Action by Churches Together (ACT)
Appeal - Central America
Emergency Relief to Drought Victims - LACE12
Appeal Target: US$ 151,013
Geneva, August 24, 2001


An extensive drought is affecting Central America and has caused vast
damage to farming regions. Subsistence crops, such as corn, beans and
maize, are being lost.  Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador are the
countries most affected.

In Nicaragua the following northern-western provinces have been the most
affected: Chinandega (95% of maize crops and 76% of beans have been lost),
Madriz (91% Maize, 70% beans), Leon (88% maize and 82% beans).
Simultaneously, a severe famine affecting Matagalpa has led to the
reduction of coffee plantations thereby resulting in unemployment of the
rural population.

In the eastern region of El Salvador 70% of the crops have been lost. It
is estimated that some 100,000 people are affected; most of them were
already suffering from the impact of the January and February earthquakes.

The western and southern parts of Honduras have also been affected by the
drought. It is estimated that 317,000 small and medium-sized producers of
basic grains will be affected. The situation will become critical in
September and October, when the crops are normally harvested.


The following ACT members in the region are responding to the situation
and propose the following activities:

Nicaragua: Lutheran Church of Nicaragua - LCN
Food Assistance
Agricultural Assistance
El Salvador: Lutheran World Federation - LWF /DWS
Agricultural Assistance
Training


The Christian Community for development-CCD in Honduras is working
together with the WFP in the distribution of food. They will not apply for
further resources to the network.

The World Food Program has warned that if no sowing takes place in the
next months the size of the disaster will increase drastically. We
encourage the ACT members to contribute to this appeal immediately in
order to avoid a major disaster. The next sowing period in Nicaragua and
El Salvador will be in September.

Project Completion Dates:
LWF - El Salvador:	February 24, 2002
LCN - Nicaragua:	December 24, 2001



Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance
Requested


LWF El Salvador
LCN Nicaragua
Total

Appeal Target
104,718
46,295
151,013

Pledges/Contr. Recd.
-
-
-

Balance Requested from ACT Network
104,718
46,295
151,013

Ms. Genevieve Jacques		Thor-Arne Prois		Rev. Rudolf Hinz
Director			ACT Coordinator		Director
WCC/Cluster on Relations				LWF/World Service



EL SALVADOR

REQUESTING ACT MEMBER

Lutheran World Federation/Department for World Service El Salvador Program
(LWF/DWS-ES)


IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBER & PARTNER INFORMATION

The Lutheran World Federation / Department for World Service has been
working in El Salvador since 1983.  It provided humanitarian assistance to
the Salvadoran population following the 1986 earthquake.  The overall goal
of the LWF program in El Salvador is to implement and support
reconstruction activities, including those related to Hurricane Mitch,
which affected the Central American region at the end of 1998.  Its
objectives include supporting reconciliation, democratization and the
strengthening of civil society.

LWF in El Salvador has experience in this kind of work. The recent
involvement has been responses to the Hurricane Mitch, the dengue epidemic
and disaster situations resulting from the earthquakes in 2001.



DESCRIPTION OF THE EMERGENCY SITUATION

The so desired rainy season for the Salvadoran peasant has not arrived
within the natural cycle, which begins in May of every year. The lack of
rain has become not only a moral discouragement, but also an economic
loss. In most cases the crop shortage causes delay in the reimbursements
and increases the debt with the banks. Drought is affecting mainly those
people that have already faced losses during the last years due to other
disasters: Mitch, Niña and Niño, and lately, two earthquakes.


Drought has caused loss of staple foods, mainly corn, beans, rice and
little corn. 97% of the poor lost all their produce, which is
indispensable for the nutritious diet of the Salvadoran people.

Peasants have sold their personal belongings and livestock in order to
survive

The drought phenomenon is affecting the Central American countries and it
is already the worst disaster after the hurricane Mitch (1998). Many
children (in the northern Department of Mozarán) are suffering of severe
malnutrition. A local newspaper carried a picture of a two-year-old girl
suffering from third-degree malnutrition. "She looks like a
seven-month-old baby", the article stated.

