Mitigating Poverty in Western Rajasthan Project

The areas involved in this project have a harsh, arid climate. Rainfall is low and erratic, and droughts are recurrent. Poor people in the area face severe water insecurity, low agricultural and livestock productivity, limited income-generating opportunities and a social system that discriminates against women and disadvantaged people.

The project is designed to ensure empowerment of the poorest people: households headed by landless agricultural labourers and small and marginal farmers, owners of marginal land or wastelands, traditional artisans, women, and young people lacking the skills needed for employment. Although most of those who benefit live below the poverty line, activities also include some people who are not quite that poor, but are eligible for support.

The project seeks to organize and empower poor people through community-based organizations such as self-help groups, marketing groups, producers’ organizations and village development committees. It promotes income and employment opportunities, while reinforcing strategies that mitigate risk and provide access to financial services and markets.
 

Source: IFAD