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Sustainable Growth Through Livelihood Promotion ............
Secure livelihoods offer the extreme poor a pathway to forge their way out of poverty. According to the most recent figures, 736 million people in the world live on less than $1.90 a day. That equates to approximately 10% of the world’s population living below the global poverty line.
Agriculture plays a pivotal role in the Indian economy. Although its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) is now around one-sixth, it provides employment to 56 % of the Indian workforce. Thus agriculture not only contributes to overall growth of the economy but also reduces poverty by providing livelihoods and food security to the majority of the population in the country and thus it is the most inclusive growth sector of the Indian economy.
PECUC implementing livelihoods programmes in the state of Odisha with extremely poor people face many risks, a number of which are associated with climate change. An increase in the incidence and severity of climate-related disasters are negatively impacting on crop yields and the availability of food for subsistence farmers. At the same time, people are increasingly migrating to crowded urban areas in search of more secure livelihoods and are facing increased competition for income-earning opportunities.
PECUC is developing alternative innovative models for livelihood and household food security in PECUC'S Operational areas where people live with dignity and participating to enhance their quality of life and welfare. Each household has assured food security & livelihood options available, increased opportunities of employment/ self-employment available for all, Reduction of forced migration, displacement and deprivation from rights on natural resources.
PECUC emphasising Skilled youth through need based trainings, investment and employment opportunities in the field project areas, effective functioning of public distribution system, increased access to the poverty alleviation schemes & programmes of Govt. ,Protection of forest & environment, soil & water conservation, Promotion of Community efforts for common property resource management and biodiversity conservation measures ,Develop and implement innovative sustainable livelihood models linked to farm, non-farm, off farm options, Skill development training to youths for self employment and wage employment, Enterprise promotion and linkage with financial and other resource agencies.
PECUC programmes are designed in accordance with the specific requirements of each local context & aim to address the obstacles and the systemic changes that are required to bring about effective and sustainable improvements for the poorest and most vulnerable people. PECUC does this through a broad variety of activities that range from climate-smart agriculture techniques in rural settings, to technical skills training and small-business support in rural and urban settings.
The livelihood strategy of PECUC focuses on household food and nutrition security, conservation of natural resources and expanding income-earning opportunities for the rural poor in general and the tribals in particular in a sustainable manner. This is achieved through empowering the people by increasing their knowledge base and capacitating them through skill building and facilitating access to resources. The approach has been to promote and strengthen Peoples' Institutions, undertake Micro-level Planning by involving those institutions, taking up advocacy issues for pro-poor policy and convergence with mainstream development programmes for sustaining the initiatives. The livelihood programmes in different areas include strengthening Forest and Forest based Livelihoods. Horticulture and kitchen gardening activities ensure food security of poor and marginalized farmers . Popularizing organic farming forms a part of PECUC’s strategy to promote sustainable agriculture. This improves the productivity of soil by reducing the use of chemical fertilizers .Efforts were made to scale up the use of vermin-compost methods in operational areas. Entrepreneurship Development, Self Help Groups & Federations to facilitating and managing the Income generation programme for increase the family income.
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