In El Salvador, the phenomenon has harmed the agricultural sector and left
more than 60,000 families directly affected so far. The economic losses
are estimated to be US$26,4 million (approx. 110,400 tons of basic
grains). The most affected families are small farmers who are already in
dire need.

The present drought just compounds the already difficult living conditions
of the peasants. Many families are just recovering from the losses caused
by the earthquakes in January and February 2001.


Drought is affecting mostly the population of Morazán, La Union, San
Miguel and Usulután, where the loss of crops is between 75 to 100%. These
departments are on the border of Honduras- a country that is facing the
same problem. The country is in emergency situation, although the
government was hesitant to declare it.  WFP asked the Salvadoran
Government to declare a "State of Emergency" and pointed out that the
necessary aid will not arrive if the Government resists applying this
measure. Due to political and social pressure, the government has decreed
only a "yellow alert" situation, despite the fact that the situation the
population faces is worsening.  However, the Legislative Assembly decided
to declare a "National State of Emergency" starting August 10, 2001, a
decision taken by all political parties together.

The LWF, in coordination with the WFP (World Food Program), CARE, CRS and
the Government of El Salvador, has carried out a study in the affected
areas to identify the damage level caused by the drought. Likewise, a
joint plan has been developed to provide food to 15,000 families for an
initial period of 3 months, but this effort is limited due to the food
shortage, since the food reserves are presently not sufficient to cover
the whole affected population estimated to be more than 60,000 families.

Although sporadic rains have begun, the losses caused by the drought will
not change. The farmers that had sowed between May and June no longer have
the economic resources to sow again. They lost everything and are without
means to provide food to their families; what they have are only debts.
Drought has not only caused loss of seeds sown, but also affected the
employment offer in the field. Many men and women earn their daily
sustenance working for a day wage.

The losses caused by the drought will affect the availability of products
in the country. In fact the agricultural products were already imported
from Honduras to cover the national demand, but now this country is also
facing a critical situation. In the coming months a new crisis could occur
due to the food shortage in the markets. (See picture below)



FOOD OFFER (BASIC GRAINS)

SELF PRODUCTION

LOCAL PURCHASE

NEIGHBORING PURCHASE

DONATIONS


PRODUCTS
1 YEAR AGO
TODAY
1 YEAR AGO
TODAY
1 YEAR AGO
TODAY
1 YEAR AGO
TODAY

All
89%
45%







Corn
89%
44%
11%
55%
0%
0%
0%
1.4%

Bean
25%
10%
75%
89%
0%
0%
0%
1.1%


Rice
3%
3%
97%
95%
0%
0%
0%
1.10%

Sorghum
31%
13%
68%
85%
1%
0%
0%
0%



SOWED AND LOST AREA OF PRODUCTION










SOWING
% SOWED
AVERAGE SOWED (MZ.)
% OF AFFECTED FARMES



% AVERAGE OF LOSS (DIFFERENCE PLANNED/HARVESTED

El daño económico estimado es de $26.4 millones



25%
50%
75%
100%


Corn
100%
1.2
7%
19%
25%
49%
80%

Bean
33%
0.7
2%
4%
8%
83%
93%

Sorghum
25%
1.1
10%
17%
17%
56%
79%

Rice
1%
0.8
25%
25%
0%
50%
69%



After having decreed a "yellow alert" in the eastern area of the country,
the Government announced that it would implement a project amounting to
US$ 3,2 million to assist the families affected by the drought. This total
amount is sufficient only to cover 13% of the losses generated by this
emergency. The beneficiary population included in the Government's plan
will be those farmers that have capacity to assume a loan guarantee,
leaving the poorest and the most vulnerable population without means to
access loans. The annual interest rate charged for these loans is 11%





GOAL & OBJECTIVES

The goal of this appeal is to provide life-sustaining assistance, thus
giving hope to the most vulnerable individuals and families affected by
the drought in rural zones in the departments of Usulután and San Miguel.


The specific objectives are to:

Promote community organisation for the participatory selection of families
affected by the drought and the subsequent distribution of the
agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilizers).

Reorganize the productive capacity of 15 communities, providing
agricultural inputs to 15 communities in 4 municipalities affected by the
drought in the departments of Usulután and San Miguel.

Cultivate 471 hectares of corn and 314 hectares of beans, involving 1,100
poor families to guarantee their food security in a short term.

