UNRAVEL UNRAVEL Understanding vulnerable Understanding vulnerable and resilient livelihoodsand resilient livelihoods

Gina Ziervogel Gina Ziervogel

Multiple stressors Multiple stressors and their impact on rural and their impact on rural

livelihoodslivelihoods Households at risk to multiple threats Households at risk to multiple threats

Climate variabilityClimate variability HealthHealth Market fluctuationsMarket fluctuations Food insecurityFood insecurity

Cumulative effect of shocks and stresses Cumulative effect of shocks and stresses through time through time

Response to shocks and stressesResponse to shocks and stresses Focus on HIV/AIDS by assessing households with Focus on HIV/AIDS by assessing households with

chronically ill chronically ill Impact on food securityImpact on food security

Understand existing household Understand existing household response to stressresponse to stress Nature of response Nature of response

through time, different members, through time, different members, external/internalexternal/internal

Adaptive/maladaptive strategiesAdaptive/maladaptive strategies At household levelAt household level At community levelAt community level

Further support/intervention Further support/intervention

Case study evidenceCase study evidence Vhembe District, Limpopo, northern South Vhembe District, Limpopo, northern South

AfricaAfrica Northern south AfricaNorthern south Africa Former homeland areaFormer homeland area Good commercial crops but little support for marginal Good commercial crops but little support for marginal

groups particularly with regards to food securitygroups particularly with regards to food security Chikwawa District, southern Malawi Chikwawa District, southern Malawi

Southern regionSouthern region Poor districtPoor district Relatively high level of external support, with a Relatively high level of external support, with a

number of food security-related projectsnumber of food security-related projects Diocese of Monze, southern ZambiaDiocese of Monze, southern Zambia

Southern regionSouthern region Livestock, crop mixLivestock, crop mix

ObjectivesObjectives1.1. Identify and document the ‘everyday’ threats Identify and document the ‘everyday’ threats

as well as other sudden onset and ‘creeping’ as well as other sudden onset and ‘creeping’ threats faced threats faced Full agricultural cycle (12 months) Full agricultural cycle (12 months) 3 comparative settings 3 comparative settings

2.2. Identify and document the livelihood Identify and document the livelihood responses of individuals and households to responses of individuals and households to such risks and the consequences of this action such risks and the consequences of this action

3.3. Identify those livelihood strategies associated Identify those livelihood strategies associated with greater household resilience to AIDS with greater household resilience to AIDS impacts, and those which increase impacts, and those which increase vulnerability to AIDS losses.vulnerability to AIDS losses.

Objectives.. contObjectives.. cont4.4. Identify community and institutional mechanisms Identify community and institutional mechanisms

that either undermine or augment at-risk livelihood that either undermine or augment at-risk livelihood assets, capabilities and activitiesassets, capabilities and activities

5.5. Feed-back the knowledge generated by the research Feed-back the knowledge generated by the research to better sensitise ongoing home-based care and to better sensitise ongoing home-based care and food security or other livelihood enhancement food security or other livelihood enhancement programmes in the participating communitiesprogrammes in the participating communities

6.6. Support the dissemination of knowledge gained from Support the dissemination of knowledge gained from the research into policy and practice through the research into policy and practice through

Partner networks Partner networks Country and regional networksCountry and regional networks Incorporate into academic programmes on disaster risk Incorporate into academic programmes on disaster risk

reduction and HIV/AIDSreduction and HIV/AIDS

MethodologyMethodology Pilot methodologyPilot methodology One village in each country One village in each country

Baseline studyBaseline study On-going monitoring On-going monitoring

– – every 2 months x 5every 2 months x 5 Final baseline comparisonFinal baseline comparison

20 households20 households 10 with members who are chronically ill or 10 with members who are chronically ill or

have recently died from a chronic illness have recently died from a chronic illness 10 that appear not to be directly impacted by 10 that appear not to be directly impacted by

HIV/AIDS in the sense that there are no HIV/AIDS in the sense that there are no chronically sick members and no-one has chronically sick members and no-one has recently died recently died

Community participationCommunity participation

Identification of householdsIdentification of households Village structures – civil society groups and traditional Village structures – civil society groups and traditional

authoritiesauthorities Home-based care groupsHome-based care groups Agricultural extension officersAgricultural extension officers

On-going monitoringOn-going monitoring ResearcherResearcher Village-based support – PLWA (SA), Extension, HBC Village-based support – PLWA (SA), Extension, HBC

(Malawi) (Malawi) Initial suspicion from community membersInitial suspicion from community members Truthful answers as trust increases through on-going Truthful answers as trust increases through on-going

interactioninteraction

Challenges with local Challenges with local partnershipspartnerships

South Africa – University of VendaSouth Africa – University of Venda Ethical clearanceEthical clearance Support from all levels – community, NGOsSupport from all levels – community, NGOs (little interaction with international partners)(little interaction with international partners)

Malawi – Cadecom + MHENMalawi – Cadecom + MHEN Research experience lacking (data collection, Research experience lacking (data collection,

analysis)analysis) Project managementProject management

ZambiaZambia First researcher died from chronic illnessFirst researcher died from chronic illness No interaction between research and advocacy No interaction between research and advocacy

partnerspartners Academic analysis experience lackingAcademic analysis experience lacking

Preliminary findingsPreliminary findings

SASA Role of grants. Eg. Disability grant has helped sick people Role of grants. Eg. Disability grant has helped sick people

recover and maintain or adapt their livelihoodsrecover and maintain or adapt their livelihoods Stress of burial societyStress of burial society Less agriculture than 5 years ago – food not locally producedLess agriculture than 5 years ago – food not locally produced

MalawiMalawi Cultural and traditional practices Cultural and traditional practices

Not acknowledging sick members; cultural practices that Not acknowledging sick members; cultural practices that increase infectionincrease infection

Survival strategies threaten hh sustainability – migrant Survival strategies threaten hh sustainability – migrant labourlabour

Volunteering for HBC can make households more vulnerableVolunteering for HBC can make households more vulnerable Zambia Zambia

Reliance of petty commerce compared to piecework in other Reliance of petty commerce compared to piecework in other 2 sites2 sites

ConclusionConclusion

Findings intend toFindings intend to Illustrate the ability of community and district Illustrate the ability of community and district

institutions to support responsesinstitutions to support responses Identify where and what type of intervention might helpIdentify where and what type of intervention might help

‘‘This project has helped me to look at a household as an entity. This project has helped me to look at a household as an entity. This is important to address first before scaling up to a This is important to address first before scaling up to a national initiative. This bottom-up approach is very national initiative. This bottom-up approach is very important and UNRAVEL provides a focus for that.’important and UNRAVEL provides a focus for that.’

Local participation helps to Local participation helps to capture sensitive and important results in the slow-capture sensitive and important results in the slow-

onset/food insecurity/ HIV/AIDS context onset/food insecurity/ HIV/AIDS context Support localSupport local partnerships partnerships Build capacity Build capacity