BISHKEK - The Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Migration (MLSSM) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have launched an innovative pilot project in Kadamjai and Jumgal districts.
Entitled "Social Assistance to Poor Families on the Basis of a Social Contract", the project will provide 100 families with a one-time cash grant of 100,000 KGS each.
As part of an agreement between low-income families and the Government, the Social Contract project targets households living below the national poverty line and with sound business ideas, seed assets and basic knowledge of their chosen businesses such as livestock breeding, selling of dairy products, sewing, among others.
The assistance consists of a cash grant to help eligible families start income-generating activities, combined with a comprehensive support package, including vocational or agricultural training, financial literacy training, business plan development, social services and mentoring.
Where suitable, the social contracts are also implemented in collaboration with local businesses and entrepreneurs who create sustainable employment opportunities for low-income families.
The pilot will serve as a learning opportunity to improve the design of the project for further scale-up.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