Provide technical assistance in agricultural technology to 15 communities
participating in the project.

Facilitate food-for-work during the project implementation.



The main criteria to carry out these activities are the following:

To generate processes to recover the productive capacities of the
participant communities.

The technical assistance must be oriented to the use of appropriate
technology and methodologies of production, with emphasis on
diversification.

To generate participatory processes to involve and empower the affected
people.

To prioritize vulnerable groups in the communities (elderly people,
children, single mothers).

To support the communities in establishing cooperation with other
municipal and governmental organizations to carry out activities with more
impact.




BENEFICIARY INFORMATION AND TARGETED AREAS

The estimated number of participants is 1,100 families (5,500 persons),
located in 15 communities of 4 municipalities in Usulután and San Miguel.
Small farmers growing food for their survival make up these families. The
average sowing area per family is of 0.7 hectares. The majority of farmers
are renting the land, paying $68.50 USD per hectare for each crop season.
The payment is made with surplus generated from the harvest.

Department
Municipality
Community
# Families
Estimated Lost

San Miguel
El Tránsito
Calle Nueva
75
75%


Chirilagua
Gualocito
120
100%



El Rucio
80
100%



El Almidón
70
100%



Llano de las Rosas
90
100%

Sub total of families in San Miguel
435


Usulután
Jucuarán
Santa Lucía
80
100%



El Progreso
90
100%



La Ringlera
95
100%



Arcos del Espino
110
100%



Santa María
60
100%



Las Pilas
50
100%



Puerto Caballo
60
100%


Puerto El Triunfo
Isla Ceiba Doblada
40
90%



Isla de Méndez
40
90%



Isla Corral 2
40
90%

Sub total of families in Usulutan     665


TOTAL OF FAMILIES
1,100



Criteria for selection

Poor families directly affected and having lost their crops due to the
drought

Families that lost more than 75% of their crops

Families without possibility of accessing bank or government loans to
recover their food security

Landowner families

Families with more than 5 members, prioritizing the most vulnerable

The poorest and most affected areas in the selected municipalities

Areas where official aid is not foreseen.





PROPOSED EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE & IMPLEMENTATION

The assistance will consist of delivering packages of agricultural inputs
(seeds and fertilizers) so that each family can grow 0.35 hectares of corn
or 0.35 hectares of beans.

Technical assistance will be provided during the sowing, as follow:


Pre-sowing phase

Assistance in preparing the land, use of improved and adapted seeds to the
zone, techniques of soil conservation, soil preparedness for agricultural
diversification taking into account the climatic conditions expected in
the zone.

Sowing phase

Accompaniment in composition and quantity of seeds for sowing, plague
control, fertilization and advising on the general handling of sowing.
Update on climatological information for the appropriate protection of
seeds.

Crop and post crop phase

Recommendation for grain storage and assistance in appropriate storage
techniques to guarantee the food security for the families.

To achieve these activities, a complementary food-for-work program is
foreseen. This program consists of the distribution to each family of a
monthly portion of 22 Kg of corn, 5 Kg of bean and 2.5 Kg of oil, which
was calculated by the WFP for a five-member family. Food will be provided
by the World Food Program for three months. Eligible will be those
families who participate in activities of soil conservation, training and
other activities related to the project.

In addition, support can be expected from the "Post Crop of El Salvador
"(governmental program), which consists of the promotion and awareness
building for the application of alternative technology for the treatment
of the crops and their further storage.


Implementation

The project implementation will be done by the LWF Regional Office in
Usulután and will be supervised financially and technically by the Head
Office in San Salvador. An agronomist will be responsible for the project
implementation. Two other staff (agronomists) from the regional office in
Usulután will complement his work. These two technicians have large
experience in operations with WFP and Post Crop Program.

At local level the work will be coordinated with community boards,
guaranteeing their strengthening through a training process. The local
structures will be the counterparts for carrying out the different
activities and will be directly responsible for guaranteeing wide
community participation.

The necessary contacts and relationships have been established with other
institutions in the zone.  In addition, a preliminary assessment of the
needs has been made.


The proposed activities are as follows:

To evaluate the situation of each family and establish detailed lists of
those to receive benefits.  The local population will make these
decisions.

