Rumphi Rural Livelihoods Programme, Malawi

Rumphi Rural Livelihoods Programme, Malawi

This 10-year programme located in Rumphi district will expand in time to reach beneficiaries in Mzimba and Nkhata Bay. The programme will take a rights based approach to development, empowering farmers as citizens to find solutions to their poverty and to challenge government to respond to the needs of the rural poor. The project will extend the lead farmer approach and through training in sustainable agriculture and natural resource management, will reduce poverty and vulnerability - increasing crop yields and livelihood opportunities. Our partners will support farmers to improve linkages with the state (especially decentralised authorities), civil society and private sector players. This will help to better fulfil people's rights as citizens in one of the poorest countries in the world.

Uttaranchal's forests in the remote Himalayan highlands and lowlands used to provide adivasi (tribal) people with a livelihood based on non-timber forest produce but enforcement of inappropriate forest laws has eroded their assets and entitlements. Adivasis suffer from low incomes, a lack of education opportunities, and poor health. They face discrimination and are not able to access government services to which they are entitled or advocate for their improvement where they are inadequate. The project is empowering 2,500 adivasis, particularly women, to understand and access their rights, influence government policy and its implementation, access government schemes and services and regain customary rights to access and manage the forests.