Livelihood Programs Research Articles

Evaluation of Factors contributing to high Alcoholism among Youths in Adumi Village, Arua District Uganda

High rate of alcoholic intake and abuse has become a global epidemic among Youths especially the under aged people. Adumi is a village in Arua district of Uganda. This study was conducted to ascertain the factors that contributed to alcoholism among youths. Youths aged 16 to 17 have the second highest rate (16.4%) of current alcohol abuse in the surveyed countries, and although consumption of alcoholic beverages is illegal for people under 18 years of age. 10.4 million current drinkers were aged 12 to 20 and of this group, nearly half 5.1 million engage in binge drinking, including 2.3 million who would also be classified as heavy drinkers. This study used a descriptive research design with both qualitative and quantitative methods. A sample of 50 respondents were sampled using questionnaires. The data was collected and analyzed using Microsoft excel and then presented using tables and figures. The major factors contributing to alcoholism among the youths in Adumi village were found to be, lack of full time employment leading to idleness of the youths, Peer group influence, easy accessibility, availability and affordability of alcohol in Adumi village without no restrictions. Physical and emotional stress resulting from poor conditions of living leading to psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression, chaotic home environments and child negligence leading to school dropouts. Lack of information about the disadvantages of alcoholism from the community development officers and policies to prevent the vice in the study area and the district at large. The government and other stakeholders such as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and CBOs should establish youth livelihood programs to combat idleness among the youths and should put in place bylaws on the time of opening bars and also the age of people allowed to drink and make sure that these bylaws are strictly enforced. Keywords: Alcoholism, Adumi Village, Youths, Abuse and Drinkers.

Digital Responsibility

This op-ed outlines key issues humanitarians should consider when assessing their ‘digital responsibility’ to foster digital refugee livelihoods. This includes in particular the need to develop robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks of outcomes of digital livelihoods trainings for refugees – and spaces for critical engagement with the results of such evaluations, including stopping digital livelihoods programming when risks outweigh benefits. It argues that ethical humanitarian engagement in technology must include the development of coherent, contextualised sets of norms and frameworks for responsibility and protection in the digital sphere, including those that address humanitarian efforts to assist refugees to enter the digital economy.

Prevalence of Beggars and Street Children in the City of Sorsogon

This study determined the prevalence of beggars and street children in the City of Sorsogon. It focused on the profile of beggars and street children, the determinants for street begging and presence of street children and the problems encountered as perceived by the respondents. The study is both a quantitative and qualitative descriptive method of research. A survey questionnaire is the main instrument in gathering the data. An unstructured interview was also utilized to supplement the interpretation of the results. The respondents of the study were 153 street children and beggars in the city of Sorsogon. They were purposively and conveniently chosen. The street working children have the age range from 5-15 years old, most of them were male, did not finish their elementary grade, have stayed for 1-5 years, physically fit and Bicolanos. Poverty is the common cause of begging and becoming working street children in Sorsogon City. The respondents perceived being prone to hazards and risk in the streets as the most distressing problems. It is recommended therefore that the different institutions, the local government, church and other institutions may collaborate and extend their knowledge and assistance to these street children and beggars. Further, it is recommended that a sustainable rehabilitation scheme should be endeavoured by the local government, that it would encompass the diverse needs of the beggars and street children and promote the upliftment of their social well-being thus, children should be sent back to school and the government may provide educational provisions to support their educational needs. Create and deliver a responsive and sustainable livelihood program that would promote social progress to help these people alleviate poverty. The church may also conduct education to these children and beggars that would inculcate moral values and uplift their social beings. Intensify the implementation of related policies and strengthen the conduct of activities that would discourage street children and beggars from coming back on the streets.

