2008 - 2009 PROTEIN Projects
Making Cottage Industries More Profitable
The South Pacific Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SPISARD) is a branch of the Agriculture Department of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology that works to improve livelihoods in rural areas by co-ordinating teaching, research and extension services.
Many women in Papua New Guinea are engaged in cottage industries. However, their ability to succeed is hampered by low levels of literacy and inadequate opportunities to learn. SPISARD has created the “model village approach” for rural development. These villages become conduit points where teaching, training, research and technology transfer can take place.
The COL-PROTEIN project, “Training of Women and Youth at Selected Model Villages in Papua New Guinea”, is using open and distance learning to help women and youth build their knowledge and skills. Some of the training needs identified include vegetable farming, cooking and nutrition, sewing, fish farming, soap and dishwashing paste making, and rice production.
SPISARD plans to provide training to more than 725 women and youth by June 2009. Using various learning methods, including lectures, videos, posters, discussions, visits, workshops and mobile phones, SPISARD will help people in rural areas improve their ability to run sustainable cottage industries, which in turn will help alleviate poverty.
Improving Livelihoods in Rural India
The communities in the coastal Praksam District of Andhra Pradesh have been described as “the most disadvantaged segment of the population”. In addition to their low socio-economic situation and vulnerability to disaster caused by cyclones and floods, people are restricted by lack of access to information, resources and opportunities.
The Society for the Development of the Rural Women and children (SDRWC-INDIA) is a voluntary relief and development voluntary organisation that works in Andhra Pradesh. Their COL-PROTEIN project involves establishing a Livelihood Resource Centre and five community knowledge centres to provide information and support to local communities. The centres will focus on helping people improve their skills and techniques in salt farming, fishing and other coastal industries by:
• Introducing people to viable livelihoods options;
• Providing training and information about post-harvest technologies, how to obtain fair market prices and other relevant issues;
• Establishing effective market linkages;
• Facilitating access to financing and insurance;
• Documenting and sharing stories about local best practices;
• Conducting advocacy activities to ensure adequate services are available for marginalised populations.
By building their skills and accessing useful information, people in these communities will be able to make significant improvements in their productivity and income. The project will specifically support the empowerment of women by implementing gender equity, equal wages and participation of women in planning and implementation.