TaT Lan Programme - Tatlan – The programme aims to...
Transcript of TaT Lan Programme - Tatlan – The programme aims to...
TaT Lan Programme Sustainable Food Security and Livelihoods in Rakhine State
Location Myebon, Pauktaw, Kyaukpyu, Minbya Tsp, Rakhine State
Donor Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT)
Duration 4 years (March 2013 to February 2017)
Grant Budget USD 22,118,066
Background
Tat Lan is a US $ 22 million rural
development programme in central Rakhine
State that responds to the needs of people
in the four townships most severely affected
by Cyclone Giri, which made landfall in
2010. It is funded by the Livelihoods and
Food Security Trust Fund and implemented
by a consortium of non government
organisations led by the International
Rescue Committee
Rakhine State is one of the least developed
areas of Myanmar, and faces a number of
chronic challenges including poverty, weak
infrastructure, high population density,
malnutrition, and exposure to extreme climate.
Cyclone Giri made landfall in central Rakhine
State on 22 October 2010. The townships
of Kyaukpyu, Myebon, Minbya and Pauktaw
were the most severely affected by the storm.
According to government data, at least 45
people were killed or went missing as a result
of the cyclone, while over 100,000 people
were left homeless. At least 20,380 houses
were completely destroyed, with an estimated
260,000 people (52,000 households) affected.
Approximately 17,500 acres of agricultural
lands and nearly 50,000 acres of aquaculture
ponds were also destroyed.
The Tat Lan Programme, funded through a
grant from the Livelihoods and Food Security
Trust Fund (LIFT), is implemented by the
International Rescue Committee (IRC) in
partnership with Save the Children UK (SC),
Oxfam, and Better Life Organization (BLO).
Tat Lan builds on the emergency response
by equitably and sustainably improving
the livelihoods of severely and moderately
cyclone affected communities in the
townships of Myebon, Pauktaw, Kyaukpyu and
Minbya. Tat Lan is implementing a package
of comprehensive, mutually-reinforcing
interventions to improve livelihoods and food
security and its approach is grounded in a
village-based participatory planning process
that will engage communities – both men and
women - in the implementation of development
activities, ensuring that the programme is
responsive, effective and sustainable.
Overall Goal
Purpose
The sustainable increase in food and nutrition
security and incomes of participant households.
Livelihoods are to be improved equitably and
sustainably in villages that were severely and
moderately affected by Cyclone Giri.
Specific Outputs
Component 1: Village-based Planning Process
By engaging communities in the processes of
implementation and monitoring and evaluation, the
programme expects to achieve a more effective
implementation with more responsive, equitable, and
sustainable outcomes.
As of 1 May 2014, 80 Village Development
Committees (VDCs) had been formed; 30% of
members were women. The committees serve as
community focal points for the programme, and
members of the VDC will receive training in 2014 to
assist them with their new roles. Training will focus
on motivation and leadership, group facilitation,
conflict management, and information sharing by the
consortium members.
Sub-committees have been formed for
Infrastructure, Village Savings and Loans
Associations (VSLAs), Agriculture, Nutrition,
Infrastructure, and Fisheries. These sub-committees
play an important role in implementing programme
activities.
Component 2: Infrastructure
The widespread deterioration of embankments
has had a direct negative impact on the
population’s productive activities and food
security. Additionally, the shortage of and
disrepair of freshwater sources, particularly
village ponds, hinders access to safe water for
drinking, cooking, and other household needs
during the dry season. This in turn threatens
nutrition security. The programme has started
to develop and restore these key community
assets, which serve as a foundation for the
programme’s agriculture, fisheries, cash-for-
work (CfW), and nutrition components.
As of 15 May 2014, in the townships of
Kyaukpyu, Pauktaw, Myebon and Minbya a total
of 85,345 feet (16 miles) of embankment has
been constructed and CfW beneficiaries have
received in total MMK 299,441,750.
