NAYORG has the core business of improving the socio-economic status of the vulnerable communities including the youth, people living with HIV and AIDS and people with disabilities. The organization undertakes most of its projects by the economic empowerment approach through the Village Savings and Loan (VSL) groups as its entry point. The approach has proven to be very successful in pulling the people together and enhancing ownership of the projects by the local communities. Some of the core organizational activities are as follows; Promotion of Income Generating Activities through the establishment of Village Savings and Loan groups, and promotion of Climate Smart Agriculture practices which include Conservation Agriculture, Manure making, Agroforestry, soil and water conservation, water harvesting structures and biodiversity and promotion of production and usage of Sustainable Energy saving stoves.
The Liwadzi catchment area is currently under significant depletion of vegetation and natural resources due to lack of alternative sources of income which has been highlighted by inappropriate farming and livelihood practices which exploit natural resources as a source of income and encroachment of protected lands like river banks and lakeshore areas for agricultural practices which is mounting to soil fertility crisis and land degradation. This in turn leads to to river and lake siltation. Local communities remain cut off from livelihood opportunities and as a result they do engage in coping strategies that are further destructive and harmful to their livelihoods and the environment. A notable example is indiscriminate tree cutting for use as household fuel and as an income generating activity. As a landscape approach, the project?s interventions aim at a holistic and multifocal dimension where the communities are socio-economically empowered.
The project will improve the livelihoods of the people of Liwadzi area especially in Group Village Heads Chimphanga and Mpiringidzo through the socioeconomic empowerment of the local communities. The project will focus on promoting income generating activities which will create at least two or more sources of income at household level through the establishment of VSL groups which will result in the improvement of the socioeconomic status of the communities. The project will also promote Climate Smart Agriculture practices that will improve the communities? food production and reduce the lean period after harvest.
Objectives;
? To increase number of households having at least two or more income generating activities apart from farming.
? To increase community awareness climate-smart agriculture and environmental conservation
? To increase the land area under sustainable agricultural practices.
? To strengthen the capacity and collaboration of the local community structures such as Area Development Committees (ADCs), Village Development Committees (VDCs), the Village Natural Resources Management Committees (VNRMCs), Village Civil Protection Committees (VCPCs)