Livelihoods

The CHOICES project aims to increase livelihood income skills and opportunities for poor and vulnerable households. It responds to locally identified livelihood improvement opportunities or options during migration for vulnerable households including both production and marketing. Support for animal production including fish and chicken raising have been identified as having potential to help poor households. Improved care methods, linkages to the local Village Animal Health Workers (VAHW), and marketing services leads to reduced animal illness/death, higher sale values and improved marketing linkages. Support for cash crop production includes training and support for home vegetable gardens and rice production training limited to poor and vulnerable (P&V) HH who have sufficient rice land. HH choosing capacity building in vegetable production techniques will gain skills on improved soil preparation, seed/seedling selection, and appropriate usage of organic and chemical fertilizers, pest management and moisture control. Further interventions for entire communities includes strengthening of marketing skills and networks for rice and vegetables, which has been identified as key to increasing incomes. Water, including wells and ponds, is jointly sourced to support crop and animal raising initiatives.

Identification of other livelihood skills by interest group members lead to custom training such as food production, sewing, local handicrafts and tool production, small equipment repair and maintenance, construction techniques etc.. Skills are used both locally as well as by family members who migrate for labor during parts of the agriculture cycle to boost household incomes. Ongoing activities promote broader knowledge for members, particularly women, in key agriculture areas and address household decision making practices. Planning, financial management and marketing is learned with cross visits to successful model farmers and businesses arranged. Women’s vocational literacy and numeracy skills are being built to provide long term access to information and improved record keeping and additional community driven economic based initiatives will also be supported. At least one community saving/loan group is being formed in each village to support choices and options.

Family/child risks for labor migration outside of their community are specifically assessed through group learning and will identify ways to abate risks to health and ensure quality incomes as well as how to avoid human trafficking and labor or other rights abuses. Particular emphasis is placed on safeguarding children through highlighting the impact of caregiver attitudes and behaviors and identifying ways to make sure children have access to proper foods/health care, education, and social support throughout the year. This includes group involvement from women and men in separate activities as well as in joint male and female group meetings. The roles for community facilitators also includes reaching out to single parents and the disabled as well as family members unable to attend regular group meetings or events. The project interventions ensure opportunities for child health care behaviors and livelihood are not compromised by household member gender or disability including HIV status.

Activities listed below are expected to result in four outputs, grouped together as follows: 

Output 3.2 740 vulnerable households participate in animal production livelihoods training program 

Activities: Based on livelihood opportunity assessments for vulnerable households, groups are trained in small-scale animal production methods with a focus on production that is a significant aspect of a households income generating plans for the year. Key skills obtained includes ways to protect stock from disease and predators, animal health and nutrition and the best feeding practices, market cycles and sales. Based on likely opportunities identified skills training in chicken and cow/buffalo raising and fish production is linked to support of expanded operations. Local Village Animal Health Workers are trained to ensure basic skill and services are available supported to develop linkages with the trained households and other RC members. Linkages are made with other suppliers of agriculture supplies to ensure that needed inputs are available and that group members are aware of these sources. Selected households, who demonstrate skills and good plans for expanded production, are able to access materials for shelters and initial animal raising capital with proper vaccinations etc. based on potential for scale-up.

Output 3.3 1,500 vulnerable households participate in rice and cash crop production livelihoods training program

Activities: Livelihood interest groups is formed around expansion of modern rice production techniques expanded vegetable garden production, short term and long term fruit tree planting and care, and other cash crops. These opportunities are evaluated based on land and water resources, other household livelihoods, family migration patterns, and local market needs for any particular village or household group. Methods within the overall System of Rice Intensification that are applicable locally are used including improved seed selection and seedling care, planting of younger seedlings, planting less seedling at greater distances and planting in rows to facilitate weeding. Other interest groups select key vegetable/cash crops, and short term and long term fruit trees for expanded production. Group experiment with both modern techniques including efficient and effective methods of fertilization, moisture control, land management and irrigation for various types of crops and land/water resources which can support risks of climate change. Interested farmers are selected to be model training farmers and cross-village exposure visits are facilitated with lessons to be shared back in Reflect Circles.

Output 3.4 860 vulnerable households participate in bookkeeping and marketing training program. 

Activities: Stakeholder analysis showed that one factor that keeps poor and vulnerable households is their inability to assess and analyse livelihood opportunities and whether investing in various options will be viable. The project is seeking local expertise in marketing and rural livelihoods training and prepare materials that can be used by staff and local technical partners. All households trained in vocational livelihoods, animal raising, and cash crop production are required to attend this training. These include field visits to relevant market centers and sources of information. Practical applications of training is developed based on the different livelihoods represented in the groups and follow-up with the groups are made by staff and RCF members.

Output 3.5 450 vulnerable household members trained in practical vocational livelihood skills 

Activities: Households interested in other livelihood opportunities besides direct agriculture production are facilitated to evaluate their resources and family interests. The project facilitates identification of capacity building, mentoring and coaching, and necessary capital inputs needed to give opportunity to make new livelihoods viable. Types of skills identified in community focus groups and surveys include, sewing skills including those applicable at garment factories, vehicle/motorbike repair and service, agricultural machinery repair, post-harvest food processing, middle-man marketing, distribution and sales, hair dressing and beauty skills, and recycling of materials. Additional skills are identified and qualified professionals in these areas will be contracted to provide training, mentoring, and coaching. Linkages are made with materials suppliers needed for each livelihood and the project will ensure that needed capital inputs are available.