Income generation

The income generation element of the Fullness of Life programme will address the following United Nations Millennium Goals (UNMDG) by achieving the targets set by the United Nations. Progress towards the UNMDG will be measured against the United Nation’s own indicators as listed.

UNMDG: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Target: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day.

Indicators
(a) Reduced proportion of the population living on less than one dollar per day

Target: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people.

Indicator
(a) Improvement in the employment to population ratio
(b) Reduction in proportion of employed people living on less than one dollar a day.

Target: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.

Indicators
(a) Reduction in the prevalence of underweight children under five years of age
(b) Reduction in the proportion of the population consuming below the minimum level of dietary energy consumption

UNMDG: Achieve universal primary education

Target: Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary education.

Indicators
(a) An increase in net enrolment ratio in primary education
(b) An increase in the proportion of pupils starting grade 1who reach the last grade of primary.

UNMDG: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Target: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Target: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases.

Indicators
(a) A reduction in the incidence and death rates associated with malaria.
(b) An increased proportion of children under 5 sleeping with insecticide-treated bednets.
(c) A reduction in the incidence, prevalence and death rates associated with tuberculosis.

The key concept behind this programme is community regeneration and, in order for that to happen, the community has to be able to build for a sustainable future, rather than simply have a short-term injection of aid. Accordingly, facilitating income generation is a crucial element of the overall programme. A regular income allows people to take control of their own lives, to build for a future and to develop the hope and positive outlook that comes from a sense of being in control. And income impacts on several other areas of life including health and education.

Initial projects will be discussed with local people and funding will be sought through nationally based micro-finance companies. Preference will be given to community ventures, which provide mutual accountability and motivation – although individual projects may also be facilitated where appropriate.

The intention is to create and support ventures that fit in with local lifestyles and needs. In this way there will be a natural local market for whatever the ventures produce. It may also be able to explore the possibility of developing products that can be exported. Ideas will include developing crop production, fishing and animal husbandry projects on a commercial basis. The production of necessary items, such as mosquito nets and water retention butts, are skills that can be taught and then developed into a business. Local skills and crafts such as tailoring, sewing, carvings and artefacts production can be developed and the products aimed at local, tourist and export markets.

Another option is to explore already established income producing schemes such as businesses set up around around energy production by local people.