ghana. The first year of the project was in 2020, and the team from the RA4D Stichting and Foundation in Ghana has successfully managed it, resulting the project could be continued in the second year of 2021 in Ghana under the RA4D management.	(a) The collaboration with VIAD went well up to Dec 2020. RA4D, through the two members received 3 payments of Service-fees in July, Oct and Dec 2020. We have managed to open the bank account in Ghana (Ghana cedi and US $ account). The service-fees of Ted Carey and Erna Abidin have started to build incomes for the NGO through the institutional/indirect costs, and also generated some taxes and this contributed to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). These taxes came from the RA4D NGO, and it was as Withholding Taxes (WHTs). The figures of the Indirect costs and WHTs can be seen at the Financial report. (b) Although the work on sweetpotato multiplication with E-Darkey and Associates Ltd has phased out, we still continue maintaining our good relationship with Mr. Darkey, the CEO of this company and he is also our counterpart of our local NGO in Ghana. We have made clear on this relationship with his company toward a clean work-environment. We did not generate any institutional/indirect costs through this collaboration with E-Darkey and Associates Ltd, although this company still owes the the two RA4D team for the three months of Service-fees. (c) Tricot project was successfully in Ghana under RA4D management. CGIAR-RTB Scaling project has given us the opportunity to manage the final project in 2021. In the months of Nov and Dec 2020, we have managed to contribute to the institutional/indirect costs collected by the RA4D Stichting and Foundation from Ted Carey and Erna Abidin Service-fees. We managed to create the employment in Ghana: 2 sweetpotato experts of RA4D, e.g. Erna Abidin and Ted Carey; and a number of Ghanaian technical staff as well as non-technical staff/temporary labor. Besides, we also contributed to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) through WHTs paid by RA4D Stichting and Foundation.