Analysis of the contribution of the Youth Livelihood Program towards enhancing Self-Reliance among the Youths in Lira City, Uganda

Purpose: This study investigated the contribution of the YLP towards enhancing self-reliance among the youths in the west division of Lira City. Methodology/approach: The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. A closed-ended structured questionnaire with a five Likert scale was used to collect data from a sample of 249 respondents based on the program theory postulated by Reynolds (1998); it entails the logic behind how programs are built, with particular emphasis on the program process. Data were analyzed using both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics aided by SPSS (version 20). Results: The findings suggested that the YLP program enhanced self-reliance among the youths by 11.1%. The youths in Lira City West Division moderately benefited from livelihood support (3.10, SD = 1.08) and institutional support (Mean = 2.71, SD = 1.241). A robust regression analysis revealed a positive and significant relationship between the YLP program and self-reliance (R2 = 0.111). Livelihood support (Coef = 0.159, p-value 0.0025) was found to be positively and significantly correlated with self-reliance. However, the statistical analysis revealed that institutional support had a negative relationship with self-reliance (p-value > 0.05, 95% CI). Limitations: During the study, it was difficult to find some respondents since they were scattered looking for activities to earn a living therefore extra efforts were ensured such as using research assistants in order to find the respondents. Inadequate funds to facilitate the study like transport to the field, and printing questionnaires were also a problem. The researcher got a loan from friends and the bank to cover the gap. Contributions: This study contributes to the understanding of local community development initiatives using the empowerment approach.

Economic and Livelihood Benchmarking: A Basis for Community Extension Program Activities

Evaluating the economic and livelihood programs that can be implemented by different barangays in the Municipality of Buenavista, Guimaras Island, as well as the economic programs that can be linked to the livelihood programs of barangay officials in the Municipality of Buenavista, Guimaras Island. Through benchmarking, this descriptive study aimed to highlight the Guimaras State College’s community engagement. Findings revealed that most residents in the neighborhood were identified as “agree” in the economic benchmarking and as “agree” in the livelihood benchmarking. Accordingly, implementing extension programs for the school’s recognized community may help elevate the community’s standing once the Extension Offices develop appropriate activities for them. Keywords: economic benchmarking, livelihood benchmarking, community extension program

Graduation approach to poverty reduction in the humanitarian context: Evidence from Bangladesh

AbstractIncreasing forcibly displaced populations worldwide are adversely affecting the poorest host communities' livelihoods. Livelihood programmes can reduce this tension by addressing host communities' skills and capital constraints. In this paper, we examine the effect of a customised version of BRAC's Ultra‐Poor Graduation (UPG) programme on the livelihoods of the host communities of Rohingya refugees. We find that the programme increases labour supply in self‐employment of working‐age men and women, household income, food expenditure and productive asset. Further, we find some weak evidence that the programme decreases the tension between hosts and Rohingya refugees.

Monitoring and Evaluation Data Collection Practices and Performance of Livelihood Programmes: A Case of Caritas, Catholic Diocese of Meru, Kenya

The objective of the study was to determine the influence of monitoring and evaluation data collection practices on the performance of livelihood programmes at Caritas Meru, Kenya. The target population was 465 composed of 441 smallholder farmer group leaders 21 project staff and 3 senior managers of Caritas Meru. The Sample size was 215 in clusters of 191 farmer group leaders, 21 project staff, and 3 senior managers, calculated using the Cooper and Schindler (2003) formula. Questionnaires, Key informant interviews, and Focus Group Discussions were utilized to collect data. Descriptive statistics comprises frequencies, percentages, means, and composite mean whereas Pearson correlation (r) and multiple regression analysis were used as inferential statistics. The study found that M&E data collection practices are effectively used at Caritas Meru with a composite mean of 3.98 and that the livelihood programmes had good performance with a composite mean score of 3.87. The results indicate that there was a positive correlation between monitoring and evaluation data collection and performance of livelihood programs, r (207) = .453, p < .05. The null hypothesis (H0) was thus rejected since p=0.000<0.05. The study concluded that M&E data collection practices were a significant variable influencing the performance of livelihood programs at Caritas Meru. The study recommended effective and efficient use of M&E data collection best practices to deliver, valid and reliable data to promote project performance. The study recommends a further study using a similar methodology on programmes in other sectors for the generalization of the results.