To carry out a technical evaluation on drought impact in the areas.

To determine the organizational level in each community and, according to
the results, either support the existing processes or set up new ones.

To define in each community the various actions as well as the timetable
for implementation.

To determine in each community the control and follow-up of activities,
that will allow for the monitoring of the proposed plans, as well as show
the results of the various activities carried out.



Criteria

The project will be implemented using the following criteria:

There will be an orientation for all technicians regarding ACT principles.

All technicians, promoters selected to work in the communities will be
instructed to respect the Code of Conduct and the Minimum Standards
(SPHERE) within the project's area of operation in case of disaster, as
well as regarding disaster prevention.

There will be workshops to empower local organizations.

The members and community organizations will be included in all
decision-making processes.

The LWF/DWS office will monitor the implementation.

As far as possible, materials and supplies will be purchased locally and
regionally.

In the field, at the national level, there will be coordination with
international agencies, community networks and the government in the
implementation of programs in these communities where LWF/ ACT are
operating, in order to avoid duplication of efforts and differences in the
manner of operating.  This coordination will take place locally, between
the offices of the LWF and other entities.

The project will take into consideration the principles of gender,
environment and strengthening of local capacity.



The planning, implementation and evaluation will be carried out by the
regional office, along with local beneficiaries and allied organizations.
A technical team of LWF/DWS will be responsible for the supervision of all
the planning, implementation and monitoring activities.  Coordinators will
train local promoters and facilitate their work.





ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, MONITORING & REPORTING

LWF/DWS El Salvador has comprehensive experience in planning, implementing
and monitoring relief and rehabilitation projects. It has well-established
internal administration, personnel, financial and material management as
well as reporting systems. The head office in San Salvador will be
responsible for the overall administration of the project.  LWF/DWS
personnel will carry out general monitoring of the relief program. They
will guide the whole process of relief and distribution in the project
areas. Head office will send both financial and narrative reports to
Geneva as requested in the ACT guidelines.



The project has two mechanisms for evaluation:

Evaluation during the implementation period of the project (at the end of
each month), involving the active participation of the communities.

Final evaluation will be carried out at the end of the project, taking
into account the various aspects. Here again, active participation of the
communities/beneficiaries will be promoted.



IMPLEMENTATION TIMETABLE

August 20, 2001 to January 20, 2002.



COORDINATION

Inter-institutional coordination will be carried out with World Food
Program (WFP), CARE INERNATIONAL, CRS and Government of El Salvador
concerning the distribution of nutritious packages, as well as with
POSTCOSECHA of El Salvador for the promotion and awareness of appropriate
technology for handling and storage of the crop, among others.



BUDGET

Category / Description	Type of 	No. of	Unit	Budget	Budget
	Unit	Units	Cost
			SVC	SVC	USD

FOOD SECURITY
Agricultural Inputs
Corn seeds	Kg	4,950	12	61,380	7,015
Bean seeds 	Kg	6,600	12	79,200	9,051
Fertilizers:
16-20-0 formula	Package	1,540	224	344,190	39,336
Sulfate of ammonium	Package	660	176	116,160	13,275
Leaf protection sprays	Liter	1,760	35	61,600	7,040
Transport - Food for Work	MT	93	170	  15,810	  1,807
Sub Total				678,340	77,525

Technical Assistance
Salary for 2 agronomists 	Month	6	7,500	90,000	10,286
Training
Workshops on handling of sowing	Workshop	15	734	11,010	1,258
Category / Description	Type of 	No. of	Unit	Budget	Budget
	Unit	Units	Cost
			SVC	SVC	USD

Workshops resources management	Workshop	15	734	11,010	1,258
Workshops on post crop	Workshop	15	734	11,010	1,258

Capital Equipment
Motorcycle	Unit	1	30,000	30,000i	3,429
Sub total				63,030	7,203

Total Food Security				831,370	95,014


PERSONNEL, ADMINISTRATION, OPERATIONS AND SUPPORT
Salaries Staff and Support
Finance assistant (19% of regular salary)	Month	6	1,000	6,000	686
Administrative assistant	Month	6	4,500	27,000	3,086
Per diems (6 persons)	Month	6	1,260	  7,560	   864
Sub Total				40,560	4,635

