1. Household Economic Strengthening An introduction October 14, 2011 CORE Group Meeting

2. Livelihoods and Food Security Technical Assistance (LIFT) 5 year associate award managed and led by FHI 360 with support from consortium partners Save the Children US and CARE International

3. LIFT’s goal is to improve access of vulnerable households to quality economic strengthening services that enhance food and livelihood security and promote positive health and nutrition outcomes Our objectives are to: Provide technical assistance and strategic support to USG agencies and their implementing partners to improve the quality of ES programs and activities that support PEPFAR investments. Build an evidence base demonstrating health and nutrition outcomes of ES interventions. Improve access of NACS clients to ES services through referrals and other health systems strengthening activities.

4. What is “household economic strengthening”? microenterprise market development entrepreneurship IGA insurance permaculture microcredit kitchen gardens value chains cash transfers pensions savings and lending groups social enterprise income generation grants vocational training livelihoods employability

6. Care, treatment and support

8. Household economics Small Food Irregular Shelter Healthcare Unpredictable Income generation

9. Households struggling to make ends meet erratic income erratic expenses Strengthen money management :: savings, credit, storage, financial literacy

10. Households in destitution (virtually) non-existent income (virtually) non-existent expenses Rebuild capacity to spend money :: cash transfers, asset transfers Invest in safety nets before families get to this point

11. Households prepared to grow consistent (though low) expenses erratic income Diversify & grow income :: increase productivity for existing IGAs invest in new, complementary, & low-risk IGAs

12. Connecting households along a pathway Expand household income and consumption Decreasing economic vulnerability Smooth household income and promote asset growth Smooth household consumption and manage household cashflow Build self-insurance mechanisms and protect key assets Recover assets and stabilize household consumption

13. Applying a gender oriented approach to economic strengthening It is important we look at the feasibility of specific interventions What are the opportunity costs associated with certain activities? What other important activities are women engaged in that they might have to scale back on? What can we do to ensure that women are able to control most, if not all of the income they bring in? What legal services are complementary to our efforts? What are “women’s crops” and “men’s crops”? Do activities put women at risk?

14. How can LIFT and health partners work together? Share in the dialog on health, nutrition and economic strengthening Tell us about your programs, activities and what you’ve done Share your research and ideas about health systems and how health services can be better linked with ES activities and services Talk to us about including ES in your programs, or linking to other ES activities Contact us! brinehart@fhi360.org, LIFT Project tquick@usaid.gov, LIFT AOTR jwolfe@usaid.gov, USAID Household Economic Strengthening Advisor