Income-generating Programmes in Pakistan and Malawi: A Comparative Review

Abstract

This paper reviews income-generating programmes in Pakistan and Malawi organised by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). It compares the different strategies chosen by the NRC regarding project design and the creation of efficient income-generating programmes for refugees. In Pakistan the project design and implementation focused on training and support to income-generating activities based on the traditional artisanal skills of mainly men. In Malawi the programme approach was less conventional as the gender issue was high on the agenda, but the aim of targeting women was constrained by poor project design and implementation. The paper discusses problems involved in creating programmes which can enhance the income of refugees, increase their skills and contribute to self-sufficiency in the country of asylum and eventually upon repatriation.