Office Operation
Stationery and supplies	Month	6	1,167	7,000	800
Communications (telephone, fax and e-mail)	Month	6	1,000	6,000	686
Postage and courier	Quarterly	2	500	1,000	114
Camera	Unit	1	2,000	2,000	229
Office equipment	Unit	1	4,000	  4,000	   457
Sub Total				20,000	2,286

Vehicle Operation
Fuel and maintenance for motorcycle	Month	6	1,100	6,600	754
Fuel for monitoring vehicles	Month	6	700	  4,200	   480
Sub total				10,800	1,234

Total Personnel, Administration, Operations and Support			71,360	8,155


OTHER EXPENSES
Promotion	Month	6	800	4,800	549


AUDIT	Lump sum			8,750	1,000


TOTAL EXPENDITURES				916,280	104,718


Rate of Exchange: USD 1 = SVC 8.75





NICARAGUA


REQUESTING ACT MEMBER

"Faith and Hope" Lutheran Church in Nicaragua.



IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBER & PARTNER INFORMATION

The "Faith and Hope" Lutheran Church of Nicaragua (ILFE) is a non-profit
association.  It was founded in 1983 and gained legal status on September
18, 1990. With its headquarters in the nation's capital, it is able to
establish local churches or offices around the country.

The mission of the ILFE defines it as an ecumenical organization that
implements service actions in education, health and development in the
poorest communities of Nicaragua.  Its mission reads as follows:

To announce the good news and bring the message of Christ the Liberator to
those that are both spiritually and materially poor.

It has experience in disaster situations such as: Hurricane Joan in 1987,
the tidal wave in 1992, Hurricane Mitch in 1998, the Masaya earthquake in
the year 2000 and Hurricane Keith in that same year.  In these
experiences, the Church has been able to achieve its proposed goals and
objectives to assist the victims of these natural phenomena in a holistic
way.




DESCRIPTION OF EMERGENCY SITUATION

Background

In the last fourteen years, the Lutheran Church of Nicaragua has
accompanied various communities in the Pacific region in emergency
situations such as hurricanes, earthquakes and tidal waves. This has
involved establishing a system of coordination and cooperation to attend
to the disasters caused by these natural phenomenon, with the purpose of
maximizing the use of resources given by international organizations while
at the same time fully utilizing the capacities of the local organizations
so that together a holistic response may be provided to the victims of the
tragedies.

Current Situation1 Source: El Nuevo Diario and La Prensa, July 13 to 31,
2001.

1

In June of this year, we were able to substantiate the massive exodus of
peasant families from rural areas of the departments of Matagalpa,
Chinandega and Madriz. These people were displaced by hunger to the cities
with the hope of finding a response to the needs. This socio-economic
crisis has been provoked by the drop in coffee prices in the international
market, the indebtedness of the coffee producers, the loss of the year's
first harvest of basic grains and the seizures of farms of the producers
by the National Bank, as well as by micro-financers and exporters in the
regions.


The lack of rains caused the loss of 200,000 manzanas of prime crops in
the departments of Managua, Estelí, Madriz, Nueva Segovia, Boaco,
Chontales, Matagalpa, León, Chinandega, Siuna and Nueva Guinea, affecting
80,000 farmers, especially those in the west where the entire harvest
suffered damage according to information from the National Union of
Agricultural and Cattle Producers (UNAG).  Those losses represent 35% of
all crops in the country, which comprise 567,450 manzanas according to
official statistics. There has still not been an accounting of the losses
of perishable goods.

Matagalpa:  According to the study, there are 22,780 unemployed people
that work on 580 farms belonging to large and medium coffee producers and
that at this time have no financing.  This figure represents 85% and they
have no other alternative work where they could earn their daily food.
In addition, there are another 500 small farmers that do not have
financing to farm their land either.

Madriz:  Various sectors of the department were affected by the drought,
as their basic grain and vegetable crops were lost due to lack of rain.
According to farmers in the region, the losses rose to 40,000 manzanas and
according to the Emergency Committee, 85% of the corn and bean crops,
which are the basic foods for the region, have been lost.  The situation
of the poor peasant families is chaotic, as they are only able to eat one
meal a day.  The most affected municipalities include San Lucas,
Palacaguina, Yalaguina, Totogalpa, Telpaneca, and the departmental capital
of Madriz, Somoto.

