Livelihood Security Fund
Building Stronger Communities during and beyond Covid-19
As the global impact of Covid-19 continues to develop, producers in the developing world are also dealing with floods, droughts and delayed harvests, which are threatening livelihoods and increasing household food insecurity.
Shared Interest Foundation has been supporting farmers and workers in Africa and Latin America for over 15 years. No part of the world has been left unscathed, but we know that the pandemic will have a disproportionate impact on these rural communities with few income sources.
We need to help co-operatives find ways to increase business resilience, but first we must support them in overcoming the immediate hardships they face.
For this reason, we have re-launched our Livelihood Security Fund - to help meet basic needs and support income levels during and beyond the Covid-19 crisis.
We now urgently need your support to provide items ranging from the provision of hand sanitiser, to the supply of seeds, farming tools, and equipment.
Uganda
In Uganda, over 20% of the population lives in poverty, and the nationwide transport ban has not only affected trade, but also impacted food supplies and healthcare.
The government has set up a national task force to provide household essentials to those in need, and a Ugandan coffee co-operative is supplementing supplies using their Fairtrade Premium.
They have donated sugar, maize flour, cooking oil, beans and soap but further support is urgently needed.
Peru
Peru has experienced one of the strictest lockdown periods in the world. Small communities are also enforcing their own travel restrictions to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Farmers have subsequently encountered challenges in delivering their produce locally.
One coffee and cocoa co-operative in the Peruvian Andes is helping support its community by supplying large baskets of essential items to farmers.
They have been able to gain permission to use their trucks for deliveries of food and cleaning supplies.
Even those who can grow their own produce are in need of items vital to health and nutrition.
You can help by making a donation today.
Image: Yoni Puma Quispe with her daughters at their house in the Peruvian Amazon.
Honduras
Honduras has been reported to have the highest number of Covid-19 cases in Central America.
A coffee co-operative in the region has transformed the way it works, and subsequently received approval for a working permit.
However, as farmers enter the second half of the harvest cycle, the co-operative is finding it difficult to manage.
They need to collect the remaining coffee and export almost all of the produce. It is proving to be a huge challenge since their operation capacity has essentially halved.
With your support, we can help co-operatives like this, to survive the challenges faced.
You can help us build stronger communities in the face of Covid-19 by DONATING TODAY
Donate now