Additional US$ 4.4 million pledged to the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund to tackle rural poverty.
YANGON- Chris Milligan, USAID Mission Director signed a new commitment of US$4.4 million with the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) bringing the total contribution of the United States of America’s to LIFT at US$ 5 million.
By the end of June 2013, almost 445,000 poor households or 2.2 million people directly benefitted from LIFT’s assistance. More than 100,000 households (mostly led by women) were able to access credit for agricultural and non-agricultural activities ensuring that families were able to increase their annual income and use the excess money to send their children to school, etc. LIFT partners reported that 28,670 households have adopted improved agricultural technologies and that 71% of households assisted were able to reduce the number of food insecure months.
The United States of America along with nine other donors fund the multi-donor trust fund, LIFT in Myanmar that was set up to improve livelihoods of the poor and landless people in Myanmar. LIFT currently funds 70 projects in 95 rural townships across poorest regions in Myanmar. The administration, monitoring and oversight of LIFT is contracted to the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