ACTIVITIES	OUTPUTS	INDICATORS & MILESTONES	PROGRESS & ACHIEVEMENT
3.2. In the Second Fiscal Year of 2021.	In the year of 2021, the second Fiscal Year for RA4D Stichting and Foundation, we continued working in Ghana with a broader partners and seeking more impacts through some funding projects, although a small-scale projects.	In the period of one year, i.e. Jan to Dec 2021, (a) RA4D Stichting and Foundation got a contract from CIP funded by the CGIAR-RTB Scaling project to manage the second year of Tricot Scaling project. (b) RA4D Stichting and Foundation has established a collaboration with SAYEX Ltd, a local company in Ghana to work on sweetpotato in Northern Ghana (agri-pay model and in Volta Region to establish their own farm, to grow sweetpotato aimed at markets and the value chains. (c) In Oct 2020, RA4D has begun to establish a collaboration with a Company from Ireland to work on feasibility study. We tried to assess in Ghana if this company could open a business in Ghana on sweetpotato planting materials from the varieties bred in LSU but managed by them in Ireland. They won a competitive (small) funding for business by Irish Aid. Erna Abidin agreed with this collaboration as she has experienced to manage the successful project funded by Irish Aid in Malawi (2010-2014). (d) In Oct/Nov 2020, RA4D was involved in the meeting for implementation of the AGRA project, ‘Demand Creation and Impact Scaling (DCIS) project for OFSP. RA4D Stichting and Foundation would work closely with Kofi Annan Foundation (KAF) and this NGO does not have office and people in Ghana. The final decision from this meeting was in Dec 2020, resulting to a one-year project to be implemented in Ghana, from 25 March 2021 to 24 March 2022 in Ghana. (e) Short-term contract with Emerge Centre for Innovations – Africa, to assist with National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES) Learning Agenda on capacity for effectively driving inclusive agricultural transformation and climate adaptation in Africa, commissioned by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (f) CGIAR Excellence in Breeding consultancy to serve as a liaison with NARES root + tuber improvement programs. (g) International Potato Center contract to provide assistance with completion of Post Harvest research activities related to (i) relationship of antioxidant activities and storability of sweetpotato (ii) starch properties of different sweetpotato genotypes.	(a) We have successfully managed the Tricot Scaling and seeing the initial impacts on scaling the technologies through increases of scaling partners. From this 2nd year project, we generated institutional incomes to RA4D Stichting and Foundation contributed by Ted Carey and Erna Abidin. Through this project, RA4D has opened employment opportunity through a one-year contract project in 2021. In total, there were 10 technical staff (2 from RA4D and 8 from Ghana) from which the NGO has paid the WHTs to GRA. The figures will be seen at the FR within the RA4D website. (b) Two members of RA4D who are sweetpotato experts in Ghana (Ted Carey and Erna Abidin) has received Service-fees in Jan to Oct 2021 from SAYEX Ltd. 15% of the fees went to RA4D as institutional costs/indirect costs. Then 7.5% of each fee received by Erna Abidin and Ted Carey went to GRA through WHTs paid by RA4D Stichting and Foundation in Ghana. (c) The engagement with the company from Ireland has started by 1st Jan 2021 to June 2022. Two members of RA4D (Erna Abidin and Ted Carey) were asked to lead a feasibility study on their opportunity to sell sweetpotato planting materials in Ghana. The varieties being observed are the sweetpotato varieties having commercial values in European markets. From this project, some small service-fees have been received and 2% out of it went to RA4D Stichting and Foundation as institutional/indirect costs. Three Ghanaians were employed through one year of contract from April 2021 to March 2022. Each month, RA4D has paid the 7.5% WHTs to GRA from Erna Abidin, Ted Carey (Jan to Dec 2021) and three Ghanaian employees (April to Dec 2021). (d) Ted Carey and Erna Abidin of RA4D Stichting and Foundation are managing parts of the AGRA project activities on behalf of RA4D Stichting and Foundation regarding Objective 1 and Objective 3 under group 1 in the structure of AGRA consortium which is implementing of this one year scaling project. Kofi Annan Foundation is our leading organization for this Group-1. (e) this short term contract to Edward Carey involved assisting with identifying participants and organizing a meeting of stakeholders (f), Carey provided consultancy services on behalf of RA4D to engage with scientists at CSIR SARI and CSIR-CRI; deductions from service fees were submitted as withholding to GRA (g) these activities were contracted to a national scientist, with appropriate deductions made for service and supervisory fees.

Concluding Remarks

Mostly, we have met all our targets in which we emphasised on establishing and strengthening our partnerships, either from the existing partners from our previous jobs or the newly important ones regarding research and development in the tropical countries.

Kofi Annan Foundation has brought us into part of a consortium to implement the AGRA funding project, ‘Demand Creation and Impact Scaling Project for Orange-fleshed Sweetpotato (OFSP)’ in Ghana in the period of March 2021 to 2022. In the beginning, this was a two-year projects and the decision on it implementation was delayed. Finally, based on the AGRA project team meeting on 1 Dec 2020, this project was condensed into one-year project while the funding project remains intact as it was initially planned by the AGRA team/Stakeholders. The board members in Ghana are mandated to work on this project, however, Mr. Emmanuel Darkey had a full contract to manage his own company, ‘E-Darkey and Associates Ltd’ as among the AGRA funding beneficiaries. They directly received their funding to run their own program in Ghana. Only two members, i.e. Dr Ted Carey and Dr Erna Abidin are valued by the Kofi Annan Foundation as a ‘Domain Expertise with respect to OFSP‘ in Ghana to support their Foundation on the ground as the Covid-19 outbreak was blocked the movement accordingly. Our NGO board members believe in: our NGO could bring this ‘AGRA Scaling Project for OFSP’ up to a success of OFSP project in Ghana. We need to work together with other stakeholders. Therefore, working together in good partnerships will accomplish a success and could clearly show impacts! The AGRA program is a multi-partner project. In the narrative report of the Fiscal year 2022, the final results of AGRA-DCIS project can be found with valuable findings.

Our motto is ‘working together with others will produce more results benefitting many more people in rural areas’. Respect and acknowledge each others, including empowering women and youth (women and men) are above all in our priorities.

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