Changing life of VEED from Income Generation Activities (IGA) in central terai districts of Nepal

Changing life of VEED from Income Generation Activities (IGA) in central terai districts of Nepal

S.B.Thakur¹; P.K.Jha², C.K.Paudel³ and

¹Agriculture Specialist, ² NPM, ³M&E specialist  UNDP/ LRP

Introduction

The five-year Livelihood Recovery for Peace project (LRP) was launched in late 2009 and the implementation started in early 2010. The project is implemented in Mahottari, Sarlahi and Rautahat, three Central Tarai (southern plains) districts of Nepal, where poverty, conflict (armed groups), gender-based violence and natural disasters have hindered development. These districts have one of the lowest Human Development Index. The 2.1 million people who live in these districts have a mixed ethnic makeup and almost 30% people are land less. The project is one of the initiatives through which UNDP Nepal is promoting local peace through livelihood support as an entry point to directly support the communities to have better livelihood outcomes.

The overall objective of this integrated, area-focused project is to contribute to local peace building and restoring the foundations for sustainable livelihoods.  The focus is on improving household/community livelihoods and local economic recovery, enhancing social cohesion, strengthening village and district level local government and non-government institutions for supporting livelihoods initiatives, and empowering women.

The project has five main result areas: (i) mobilize and empower communities to improve social cohesion and peace; (ii) build new community infrastructures and rehabilitate damaged and degraded ones to benefit communities and create short-term jobs; (iii) facilitate the poorest and most vulnerable individuals and households to accrue improved livelihood assets; (iv) promote women’s empowerment and gender equality; and (v) strengthen local government bodies and national institutions to respond to communities’ livelihood needs.

Methodology

In order to achieve these objectives, LRP applies an integrated approach to livelihood promotion with a focus on building various assets at both household and community levels. It prioritizes promoting gender equality and social inclusion and also ensures that social harmony and community cohesion is promoted through LRP’s interventions.  The project’s poverty pocket approach targets vulnerable excluded and economically deprived (VEED) households within the programme VDCs. This approach takes into account location factors (e.g. communities living in flood-prone areas), economic deprivation of the households, as well as social exclusion and historical marginalization of the community groups. Coupled with this approach of focusing on the VEED households, LRP gives priority to empowering women and those from the excluded communities.

The project activities are in line with the policies of the Government of Nepal (GoN) and are implemented in collaboration with local government, relevant district line agencies, NGOs, CBOs, and community organizations in the form of youth clubs, women’s groups, and user groups and administered and monitored by a team of technical experts.

The working districts are clustered in 2 in Mahottary and 3 in each in Rautahat and Sarlahi. first of all social mobilization activities carried out though PAL. The IGA ME and TT was implemented though the local NGO hired and 9 to 10 IIFs were mobilized in respective cluster.

To enhance the livelihood of VEED community, LRP has formulated the following major IGA implementation procedures:

a.       Local stake holders and potential market analysis

b.       Pro-poor IGA identification

c.       Agreement between UNDP and CGs

d.        Bank operation by CGs

e.       Procurement  and monitoring by CGs

f.        Business/ detailed plan preparation for complete package

g.       Transparency and accountability

h.       Package basis capacity building

i.         Intensive various level monitoring

j.         Institutional development.

Findings

Table 1: Number of various type of business in 3 LRP districts

S.N	Business Type	Mahottary	%	Sarlahi	%	Rautahat	%	Total	%
1	Animal and Bird Trading	2	0.08	60	3.69	13	0.66	75	1.24
2	Cattle Rearing	1782	72.17	319	19.62	1014	51.81	3115	51.47
3	Fish Farming	0	0.00	0	0.00	1	0.05	1	0.02
4	Goat Rearing	137	5.55	682	41.94	352	17.99	1171	19.35
5	Grocery and Cosmetics	116	4.70	89	5.47	111	5.67	316	5.22
6	Meat and Fish Shop	5	0.20	0	0.00	15	0.77	20	0.33
7	Pig Rearing	17	0.69	337	20.73	30	1.53	384	6.35
8	Poultry Farming	15	0.61	1	0.06	2	0.10	18	0.30
9	Service Business	110	4.46	38	2.34	125	6.39	273	4.51
10	Snacks Shop	44	1.78	0	0.00	21	1.07	65	1.07
11	Vegetable Farming	154	6.24	84	5.17	129	6.59	367	6.06
12	Vendoring	40	1.62	4	0.25	33	1.69	77	1.27
13	Others	47	1.90	12	0.74	111	5.67	170	2.81
Total		2,469	100	1626	100	1957	100	6052	100

Table 2: Number of operating various types of business and income (Rs) in 3 LRP districts

S.N	Business Type	Mahottary		Sarlahi		Rautahat		Total
		Operating	Income (Rs)	Operating	Income (Rs)	Operating	Income (Rs)	Operating	Income (Rs)
1	Animal and Bird Trading	2	16300	57	442,400	13	229000	16370	671457
2	Cattle Rearing	1781	107500	298	2,273,595	1013	71500	108811	2345393
3	Fish Farming	0	0	0	0	1	7000	1	7000
4	Goat Rearing	136	19000	657	4,922,340	352	20000	20009	4942997
5	Grocery and Cosmetics	116	1509800	87	1,238,800	111	1438450	1509998	2677337
6	Meat and Fish Shop	5	40000	0	0	15	253000	40015	253000
7	Pig Rearing	17	0	302	2,251,500	30	0	332	2251802
8	Poultry Farming	15	34000	1	0	2	21000	34003	21001
9	Service Business	110	1638700	37	498,500	125	803100	1638862	1301637
10	Snacks Shop	44	462500	0	0	21	224500	462521	224500
11	Vegetable Farming	154	1588900	69	1,035,580	128	1030700	1589097	2066349
12	Vendoring	39	452200	4	33,000	33	306000	452237	339004
13	Others	47	536300	12	337,000	111	1429600	536423	1766612
Total		2,469	6,405,200	1626	13032715	1955	5833850	6050	18868089

Table 3: Average income per person from various operating business in 3 LRP districts ( Rs.)