Component 3: Fisheries
Tat Lan will strengthen village-level fishery groups,
build their technical capacity, and promote economically and
environmentally sustainable fishery and aquaculture practices
The fisheries sector provides a
crucial source of income and dietary
diversity for many households in
Rakhine State. Existing fishing
practices, however, are both
unsustainable and disadvantageous
to small-scale fishermen. Tat Lan
will strengthen village-level fishery
groups, build their technical capacity,
and promote economically and
environmentally sustainable fishery
and aquaculture practices.
The programme will pilot innovative
technologies to connect groups to
gender-sensitive value chains and
marketing strategies to help secure
increased income for men and
women fisherfolk.
Key Activities in 2014:
Marketing and value chain strategies: A value
chain analysis is underway, exploring market
requirements, constraints and value addition
opportunities for different innovations (tilapia,
fresh water fish/prawn, mud crab, post larvae
and processed fish/shrimp products).
A site for a collective marketing centre (mullet
fish) has been selected in Pauktaw township.
Two more sites (one in Myebon and another in
Kyaukpyu) are to be developed in June.
Tat Lan, together with Network Activities
Group (NAG), participated in updating the State
Fishery Law through a consultative process,
providing fishing groups with fishing rights and
the right to manage fishing grounds.
Technical capacity building for fishery groups:
NAG will deliver a Training of Trainers session
to Fisheries Field Officer (FFO) as well as to
township-level government extension officers.
FFOs will in turn provide training to clusters of
Village Fisher Sub-committe representatives
who will transfer the training content to the
fisherfolk at the village level.
An assessment of fishing gear for small-
scale fishermen has been undertaken. Based
on this, legal fishing gear will be distributed
among selected fishermen
Aquaculture production activities: NAG
will deliver comprehensive training on
best management practices for different
aquaculture production techniques: shrimp
mangroves, mud crab fattening, tilapia,
integrated fresh water shrimp and rice
polyculture.
Component 4: Agriculture
Activities under this component will
focus on improving productivity and
resilience in the rice system, while
also stimulating diversified crop
production. Additionally, emphasis
will be placed on promoting nutritious
food for consumption. The delivery
of key inputs such as seeds and
fertilisers, building local capacity, and
demonstrating innovative technologies
and practices will form the basis of
these activities. The programme will
also pilot interventions that address
key issues constraining productivity
and food security in the existing
agricultural systems.
Rice production
The main activities related to rice production
will start during the rice growing season in
2014. Some highlights are: (a) distribution of
quality seeds of both salt tolerant and locally
adapted high yield varieties; (b) working with
township Department of Agriculture (DoA) to
establish on-farm rice adaption trials and rice
demonstrations in four townships, (c) farmer field
school methodology will be used as a capacity
building tool to further improve rice productivity
in each village.
As of 15 May, four farmers and four staff from
the Rakhine DoA participated in a study tour to
an IRRI project in Bogale, Ayeyarwady to learn
about improved rice cultivation practices.
A paddy production trainers’ training took place
in Sittwe in March 2014 for selected agriculture
staff, farmers and staff from the DoA in the four
townships.
High yielding variety seeds for the rice
cultivation conditions in the four townships have
been procured and will be multiplied in 2014 by
selected farmers for wider distribution in 2015.
Diversify non-rice production: Demonstrations
on best practices/innovations in mixed cropping,
including integrating field crops, fruits, and
staples in single and/or relay plots will take
place.
The programme is supporting vegetable
production by providing a package of inputs
and training.
During the dry season of 2013/14 619 farmers,
36% of whom were women, received training
and seeds to grow vegetables. 27 farmers, of
whom five were women, made a cross-visit to
farmers in Shan State to learn about sloping
agriculture land techniques.
Innovations in the existing agricultural systems:
A training demonstration on the preparation of
eco-fuel stoves will be held in June and July. In
addition, several acres are targeted for recession
cropping using legumes and pulses after the
paddy harvest on November. Mechanical rice
threshers are targeted for at least 20 villages
and mechanical rice dryers will be tested in four
villages to introduce innovative and efficient
methods for postharvest activities.
