Japan Fund for Poverty ReductionStories of Triumph from the Field

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Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction Fast Facts

• EstablishedinMay2000aftertheAsianfinancialcrisis• Assiststhepoorestandmostvulnerablegroups• Received$615.4millionincontributionsfromJapanasofMarch2013• Twogranttypes: Projectgrants(investmentprojectsfordirectpovertyreduction) Technicalassistance(capacitydevelopment,policyandadvisory

support,knowledge/researchanddevelopment,andprojectpreparation)

• $537millionapprovedfor157povertyreductionand116technicalassistancegrantsto30developingmembercountries

• Promotesinnovation• Encouragesparticipationofnongovernmentorganizationsandother

stakeholders• Externalevaluationin2007foundtheJapanFundforPovertyReduction

relevant,efficient,effective,andsustainableand“generally aligns with ADB’s strategic objectives, [while] individual projects are in line with the country partnership strategies and national poverty reduction strategies”

© 2013 Asian Development BankAll rights reserved.

This publication was prepared by staff and consultants of the AsianDevelopment Bank (ADB). The analyses and assessments containedherein do not necessarily reflect the views of the ADB,or its Board of Directors, or the governments its membersrepresent.

Note:In this publication, “$” refers to US dollars. Cover photo credits go to Ronaldo J. Oblepias; copyright remains with the ADB.

Asian Development Bank6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City, 1550 Metro Manila, PhilippinesTel +63 2 632 4444Fax +63 2 636 4444www.adb.org

Japan Fund for Poverty ReductionStories of Triumph from the Field

Message from the Director Board of Directors—Japan

KazuhikoKoguchiDirectorBoardofDirectors—Japan

ItisourpleasuretopresentsomeoftheaccomplishmentsoftheJapanFundforPovertyReduction(JFPR)inthiscompilationofprojectoutcomesandsuccessstories.Inparticular,wetakeprideinhowtheJFPRprojectsfeaturedhere

havemadeanimpactonthelivesofthepoorestandmostvulnerableindevelopingmembercountries(DMCs)oftheAsianDevelopmentBank(ADB).

ThegrantsthathavebeenprovidedtoDMCsundertheJFPRaresmall—i.e.,pilotinscale—comparedtothevolumesthatADBnormallyprovidesasloansandgrants,butthedirectimpactsonthecommunitiestheysupportaresignificantandfar-reaching,tosaytheleast,asourinteractionswithbeneficiariesinthefieldhaveclearlyshown.Therearetheincreasedincomes;improvementsinhealthandeducationoutcomes;improvedaccesstomarketsandsocialservices;increasedreadinessforandresilienceinthefaceofdisasters;andempowermentofwomen,girls,andindigenouspeoples.Benefitsaredeep-rootedandcontinuetothisday,sustainedinnosmallmeasurebythecommunitiesthemselves.DMCsandADBitself,aswellastheirpartners—othermultilateralandbilateraldevelopmentorganizations,nongovernmentorganizations,andcommunitygroups—havebenefitedthroughimprovedcapacityandenhancedknowledgeandskills.

OnbehalfoftheGovernmentofJapan,IthankADB,throughtheOfficeofCofinancingOperationsthatadministersthefund,forbeingakeypartnerinthisendeavor.IalsothankADB’sDMCs,thenongovernmentorganizations,andthecommunitiesthemselvesfortheircooperation.

IthasbeenourpleasureandprivilegetosupporttheJFPRoverthelast13years,andwelookforwardtoevenstrongerpartnershipsunderourJFPRprogram—forpovertyreductionandpeople’sempowerment—intheyearstocome.

TheJapanFundforPovertyReductionwasestablishedinMay2000andprovidesdirectgrantassistancetothepoorestandmostvulnerablegroupsinthedevelopingmembercountries(DMCs)oftheAsianDevelopment

Bank(ADB)whilefosteringlong-termsocioeconomicdevelopment.Thegrantssupportpovertyreductioninitiativeswiththedirectparticipationofnongovernmentorganizations,communitygroups,andcivilsociety.

