LIVELIHOODS
Empowering Communities, Improving Quality of Life
livelihoods program
Our livelihoods approach is two pronged in nature, but both sides of the approach are based on the principle of supporting people to help themselves, and on our mission to enhance resilience and self-sufficiency in communities that are under served. Our livelihoods program focuses on the youth where we use the Community Based Training (CBT) approach. The CBT offers relatively short, non-formal skills training to the youth within the community. The training equips the youth with skills that are used to provide services to the community while ultimately providing sustainable livelihoods to the youth. It is an alternative skills training approach that addresses youth unemployment, technological, goods and service need of the community. The training is offered by skilled local trainers in their business premises or at their work places. In addition, based on the community situation, alternatives places for training are identified i.e., using existing community structures, such as Early Children Development centres.
We work with women in Self Help Groups, advising them on how to save money on a very modest income, and teach them about good accounting practices, and how to generate viable income. The women save money together and gradually accumulate a small amount of capital from which they take loans and establish personal businesses. The loans are paid back and the capital, equity and investment opportunities keep growing.
This intervention gradually pulls the women and their households out of poverty: their children are better fed, are paid to attend school every term, and provided better health care. The growing household incomes also provides a foundation for a more peaceful living in the family. The women capitalize on their growing economic strength to gain more social and political empowerment in their communities.
Our Areas of Operations
DTO operates in Gulu City, Gulu, and Nwoya districts in addressing health needs, human rights, and livelihoods concerns amongst the poorest of the poor, vulnerable and marginalized populations in target locations of operation. In the next six years (2023 – 2029), DTO will expand operations to cover the districts of Amuru, Omoro, Pader, Kitgum, Lamwo and Agago, as permitted by the National NGO Bureau.