DMI
ST JOHN THE BAPTIST UNIVESTY

 

DEPRARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK

 

ASSIGNMENT NUMBER:       ONE

 

MODULE CODE NUMBER:    252 MG 82

 

MODULE NAME:     
DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

 

MODULE LECTUER:   
  MISS ELITA CHAMDIMBA

 

SEMESTER: 
EIGHT

 

ASSESSMENT TITLE: 
DISCUSS WHY SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD APPROACH IS

                                          
CONSIDERED A GOOD DEVELOPMENT APPROACH.

 

WEIGHING:

 

WRITTEN BY:                  RITTA CHIWAYA

 

REG NO:                           14311252038

 

DU E DATE:                     23 JANUARY 2018.

 

THE SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD APPROACH

 

INTRODUCTION

According to
Robert Chambers and Gordon Conway Sustainable rural livelihood comprises the
capabilities, assets (stores, resources, claims and access) and activities
required for a means of living: a livelihood is sustainable which can cope with
and recover from stress and shocks, maintain or enhance its capabilities and
assets, and provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for the next
generation; and which contributes net benefits to other livelihoods at the
local and global levels and in the short and long term. (it is applied commonly
to household level.

 

The conception
of Sustainable Livelihood (SL) is an attempt which goes past the conventional
definitions and approaches to poverty eradication. These had been recognized as
very narrow due to their focus on some features or manifestations of poverty,
i.e. low income as well as unconsidered vital aspects of poverty like vulnerability
and social exclusion.

 

Furthermore, there
is need that more attention is needed for the numerous factors and processes
that may constrain and/or enhance the ability for poor people to make a living
in an economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable manner. The concept
for Sustainable Livelihood brings forward a more coherent and integrated
approach to poverty.

 

 

 

 

WHY SUSTAINABLE
LIVELIHOOD APPROCAH MAY BE CONSIDERED A GOOD DEVELOPMENT APPROACH

Sustainable
Livelihood approach brings awareness towards the diverse assets that people use
in the process of constructing their livelihoods. The Approach establishes
general view of the types of resources or even a mixture of resources which are
significant to the poor, these involve physical and natural resources as well
as their social and human capital.

This Approach
facilitates a clear understanding of fundamental causes of poverty through concentrating
on the multiplicity of factors, at different levels, that directly or
indirectly determine or constrain the access for poor people to resources
and/or assets of different kinds, and thus their livelihoods.

The purpose of
the Approach is to bring forth a holistic perspective during the analysis of
livelihoods to detect those issues of focus areas that require an intervention
which are systematically important for effective poverty reduction, either at
the local level or at the policy level.

This Approach also
raises a realization that poverty as conceived by the poor themselves isn’t
only from the basis of low income, but may also involve different magnitudes
such as bad health, illiteracy, lack of social services, etc., as well as a
state of vulnerability and feelings of powerlessness in general.

Finally, This
Approach helps to provide a more realistic framework for assessing the direct
and indirect effects on people’s living conditions than, for example, one-
dimensional productivity or income criteria.

 

 

 

 

FEATURES OF THE
APRROACH

ü  The focus is on the livelihoods of the poor.

ü  The approach rejects the standard procedure of conventional approaches of
taking as an entry point a specific sector such as agriculture, water, or
health.

ü  The approach places great emphasis on involving people in both the
identification and the implementation of activities where appropriate.

 

POTENTIAL
WEAKNESS OF THE APRROCAH

If the
Sustainable livelihood approach is applied consistently, it may be beyond the
practical realities of various local development administrations, together with
the risk that this approach remains an initiative of donors and their
consultants.

A measure may be
taken to counteract the weakness and ensure that counterpart staff are involved
from the beginning when discussing how and if such a strategyshould be applied.
The staff also have to be trained use the approach, and/or start with a
simplified version of the approach.

CONCLUSION

In my opinion, I
believe that the Sustainable livelihood approach is a good development approach
because it offers a great understanding towards poverty and the fundamental
causes of poverty. Furthermore, it doesn’t only focus on the problem but on the
roots causes and the methods which can help a poor and vulnerable individual or
group to became less vulnerable and more sustainable through utilization of
their resources.

In conclusion,
SL is an excellent development approach tool because people learn to work with
what is available and improve their circumstances. Poverty may not be fully
eradicated but it would help people living in poverty to at least have access
to the important necessities and cope with their day to day life.

 

REFERENCES

o   The Sustainable Livelihood Approach to Poverty
Reduction-An Introduction: By Lasse Krantz February 2001.