Sustainable and Resilient Livelihoods Support (SRLS) for 350 vulnerable HHs (2100 individuals) (210 women, 140 men, 875 girls and 875 boys) in besieged areas of Rural Damascus through provision of livestock quality inputs and life-skill development trainings Before the conflict in Syriathe agricultural and livestock sector was considered to be a key sector in the economy and one of the main income resources for the people,particularly in the areas that are now considered to be hard-to-reach and besieged areas.
This project focuses on food security and livelihoods and aims to satisfy basic food security and needs while enhancing HHs resilience and independence while improving its well-being,which will help build and sustain livelihoods.As some of the targeted HHs do not have access to productive assetsothers do,but are not able to sustain their livelihood if not adequately supported.In granting them with the needed means,assets and materialsand in focusing on providing a life skill development training for the women and HHs’ heads in these communities on livestock and poultry keepinglivelihoods of affected communities and HHs will be supported,in addition to empowering women to generate income and improve livelihoods directly at the HH level but potentially to the wider community.It also aims to provide critically needed livestock inputs,by purchasing and distributing2 female calving sheep and 5 laying hens per HH,plus fodder for the mentioned animals for three months.This assistance will be distributed to an estimated 350 vulnerable HHs in Eastern Ghouta.
In addition,the project will:
-Supports the beneficiaries with veterinary care for animals during the project period.
-Provides a skill development training for women on veterinary health care and income generation from animal produce.
-Provides a skill development training for HHs heads(men and/or women)on marketing the production in local markets and micro home business management
Reports show that in rural Damascus estimated numbers of(627.391) re in need of activities that are complementary to provide necessary food assistance especially for the ones that are food insecure and are still retaining access to productive assets (land/livestock) but are not able to sustain their livelihoods if not adequately supported.
The priority is to sustain the livelihoods since the livestock sector in these areas is essential and has suffered substantially since 2011.Beneficiaries will be prioritized in accordance to established vulnerability criteria,this includes:prioritization of female-headed HHs,families with disabled or elderly family members,families with more than six persons living in one HH,and families with pregnant women and HHs where the majority of capable family members are unemployed.IT primarily targets women however men are also included in the target population to receive the animals.
In addition to that this project will help alleviate several problems that civilians living in this besieged area are suffering from, for example:
-Ensuring a supply of two basic essential food needs (eggs and milk) in addition to meat in the long-term.The milk and eggs are an important source of protein,calcium,and a number of important vitamins and minerals essential to human growth and development.
-For each HH(1 HH consisting 6 members),the activities will secure 58% of their protein needs and 26% of the calories.
-For women in the semi-urban areas raising animals and poultry is considered to be one of the basic professions that they can practice.And as the project aims to activate the role of women in those communities this project will target female-headed HHs that have no source of income or support.
-Also as one of its main aspects the project will work on building these women’s capacity,giving them the skills and the ability to exercise income-generating activities.
-Finally,by reducing the rapid decline in sheep numbers,the project contributes in the preservation of the remaining severely drained livestock numbers in besieged are.