Priority Investment Areas

The priority beneficiaries of the program include the landless workers, urban slum dwellers, subsistence fishermen,cultural minorities , out-of school youth and the disabled who are among the poorest of the poor. They are also among the principal victims of malnutrition.These groups are given preference in the approval of loans and in the release of funds for KKK projects , however,is not conditioned on the recipient being poor.The basic criterion for approval of project is its feasibility. A proposed project must be viable and must  have a ready market; the needed technology is available in the locality; raw materials must be in abundance and; the proponent must be able to manage the enterprise.

In september 1982, one year after its launching, the livelihood movement reported that a total of 178,506 persons have been directly benefited.Those who have taken advantage of the opportunities offered include 69,327 landless farmers, 61,946 subsistence fishermen, and 4,100 kaingeros(slash-and-burn farmers). The remaining 33,133 is made up of out-of-school youths, urban slum dwellers, disabled persons and others.

Projects approved for the first year include 145 in agro-forestry, 3,109 in agrolivestock, 982 aqua-marine,36 in waste utilization, 498 in cottage and light industries,26 in shelter and construction materials,1,015 in services and 20 in other fields. The secondary and tertiary job opportuntilties created have brought the movement to over half a million.

In December of the same year the approved projects totalled 8,833 involving 194,239 beneficiaries. This had a dollar value of $74,692,000 or $ 384 per capita investment

As of May 24, 1983, the number of projecta approved totalled 15,829 for 249,336 beneficiaries with a dollar value of $111,490,000.More than half of this amount of $59,820,000 has already been released to  project proponents. Most of the beneficiaries are the landless works numbering 98,653 or 40% of the tatal . Other beneficairies are subsistence fishermen, 64.639(26%); other low income groups 47,691(19%); and cultural minorities, 12,641(5%). Average amount of funding approved is approximetely $447 for eacj project.Agro-livestock has the largest share of the investment areas, accounting for 9,060 projects approved or 57% of the total. Services,qua-marine and cottage and light industries make up more than one third of  the projects approved.

On the program’s first year, the repayment rate amoung poor borrowers has been a high 99%.

Conclusion

Initial results of the livelihood movement have justified basic expectations of policymakers in terms of  injection dynamism in the economic status of the poorer segments of society.How much the movement con contribute to the overall economic development of the country remains to be fully measured in due time. It is already evident,however, that it has advance the economic welfare of thousnads of low-income individuals and thereby acclerated the thrust towarda self-sufficiency at least at  the community level. In attacking poverty at the grassroots, the KKK performs an important preliminary function in campaigns against malnutrition and ither social ills, and at the same time, actualizes to a significant extent the ultimate goal of spreading the benefits of national development to the lower levels of society.