Participatory Initiatives of Integrated Rural Development (PIIRD-VII)

Background-

Participatory Initiative for Integrated Rural Development (PIIRD) has been a longstanding program to support communities to strengthen their livelihood systems and attain the human and institutional capacities to access (their) right based entitlements in a dignified manner. Stared in the year 2000, the program has evolved aligning its strategies, approaches and activities best suited to address the immediate context of the partner communities belonging to socially excluded groups including the Dalits, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the Landless, Small and Marginal farmers (including agricultural labourers and families defined as Below Poverty Line), Women and Children. Geographically, the program extends direct support to the partner communities in 500 villages of Jaipur, Tonk and Baran districts of Rajasthan. However, it also interfaces with the regional, national and international development processes thereby taking specific steps for civil society building, research and advocacy.

Goal of the project- Poor Households are able to nourish themselves always, even in times of crisis of food

Specific Objectives of the intervention are as follows-

1. Food and livelihood security is expanded

2. Farmers’ organizations are making use of the possibilities for participation

The present intervention is focussing on strengthening livelihood systems and overall quality of life of small & marginal farmers and other vulnerable groups. This is being achieved through building human and institutional capacities of the communities with regards to challenges related to climate change and access to rights-based entitlements.

Major strategies of the intervention are-

1. Placing smallholder farmers and vulnerable groups at the centre

2. Supporting sustainable agriculture and natural resource management

3. Adapting agriculture and other rural livelihoods to the impacts of climate change

4. Fostering employment through value addition and skill building

5. Ensuring food security through realisation of the human right to food

6. Fighting hunger and malnutrition- with a special focus on women, mothers and small children