Community-Based Livelihood Development

TechnoServe was part of a cooperative agreement with US Agency for International Development and FHI 360 for the Community Based Livelihood Development for Women and Children in Swaziland.

The five year program, which began in December of 2011, sought to improve the livelihood capabilities and economic security of vulnerable households; to protect and promote the rights of women and children; and to strengthen the capacity and coordination of the government, communities, and other organizations to protect and promote the social and economic welfare of women and children. TechnoServe took the lead on market promotion activities, working to identify value chains which could be further developed to benefit women, and caregivers of orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC). As of September of 2014, the program formed 13 savings groups, which included 89 members – 87 percent of whom were women – and trained nearly 1,000 women on enterprise development and financial literacy. The cotton, honey and horticulture value chains were identified as particularly promising for women and OVC caregivers.