AprecursortotheJFPRwastheJapanSpecialFund,whichwasestablishedin1988whentheGovernmentofJapanandADBagreedtoprovidefinancialsupportforADB’stechnicalassistanceprogramintheformofuntiedgrants.On6October2009,ADB’sBoardofDirectorsapprovedtheRevisedOperatingFrameworkfortheJFPR,combiningJapan’sgrantandtechnicalassistancesupportunderoneumbrella.Thus,theJapanSpecialFund’smandatetoprovidetechnicalassistancetoDMCswasassumedbytheJFPRstartingin2010.Todate,theJFPRhasdisbursedcloseto$294millionfor157projectsand116technicalassistancegrantsin30countriesacrossAsiaandthePacific.

OursincerestthanksgototheGovernmentofJapanforitsgenerouscontributionandcontinuedsupporttotheJFPR.Wethankourdevelopmentpartners—theDMCs,implementingagencies,nongovernmentorganizations,andcommunitygroups—whosecommitmentandbeliefintheinherentcapacitiesanddriveofthepoortosucceed,inspiresustocontinuetodobetter.Finally,wethankourADBcolleaguesfortheircommittedwork—fromconceptualizingandinitiatingtheprojectswithstakeholders,administeringthegrants,andseeingthemthroughtotheirsuccessfulconclusion.

Wehopethatthispublication,thefirstinaseriesofcompilationsofprojects,theiroutcomes,andimpacts,willpavethewayformoreinnovativeprojects,aswellasfortheirscalingup,toreachmoreofAsia’spoor.

Pleasejoinusaswecelebrateinthisseriesthe157projectsthatJFPRhassupportedoverthelast13years.

Message from the Head Office of Cofinancing Operations

CécileL.H.F.GregoryHeadOfficeofCofinancingOperations

BANGLADESHSocial Development of Erosion-Affected Poor in the Jamuna–Meghna Floodplains Project ($0.79 million)

In Bangladesh, riverbank erosion, which canwipe out towns, market centers, and villagesettlements along the river’s fringes, displaces

about 100,000 people every year.To protect someof these settlements,ADB’s Jamuna–MeghnaRiverErosionMitigationProjectbuiltembankmentsandundertook river bed protection activities in keysectionsoftheJamunaandMeghnarivers.

In turn, the Social Development of Erosion-Affected Poor in the Jamuna–Meghna FloodplainsProject provided skills training to 4,000 householdswhose agricultural lands had been washed away byerosion and who were eventually relocated behindtheembankmentstoenablethemtofindalternativelivelihoods.Fisherygroupswereorganizedandtrained,andtheycontinuetooperatetothisday.Otherincome-generating activities, principally involving women,includeddressmaking,textileweaving,animalrearing,foodprocessing,andcropdiversification.Morethanhalf of the beneficiary women were linked to localmicrofinance nongovernment organizations so theycanscaleuptheirlivelihoodprojects.Theprojectalsoconstructed an information resource center, whichserves as the meeting and training center for theresettledcommunity.

“After training on dressmaking under the JFPR, I was able to borrow money from a nongovernment organization for a sewing machine and some fabric. Now I have many clients from our village, who come to me to have their dresses sewn. Some of the money I earn I use to buy more fabric. My family and I are now more secure financially, thanks to JFPR.”

Farida, training recipient

Bera, Pabna

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BHutANRural Skills Development Project ($1.99 million)

One-thirdofpeopleinruralBhutandependsolely on subsistence agriculture for theirincomeanddailynourishment.TheRural

Skills Development Project sought to increase theincome of poor villagers in pilot gewogs (groupsof villages) by providing them with basic modernconstructionskillstoenablethemtoearnduringtheoffseason.About850villagersweretrained,buildingeight school hostels in eight gewogs as part of theirhands-on construction training. School hostels aregreatlyneededinBhutanwheremanystudentshavetowalk2–3hourstoschooleveninextremeweather.Theprojectalsoconstructed66outdoortoiletsacross25pilotgewogs inpublicplacessuchascommunitytemples,monasteries,schools,andgewogoffices.

BuildinguponthelessonslearnedfromtheADB-funded Village Skills Development Program, theprojectfacilitatedtheplacementandhiringoftrainedworkers.Thegovernment,inturn,hascommittedtousetheJFPRproject’strainingcurriculum,materials,andtrainersforfuturetrainingactivities.

