DIRWENA: Development and Investment in Resilient Workforce & Empowered Networks in Agriculture

DIRWENA: Development and Investment in Resilient Workforce & Empowered Networks in Kurdistan's Agriculture Sector

The program is an integrated support initiative that aims to build resilience in the agriculture sector of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Through technical and financial capacity strengthening for 50 smallholder farmers and microenterprises, alongside 20 business support organizations and farmer cooperatives, the program establishes a support infrastructure that contributes to greater social cohesion within the region’s farming communities and agricultural value chains.

The program comprises two components:

The first component of the program provides comprehensive support to smallholder farmers and microenterprises, with the aim of enhancing their technical and financial capacities to boost productivity, sustainability, and resilience.

The second component aims to develop an on-ground platform where business support organizations and farmer cooperatives receive, share, and extend capacity-building training to relevant stakeholders, in order to promote social cohesion and strengthen the local farming ecosystem.

Key information

Duration

February – July 2026
Capacity-building

75 smallholder farmers & microenterprises alongside 20 BSOs & farmer cooperatives receiving capacity-building training, mentoring, and networking opportunities.
In-kind financial support

Budget for services of up to 3000 euros for each participant joining DIRWENA’s Support Phase, including:

50 smallholder farmers and microenterprises for 4 months

20 BSOs & farmer cooperatives for 4 months

Objectives

Strengthen the financial and technical capabilities of smallholder farmers and microenterprises, alongside Business Support Organizations and Farmer Cooperatives in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), to enhance their resilience and contribute to greater social cohesion.

Locations

Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI)
Targeted SDGs

Program objectives

Capacity building for farmers & micro-enterprises

DIRWENA empowers smallholder farmers and micro-enterprises with tailored training, mentoring, financial support, and technical assistance to improve productivity, adopt sustainable practices, and scale their operations.

Strengthening BSOs & farmer cooperatives

DIRWENA promotes meaningful partnerships and knowledge sharing. By supporting Business Support Organizations (BSOs) and farmer cooperatives, the programme empowers these local enablers to drive development, resilience, and social cohesion across the agricultural value chain of the Kurdistan Regions of Iraq (KRI).

Ecosystem connectivity and social cohesion

DIRWENA fosters a network of stakeholders, including agribusinesses, cooperatives, BSOs, investors, and research institutions, to encourage peer learning, collaboration, policy engagement, and long-term agricultural resilience.

Market access & inclusive growth

By connecting farmers, microenterprises, and cooperatives with opportunities across the agricultural value chain, DIRWENA supports them in enhancing competitiveness, accessing new markets, and driving inclusive, sustainable growth across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Driving agricultural resilience & social cohesion across multiple levels

To build a holistic support infrastructure for the agriculture ecosystem in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the DIRWENA program is designed to empower enablers and stakeholders across different levels of the value chain, from smallholder farmers and microenterprises to business support organizations and farmer cooperatives.

Through its two main components, the program provides technical assistance, financial support, and capacity-building opportunities that enable participants to strengthen their operations, adopt sustainable practices, and expand their market reach.

The first component focuses on enhancing the financial and technical capacities of smallholder farmers and microenterprises to boost productivity and resilience. The second component strengthens the role of BSOs and cooperatives as community enablers, equipping them to share knowledge, extend training, and drive long-term social cohesion within the region’s farming communities.

DIRWENA program components

Support for Resilient Farming Communities

Up to 75 smallholder farmers and microenterprises will join a 4-day bootcamp with technical sessions and mentoring.

During the bootcamp, participants will connect with representatives from BSOs and farmer cooperatives to exchange knowledge and explore collaboration opportunities, and co-create solutions to the pressing challenges facing their activities.

50 participants will be selected to advance to a 3-month support phase, to receive expert consultations, on-site mentoring, and up to 3,000 euros as in-kind support to boost productivity and resilience.

The program will wrap up with a sustainability bootcamp, where the DIRWENA participants come together to reconnect, share learnings, and explore future collaboration pathways that help sustain and expand the impact of their work beyond the program’s duration.

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BSO and Farmer Cooperative Capacity Building

20 business support organizations and farmer cooperatives will take part in a 4-day bootcamp featuring workshops on business management and mentoring, followed by a 3-month capacity-building program.

Participants will receive tailored training, on-site mentoring, and in-kind support of up to 3,000 Euros each to enhance their operational capacity, extend services to their communities, and drive sustainable impact across the agricultural ecosystem.

The program will conclude with a sustainability bootcamp, bringing all participating BSOs and cooperatives together with farmers and ecosystem partners to exchange insights, showcase progress, and explore future collaboration opportunities, ensuring the long-term impact of their services beyond the program’s duration.

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Get in touch

If you’re interested in joining the program or learning more about its benefits and activities, please contact us at shc@enpact.org

You can also fill out the form below, and our team will reach out to you.

Program partners

Developed and implemented by the non-profit organization enpact, the program is supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).