The five-year programme helped reduce rural poverty in the dry region by increasing the income of poor rural families in 33 municipalities.

The programme helped the local communities promote:

• sustainable use of natural resources systems by using technology suitable to this dry region
• services to support agricultural production
• viable off-farm activities linked to agriculture among landless families
• a regional network of local non-conventional financial services for rural clients
• a community development process that helped develop local institutions and strengthened participatory and self-managed initiatives of rural poor people