Chinandega: The UNAG and the government have estimated that the losses of
basic grains in Leon and Chinandega are over 70%. The mayor of Somotillo,
Chinandega expressed that 20,000 manzanas of basic grains were lost.

Geographical coverage

There are twenty (20) proposed sites to be benefited by the project in the
departments of León, Chinandega, Madriz and Matagalpa. These are: Santa
Marta I, Santa II, El Polvasal, Grecia I, El Bonete, Aquespalapa, Sagrada
Familia, El Jicote, Las Veinte, Rodeito, La Fragua, Grecia IV, Paso Hondo,
Las Ventanas, San Lucas, La Fundadora, Palestina, El Limón, La Estrella
and San José.



GOAL & OBJECTIVES

General Objective

To assist and contribute to the rehabilitation of peasant families who are
victims of the natural phenomenon of "Drought" and the "Famine" caused by
the combination of the drought and unemployment. This project will
immediately supply food to those families that are suffering from hunger
and guarantee them pastoral accompaniment that will help to mitigate the
pain and the trauma that they have suffered. In addition, they will be
supplied with agricultural inputs to reactivate their plots of land in the
second planting.  This will be done by allowing the families to obtain
seeds in the short term for basic feeding of their families and to be
available for the next agricultural cycle.



Specific Objectives

To aid in the spiritual strengthening of the victims through the Word of
God, allowing them to recover human values.

To supply food to families of agricultural workers affected by the drought
and famine in the department of Matagalpa.

To grant agricultural inputs during the second planting season to families
affected by the total loss of their crops in the first planting in sixteen
communities in the departments of Madriz, Matagalpa, Leon and Chinandega.

To form a seed fund to guarantee seeds for future planting seasons.




Goal Indicators

Concept
Quantity


Type of Assistance
Families
Communities

Distribution of food in communities: Fundadora, Limón, Palestina, Estrella
and San José of Matagalpa.
550.0
 rations
550
05


Agricultural assistance in communities: Santa Marta I, Santa Marta II, El
Polvasal, Grecia I, El Bonete, Aquespalapa, Sagrada Familia, El Jicote,
Las Veinte, Rodeito, Fragua, Paso Hondo, Grecia IV, Las Ventanas, San
Lucas and Limón.
472.5 manzanas
630
16




TARGETED BENEFICIARIES

The project will benefit 8,412 people in 20 communities situated in the
northern Pacific coastal region of Nicaragua.



DEPARTMENT
COMMUNITY
BENEFICIARIES

León
Santa Marta I
180


Santa Marta II
180


El Polvasal
180

Chinandega
Grecia I
180


El Bonete
180


Aquespalapa
180


Sagrada Familia
180


El Jicote
180


Las Veinte
180


Rodeito
150


La Fragua
150


Grecia IV
150


Paso Hondo
150

Madriz
Las Ventanas
150


San Lucas
150

Matagalpa
La Fundadora
2,100


Palestina
1,332


El Limón
1,260


La Estrella
600


San José
600

T O T A L

8,412





Criteria for Beneficiary Selection

That they be direct victims of the phenomenon.

That they have not been assisted by another agency with the same type of
aid that we are providing.

That they have lost all of their crops in the first planting season.

That the peasant families be owners of the productive plots of land.

That the municipal office establish, through an agreement with the owners
of the coffee farms, the assignment of a quarter of a manzana per family
of each agricultural worker.





PROPOSED EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE & IMPLEMENTATION

Description of Assistance

The Project for Integral Rehabilitation in the Communities Affected by the
drought and famine comprises pastoral accompaniment, food distribution,
supply of agricultural inputs and transfer of technology.



Description of Implementation by Type of Activity

Food Distribution:

The food rations will be distributed to families of agricultural workers
in coffee production in five communities in the Department of Matagalpa
that are currently unemployed due to the lack of bank credits for the
owners of the coffee farms.  They will have the right to receive a food
packet every two weeks.  The distribution will be carried out in
coordination with the Municipal Emergency Committees and with the
Association of Farm workers (ATC).