“The construction training has allowed me to do house construction work in my village and in nearby villages when I am not working in my farm. The additional income helps my family with expenses such as food, clothes, and medicine.”

Wangchen Dorji, training recipient

Haa Town

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CAMBODIAImproving Primary School Access in Disadvantaged Communes Project ($1.87 million)

In Cambodia, there are many poor communeswhere small primary schools are not coveredby assistance programs from the government

or donors. This JFPR project piloted innovationsin expanding the quality of and access to primaryeducation for children from the poorest families,especially girlswhodropout in theupperprimarygrades, and for children living in remote anddisadvantagedareas.

The project rehabilitated 349 schools andprovided additional classrooms and equipment.Roofswererepaired,toiletswereconstructed,watersupplywasensured,andschooldesksandchairswereprovided to the project schools. At the same time,schoolandparentcommitteeswereestablishedandstrengthened so that both could more effectivelyplan, execute, and monitor their respective schoolimprovementprogramstogetherwiththeprovincialanddistricteducationofficers.

Bytheendoftheproject,schoolimprovementgrantshadbeen implemented ineachof the targetschools.Theenrollmentrateinthe349schoolshadbeenincreasedby6%,thedrop-outratewasreducedfrom 6% to 4%, and the repetition rate declinedfrom16%to12%.

“[Before the project,] students were studying in the shade of trees, and we had to cram into a small space whenever the rain started. It was very hard for us and our teachers to concentrate on our education, and what had worried us a lot was that we were not able to continue our education up to higher grades as our school did not have enough classrooms. Some students decided not to go to a school in a nearby island because they were too small to travel on boats.”

Lorn Rith, Director of Boeung

Kachhang Primary School, Koh Kong Province

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INDIARestoration and Diversification of Livelihoods for Tsunami-Affected Poor and Marginalized People in the States of Tamil Nadu and Kerala Project ($5.0 million)

The earthquake that struck off Sumatra on24December2004createdapowerfultsunamithatreachedasfarafieldastheeastcoastof

India,hittingthecoastsofTamilNaduandKerala,andcausingextensivelossofhumanlivesandproperty.The livelihoods of about 2 million people across13districts inTamilNaduand3districts inKeralaweredestroyed,alongwithmajorinfrastructure,suchasports,fishingjetties,powersubstations,andotherassets along the coastline. Over 7,300 hectares ofagriculturallandwereaffectedbysaltwaterintrusion.

ADB responded quickly with the TsunamiEmergency Assistance Project to rehabilitate,reconstruct, and restore livelihoods, transport, andrural and municipal infrastructure damaged by thetsunamiinthestatesofTamilNaduandKeralaandbuildcapacityforprojectimplementation.

On topof this assistance, the JFPR supportedlivelihood subprojects for self-help groups in thetwo states, helping more than 20,000 beneficiariesinTamilNaduandKeralaacquirerelevantskillsandestablish microenterprises. These microenterprisesrange from aquaculture (fish breeding, seaweedcultivation,crab fattening,and seafoodprocessing);to cottage industries (mat weaving, production ofhandbags and sanitary napkins, and dressmaking);transport(operationofsmallpublictransportvehiclesand rickshaws); and electronics (making electronictransformers and small electrical circuits). Most ofthese microenterprises continue to operate and areprovidingmuchneededincomeforpoorwomenandtheirfamilies.

“The tsunami destroyed our home. It is good that I became part of a self-help group that now produces complimentary bags for businesses in our area. I am able to take home Rs1,000–Rs1,200 (about $18–$22) each month to help with our expenses.”

Umayrah, member of a self-help group in Pondicherry

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“I tripled my income by joining the JFPR shrimp cluster. I handle three ponds with 25% profit sharing with the landowner. By combining traditional systems and with best management practices recommended by my facilitator, one pond I handle produces 300 kilograms of shrimp over 3.5 months. My total income from the three ponds is Rp10,500,000 (about $1,080) in 4 months. I am happy because now many landowners are interested in stocking shrimp again. The more ponds I handle the more money I make!”

