Income-Generating Activities - Action Against Hunger

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of the 21 were monitored (some small activities representing few kits are missing). The
sample concerns equally Christian and Moslem communities.
Gender activity
In 70% of the families visited the men are the main users of the kits.
The data show a slight difference between the two communities: 56% of the main
users are male in the Christian community while the proportion is 71% in the Moslem
community.
Use of the kit and main problems faced by the beneficiaries
At the time of the interview, 82% of the kits distributed were used while 18%
were unused (the proportion is equivalent in both communities). The unused kits are
mainly: Fishing individual (82% of the total), Fishing Group (57%), Farming (10%), and
Cake Maker (5%).
85% of individual kits are used while only 68% of the group kits are used.
Why were some kits not used
The main reasons given by the families for the non-use of the kits are, by order of
priority:
• Unsuitable kit. It concerns essentially the fishing kits. The size of the nets distributed
was too small according to the beneficiaries interviewed and allowed
only “small” sessions of fishing to catch small fish. For the group kits, the main
reason was the bad quality of the canoes distributed. In Buru where 14 canoes
had been ordered, only 3 were of good quality (the adapted wood is called
“Salawaku”, the non adapted one “Kayu Pouleh”) and consequently used by the
community.
• Bad season. This problem concerns only the farming kits. Due to the lack of rain
observed between April and November 2002, some families were unable to plant
and a few of them lost their crops. Majority of the farmers interviewed were
waiting December-January to plant.
• Not enough capital to start the activity. 26% of the families interviewed suffered
from a lack of means to start the activity. Some kits distributed required
buying raw materials and some of them cannot afford the needed items.
What are the families planning to do with unused kit
The families who did not use the kit have kept the items and declared that they
will use them in the future. 3 beneficiaries gave the kits to one of their family members
because they could not use it (old person mainly): fishing kit given to the son for
example.
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INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES: A KEY CONCEPT IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURTIY