Liberian Agricultural Upgrading, Nutrition and Child Health (LAUNCH) Baseline Report

In June 2010, ACDI/VOCA, signed a cooperative agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to finance a five-year Multi Year Assistance Program (MYAP) entitled Liberian Agricultural Upgrading, Nutrition and Child Health (LAUNCH). Project Concern International (PCI), John Snow Incorporated (JSI), and Making Cents International (MCI), are subrecipients to ACDI/VOCA and are responsible for critical elements of the program. The overall goal of the program is to increase food security for the most vulnerable households and communities in two northern regions of Liberia, Bong and Nimba Counties.

In the wake of a 14-year civil war, there is an urgent need to assist the Liberian population in moving from relief and recovery to a sustainable development model. ACDI/VOCA and its partners have proposed an integrated development strategy that addresses a three-pronged approach in reducing levels of food insecurity among the most vulnerable segments of the population. The LAUNCH program proposes to bolster human and institutional capacity in three core areas of development activity: 1) improved agricultural production and support of more diversified livelihoods and income generating activities (IGA), 2) nutritional assistance and supplementary feeding for pregnant or lactating women (PLW) and children under two years, and mobilization/training of community health volunteers and support staff in rural health clinics, and 3) improved access to primary and secondary education and vocational training opportunities among unemployed rural youth.