SURIDEP Target group

IFAD’s mandate defines its “target group” as rural men and women who: (i) are living in poverty, (ii) are experiencing food insecurity, (iii) have fewer assets and opportunities, (iv) belong to marginalized groups, and (v) are vulnerable to external shocks, in developing countries. Within this broad group, IFAD proactively strives to reach extremely poor people (as defined by MDG 1) who have the potential to take advantage of improved access to assets and opportunities for agricultural production and rural income-generating activities.

The Project targeting strategy takes into consideration the following facts that describe who are the poor in Suriname (MDG Report 2009; MICS 2006; Ministry of Social Affairs; General Bureau of Statistics):

(a)      Incidence of poverty is higher in rural areas;

(b)      The majority of the rural poor are farmers and agricultural laborers;

(c)       The unemployment rate for Suriname was 13% in 2008;

(d)      Of all unemployed persons in Suriname 21.5 were youth (persons aged 15-24), especially young females; and

(e)      Incidence of poverty is higher amongst households headed by single women.

The target group will therefore comprise of: rural young unemployed or self-employed men and women involved in: part-time or full-time (a) small scale farming either of subsistence or market-oriented production, and (b) micro- and small-scale enterprises (agricultural and non-agricultural based).

Table 13: Definition of Project target population and target group
District	Total population (2004)	% poverty	Total poor (target population)	% attended by project	Project target group	Total target group in numbers/ ecological zone	Total target group in %/ ecological zone	Approx. number of communities/districts to be attended
Interior
Marowijne	16,642	80	13,314	10	1,445
Brokopondo	14,215	80	11,372	10	1,140
Sipaliwini (Upper Suriname river)	34,136	80	27,309	5	1,365	3,950		86
Savannah
Para	18,749	50	9,375	10	950	950		24
Coastal
Coronie	2,887	50	1,444	10	145
Saramacca	15,980	50	7,990	10	800
Commewijne	24,649	50	12,325	10	1,155	2,100		35
Total number of direct beneficiaries					7,000			145
Average number of direct beneficiaries by community in Interior: 45 Average number of direct beneficiaries by community in Savannah: 40 Average number of direct beneficiaries by community in Coastal rural area: 60
Total number of communities to be attended by the project: 145
Source: Developed by Project Final Design Mission, 2011.