- Rural Economic Development
Food-and-Cash-For-Work (FCFW) Programme is part of the programmes implemented by the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development (MURD) under the National Rural Development Policy (NRDP) to bring about social cohesion, building stable rural communities with viable institutions, and to bring about sustainable societies so as to attract and retain skilled and knowledgeable people who are equipped to contribute to growth and development of Namibia as a whole and rural areas in particular. FCWF was initiated immediately after independence to assist unemployed able-bodied adults who are willing to work for the development of their communities and in return, the MURD compensates them with food items and sometimes cash payments. The main projects implemented under FCWF are poultry farming, livestock farming, construction of classrooms, vegetable growing, kindergartens, earth dams, de-bushing, and construction of bridges.
The evaluation sought to evaluate the impact of Food/Cash for Work programmes implemented by Ministry of Urban and Rural Development. Overall, FCFW programmes were aimed at reducing poverty among the rural poor communities; create and maintain rural infrastructure that the communities can use to further their socio-economic development; create short-term employment opportunities for the rural communities, especially employed, able-bodied adults and the youth; ensure household food security and income generation; and to ensure equal participation for men and women.