Livelihood security in 2006
The objective of Concern's livelihood security programme is to ensure the right of people to have food and income security in a way that is sustainable – for their future and for the environment.
Concern aims to do this by increasing livelihood options and promoting long-term strategies to reduce the threats to those livelihoods posed by natural disasters, and other disruptions.
Concern’s livelihood security programme accounted for 33% of the organisation’s overseas spend in 2006. Concern operated livelihood programmes in 29 countries, 18 in Africa, 10 in Asia and one in the Caribbean (Haiti). The programmes targeted the poorest parts of these countries four-fifths of them were in rural areas, while one fifth targeted the urban poor.
In 2006, Concern’s Livelihood security programme reached over 1.4 million direct
beneficiaries and an estimated 4.47 million indirect beneficiaries.
As might be expected the programme is multi-faceted and covers a very diverse range of activities. Some of these are illustrated below:
- Concern’s natural resource management programmes aimed to involve
communities in measures to reverse environmental degradation; promote forest
protection and regeneration; and improve soil fertility and water retention. For example in Sudan watershed interventions have significantly controlled soil erosion and enhanced moisture retention. These measures have been supplemented by community regulation of tree felling and avoiding bush burning. Achievements in other areas included addressing illegal logging, promoting conservation farming at national level, promoting forest dwellers’ rights, achieving a reduction of ‘slash and burn’ techniques and dealing effectively with environmental waste. - Measures are required at local and national levels to improve the range of capital inputs for small farmers and their communities. During 2006 Concern supported initiatives such as the Uganda Land Alliance to campaign for a comprehensive and a “pro poor” land policy. At local level, land tenure issues have been addressed by enabling poor farmers to secure their land titles. Agricultural programmes also address farm productivity, crop diversification and input distribution. The risks posed by crop failure are reduced by crop diversification, provision of short-maturing varieties, soil protection, irrigation measures and dyke construction.
- Developing countries are dominated by the informal trading sector, giving them
a vibrant entrepreneurial culture. Concern has adopted a variety of measures to
encourage the poor to engage in trade. These include, for the very poor, a mix of social safety nets, income generation and human and social capital development interventions; for the middle poor, providing access to capital and vocational skills development, and for the least poor encouraging the development of business skills, which can have a multiplier effect generating employment and benefiting the wider community. - Whole communities benefit from infrastructural development which improves
access to markets and services year round. In addition measures aimed at grassroots levels such as microfinance - a type of local credit union which can become financially self sufficient and grow independently. For example, as of December 2006 Angkor Microfinance Kampuchea (AMK), which was set up some years ago by Concern, was able to recover its operating costs from revenues. It did this by reaching higher numbers of clients (36,000 clients in 2005 increased to 67,000 in 2006, due to opening new branches and expanding in existing branches). Another example is in Bangladesh, where Concern's microfinance programmes have increased income security and brought about an increase in assets. Out of the 18,375 group members, 12,609 members reported significant increases in their monthly income. On first joining the programme, members’ earnings ranged from €0 - €11, this increased over time to €6 - €48 per month. Another example is in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince where Concern works with its partner Initiative Development to provide financial support to small businesses traditionally run by women. - In 2006, Concern worked closely with local government institutions, increasing their capacity to operate in an open and participatory manner. The emphasis on building the capacity of local NGO partners to use the decentralisation process has also paid dividends. An NGO partner in Cambodia was presented with the Commune Councils Support Project Award for Excellence in Promoting Good Local Governance in Rural Cambodia, alongside four other local NGOs. In Uganda, Concern continued to support local governments who are key to ensuring participation from the poor, and to improving accountability. Concern funding went towards village level planning processes, and monitoring the development of village, parish and sub-county plans so that they better reflected and responded to the demands of the communities, and became incorporated into the sub-county and district development plans. Livelihood programmes increasingly include awareness-raising on rights and laws which affect poor household livelihoods options. Lobbying was undertaken on a wide range of issues including resettlement, allocation of government budgets, industrial land concessions, forest dwellers’ rights, corruption, women’s rights and conflict management.
- Virtually all of Concern's country programmes sought to promote environmental
sustainability. In Bangladesh for example, decreases in the usage of chemical
pesticides by beneficiaries and increases in use of organic fertiliser were reported.
In Zambia, villagers in Mwawa are reported to have moved away from charcoal burning to cultivating home gardens.
