ID :
231167
Mon, 03/05/2012 - 09:11
Auther :

NCA helps people in Luang Namtha access alterative livelihood

VIENTIANE,03.05.2012 (KPL) - The Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) on February 28 provided a grant support of USD 862,300 to the Lao Government to help former opium farmers gain an access to alterative livelihood opportunities in Long district, Luang Namtha province. Signatories to the document were Chairman of the Lao National Commission for Drug Control and Supervision, Mr. Soubanh Srithirath, and Representative of the NCA for Southeast Asia region, Mr. Rolf Strand. Local authorities and relevant officials of both sides witnessed the signing ceremony. The NCA grant will fund the final phase of the Empowerment of Akha Ethnic Group for Livelihood and development project. The project will run in Long district from now to 2015 and will continue activities initiated by the Lao-NCA, which came to an end in mid this year. The promotion includes improvement in the areas of rice production, natural resource management, education, basic health services, capacity building for women and partnerships between district and leadership. Between 2003 and 2004, NCA programme activities in Long district focused on the reduction of opium production and local consumption. Since 1993, a total of about USD 8.1 million has been provided to support NCA’s programme activities in the district. Donors that have supported the programme over the year include the United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes, the Swedish International Development Agency, the German Agency for International Development, the Kadoorie Charitable Foundation, the Pestalozzi Children’s Foundation, the Hei Verden, the Norwegian government and people of Norway. The main objective of the programme’s final phase is to sustain and further develop the positive results and changes that have already been achieved over the years, while also addressing some of the new challenges that the communities face, particularly in relation to climate change.

X