Financial services will provide a much-needed monetary injection
into local economies, while at the same time strengthening
programme interventions in other sectors, and contributing to improved livelihoods
Component 5: Financial Services
Access to financial services is critical
for households to expand their means of
generating income or growing small-scale
businesses, thereby ultimately increasing
food security. Through its financial services,
the programme will provide a much-needed
monetary injection into local economies, while
at the same time strengthening programme
interventions in other sectors, and contributing
to improved livelihoods. Through the formation
of Village Savings and Loans Associations
(VSLAs), the programme enables clients to
save and to access loans and stimulus grants.
Subsistence farmers and fishermen will have
the opportunity to become small business
owners.
In each village, there will be one or more VSLA
composed of 10-25 self-selected community
members, led by a group of elected volunteers
trained by Save the Children.
As of May 2014, 59 VSLA groups have been
formed in 25 villages in the four townships.
Component 6: Information Management
Through the information management
component, the programme will ensure that
knowledge and information generated by
programme activities will be shared within
and across villages, with relevant government
departments, and all programme stakeholders.
Information sharing at the village level: Public
gatherings, sub-project activities and trainings,
and the establishment of village information
centres will be used to ensure information is
widely and appropriately disseminated.
As of May 2014, there are information boards
in all villages explaining the Tat Lan/LIFT
complaint mechanism.
Component 7: Nutrition
Increasing income can have a positive effect on
nutrition, but to achieve significant improvement
in nutritional status, income increase needs
to be paired with the three pillars of food
security: increasing access to nutrition-rich
foods, increasing the availability of those foods
in remote areas, and increasing community
knowledge and skills for appropriate preparation
and consumption of nutritious foods.
Nutrition and food security assessment
The Tat Lan nutrition team participated in
comprehensive nutrition and food security
assessments to gain an in-depth understanding
of the context. Findings are currently being
used to inform nutrition Behaviour Change
Communication strategies that will be
implemented across Tat Lan project areas in the
coming quarter.
Assessments completed include:
A Baseline Assessment of the nutrition status
of women and children, and infant & young child
feeding practices
A “Cost of Diet” study to determine
accessibility, availability and affordability of
nutritious diets in community
Social Mapping and Infant & Young Child
Feeding Qualitative Assessments to identify
community perceptions.
Activities in ‘Nutrition Innovation’ villages
30 villages will receive focused nutrition
activities, comprised of mother-to-mother
support groups, peer counselling and cash
transfers to further address the causal factors
of malnutrition in the target areas.
Activities were launched in 30 villages
(19 in Pauk Taw and 11 in Myebon).
30 volunteers were recruited in these villages.
In Pauktaw, 19 volunteers were trained and
have commenced activities.
In June, 11 volunteers from Myebon will be
trained.
18 Mother-to-Mother Support Groups (MtMSG)
were established in 14 villages.
Nutrition mainstreaming activities
The Tat Lan nutrition team facilitated basic
nutrition sessions for all Tat Lan IPs. Staff
training, Training of Trainer sessions, and 27
nutrition education sessions were conducted at
community level.
Component 8: Governance
The consortium prioritises the involvement
of the Government of Myanmar in the Tat
Lan Programme to improve its quality,
sustainability and coordination in community-
driven livelihood efforts. The intention is to
foster increasing government ownership of
the programme, with government adoption of
successful approaches from the programme
by year four. Tat Lan’s technical capacity
development efforts will engage government
line departments involved with programme
activities, including the Department of
Agriculture, Department of Fisheries and
Department of Irrigation.
Activities in governance include
Training of 8 Township Development Saving
Committee members in good governance and
social accountability, in Tat Lan townships and
Sittwe.
Training for Village Development Savings
Committee members in Kyaukpyu