Rusli, farmer JFPR Cluster 3,

Aquaculture Livelihoods Services Center,

Samalanga, Bireuen

INDONESIASustainable Livelihood Development for Coastal Communities in the Special Province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Project ($4.0 million)

The2004tsunamileftatleast126,000peopledead, almost 100,000 missing, and morethan 400,000 internally displaced. About

600,000 people lost property and economic assets,suchasfishingboatsandequipment,fishponds,andotherinfrastructure.Morethan1millionpeopleinthecoastalareasofAcehbecameworseoffasaresultofthedisaster.

Byintroducingbestmanagementpracticesandlivelihood training to tsunami-affected fishers andfarmersinAceh,theprojectwasabletodiversifytheirlivelihoodsourcesand increase their incomesbyupto120%.Nearly5,500membersofself-helpgroupssuccessfully developed, designed, and implemented261 livelihood projects, comprising 55 productclusters.Ofthe261livelihoodgroups,65arewomen’shomeenterprisegroups.

Thankstothetechnicalsupportofprojectexperts,tunafishersinAcehareabletoensurethequalityandtraceabilityoftheircatch,andhavebeenabletoexporttheir tuna to Kumamoto, Japan. Patchouli growersnow export patchouli oil to France, while shrimpfarmersexporttomarketsintheUnitedStates.

Best management practices and livelihoodtechnologies developed under the project havebeen captured in40DVDs andvariouspamphletsthathavebeensharedwithover13,000householdsin Aceh through the project’s livelihoods servicescenters. With each passing year, tsunami-affectedfamilies are making sure strides to full economicrecoverythankstoassistancefromtheJFPR.

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LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCrAtIC rEPuBLICDeveloping Model Healthy Villages in Northern Lao People’s Democratic Republic Project ($3.0 million)

While the Lao People’s DemocraticRepublic (Lao PDR) has made someprogresstowardmeetingtheMillennium

Development Goals related to health, furtherreductions in maternal mortality and malnutritionrates and improvements in sanitation and hygienepractices are needed in remote rural populations,especiallyamongsmallethnicgroups.

InremotevillagesintheprovincesofHouaphanand Xiengkhouang, this JFPR project taughtcommunities about better nutrition, health, andsanitation, thus preventing illness and improvingtheiroverallqualityoflife.Villagehealthvolunteerswere trained and provided with essential drug kits.Especially in remote areas that have poor access tohealth services, disease prevention ensures that thefamilies’meagerresourceswillnotneedtobeusedtomakeexpensivetripstothecityandpayformedicaltreatment.

The project also provided materials andtechnical support for thedesign and installation ofsimplewaterdistributionsystems.Thecommunities,for their part, provided labor for the constructionactivities, as well as small pieces of land for watertanksandwaterpoints.BythetimetheprojectendedinJanuary2013,theMinistryofHealthawardedthetitle“ModelHealthyVillage”toall100participatingcommunities.

“Since the development and declaration of the Model Healthy Village, we find that there is a huge decrease in disease occurrence. In the past 2 years, there has been no severe disease outbreak, except minor seasonal illnesses such as coughs and colds.”

Viengxay and Sam Tai district leaders

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MONGOLIAWater Point and Extension Station Establishment for Poor Herding Families Project ($2.0 million)

Amajor cause of poverty among nomadicherding families in Mongolia is thedeclining quality of pasture. This is caused

by overgrazing, poor management, and erraticprecipitation due to climate change. To reducepoverty amongherding families, pasture andwatermanagementneedtobeimproved.

Under a JFPR grant, 75 herder groups wereorganizedcomprisingnearly1,000herdingfamiliesin 10 project soums (districts). In all, 195,000hectaresof rangelandweremade available for their180,000 head of livestock. The groups formulated71rangelandand69wateruseagreementsfollowingstrict rangeland management plans. The projectestablished51newwells and rehabilitated16wellsthat had been damaged over time. It also set up10 agriculture extension stations under the SoumVeterinary and Breeding Units and provided themwithtraining,fieldequipment,andmotorcycles.

In order to diversify income sources, herders’groupsweretrainedinvariouslivelihoodskills,andlearnedhowtoestablishandmanagesmallenterprises.Business plans were successfully implemented by69herders’groups.