The dissemination of TV livelihood programs on Bilibili under the background of new media

The rise of new media has brought many challenges to the development of traditional media, and television livelihood programs are also seeking their own path of transformation. Like other programs, many livelihood programs choose to collaborate with high traffic video platforms and gradually explore new forms of development. The entry of livelihood programs has affirmed the important value of the social attributes of news in the new media era. This article explores the dissemination characteristics and problems of television livelihood programs in the context of new media, in order to propose reasonable suggestions and promote the improvement of program production level.

Challenges Met by Women Administrators in Public and Private Agencies

This research focuses on the challenges met by women administrators in public and private agencies. Specifically, it sought to: (1) determine the profile of the respondents that posed challenges in their workplace; (2) find out the work-related challenges met by women administrators on (a) promotion issues, (b) sexual and mental harassment, (c) family care issues; and (d) community involvement. A purposive sampling method was applied involving floating questionnaires and conducting face-to-face interviews to collect data. The respondents consisted of 124 public and 124 private agencies and women administrators in the 5th district of Pangasinan province, Philippines. Findings showed that most of the respondents belong to early adulthood, are married, with lesser children, and all hold a bachelor’s degree, are now in their corresponding positions, and continue to improve and develop their expertise by attending seminars and training for best job performance. The majority got the promotion on a merit basis, with equal time, and performed work as much as their colleagues. Most did not experience sexual and mental harassment issues such as sharing sexually inappropriate images or videos, anecdotes, gestures, lewd jokes, and touches. Most of them are not granted workplace privileges such as benefits for full maternity leave, and special leave, also some turned down promotions, are not permitted an official time for travel or pass slip when a medical check-up is scheduled during working days, and to reduce their work hours to care children/family members and to attend to their activities. Most are productive by dedicating their time to their jobs, depriving them of the opportunities to engage in various community activities such as job-related events, membership to registered organizations, livelihood, and non-government programs, and clean-up drives.

Unraveling the Socio-Cultural Insecurities behind Early Marriages: Exploring the Resulting Divorce

This research explore the complex dynamics of early marriages and divorce in Khatiamari Village, Bogura, Bangladesh, aiming to shed light on the underlying factors and implications of these practices. The objectives of the study were twofold: first, to investigate the socio-cultural factors that contribute to the prevalence of early marriages in the community, and second, to examine the impact of early marriages on marital stability. The study employed in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with community members particularly those who experienced early marriage and divorced to collect comprehensive insights. Khatiamari Village was selected due to its high divorce rate, making it an intriguing subject for investigation. The study found that poverty and economic insecurity significantly influence parents’ decisions to arrange early marriages for their children. They perceived early marriage as a means to alleviate financial burdens and secure economic stability for their daughters, perpetuating a cycle of inequality and hindering progress in disadvantaged areas. Economic hardships and traditional gender role expectations within early marriages also strain relationships, affecting overall marital stability and well-being. The implications of early marriages were far-reaching, with young couples facing challenges such as emotional immaturity, limited life experience, and inadequate coping skills, leading to unresolved issues and potential divorce. Additionally, early marriages often resulting adverse health outcomes for young girls who became mothers at an early age, further exacerbating the cycle of poverty. The study underscored the urgent need for comprehensive interventions that prioritize education, vocational training, and sustainable livelihood programs to empower women and break the cycle of poverty. This research sheds light on early marriages and increasing divorce rates in Khatiamari Village and similar areas. It emphasizes the need for sustainable solutions to foster a healthier, more inclusive community, enabling individuals to thrive and make positive contributions to their families and society.

Lived Experiences of Tapaseros: Their Social-Economic Situation

This study aimed to find out the economic status of the workers known as Tapaseros in the sugarcane industry in the 4th District of Cebu. It highlighted the plight of the Tapaseros during off season in haciendas or sugarcane plantation and how they survived during that time. The results served as basis in devising a proposed Alternative Livelihood Program. This research applied the Phenomenology Qualitative method in determining the economic condition of the workers in the sugarcane plantation or Tapaseros in 4th District of Cebu Province. Ten informants were interviewed on their occupational problems and survival strategies during off milling season. Findings indicated that the life of Tapaseros was not easy, being often exposed to weather conditions especially in the midst of a climate change, as well as, a bad relationship between the management and the coworkers, thus, during off season they suffered poverty. It is recommended that the Local government through the support of non-government organizations and other private company to give an alternative livelihood program to the Tapaseros in the 4th district of Cebu.

