Islamabad, March 12, 2009- The Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) will provide around US $2 million grant to improve the living conditions of approximately 6,500 small farmers’ and tenants’ households in coastal area of Thatta, Sindh by increasing household income and decreasing household expenditure and burdens. An agreement in this regard was signed between the Japanese Embassy and the World Bank on Thursday.
The Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) provides grants in support of innovative social programs to help alleviate poverty in eligible client countries of the World Bank Group. The JSDF was established by the Government of Japan and the World Bank in June 2000. These grants target initiatives that foster direct participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community groups and civil society at large.
This JSDF grant “Improving Living Conditions in a Changing Environment of the Thatta Coastal Farmers”, for US$1,977,650 will be implemented by Action Against Hunger (AAH) over a period of 3 years. High investments on inappropriate agricultural inputs, poor returns on agricultural activities and high health care costs due to the high incidence of waterborne diseases have created low standards of living for coastal farmers in district Thatta. As a result more small farmers and tenants are dependent on loans not only to procure agricultural inputs to sustain their livelihood activities but also for daily food items and health care.
Source: World Bank (South Asia) 12-03-2009
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