Marando Bora (MB) that was a component of Sweetpotato Action for Security and Health (SASHA)

More than 150,000 families in the 12 districts of Lake Zone of Tanzania faced food and nutrition insecurity.
Marando Bora sought to directly improve the food and nutrition security of at least 150,000 families by providing farmers with quality seed of improved sweetpotato varieties in a timely fashion.
Objective 1: To provide farmers with quality seed of improved sweetpotato varieties in a timely fashion
Objective 2: To promote quality vine conservation among farmers
Objective 1: To provide farmers with quality seed of improved sweetpotato varieties in a timely fashion
Activity 1: Identify and assure supply of pre-basic seed of best white and orange-fleshed sweetpotato varieties.
-Transfer and hardening of pre-basic seed.
Activity 2: Establish nuclear seed (PMS/SMS/) multiplication sites and supply producers’ groups (TMS-DVMs) with basic seed.
-Establishment and management of PMS and SMS
-Establishment and management of the DVMs
-Characterization of DVMs and seed production
Activity 3: Train and backstop groups in seed production using quality management protocols and voucher management
-Community sensitization sessions
-Pest and Diseases Awareness
Activity 4: Implement voucher distribution and provide farmers with information about varieties and seed availability
-Dissemination of planting materials through DVM model
-First and revised voucher printing
-Formation of vines dissemination committees
-Inventory and dissemination plans
-Community sensitization meetings
-Dissemination of planting materials through primary schools
-Mass dissemination model
-Meetings with local authorities
-Community sensitization and dissemination plans
-Coordination of harvesting, transport and dissemination
Activity 5: Monitor seed acquisition and planting by variety across farmer types and agro-ecologies
-Monitoring the DVM model
-DVMs monitoring tools
-Mass dissemination monitoring tools
-Field harvesting and planning sheet
-Vines dissemination sheet
-Monitoring by CIP monitors
-Field verification by CRS East Africa Regional Office
-Monitoring by CRS SASHA staff
Objective 2: To promote quality vine conservation among farmers
Activity 1: Provide extension advice about variety choice positive selection (i.e. only retaining vines for re- planting that are free of virus and other disease symptoms), and vine conservation
-DVMs production plots as innovative learning centers
-Public meetings
-Field days with farmers
-Establishment of 16 conservation sites in districts where mass dissemination model was implemented
-Conservation at DVM level
-On-station vine conservation
Activity 2: Implement participatory demonstration yield plots for positive selection, choice of variety and seed source
-Planning and review meetings
12 Districts in the Lake Zone