From One Project to Another: Unintended Consequences and People’s Expectation of Climate Mitigation Project in Central Kalimantan

This paper discusses the dynamics of environmental interventions supported by aid projects and community responses as the subject of intervention. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, I looked into how connections between local and global entities occurred, between the local villagers in Central Kalimantan and the climate mitigation project of REDD +. Both of these entities met when the global discourse on climate change started to gain ground. This paper discusses how environmental interventions lead to different expectations and unintended consequences. I see community responses as choices and decisions which were historically constructed. These choices, expectations, and decisions are related to people’s experience with previous intervention agents and local livelihood dynamics. This local-global interaction has yielded unintended outcomes and led to different expectations for a REDD+’s demonstration activities project. When these two entities - local people and KFCP (Kalimantan Forest Climate Partnership) - meet in the global agenda to mitigate climate change, friction emerges due to a variety of interests in the village. My findings demonstrate how a reforestation program could lead to a socio-economic inequality. Land conflicts are likely to occur because of alternative livelihood programs which introduced rubber seeds.

Impact of a disability-targeted livelihoods programme in Bangladesh: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial of STAR+

IntroductionThere is little evidence on the impact of livelihood interventions amongst people with disabilities. Effective programmes are critical for reducing the heightened risk of poverty and unemployment facing persons with disabilities. STAR+ is a skills development and job placement programme targeted to out-of-school youth with disabilities (ages 14–35) living in poverty. It is a disability-targeted adaptation to an existing, effective intervention (STAR), which has been designed to address barriers to decent work for people with disabilities. This protocol describes the design of a cluster randomised controlled trial of STAR+ in 39 of the 64 districts of Bangladesh.MethodsBRAC has identified 1500 youth with disabilities eligible for STAR+ across its 91 branch offices (typically a geographical areas covering about 8 km radius from local BRAC office) catchment areas (clusters). BRAC has limited funding to deliver STAR+ and so 45 of the 91 branches have been randomly allocated to implement STAR+ (intervention arm). The remaining 46 branches will not deliver STAR+ at this time (control arm). Participants in the control-arm will receive usual care, meaning they are free to enrol in any other livelihood programmes run by BRAC or other organisations including standard STAR (being run in 15 control branches). The cRCT will assess the impact of STAR+ after 12 months on employment status and earnings (primary outcomes), as well as poverty, participation and quality of life (secondary outcomes). Analysis will be through intention-to-treat, with a random mixed effect at cluster level to account for the clustered design. Complementary qualitative research with participants will be conducted to triangulate findings of the cRCT, and a process evaluation will assess implementation fidelity, mechanisms of impact and the role of contextual factors in shaping variations in outcomes.DiscussionThis trial will provide evidence on the impact of a large-scale, disability-targeted intervention. Knowledge on the effectiveness of programmes is critical for informing policy and programming to address poverty and marginalisation amongst this group. Currently, there is little robust data on the effectiveness of livelihood programmes amongst people with disabilities, and so this trial will fill an important evidence gap.Trial registrationThis study has been registered with the Registry for International Development Impact Evaluations, (RIDIE Study ID: 6238114b481ad) on February 25, 2022, and the ISRCTN Registry (ID: ISRCTN15742977).

Relevance of Social Security Allowance in Nepal

This study aims at assessing the relevance of social security allowance in Nepal among the beneficiaries of Kirtipur Municipality, Kathmandu district. With purposive selection of Kirtipur Municipality, a community based cross sectional study was carried out among old age allowance beneficiaries of Kirtipur Municipality. Most of the target people (86.1% male and 85.6% female) of social security allowance have been primarily using allowance money for basic personal needs for buying food/clothes/vegetables and though the government's initiatives have had the direct bearing on the reduction of the household economic poverty and vulnerability of the beneficiaries, it seems insufficient enough to maintain the target people’s life as majority of them (80.4%) reported the inadequacy of the allowance distributed. This was evidenced by chi-square test also. The study revealed that there is needed to make the institutional efforts within the legal framework to make members of the families responsible for the support of senior citizens in their ripe old age. The government needs to design and implement livelihoods programs for physically capable senior citizens living below poverty line which would also use their skill and knowledge and contribute to reduce household poverty.

