Regional Focus
Component 1: Livelihood Development for Vulnerable Populations
Overall Objective of this Component : Enhance household food and economic security through a diversity of livelihood support strategies.
The Strategy of this Component to achieve the above objective is as follows:
- Support small scale infrastructure where there are vulnerable populations in target districts.
Background: In the previous year, program activities focused on completion of home gardening projects for over 1,000 beneficiaries to provide livelihood based economic and food security. Assistance to promote livelihoods in the current context in the East has shifted almost entirely to reintegration, with few people still being resettled.
Based on the change in focus for Component 1, USAID/CORE will rehabilitate small community-based infrastructures in relatively newly resettled areas that require repairs, to directly enhance existing livelihoods by providing additional income, making it sustainable with long term benefits. USAID/CORE will set up appropriate infrastructure rehabilitation interventions to be implemented as community based livelihood projects for an additional 1,500 beneficiaries. These interventions will enable planting in two seasons instead of just one, crop safety, expanding acreage of cu\ltivatable land, water storage, etc.
In addition, related technical skills and value added support will be provided to go beyond basic economic and food security to improve productivity, such as infrastructure maintenance, farming skills for more efficient production, better risk management, farm-based production; business operations for small-scale enterprise.
Component 1 activities will be coordinated with those of other Components as appropriate, so participants are integrated into value chains, benefit from microfinance and other value chain services.
Community base minor infrastructure rehabilitation
The following four projects have been identified for implementation
Community-Based Saltern Development in Nilaveli
Expected to directly support 75 beneficiaries with increased incomes and support an additional 400 through seasonal employment. This includes the rehabilitation of abutment, piers, and access roads.
Irrigation Tank
Expected to directly support 75 beneficiaries with increased incomes and support an additional 400 through seasonal employment. This includes the rehabilitation of abutment, piers, and access roads.
Irrigation Anicut
The anicut will provide water to the surrounding farmer community during off seasons and will function as a minor causeway so that surrounding families are able to use during heavy rains, without having to travel approximately 8-10 km. Initiated investigations on the feasibility of opening the channel to the surrounding farmer communities in Batticaloa.
Electric Fencing in Trincomalee
Investigated the potential benefits for the installation of electric fencing for crops in approximately five villages in Trincomalee. This fencing will protect farmer livelihoods that are being adversely affected by damage caused by wild elephants.
Home gardening projects for 1,105 beneficiaries in Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts
Activities of the first eighteen months, focused on the development and implementation of three home gardening projects, for groups of recently settled or conflict-affected low-income farmers from the Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara districts.
USAID/CORE provided fruit plants, equipment and agriculture-related inputs to a total of 753 farmers in Trincomalee and Ampara. Technical training was also provided in agronomic practices, land preparation, compost making, crop maintenance, water management, pest control methods, value addition technologies and business basics. These activities resulted in an increase in household incomes and improved income security for farmers who have been living under extremely difficult conditions.
• Almost 90% of the beneficiaries harvested surplus produce, with an average 50% of production volumes (Ampara 67%, Batticaloa 52%, Trincomalee 37%) being sold in local markets.
• Approximately 10% of the beneficiaries increased their incomes by at least 45%. Sixty percent (60%) of the farmers in Trincomalee and Ampara, and 18% in Batticaloa, increased their income by 20%.
Most beneficiaries will continue working in upcoming seasons, further improving their living conditions. A selected group is expected to be linked to private sector companies that will purchase their produce at a commercial level, enabling them to become more formal producer groups with the long-term prospect of entering the value chain.