“From sales of deels (traditional costumes), coats, vests, and Mongol shirts that we produced, we earned MNT3.9 million (about $2,800), of which 10% went to our group revolving fund. In the future, we will expand the sewing workshop, diversify group activities, and have a small tractor for the use of the group. We are happy that our activities were successful and we are proud and confident to say that we can now expand our business.”

D. Uranchimeg, a member of the Azartolgoi herder

group of Kharkhorin soum, Ovorkhangai Province

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“The project has shown the right path to Nepal police in terms of strengthening the Women and Children Service Centers in other districts. It built our self-confidence and increased our self-esteem.”

Bimala Thapa, Nepal Police

Deputy Inspector General and Project Manager

NEPALEstablishing Women and Children Service Centers ($0.75 million)

As in many countries, Nepal continues toexperienceahighincidenceofcrimesagainstwomen and children, including domestic

and other violence. This JFPR project establishedresponsive, professional, and fully operationalWomen and Children Service Centers (WCSC) infour districts in Nepal to provide victims of abusewith effectiveprotectionmeasures.Theproject alsostrengthened and institutionalized the networkingbetweenthedistrictWCSCsandotherstakeholders,suchasgovernmentandnongovernmentorganizationsand community groups, on issues related to crimesagainstwomenandchildren.

Through high-profile activities that were wellcovered by local and national media, observanceand awareness of women’s and children’s rightswas heightened. After 3 years of implementation,reporting of cases to the police increased by morethan90% from the2009baseline.So effectivewastheprogramthatpeople’s trust inthepoliceservicegrew,andthePrimeMinistercreated1,035positionsforwomenpolice staff assigned tooperateWCSCsin Nepal’s various districts. Seven training modulesdevelopedundertheproject,whichincludedgender-responsive investigation and counseling skills, havebeen institutionalized in the required training forNepal’spoliceforce.

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PAkIStANImmediate Support to Poor and Vulnerable Households in Inaccessible Areas Devastated by the 2005 Earthquake Project ($5.0 million)

The earthquake that rocked parts ofAfghanistan,India,andPakistaninOctober2005 affected about 3.5 million people,

killingmorethan80,000,andleaving80%offamilieshomeless. The JFPR grant provided immediateassistance to about 56,000 poor and vulnerablehouseholds, comprising about 400,000 people.Whileotherassistanceprovidedemergencyfoodandshelter, the JFPR helped the affected households,especially those in hard-to-reach highland areas,restoretheirmeansoflivelihood.Farmersandtheirfamilies were provided with farming inputs suchas wheat and vegetable seeds, fertilizers, goats andpoultry,andlivestockfeedsandsheds.

The project supported the rehabilitationof community infrastructure destroyed by theearthquake,suchasfieldterraces,linkroadsandfootbridges, irrigation channels, slope protection walls,and water storage tanks. It also trained families inhealthandsanitation.

“We lost everything in the devastation and chaos that followed the earthquake, including our cattle and chickens. But now, thankfully, I have a flock of hens that give eggs and are a source of nourishment and income I thought I would never live to get.”

Saleema, grant recipient

Said Pura, Leepa Valley

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PAPuA NEW GuINEAExtending the Socioeconomic Benefits of an Improved Road Network to Roadside Communities Project ($2.0 million)

Under the ADB-funded Highlands RegionRoad Improvement Investment Program,2,500kilometersoftheHighlands’coreroad

networkarebeingimproved.Marketsandlivelihoodopportunitiesareexpectedtobecomemoreaccessibleand travel time will dramatically decrease, allowingfreerflowofpeopleandresourcesacrossthisregionofthecountry.

Many villages in the Southern Highlands andEnga Provinces, however, will remain unconnectedunlessaccessroadsareaddedtothisnetwork.Usingdo-nou,atraditionalJapanesemethodofpavingroadsbyusingsoilpackedinbagsaswellasotherlocalmaterials,communities are constructing, rehabilitating,and maintaining over 80 kilometers (km) of ruralfeeder roads. The road works are supervised by theJapanesenongovernmentorganization,CommunityRoad Empowerment, which is also constructingcommunity centers, mini-markets, pathways, watersupplyandsanitationsystems,healthcentersandaidposts,andruralelectrificationandrenewableenergysystems.