S.N	Business Type	Mahottary		Sarlahi		Rautahat		Total
		Operating	Average Income/ person (Rs)	Operating	Average Income/ person (Rs)	Operating	Average Income/ person (Rs)	Operating	Average Income/ person (Rs)
1	Animal and Bird Trading	2	8150	57	7,761	13	17615	8220	25433.79
2	Cattle Rearing	1781	60.35935	298	7,630	1013	71	1371.359	7998.096
3	Fish Farming	0		0		1	7000	1	7000
4	Goat Rearing	136	139.7059	657	7,492	352	57	1148.706	8205.964
5	Grocery and Cosmetics	116	13015.52	87	14,239	111	12959	13213.52	27285.09
6	Meat and Fish Shop	5	8000	0		15	16867	8015	16866.67
7	Pig Rearing	17	0	302	7,455	30	0	332	7757.298
8	Poultry Farming	15	2266.667	1	0	2	10500	2269.667	10501
9	Service Business	110	14897.27	37	13,473	125	6425	15059.27	19934.77
10	Snacks Shop	44	10511.36	0		21	10690	10532.36	10690.48
11	Vegetable Farming	154	10317.53	69	15,008	128	8052	10514.53	23129.75
12	Vendoring	39	11594.87	4	8,250	33	9273	11631.87	17526.73
13	Others	47	11410.64	12	28,083	111	12879	11533.64	40974.61
Total		2,469	90,364	1626	109392	1955	112388	6050	223304

Graph 1: Showing the types of business in 3 LRP districts

Cases

 

References

Likewise, Ms Sant Maya B.K. of aged 55 years of the group has also felt happy with receiving IGA grant from LRP as member of Pragati Mahila community group Kalingjor, Sarlahi. She is living with son and daughter in law and 3 grand children. She expressed that my son had tough life in past only one employment as a labor to feed the family. I have been engaged in goat rearing from last two years with two goats. Goat as the short gestation period to earn money, "I have earned Rs 29,000.00 from selling of 2 he-goats as meat" she said. In her house, there are 13 goat heads (5 birthing she goats, 7 he-goats and 1 kid) to look after. She is educating her 3 grand children in boarding school. Now, her family can manage daily food, necessary clothing and daily expenses.  She is also saving Rs 10 every month in group from 5 months for future uncertainty. 

Similarly, Rita Bisunlke aged 27 years is Chair person of Chauki danada Community group of Kaslingjor 1, received IGA grant of Rs 8,500 with other 24 members. She belongs to dalit community. She started pig rearing purchasing one pig with the support of IGA grant from LRP. After 6 months, she got 9 pig lets (4 female and 5 male) from one pig. She sold 4 piglets for Rs 8,000 at the rate of Rs 2000 each and 5 female for Rs 15,000 at the rate of Rs 3000. Latter, she also sold meat of pig 35 DHARNI (1 Dharni contain 2.5 kg) at  Rs 400 per DHARNI and recently sold 33 DHARNI meat at 400.

From the pig rearing, she became success to buy 3 kathhas of farming land with cost of Rs 80,000.00. She is having 3 children, husband and mother in law in her family. She is happily educating her children including daily food. She has learned how to live and earn. Not the money, she also gained respect and more love from her husband and community is also treating respectfully. Still, she is continuing her business. She is saving Rs 10 each month in group for coping emergency and uncertainty.

Likewise, Mangali Maya Baiwa and Saji Maya Baiwa of Cheana CG, Kalingjor has also benefited from goat rearing. Ms Mangali earned Rs 11,000 from sale of he-goat and she is having a total of 8 goat heads including kids. One goat is pregnant to give kids soon. And, Ms Saji has earned Rs 12,000 and she is caring 6 goats in her house for future income. They told in group discussion with LRP and Social Mobilization NGO NEWs officials.

References:

Final Project Document on Livelihood Recovery for Peace (LRP), Project No: 00057322,

UNDP

• A Guideline on Implementation of IGA, ME and Technology Transfer, UNDP/LRP,

Mujailiya 14, Janakpur, Dhanusha.

• Final Report on Income Generating Activity (IGA), Micro-enterprise Development (ME)

and Technology Transfer (TT) for period from 17th October 2011 to 16th October 2012

Submitted by Rural Development Center (RDC), Gaur, Rautahat.

• Third Quarterly Report on Income Generating Activity (IGA), Micro-enterprise

Development (ME) and Technology Transfer (TT) Submitted by Ratauli Yuba Club

(RYC), June, 2012, Janakpur Municipality-7, Dhanusha.

• Second Quarterly Report on Income Generating Activity (IGA), Micro-enterprise

Development (ME) and Technology Transfer (TT) for period from January to April

2012 Submitted by Village Community Development Center (VCDC), Haripur, Sarlahi.

·         Midterm report, 2013, LRP, UNDP,

·         IGA assessment and market analysis report, 2012, LRP/UNDP