Agricultural Assistance:

The corn crop is one of the most important for Nicaraguan families with
broad coverage as a managed crop, as it is the principal ingredient for
the preparation of food for human and animal consumption.  As a commercial
crop it represents economic income for the purchase of other products of
basic use to the families.


The situation in which the country finds itself, with thousands of
families having lost their harvests due to lack of rain and thousands and
even more without income because they are unemployed, has created a
situation of hunger and desperation.  For this reason, the Agricultural
Emergency Program attempts:

To finance improved corn seed for the second planting cycle so that the
production from that may be used for self-sustenance of the peasant
families affected by the drought and unemployment in the northern and
western regions of Nicaragua.

To supply agrochemical products that guarantee development of the corn
crop.

To establish a seed fund to facilitate seed for future plantings.

To offer technical assistance for follow-up to the established crops.






Location & Geographical Coverage

The program will be implemented in 20 communities in four departments:

Region
Department
Number of Communities
Area to be Planted (Mz)
Number of Families
Observations

North

Madriz
Las Ventanas
San Lucas
50
50
25 families / Community.
1 manzana - 30Lbs/Mz


Matagalpa
El Limón Coffee Farm
52.5
210
Coffee Farm
0.25 manzana-7.5 Lbs /Mz

West

León
Santa Marta I
Santa Marta II
El Polvasal
90

90
30 families / community
1 manzana - 30Lbs/Mz



Chinandega
Grecia I
El Bonete
Aquespalapa
Sagrada Familia
El jicote
Las Veinte
Grecia IV
Fragua
Rodeito
Paso Hondo.
280
280
25 to 30 families / community
1 manzana - 30Lbs/Mz

Total
04
16
472.50
630



The majority of those affected in Chinandega and Madriz own three or four
manzanas of land.  Of these, between one and two manzanas are used for
productive agricultural activities.  For this reason, the program will
finance the planting of one manzana per family. This involves providing
thirty pounds of corn seed.  In the case of families from Matagalpa,
assistance will be offered to finance 0.25 manzanas, equivalent to 7.5 lbs
of corn. It should be mentioned that through this program the NB-6 variety
of corn (110-day intermediate seed) will be distributed because of its
high yield potential.

Due to the vulnerability of the soils from environmental deterioration,
base fertilizers (complete formula) will be supplied to aid in the
development of the crops.  Two quintales (200 lbs) will be provided for
each manzana. Likewise, a total of three quintales (300 lbs) of urea will
be provided per manzana.

To protect the crops from pests that attack corn plants, and to avoid the
reduction of the harvest, one liter of pesticide will be given for each
manzana planted.

The supply of agricultural inputs will be carried out in coordination with
the Municipal Emergency Committees and with the Association of Farm
workers (ATC).





ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, MONITORING & REPORTING

Administration

The presidency of the Lutheran Church in Nicaragua will guarantee the
implementation of the project in each of its components and will
administer the human, material and financial resources.  In addition, it
will oversee compliance with the proposed objectives.

The Project Director will have direct responsibility for implementing and
following up on the project.  She will maintain close coordination and
communication with the presidency of the ILFE about the development of the
project and will be charged with the preparation of the final report that
will be sent to the Coordination Office of ACT International in Geneva,
Switzerland.

There will be an agronomist to do field work as well as a supply director
in the Office of Diaconia and Development of the ILFE.  The latter will
acquire material goods needed for the project.  Agricultural professionals
in the municipal offices will also collaborate.



Finances

The funds will be managed according to the existing accounting controls
and procedures in the ILFE and will be deposited in an independent bank
account.  Each disbursement will be duly authorized by the presidency of
the Lutheran Church in Nicaragua.

At the conclusion of the project a financial report will be prepared on
the use of financing received from ACT International.


Monitoring and Follow up

The agricultural program at the field level will be the responsibility of
the agronomist.  The agronomist will be charged with monitoring the plots
and following up on the farming labor in the fields of the different
communities that will be attended, until the second planting cycle has
concluded with the gathering of seed.

With less frequency, the Project Director will conduct on-site visits to
the proposed locations with the purpose of offering advice, supervision
and monitoring of the levels achieved in all of the plan's components.


