LACIP

Case Studies Livelihood Enhancement

and Protection
Livelihood Support & Promotion of Small Community Infrastructure Project

In Pursuit of Greener Pastures

Background and Identification
Laal Bibi has lived her life devoid of all convenience and comforts of life, even as a child she was raised in a home where illiteracy prevailed as a consequence of dire economic conditions. She hails from a poverty stricken Union Council of Mandani in Charsadda. Laal Bibis husband, Jan Muhammad is an unskilled laborer who struggled to find work in the corn fields owned by the land lords of the area. Once a while he would be lucky enough to find work and get paid on daily wages. Income is not consistent or predictable while working on daily wages when there is no guarantee of work. There were many days when Jan Muhammad would come home empty handed as he could not find any work in the field. Those were the days when his family suffered the most because there would be insufficient food for them. Daily expenses, clothes for children and medication seemed to be luxuries beyond reach. Her family comprises of five children, three boys and two girls. All three boys are handicapped with eye problems and polio. Her youngest son is comparatively less impaired and is able to attend school while her eldest daughter is married. However, it is an uphill task for her to take care of their needs and help them get through the day. Still she shows tremendous determination and a will to move on beyond her circumstances to support her family and keep them safe from harm.

Process
It was brought to Laal Bibis attention that PPAFs Partner Organization SRSP was carrying out Poverty Score Card surveys in her village. She explains, the community organization in my village wanted to help me, I was told that help was coming for people like me and that we would now have to work towards bettering our lives; I cannot explain my excitement at the time, it was as if hope had entered my home after uncountable years.

The community organization members had put her name in the poverty score card survey, they insisted that Laal Bibi deserved to be uplifted from her current state and that she should receive the asset under the BMZ funded project LACIP through KfW. During the interview for need identification to make the investment plan, Jan Muhammad and Laal Bibi asked to be given a livestock asset that would increase their family income and also provide milk for his children. A cow in the form of an asset was transferred to their family under the livelihood support intervention. It was ensured by PPAF and SRSP that the cow bought must be pregnant so that asset could be multiplied in a small duration. The cow gave birth to a male calf, Laal Bibi excitedly explains This was a blessing for us, I was thrilled to have them both.

Implementation and Impact

Her life and the life of her family took a turn for the better in the coming months, it is wonderful how life has changed related Laal Bibi. Immediately the family started to reap the benefits of their newly acquired asset. Milk was one of the most important income generating activities Laal bibi helped nurture from the cow, it was a daily chore she focused on, as it would sell for a hundred to a hundred and fifty rupees daily. Apart from being a source of income, it was a source of food for the family as well, because now it was available to them in abundance. It is a source of nourishment for the children, it has many benefits for us which we were deprived of before explained Laal Bibi. This income translated in to more food for the family, they could now afford fruits for the children, their standard of living was now better off, as the both of them could now afford to give their children clothes and take care of their basic needs in a more wholesome manner. Manure is an important commodity for us folk and another source of income apart from milk says Laal Bibi, We sell it on a monthly basis, and it adds to our pool of saving. Since the asset transfer has been made to her family, Laal Bibi explains that her house is finally reaching a position of happiness, she can afford to send one of her kids to school; her daughter is also enrolled in a training workshop for sewing and tailoring under the LACIProject. Her children who require special attention to their needs, such as medication, it is now within Laal Bibis reach to save enough money to provide them the care they need. Jan Muhammads income from his labor now serves as a source of saving, and he even used it to pay for his Hernia operation, as there were other income sources to cover for the family. There is a massive change in our lives, it is definitely for the better, many things are within our reach now that werent all our lives, we are grateful and hopeful for the future now more than ever said Laal Bibi with a wide smile.

Livelihood Enhancement

and Protection