Oxfam is working closely with communities in the north and eastern provinces who have been worst affected by the conflict. The plan is to help rebuild the communities capacity, reestablishing agricultural production and empowering women, enabling them to improve their status and earning potential. By holding meetings and training workshops the projects aim to strengthen links between farmers, banks, relevant state authorities and the private sector, improve the quality and quantity of dairy and seed paddy produce and improve access to irrigation facilities.
Many families in this region own cattle and milk their cows for their own consumption, however the cows are not always high yielding and the milk quality can be low. Oxfam is establishing dairy co-operatives, which aim to train farmers to take good care of their cattle and offer them the opportunity to take a loan and buy a high breed cow. The co-operatives also aim to strengthen the opportunities and access of individual farmers in the community who together are able to be more competitive with private business when selling their milk, have each other’s support and guidance and are able to access loans to improve their business further.
Oxfam is also partnering with organisations supporting other traditional livelihoods, such as the Palmyrah Development Board, who are training communities to produce a variety of products which can be sold locally and nationally, increasing the income of vulnerable families and giving women the opportunity to earn a living.