Restoring Coastal Livelihoods

Development Project

Restoring Coastal Livelihoods

so women can launch small businesses and participate in their communities with pride.

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The Situation

Restoring Coastal Livelihoods was a five-year (2010-2015) project designed to improve economic security and women’s rights in 60 villages on the west coast of South Sulawesi province, Indonesia. It strengthened the ecological and economic resilience of these communities by restoring degraded mangrove forests, farming saline soil, stimulating the growth of small enterprise and helping women secure a voice in local development.

Villages like Pitusunggu, only 600 metres from the ocean, are vulnerable to salt water seeping into their soil and fresh water. And when people established shrimp ponds in the village, requiring them to pump ground water to provide freshwater for the shrimp, soil salinity increased dramatically. As a result, many people were forced to abandon rice cultivation. Women that relied on the rice crop were no longer able to grow food for their families.

Through the Restoring Coastal Livelihoods project, hundreds of people, mostly women, attended coastal farmer field schools to learn how to raise crops and establish new, sustainable livelihoods to support themselves and their families.

DETAILS

Location:
Indonesia

Duration:
2010-2015

Thanks to our Supporters: 
This project was undertaken with the financial support of Oxfam Great Britain, the Canadian International Development Agency, and the generous Canadian public.

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I learnt a better way to prepare land for rice using organic fertilizers, and that spacing the seedlings reduced competition, making them grow better. I also got to know that there are seeds that can be grown in salty land and was really keen to try them.

Halmia
after attending a coastal farmer field school established by the Mangrove Action Project, an Oxfam partner

Project at a Glance

60
Villages on the west coast of South Sulawesi, Indonesia suffered from depleted mangrove forests and reduced livelihoods.
2
Local partners involved in developing and implementing the project.
1000
People, mostly women, learned how to manage land and raise crops, how to participate in development planning meetings, and how to perform business skills like bookkeeping.

What did we do?

Advocacy

Urged authorities to provide women direct access to basic needs like fresh water, electricity and distribution channels to market their products.

Restoration

Restored more than 190 hectares of degraded mangrove forests and identified another 120 hectares for future restoration.

Livelihoods

Trained more than 1,000 people, mostly women, at 44 coastal field schools on topics including organic farming, saline-tolerant rice paddy cultivation, and how to participate in village development meetings.

The Restoring Coastal Livelihoods project ended in 2015. With your support, we can develop more programs to end the injustice of poverty for more women and girls.

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What did we achieve?

We restored mangrove forests, trained villagers to launch sustainable farming enterprises, helped women participate in village development meetings, and involved local communities, organizations and governments in improving the ecological and economic health of the region.

Help women escape poverty and build prosperity.

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