In addition, at least 400 local communitymembersarereceivingtraininginalternativelivelihoodsand skills, social and health issues particularly HIV/AIDSandsexuallytransmittedinfections,andviolenceagainstwomen; and road safety.Theprojectwill alsopilot test gender responsive transport schemes thatwillgivewomenaccesstosafetransportservicesintheprojectprovinces.

“We are so proud of the project. The roads were neglected for so many years and people had to walk distances to get into public motor vehicles to get to town. We are happy now that we can take cars or public motor vehicles from home.”

Residents of Walupim Village, Enga Province

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“While we were originally supposed to work on the irrigation canals, we were first allowed to clear our farmland. We want to save some money to buy a sewing machine, a cow, a goat, or maybe some chickens. Thank you to the people of Japan from all of us.”

Saroja Dewi, Secretary of the

community-based organization

SrI LANkAPost-Conflict Emergency Assistance for Livelihood Restoration of Resettled Internally Displaced People in the North Project ($2.5 million)

InSriLanka,theJFPRprovidedagranttocreateshort-termincomeopportunitiesformorethan2,600 resettled internally displaced families

in five northern districts in Sri Lanka. The projecthelpedrestoretheirlivelihoodsthroughparticipationin rehabilitating and maintaining 200 km of fieldirrigation canals and100kmof rural access roads,as well as training on agriculture-based skills andmicro-entrepreneurship. Using savings from therehabilitationandmaintenancework,thedisplacedfamilies have been able to restore their livelihoodsandcreatenewsourcesofincome.

According to Yana Dewi, bookkeeper for hercommunity-basedorganization,“Nowitispeacefulhere, and land mines have been cleared.” SarojaDewi,secretaryoftheorganizationadds,“Aftertheconflict,wewentback toour land,but thehouseshadbeendestroyedbythewar,ifnotbyelephants.Thegovernmentgaveushousingmaterialsandsomemoney.We have to start all over. Now we are justlivingonthemoneythatcomesfromthisproject.”

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“After the cold and snowy winter and the rainy spring, the roads generally were damaged, and improvement of rural roads under the JFPR grant had a significant importance in this area, making our life easier and providing easy access to schools, hospitals, and markets for buying and selling of crops, etc.”

Abdurahimi, resident of Loioba Village

Rasht Region

tAjIkIStANCommunity-Based Rural Road Maintenance Project ($1.8 million)

Tajikistan’s road network was constructedbefore the country’s independence in 1991.Withoutadequatefunding,andwithfrequent

floodingandlandslides,theconditionofremoteruralroads, in particular, has become very poor, makingaccesstomanyvillagesverydifficult.

Thisprojectsoughttoreduceruralpovertyandraise the living standards of rural communities byincreasingtheiraccesstobasicservicesandincome-generatingactivities.Atthesametime,itestablisheda sustainable and cost-effective community-basedroadmaintenancesystemintheprojectareas.Over380kmofruralroadsinsixdistrictswereimproved,giving the poor villagers better access to schools,clinics, markets, and regional economic centers.At the same, time, it created more than 85,000person days of employment under 55 local privatecontractors.

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The Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction

The Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) was established in May 2000 and provides direct grant assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable groups in developing member countries (DMCs) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) while fostering long-term socioeconomic development. The grants target poverty reduction initiatives with the direct participation of nongovernment organizations, community groups, and civil society. In 2009, the Government of Japan and ADB expanded the scope of JFPR to include provision of support to DMCs through capacity development, policy and advisory, research and development, and project preparatory technical assistance

About the Asian Development Bank

ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite the region’s many successes, it remains home to two-thirds of the world’s poor: 1.7 billion people who live on less than $2 a day, with 828 million struggling on less than $1.25 a day. ADB is committed to reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.

Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main instruments for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity investments, guarantees, grants, and technical assistance.

For more information, contact

The JFPR TeamOffice of Cofinancing OperationsAsian Development BankTel +63 2 632 6147/632 6727jfpr@adb.orgcofinancing@adb.orgwww.adb.org/jfpr

Publication Stock No. ARM135655-3

April 2013

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