Sustainable Livelihoods

WROC's Sustainable Livelihoods programme was launched in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 based on funding received to assist in the restoration of livelihoods in rural St. Thomas. Nine communities were selected for benefits meant to:

• restore and/or introduce agricultural inputs in the form of poultry rearing and cash crop farming;
• provide technical assistance; and
  
• conduct training in the protection of livelihoods and the promotion of community cohesion by facilitating behaviour change in relation to disaster mitigation, environmental degradation and community conflict.

Approximately 200 families participated. Participants were also encouraged to enhance personal and family security by registering for benefits from the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and National Housing Trust (NHT) social security agencies.

Since then, a number of similar projects have been undertaken. For example in the aftermath of Hurricane Dean (2007), some 900 households from 22 communities in the parishes of St. Thomas, St. Catherine, Clarendon and St. Andrew were supported through the provision of relief supplies and services and training geared encouraging residents to take greater responsibility and to participate more consistently and effectively in community level disaster mitigation efforts.

WROC hopes to continue to expand the Sustainable Livelihoods area by introducing urban livelihood programmes.