The Relationship between Skills Development Support and Self-Reliance among the Youths: A Study on Youth Livelihood Program in Lira City, Uganda

Uganda, being one of the youngest with a number of rapidly growing population in the world of about 3.7% annual growth rate, poses a great challenge to the government seeing that approximately one million young people enter into job market annually yet the youth unemployment rate remains stack at 30%. One way to reverse the unfortunate situation was adoption of the robust Youth livelihood programme, which was designed as a response to the high rate of unemployment and poverty among the youths in the country. Initially, the program covered 112 districts with a budget of Uganda Shillings 265 billion from 2014 to 2017 intended to facilitate the implementation of the programme. However available studies indicate that several interventions have been supported by government, the private sector and non-governmental organizations but the rate of youth unemployment and poverty continues to worsen. This study sought to assess the contribution of skills development support towards enhancing self-reliance among youth in Lira city, mid-north Uganda. Focus was put on the relationship between skills development support and self-reliance. A sample of 254 was selected using simple random sampling technique and data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Results suggest that youth livelihood program, through skills development support plays a significant role towards ensuring self-reliance among the youths in the region. It was recommended that the government of Uganda rethinks its strategy on poverty reduction among young people from a top-bottom approach to a bottom-up approach where the target beneficiaries take a lead role in the program design, its implementation and evaluation.

Impact evaluation of a community nutrition and livelihood program on child nutrition in rural Bangladesh.

Given the high prevalence of child undernutrition in Bangladesh, multi-sectoral approaches involving livelihood promotion have potential to mitigate the burden of undernutrition. This study examined the impact of an economic development (ED) program providing poultry assets, gardening skillsand saving training added to the Positive Deviant (PD)/Hearth program (PDH/ED), compared toPD/Hearth only (PDH). A total of 1029 children who attended PD/Hearth sessions in September-November 2018 at 6-13 months of age were enrolled in the cohort study in July-August 2019. The cohort, comprised of 532 children in the PDH/ED group and 593 children in the PDH group, was reassessed in November 2020. The program impact on child nutrition, food security, crop production, dietary qualityand household income was estimated using a difference-in-differences approach accounting for the sociodemographic differences between PDH/ED and PDH groups. Compared tothe PDH group, the PDH/ED group showedincreases in child dietary diversity score(DDS) (+0.32), child minimum dietary diversity (13.7 percentage points [pp]), and maternal DDS(+0.28) (all p < 0.05). From 2019 to 2020, the PDH/ED households improved food security by 12.6 pp and diversified crop production (bananas (9.7 pp), papaya (11.1 pp), carrots (3.8 pp)and lemons (5.9 pp)), and increased the proportion of annual income ≥60,000 Taka by 12.4 pp and last month income ≥5000 Taka by 7.8 pp, compared toPDH group (all p < 0.05). However, there was no impact on child nutritional status, morbidity, livestockownership and total annual/last income. Incorporating an ED program into nutrition programming could benefit food security and dietary diversity in rural Bangladesh.

Can rural livelihood programs enhance capabilities and reduce vulnerability to poverty? Evidence from a tribal region of eastern India

Quantitative evidence on the impact of social protection such as livelihood programs (LPs) on reducing vulnerability to poverty (VtP) is scant. Therefore, this paper aims to estimate VtP and the ability of LPs to reduce it. The analysis is based on the primary data collected in 2018–19 from 479 households in a tribal region of eastern India. First, household VtP was estimated using the feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) method. Households were categorized into four groups based on their current and predicted future poverty status: chronic poor, transient poor, escaped poverty, and non-poor. Second, factors influencing this movement of households from current to future poverty states were determined using multinomial logistic regression. Third, the impact of the LP on VtP was investigated using the endogenous switching regression (ESR) approach. The FGLS estimates show that 34.7% of households are vulnerable to future poverty, which exceeds the actual poverty rate of 28.6%. The major factors responsible for exacerbating chronic poverty and causing transient poverty are chronic illness, climate shocks, and the sale of assets. The ESR results indicate that a household’s VtP is reduced by 3% for those that participate in LPs. Although the LP evaluated in this study has an average positive impact in reducing vulnerability, there is wide heterogeneity among the beneficiaries as the geographically disadvantaged communities lag behind the others. Therefore, the study suggests strengthening such LPs with a particular focus on disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.