Transition Proposal

To contribute to the Project for Integral Rehabilitation of the
Communities Affected in three departments, reintegrate of the victims into
the socio-economic activities of the country, and overcome the traumas
experienced because of the phenomena through pastoral accompaniment and
the granting of material resources.

The above will not be possible without the support of the donor
organizations that have supported the counterparts of ACT in Nicaragua



IMPLEMENTATION TIMETABLE

Four months from the date of the first disbursement.



CO-ORDINATION

The Lutheran Church, met with more than 35 organizations that are members
of the Civil Coordinator for the Emergency and Reconstruction (CCER).
Municipal emergency committees, farmer groups, representatives of
cooperatives, agricultural workers and the Attorney General's Office for
Human Rights (PDDH) met with the objective of joining forces in the search
for initiatives and alternatives that contribute to reducing the problem
of existing famine in various regions of the country.

At the moment, ILFE, in coordination with municipal offices and the
Association of Farm workers (ATC) supplied food rations to agricultural
workers in some coffee farms in Matagalpa and to peasant families from
certain communities in the western region of the country who had lost all
of their production due to the drought.




BUDGET

Category / Description	Type of 	No. of	Unit	Budget	Budget
	Unit	Units	Cost
			NIO	NIO	USD

DIRECT ASSISTANCE
Crisis Phase
Food Distribution
Sugar	Kg	1,375	6.20	8,525	629
Rice	Kg	1,375	6.50	8,938	660
Beans	Kg	1,375	8.00	11,000	812
Corn	Kg	1,375	2.60	3,575	264
Vegetable oil	Liter	550	15.00	8,250	609
Cereal	Pound	275	         16.00 	4,400	325
Powder milk	Box	550	         18.00 	9,900	731
Iodized salt 	Pound	550	           0.60 	330	24
Packaging bags	Piece	2,000	           0.73 	1,456	107
Transportation	Trip	3	        540.00 	1,620	120
Travel expenses (2 persons)	Trip	3	        120.00 	     360	     27
Sub Total				58,354	4,307

Post Crisis Phase
Rehabilitation
Agricultural Assistance
NB6 Corn	Kg	7,100	         10.30 	73,116	5,396
Universal fertilizer	Kg	47,250	           2.84 	134,190	9,903
46% urea (fertilizer)	Kg	70,900	           2.90 	205,610	15,174
Pesticide	Liter	472	        150.00 	70,800	5,225
Transportation	Trip	29	        540.00 	15,660	1,156
Travel expenses (2 persons)	Trip	29	        120.00 	3,480	257
Agricultural technician	Month	4	3,952	  15,808	  1,167
Sub Total 				518,664	38,278

Total Direct Assistance				577,018	42,584


Category / Description	Type of 	No. of	Unit	Budget	Budget
	Unit	Units	Cost
			NIO	NIO	USD

PERSONNEL, ADMINISTRATION, OPERATIONS AND SUPPORT
Salaries and Benefits for Administrative Personnel (based on 50% of salary)
Project director	Month	4	4,743	18,970	1,400
Supply director	Month	4	1,581	6,323	467
Store supervisor	Month	4	1,581	  6,323	   467
Sub Total				31,616	2,333

Office Operations
Utilities (water and electricity)	Month	4	1,356	5,423	400
Office maintenance	Month	4	600	2,400	177
Fuel for supervisory visits	Trip	4	384	1,536	113
Meal expenses for 2 people	Trip	4	120	480	35
Films and film development	Number	2	350	     700	  52
Sub Total				10,539	778

Total Personnel, Administration, Operations and Support		42,155	3,111

OTHER EXPENSES
Audit	Lump sum			8,130	600


TOTAL EXPENDITURE				627,303	46,295


Rate of Exchange: USD 1 = NIO 13.55



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Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide alliance of churches and
their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency
response.  The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of
Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
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   Ecumenical Centre                          Phone: ++41-22-791.60.33
   150, route de Ferney                         Fax: ++41-22-791.65.06
   P.O. Box 2100                             E-Mail: act@wcc-coe.org
   1211 Geneva 2                              Telex: 415 730 OIK CH
   Switzerland                                 http://www.act-intl.org


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