RW - FOOD SECURITY

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The project will support the national social action program (Programme National d'Action Sociale - PNAS) which is an integral part of the structural adjustment process. The objectives of the project are to : a) improve the food security and social welfare of the poorest population groups; b) improve the Government's capability to monitor living standards; and c) initiate a long-term poverty alleviation strategy. The project includes four components. The food aid and nutrition component aims at reducing food insecurity and malnutrition through food aid purchased locally and targeted at vulnerable groups (orphans, AIDS afflicted households, pregnant and lactating women, and children); coordinated emergency food relief; and support for a national food policy. The labor based works component will increase the purchasing power of the population of the 43 poorest communes in the country through community-based works including: i) communal road rehabilitation; ii) anti-erosion and land improvement measures such as reforestation; and iii) other public works. The micro-enterprise promotion and development component will: a) promote the creation of profitable micro-enterprises in rural areas; and b) identify potential entrepreneurs. Finally, the social surveys component will aim at strengthening the government's capacities to monitor living standards through surveys and studies and to elaborate relevant social policies.