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Increasing income earning opportunities for rural communities
By Teresa Lee on 24 Jul 2007
Establishment of income generation projects in 30 villages in north and central East Timor is improving the lives of more than 400 households.
"Before I joined the Income Generation Project run by World Vision, my life was very difficult because I lacked employment and business skills," said Lourdes.
With seven children, aged one to 13, and no means to support her family, Lourdes was representative of many rural Timorese women who rely on their small agricultural efforts in order to keep their families fed.
Lourdes joined one of the local income generation groups facilitated by World Vision and undertook training in business skills, production techniques and marketing. She currently produces cassava chips as part of a group, and solar-dried vegetables as an individual, to generate income for her family. Her husband assists with the drying of the eggplants.
Lourdes sells her products to local market, receives direct requests from customers, and sells solar-dried vegetables to middle men.
"As a result of my business, I can pay my children's school fees and we now have savings in the bank," said Lourdes.
The 'Income generation for rural communities' project started in July 2005, and tends to have an average of five members per group depending on the village and type of business.
World Vision staff work with local community groups to help identify viable small-scale food production ventures and to establish avenues for sales.
Women tend to be involved in groups producing cassava chips and tempeh (food made from soy beans), and men involved with production of palm leaf brooms. Mixed groups tend to produce vegetables.
Birthed out of an earlier food security project in the area, the project aims to maximise use of surplus crops and increase the income-earning opportunities of communities in the districts of Aileu, 50 kilometres south of the capital Dili, and Bobonaro, 155 kilometres south west of Dili.
Limitations such as road accessibility, transport and lack of market information have hindered small business initiatives in the past.
World Vision has helped to establish links between retailers in Dili with community business groups in the districts, creating markets for local products such as sweet potatoes, cabbage, peas, celery, garlic, onion, carrots and cassava chips.
Links between community groups and retailers in Dili have also opened up new income-earning possibilities for middle-men distributors who are gaining new-found experience in collecting market information such as price comparisons, product quantity and quality standards. Distributors are consequently able to respond to market demand. Products from the local income-generating groups are currently supplied to retailers in Dili every two weeks.
World Vision Australia, with ANCP (AusAID NGO Co-operation Programme) funding, supports the project.
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