Vulnerable Group Development (VGD)

Goal

To contribute to the sustainable socio-economic empowerment, food security, resilience, and dignity of vulnerable and ultra-poor women by enhancing their capacities, promoting sustainable livelihoods, and facilitating their graduation from extreme poverty through integrated social protection and economic empowerment interventions

Objective

• - Strengthen the economic capacity of vulnerable women through market-oriented skills development and income-generating activities (IGAs).
• - Improve household food and nutrition security through social safety net support.
• - Promote financial inclusion by facilitating access to bank accounts, savings, and appropriate financial services.
• - Enhance women's knowledge on health, nutrition, hygiene, family welfare, gender equality, legal rights, and disaster preparedness.
• - Facilitate access to livelihood assets, entrepreneurship support, and suitable credit opportunities for sustainable income generation.
• - Increase women's participation in household and community decision-making, thereby strengthening their social and economic empowerment.
• - Build linkages between beneficiaries and relevant government institutions, financial institutions, and local service providers for long-term sustainability.

Major Activities

• - Identification, verification, and selection of eligible vulnerable women in accordance with Government eligibility criteria.
• - Community sensitization and beneficiary orientation on program objectives, entitlements, and responsibilities.
• - Formation, strengthening, and regular facilitation of beneficiary groups.
• - Distribution of fortified rice and monitoring of food assistance to ensure transparency and accountability.
• - Delivery of life skills training covering confidence building, communication, leadership, and decision-making.
• - Vocational and market-oriented skills development training for sustainable livelihoods.
• - Entrepreneurship development, business planning, and support for income-generating activities (IGAs).
• - Financial literacy education, savings promotion, bank account opening, and linkage with financial services.
• - Awareness sessions on nutrition, maternal and child health, family planning, hygiene and sanitation, gender equality, prevention of gender-based violence (GBV), child rights, legal rights, and climate resilience.
• - Referral and linkage of beneficiaries to government social protection programmes, health services, legal aid, and other essential public services.
• - Regular household visits, counselling, mentoring, coaching, and follow-up support.
• - Monitoring, documentation, beneficiary progress tracking, and impact assessment.
• - Coordination and collaboration with the Department of Women Affairs (DWA), Local Government Institutions (LGIs), NGOs, financial institutions, and other relevant stakeholders.
• - Capacity building of community volunteers and local leaders to support programme implementation and sustainability.