Income-Generating Activities - Action Against Hunger

CHAPTER 4: INCOME GENERATION PROGRAMMES
SUMMARY
• The activities developed during IGA support programmes are very diverse. They
are planned in relation to the main limitations of the target population.
• The criteria used to select beneficiaries refer to vulnerability levels, capacity
to work, and motivation. Participation must be voluntary.
• The training and education components can include the creation of business
plans, technical knowledge regarding management, commercialization, and in
the case of group work, definition of internal regulations.
• Income generation programmes aim to find suitable solutions to facilitate the
access to productive assets or cash, to improve production techniques and/or
increase the sale of the products or services.
This chapter details some of the activities developed in income generation programmes.
Not all of these steps have to be taken in every context or intervention,
nor do they have to follow a certain order; the typology proposed will give an idea of
those suited to each situation.
I. PRESENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME
The participatory process initiated during the identification and formulation phase
will be strengthened the more that information is spread and understood. If we want
to encourage the ownership of the programme by the community, we must maintain
a constant flow of information during the entire project cycle. In addition to mandatory
regular meetings it is advisable to use other methods to ensure a good flow of information.
It is possible to decide on a place within the community with easy access
where the information can be regularly updated, or another possibility is the radio, as
in many countries it is the form of communication most often used. The transmission
of radio announcements related to the programme activities is often an effective
method for people to become familiar with the work being carried out. Proximity to
the population and presence in the field will continue to be the best route for an effective
sharing of information.
The presentation of the programme, the way in which it is carried out, the techniques
used, and the public to which it is directed, will depend, once again, on the
INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES: A KEY CONCEPT IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURTIY
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