The rural poor across the project area live in a multi-hazard environment and require multiple sources of income to mitigate various threats to their livelihood security. Traditional employment in the three project districts is based upon natural resources. Given that the region is prone to natural disasters villagers relying solely on land-based employment face great livelihood insecurity. There is a need to diversify income-generating activities, thereby enhance villagers' risk coping strategies and reduce their vulnerability to natural disasters. Jeevika focuses on identifying alternative sources of employment for poor.
Therefore Jeevika provides training and exposure visits to villagers on small-scale income generating activities such as electronics and automobile repair; hand-pump maintenance; production of consumables (soap, shampoo, incense); and other micro-enterprises. The poor are also employed through horticultural projects, village public works and eco-regeneration activities. The project is planning pilot project to employ the poorest of the poor in renewable energy interventions such as assembling and maintaining solar powered lanterns or operating community bio-gas plants.
