Livelihoods

Put simply, “livelihoods” means a person’s ability to earn a living.

It’s about people having a reliable source of food and income, without needing ongoing help from organisations like Concern. We see our livelihoods work as a fundamental part of what we do.

Tangible resources

As part of our livelihoods work, we take a broad look at all the resources available to communities. Our analysis is based on tangible resources, such as how much income a person makes , and intangible factors including the political climate and local natural resources.

There are many other factors also taken into consideration. These include government policies, cultural practices, conflict, natural disasters, economic shocks and environmental degradation.

By taking such a broad approach, we aim to reduce poverty and improve the livelihoods of the people with work with.

We use three approaches to achieve this.

Natural resources

We help communities get involved in the political process surrounding valuable natural resources in their area. This ensures that they have increased access and control over the resources they depend on.

Agriculture

The majority of the world’s poorest people live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their food and income. The rapidly growing urban populations, particularly the urban poor, rely on affordable food produced in rural areas.

In many developing countries, even those with regular employment, people rely on agriculture to supplement their incomes. We believe that support of agriculture is vital when helping poor communities.

Accessing markets

Agriculture is linked closely with markets. Empowering and enabling poor people to access these markets to trade vital food and supplies is very important. This empowerment helps communities determine their own future.

Reaching marginalised people

Concern aims to include the most marginalised people in its livelihoods projects. These marginalised groups often include women and children.