Starting from early 2022, the ICRC team in Mandalay has been distributing food and other supplies. Moreover, the team also identified the need for a sustainable solution for displaced people to earn a livelihood and live with dignity.
“In June 2023, we introduced a pilot project providing cash grants to some of the affected families to set up small-scale businesses and generate regular income,” says Myo Min Thein, an ICRC staff member in Mandalay. “After a comprehensive assessment, 19 people were selected to initiate various small businesses based on their skills and capabilities. We also gave them advice regarding the type of businesses they could start,” he adds.
The business initiatives include a grocery store, a tea house, a noodle shop, traditional snack stalls, a motorcycle repair shop and a soap and detergent production unit.
“Not only people living in the displacement camp, but also those from the host village come to my shop. We have good sales,” says Daw Win Mar, who runs a grocery store. She had previously opened a tea shop in her village and continues to dream of reopening a big tea house one day. “I have a big family of four children, an elderly mother and three grandchildren. We need sustainable income to cover the expenses for health care, education, and daily necessities. This motivates me to continue working hard,” she adds.
Source : Icrc
