Sittwe, Rakhine State, October 22, 2013The Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) has injected US$ 22 million over four years to support  the Tat Lan (“way forward” in Burmese and Rakhine)  program to rebuild livelihoods in more than 220 communities in the Rakhine State of Myanmar.  A consortium of international NGOs led by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) will implement the project.

Communities living in the townships of Myebon, Pauktaw, Kyaukpyu and Minbya are being targeted by the Tat Lan program. This comprehensive program include rebuilding infrastructure; strengthening existing agriculture programs and diversifying crop production; strengthening the local fishing industry; providing access to financial services; and increasing access to nutrition-rich foods in remote areas.  Project activities will be grounded in a village-based participatory planning process that will engage entire communities to ensure that Tat Lan is responsive, effective and sustainable.

LIFT is a multi-donor trust fund funded by Australia, Denmark, the European Union, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. UNOPS is the fund manager for LIFT.  The IRC-led consortium includes CARE, Oxfam, Save the Children and the local aid agency Better Life Organisation (BLO).