Ensuring local economic sufficiency

Securing local economic sustenance
Structuring local economic control
Promoting local economic independence
Achieving local economic independence

Context

Many rural projects which began their work using subsidies and free services found that villagers in the surrounding villages tended to wait for more handouts rather than acting on their own initiative. The shift to investing more in strengthening people's skills and local organizations rather than in providing subsidies or free services has not been easy. A wide variety of approaches is being used to initiate local enterprises. Sometimes there is an overlooked market for a currently unused skill. A third way to keep income in the area is to process a local agricultural product, locally.

Counter-claim

Economic enterprises should not be confused with charity. Policies that involve subsidies must be employed carefully because they tend to create dependence. Income generation in village economy is complex and diverse. The landless need full time employment as an alternative to farm labour. Others need seasonal employment to make use of slack periods between sowing, weeding and harvesting. Still others need supplemental work that can be done by members of their family whenever they have the time.