Women’s experiences of a livelihood project after Haiyan: A phenomenological study

Studies claim women play critical roles in disaster preparedness and recovery, especially in livelihood rehabilitation. Their roles in typhoon affected communities, however, are not well understood. This paper examines the experiences of a women's group in a community hit by Super-Typhoon Haiyan in operating a plant nursery as a livelihood program. We used phenomenological research design in data gathering and analysis. Six women from a women's group, locally known as Abante Kababaihan Organization (AKO) in Balangiga, Eastern Samar, agreed to participate in this study. Our findings revealed that the women participants experienced struggles such as discrimination from the municipal employee, overcoming project operation problems, keeping the organization alive, and balancing time between the project and family. However, they persisted and sustained their organization up until now. The women's experiences in operating the livelihood project are constituted by three concepts: discrimination, persistence, and fulfillment. Their story shows that sacrifice and determination resulted in recognitions given by non-government organizations (NGOs), government agencies, and local leaders.

Assessment for a Sustainable Livelihood Driver: The Economic, Social and Environmental Viewpoint of a Community Extension Program

The academe is regarded as the primary actor capable of empowering people, with the potential to contribute to a better community. School institutions have a mission to connect with the community by providing skill training and information to individuals who are less fortunate in order to help them reach their full potential.The investigation expects to survey the community's status in economic maintainability, social practicality, and ecological quality with an end perspective on building up a sustainable livelihood program centered to advance development and improvement in the community. The 359 residents - respondents of a village in an urban poor area participated in the study using Slovin’s formula to decide the study's sample size on a cluster sampling method in data gathering. Frequency and simple percentage, weighted mean, and Chi-Square Test of Independence were used to treat and interpret the data.The data found that individuals in the area rated social viability highly, while economic sustainability and environmental soundness were rated moderately. The respondents' favored program is the Community Livelihood Program Training Center, whereas the development of People's Cooperative for Businesses, the launch of Community Microfinancing, and Community SME's were rated fairly. The study also discovered a link between the respondents' gender, civil status, educational attainment, monthly income, source of income, and the community's economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the community's economic sustainability, social viability, environmental quality, and selected sustainable livelihood program all have a major relationship. The study concluded that the residents of the village place a high value on the social, economic, and environmental aspects of community growth and development. It also concludes that the community requires a Sustainable Livelihood Training Center, which the people believe is extremely suitable and acceptable for leveraging the community's current situation. People's perceptions of the community's status are influenced by their personal status as a local resident. And, if people's personal status and manner of life improve, a bigger percentage of growth and development in the community will be realized as well.

A perspective review on the paradigm shift in Local Economic Development interventions in developmental Uganda

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to investigate the success of one LED intervention – the youth livelihood program from obtainable literature.&#x0D; Methodology: This study adopted a desk review method using secondary data from obtainable policy, theoretical and empirical literature.&#x0D; Findings: Results suggest a recurrent problem in the selection of beneficiaries, inept business management skills of the youth selected and/or administrative incompetence of fund administrators. Consequently, the need to refocus the current training on agricultural value addition training with a view of meeting the credit value criteria of Commercial Banks and relevant agencies tasked with disbursement of Youth Entrepreneurship Funds is key.&#x0D; Recommendations: It is encouraged that training of youth in business development, scaling, marketing, and management be integrated into the BTVET curriculum and supported by mentorship programs upon completion of their formal training. Also, mentorships and business incubators and/or hubs need to be set up and to be accessed by the youth themselves country wide.&#x0D; Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: This analysis contributes to the LED policy and YLP practice seeing that it targets household level income generation, creation of prosperity and enhanced sources of revenue, as well as giving support to the active poor to progress basing on the available means.