NOW FOUNDATION WATER AND AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE
Now Foundation
(
Non-governmental organization (NGO)
)
#SDGAction50034
Description
NOW FOUNDATION WATER AND AGRICULTURAL solution is an initiative by NOW FOUNDATION that is targeted towards poverty-stricken regions in the poorest communities in South East Asia, West Africa, and Central Africa. We are committed to improving the well-being of disadvantaged adults and children through the provision of emergency water aid, sustainable water solutions, as well as food through agricultural programs.
We provide healthy and sustainable water sources through boreholes and water purification tablets alongside emergency water aid. We educate farmers to make them more profitable and provide high-quality seeds and inputs.
The NOW Foundation Water and Agricultural Solution initiative is carried out through a multi-step implementation process. The steps involved include:
Assessment: The foundation carries out an assessment of the communities in need, to determine the extent of poverty and the specific needs of the people. This helps the foundation to identify areas where its interventions will have the most impact.
Planning: Based on the assessment, the foundation develops a comprehensive plan for implementing its programs. This includes determining the resources required, the timeline, and the steps to be taken to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative.
Provision of Emergency Water Aid: In emergency situations, the foundation provides clean and safe drinking water to the communities through the distribution of water purification tablets or by providing access to clean water sources.
Implementation of Sustainable Water Solutions: The foundation implements sustainable water solutions such as boreholes and water purification systems to provide communities with a long-term source of clean and safe drinking water.
Agricultural Program Implementation: The foundation implements agricultural programs to improve food security and the livelihoods of farmers. This includes the provision of high-quality seeds, inputs, and education on best practices in agriculture.
Monitoring and Evaluation: The foundation continuously monitors and evaluates its programs to ensure that they are having the desired impact and to make any necessary adjustments.
Sustainability: The foundation works to ensure the sustainability of its programs by empowering communities to take ownership of the initiatives and to ensure that they can maintain them even after the foundation has left.
The foundation employs a combination of community engagement, partnerships, and the involvement of local organizations to carry out its initiatives, ensuring that the solutions are culturally appropriate and sustainable.
The NOW Foundation has a clear focus on capacity-building and technology transfer in its efforts to improve the well-being of disadvantaged communities in South East Asia, West Africa, and Central Africa. The following arrangements have been put in place to support this focus:
Volunteer Recruitment and Training: The foundation aims to build capacity through increased volunteer recruitment and regular training of volunteers through in-person training, peer-to-peer cohorts, communities of practice, and even pro bono skilled volunteers. Hardworking and talented volunteers are recognized and groomed for leadership positions within the organization.
State Association of Non-Profits: The NOW Foundation UK will participate in the State Association of Non-Profits to stay up-to-date with opportunities for capacity-building available locally. The board and staff will regularly undergo training with the state association for non-profits. The organization leaders will learn via peer-to-peer interaction, collaboration, and stay up-to-date with recommended practices and new trends.
Organizational Self-Assessment: The foundation conducts an organizational self-assessment quarterly to determine which core capacity areas may require more attention. This ensures that the foundation is constantly improving and adapting its capacity-building efforts to better serve its communities.
Technology Transfer: The foundation's arrangement for technology transfer involves developing new or improving existing technologies, and then spreading related information, knowledge, and expertise to the broader society. This includes increasing the availability of and access to tools, equipment, devices, objects, and techniques to advance the community's economic, social, and environmental well-being and increase its economic competitiveness.
Regional Leaders: The foundation has regional leaders in several countries to better serve the communities it works with. This allows for a more localized approach to capacity-building and technology transfer and ensures that the programs are implemented effectively in each region.
These arrangements demonstrate the NOW Foundation's commitment to capacity-building and technology transfer and its efforts to create a better future for the communities it serves.
The NOW Foundation initiative is governed through the implementation of three coordination mechanisms: mutual adjustment, direct supervision, and standardization.
The first mechanism, mutual adjustment, involves informal communication between volunteers and the team lead. This is particularly useful when volunteers are visiting the community for the first time.
The second mechanism, direct supervision, involves the appointment of team leaders who take responsibility for the work of others, issuing instructions, and monitoring their actions. Multiple leaders may be appointed in situations where one person cannot handle all the volunteers. The efforts of these leaders are then coordinated by a leader of leaders to ensure efficient and effective delivery of services.
