Budget: From 10/2003 to 02/2008 - CHF 1,750,000 (approx. US$1,200,000)

Line Agency: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) – Lao PDR

Partners:

Sayabouly Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office (PAFO), Sayabouly District Agriculture and
Forestry Office (DAFO), Samet Focal Zone Development Committee, District Health Office, LaoWomen’s Union Implementing Agency, CAREInternational in Lao PDR.

Project Location:

Samet-Saysana Focal Zone, Sayabouly District, Sayabouly Province – Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR).

Background:

Poverty Alleviation in Remote Upland Areas (PARUA) will be implemented in Hongsa District and the Samet Special Zone of Sayabouly Province in the northwest of Lao PDR. Sayabouly District, in which Samet lies, is one of the 47 poorest districts in the country selected by the government in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) for priority poverty alleviation efforts. The project areas are highly dissected uplands, characterised by the reliance on swidden agriculture, declining rice yields due to inadequate fallow periods, very limited opportunities for crop and income diversification, and geographical and socio-cultural isolation of the ethnic minority Prai population.

On the one hand, PARUA will provide support for the consolidation of approaches developed in previous CARE projects in Hongsa District. On the other hand, the project will initiate substantial rural development efforts in a new area, the Samet Focal Zone.

Overall Goal:

Sustainably increase livelihood security among poor ethnic groups in remote upland areas of Lao PDR.

Current Objectives:

• Improve the performance of agricultural livelihood systems by providing households with an expanded range of viable and sustainable agricultural production options;
• Improve the capability of households to take advantage of market opportunities and to improve their access to those markets; 
• Improve access to convenient water sources, and knowledge about basic nutrition and HIV/AIDS;
• Improve communities’ capacity to plan, implement and manage their own development activities and manage their natural resources;
• Enhance the capacity and capability of district and provincial level organisations to support the development efforts of village- and community-based organisations.

Approaches:

PARUA aims to sustainably increase the livelihood security of the population in these areas through (i) The provision of appropriate technologies to improve existing production systems; (ii) The introduction of new production systems and income-generating activities that will contribute to sustainable land use; and (iii) The improvement of local governance by building the capacity of villagers to effectively articulate their needs, whilst at the same time building the technical and managerial capacity of government staff to respond to such claims.

Project activities will be implemented at three levels: household, community and district/province.

Results Achieved and Expected:

The project has only recently started field operations. Expected results include the uptake of sustainable agricultural systems, a reduction in absolute poverty levels, improved community capacity to plan, implement
and manage their own development activities, enhance capacity of district and provincial authorities in development dynamics and project management, and improved capability of households to communicate with
outsiders such as traders and government authorities, and to take advantage of market opportunities.

Highlights:

Project Mid-term Review (MTR) is completed and recommendations being following by the project staff. Target villages are well engaged in the project activities. Positive attitudinal change observed amongst communities. More gender focused and participatory approach adopted. Needs based trainings, workshops and exposure visits arranged to enhance the capacity of counterparts, project staff and community.

Cluster-based extension approach adopted to reach well over spread community in small pockets. Project's lessons learnt are in process of documentation.

Information and Publications:

Financial Audit Report, Mid-term Review Report, Project Cycle Management, Training Report, Marketing Study, Development Extension Cluster-based Approach, Project Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation system are available upon request.

Contact:

Country Director
CARE International in Lao PDR
P.O. Box 4328
Vientiane, Lao PDR
Tel. : + 856-21 212 991
Fax : + 856-21 214 415
E-mail: geraldine@carelaos.org