In response to the devastating earthquake, which struck Gujarat on 26 January 2001, the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) together with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP), the Government of India (GOI) and the Government of Gujarat (GOG), launched Jeevika. Jeevika is a seven-year livelihood security project for earthquake-affected rural households in Gujarat. Contrary to typical disaster responses, Jeevika aims to rebuild livelihoods rather than simply provide relief. The project embraces an integrated demand driven and need based approach to implement a comprehensive rural development agenda. In order to realize community driven development IFAD and GOI/GOG agreed that the initiative would be best implemented by a grassroots member-based organization. SEWA was selected as the implementing agency because of its presence in the project area, its reputation for community capacity building and its widespread membership.

Jeevika’s objective is twofold, to achieve livelihood security for the poorest of the poor and to increase their preparedness and ability to cope with future disasters. The project focuses on capacity building, strengthening membership-based community institutions, protecting and diversifying income generating activities and developing crisis coping strategies. The project also includes social development and disaster preparedness and mitigation components. Jeevika covers 400 villages in 12 blocks in three of the most severely earthquake-affected districts in Gujarat – Kutch, Patan and Surendranagar. The project will intensively cover 70 villages with land and water management programmes and is expected to assist 40,000 households overall.