Building secure Livelihoods

Ending cycles of poverty is at the heart of our approach to helping the most vulnerable families lift themselves out of poverty for good.

Through our intervention to Support economic empower, we were able to raise $25 from GlobalGiving platform and we were also blessed with $800 from individual supporters. But this doesn't mark the end of journey of economic empowerment for marginalized communities.

Our work addresses the underlying causes of child poverty, food/nutrition insecurity, vulnerability to climatic events, and lack of access to markets and financial services. We help people build the knowledge, skills, and resources.

Our approaches ensure that:

• Children are well nourished and free of hunger;
• Families have resilient livelihoods, income, and assets
• Parents support their children’s education and have the financial resources to provide it
• Adolescents develop hope and skills for a productive future

The Building Secure Livelihoods (BSL) project model provides a comprehensive pathway out of poverty for families to improve their livelihoods to levels that are productive and resilient enough to survive a range of shocks and stresses. The project model works particularly with rural households described as ‘marginally poor’ who have caring responsibilities for young children. We support them to improve their agricultural production and make a profitable farming venture to increase family income in a sustainable manner – moving them from surviving to thriving.

The project model uses a series of approaches to ensure households have economic and financial knowledge and support, and an understanding of risk and how to plan for the future. Families learn how to increase productivity, profitability, alongside sustainable management of all their resources (natural, social and economic.). Primarily though, CICO - Uganda empowers people to take control of their own future by dispelling the self-perception that the extreme poor are “dependent, uneducated and incapable of change.” We know that this mindset can severely limit aspirations, self-worth and future potential.