The outbuildings that dot thousands of backyards in 22 districts of Afghanistan look like miniature houses. Some have curtains hung over the windows and bright designs painted on the walls. In reality, these little structures are chicken coops that the women of the families built themselves with locally available materials.

Thousands of Afghan farmers, mainly women, inked their thumbs to sign letters calling for the expansion of an FAO dairy project to include their villages and homes. Those letters, written in 2010, testify to the project’s success, achieved in spite of escalating security problems and a lack of proper infrastructure at the project sites.

Give women access to information and the possibility to communicate and they will change the world. That is the premise behind the FAO Dimitra community listeners’ clubs – groups of rural women, but also men and young people, who meet regularly to discuss development issues and challenges, and to find solutions together.

How Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools are nurturing leaders for today and tomorrow.

A project in Lesotho's Mafeteng district shows HIV-affected families how to unlock the potential of keyhole gardens for greater food and nutrition security.