The third mechanism, standardization, involves the pre-programming of coordination efforts in three ways: work processes, outputs, and worker skills. The standardization of work processes ensures that it is clear to everyone what is being done, and they are expected to follow the already laid-out work process. Standardized outputs specify the specifications that the product or work output must meet. The team leader works to ensure that each member works diligently to meet the expected quality of output. Worker skills are standardized based on standard expectations from professionals working with the foundation. The leadership ensures that the services of the professionals are up to par with the expected standards.
In conclusion, the NOW Foundation initiative is governed through the implementation of these three coordination mechanisms to ensure efficient and effective delivery of services to poverty-stricken communities in South East Asia, West Africa, and Central Africa.
Our grant application for the Water and Agricultural Solution initiative demonstrates our clear commitment to addressing poverty in disadvantaged communities in South East Asia, West Africa, and Central Africa. Our focus on providing sustainable water solutions, improving agricultural practices, and providing food security aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
Our approach to coordination, through the use of mutual adjustment, direct supervision, and standardization, shows our well thought-out plan for effectively carrying out our initiatives. The inclusion of a capacity-building program, which involves training and professional development opportunities for volunteers and staff, is also a strength of our grant application.
Our arrangement for technology transfer, through the development and spread of innovative technologies and expertise, demonstrates our commitment to advancing the communities we serve and increasing their economic competitiveness.
Overall, our grant application displays a strong commitment to sustainable development and a clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the regions we serve. The focus on capacity-building and technology transfer, along with our well-designed coordination mechanisms, makes our grant application a strong candidate for funding.
Hope & Courage International, Now Foundation UK, Help a Child Burundi, Better Crops Kenya
SDGS & Targets
Goal 2
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
2.1
By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round
2.1.1
Prevalence of undernourishment
2.1.2
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)
2.2
By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons
2.2.1
Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age
2.2.2
Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight)
2.2.3
Prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years, by pregnancy status (percentage)
2.3
2.3.1
Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size
2.3.2
Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status
2.4
By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality
2.4.1
Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture
2.5
By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed
2.5.1
Number of (a) plant and (b) animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities
2.5.2
Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction
2.a
2.a.1
The agriculture orientation index for government expenditures
2.a.2
Total official flows (official development assistance plus other official flows) to the agriculture sector
2.b
Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round
2.b.1
Agricultural export subsidies
2.c
Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility
2.c.1
Indicator of food price anomalies
Goal 6
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
6.1
By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
6.1.1
Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services
6.2
By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations
6.2.1
Proportion of population using (a) safely managed sanitation services and (b) a hand-washing facility with soap and water
6.3
By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally
6.3.1
Proportion of domestic and industrial wastewater flows safely treated
6.3.2
Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality
6.4
6.4.1
Change in water-use efficiency over time
6.4.2
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources
6.5
By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate
6.5.1
Degree of integrated water resources management
6.5.2
Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation
6.6
6.6.1
Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time
6.a
6.a.1
Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance that is part of a government-coordinated spending plan
6.b
Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management
6.b.1
Proportion of local administrative units with established and operational policies and procedures for participation of local communities in water and sanitation management
SDG 14 targets covered
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Deliverables & Timeline
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
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| NOW FOUNDATION WATER AND AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE - Wed, 06/19/2024 - 03:51 | Financial issues |
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Geographical coverage
Other beneficiaries
Beneficiaries for NOW Foundation's Water and Agricultural Solution initiative include:
Poverty-stricken communities in South East Asia, West Africa, and Central Africa,
Disadvantaged adults and children who live in the targeted communities,
Farmers in the targeted regions will benefit from the agricultural programs and education,
The local economy, which will receive a boost from the increased agricultural productivity and food security,
The environment, which will benefit from the sustainable water solutions provided by NOW Foundation,
The volunteer community, who will receive training and capacity-building opportunities through the initiative,
The wider society in the targeted regions, which will benefit from the improved water and food security, and a better standard of living,
The global community, which will benefit from the advancement of sustainable solutions to address water and food security challenges,
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Contact Information
Hannah Amaka Chinedu, Founder