Yangon, May 2016 Australia has contributed an additional USD 7.5 million to help increase the resilience, income, food security and nutrition of low income rural people in Myanmar.
Australia will channel the funds through the multi-donor Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT), which has been operating in the country since 2009. Australia was a founding donor and this new contribution brings Australia’s total support to LIFT to over USD 20 million.
LIFT supports the transformation of Myanmar’s rural economy bringing a better life to millions of people in need. It promotes inclusive growth, presenting opportunities for smallholder farmers and landless people to take part in Myanmar’s rural development. To make its impact sustainable, LIFT generates evidence to support the development of policies that will benefit the lives of the poorest. LIFT support has already reached three and a half million people, or seven per cent of the country’s population.
Australian Ambassador Nicholas Coppel said, "We are proud to continue working with LIFT to promote inclusive economic growth in Myanmar and provide people in rural areas with new skills and opportunities."
Over two million people have achieved measurably improved food security, meaning that they are able to eat more food, including more nutritious food. Over half a million have increased their incomes. Nearly a million vulnerable people are able to cope better with shocks and stresses, particularly from the effects of climate change. In addition, LIFT-funded microfinance institutions now serve nearly one million people, and 93 per cent of those clients are women.
LIFT is currently supported by Australia, Denmark, the European Union, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. From the private sector, the Mitsubishi Corporation is a donor. Funds are pooled for aid effectiveness. The Fund’s mandate has been extended twice at the request of donors, and activities are expected to continue to the end of 2018, at least. LIFT is managed by the UNOPS.
Projects are implemented through partners, who are local and international non-government organisations and UN agencies, other civil society actors, research bodies and the private sector. LIFT actively provides technical support and guidance to the government of Myanmar.
This contribution will support LIFT to fund an ambitious programme of activities, with new phases for the current Delta, Rakhine, Uplands and Dry Zone programmes, as well as programmes for migration and financial inclusion.
"This contribution is great news for the rural people of Myanmar,“ said LIFT’s Fund Director, Andrew Kirkwood.
"This sum will contribute to a new phase of programming where LIFT can consolidate its work to bring about transformative change. In the coming three years we aim to bring many more rural people above the poverty line and increase their resilience to shocks and upsets. As a resilience measure, our new programmes include an important nutrition component to reduce stunting in children under five years old. Working with the private sector, we can help marginalised people to increase their economic potential. Very importantly, we can work with government to promote an inclusive rural growth agenda."
