Cash for work in Al-Aqibah

Al-Aqibah is a sub-district lying in a series of mountains western of the district of Far'a Al-Udain (Ibb governorate). Most of the people of Al-Aqibah work in agriculture, traditional building, and livestock and bee husbandry, and few of them work in the military as soldiers. As a large number of the people of Dhel'a village (in Al-Aqibah) are suffering from severe poverty due to lack of job opportunities, the SFD selected this village for cash-for-work projects.

After the SFD consultants had visited the village, the people were mobilized to select the suitable activity according to the LIWP criteria in order to ensure efficient provision of cash to the poor families and at the same time achieve  useful service for  the community. The LIWP decided to repair and maintain the village road that is usually blocked after the rains in order to improve access to food and first aid.

The project activities began by registering the poorest 200 out of 375 persons after the team had studied the living conditions of the beneficiary households. The work started by introducing the LIWP to the community, the nature of work, wages and method of wage delivery.

In reply to the questions of the evaluation team, a number of members in the region were impressed by the project, and they reported that people had participated in the work and the priority of labor was given to the neediest people. They also emphasized that there are three needy widows who authorized their sons to work in the project on their behalf. A number of poor orphans also took part in the work, and they reported they felt pleased with the satisfactory and transparent way of handing the wages at the end of every week. One said: "Abdul-Halim, the accountant, was even handing us the change (10 Rials)".

Since the program is designed primarily to provide cash to facilitate access to food, the LIWP team asked for the uses of the wages earned from working with LIWP, and all persons reported that they used them to improve the standard of living and the purchase of food. "We bought necessary things such as wheat, sugar, potatoes, vegetables and fruit, and we paid back the debts, and we purchased gas", one of them said. A few interviewed people said they invested some of the wages in buying livestock (such as calves and goats).

When the team asked one of the beneficiaries about how satisfied she is about the project, she confirmed that she was impressed a lot, and continued "Cars now come by the houses". A group of women who met the team voiced their admiration of the project and expressed their great gratitude for whom he/they contributed largely in the success of the project.

The project cost amounted to about $70,000 and the spending on the beneficiaries reached 75%.