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Financial Inclusion ANNUAL REPORT 2020 I LIFT Annual Report 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 2020 II III LIFT Annual Report 2020 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ADB Asian Development Bank LBVD Livestock Breeding and Veterinary ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Department CBO Community-based Organisation We thank the governments of Australia, Canada, the European Union, LEARN Leveraging Essential Nutrition Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and CSO Civil Society Organisation Actions To Reduce Malnutrition project the United States of America for their kind contributions to improving the livelihoods and food security of rural poor people in Myanmar. Their DAR Department of Agricultural MAM Moderate acute malnutrition support to the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT) is gratefully Research acknowledged. M&E Monitoring and evaluation DC Donor Consortium MADB Myanmar Agriculture Department of Agriculture Development Bank DISCLAIMER DoA DoF Department of Fisheries MEAL Monitoring, evaluation, This document is based on information from projects funded by LIFT in accountability and learning 2020 and supported with financial assistance from Australia, Canada, the DRD Department for Rural European Union, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Development MoALI Ministry of Agriculture, Kingdom, and the United States of America. The views expressed herein Livestock and Irrigation should not be taken to reflect the official opinion of the LIFT donors. DSW Department of Social Welfare MoE Ministry of Education Exchange rate: This report converts MMK into USD at 1,390:1, which was FMO Fund Management Office the average exchange rate for 2020. MoHS Ministry of Health and Sports FB Fund Board This report builds on LIFT’s previous annual reports, which can be found MoNREC Ministry of Natural Resources at www.lift-fund.org/publications FDI Foreign Direct Investment and Environmental Conservation FRD Financial Regulatory Department MIYCF Maternal and infant and young child feeding THE LIVELIHOODS AND HH Households MUAC Mid-upper arm circumference FOOD SECURITY FUND IDP Internally Displaced Person NNC National Nutrition Centre UNOPS Fund Management Office IEC Information, education and 12(O) Pyi Thu Lane, 7 Mile, Mayangone Township, Yangon, Myanmar communication SAM Severe acute malnutrition Phone: +95 1 65 7280~87, Fax: +95 1 65 72 79 Email: [email protected] IMAM Integrated management SBCC Social and behaviour change lift-fund.org | facebook.com/liftfund of acute malnutrition communication IP Implementing Partner WASH Water, sanitation & hygiene IV V LIFT Annual Report 2020 01 Introduction 1 06 Cross-cutting areas areas 213 6.1 Policy 215 6.2 Localisation 231 6.3 Social Protection 243 02 Executive Summary 4 6.4 Gender 259 03 Results 11 07 Fund management 263 3.1 Introduction 11 7.1 LIFT governance 265 3.2 LIFT’s programme-level 7.2 Allocation of LIFT funds 268 indicator results and 7.3 Fund flow and partner achievements 16 performance 274 7.4 Finance 274 7.5 Monitoring and evaluation 04 Thematic programmes 59 CONTENTS for accountability 4.1 Nutrition 61 and learning (MEAL) 275 4.2 Financial inclusion and 7.6 Communications 277 private sector partnerships 93 4.3 Agriculture markets and food systems 119 08 Value for money 285 4.4 Decent work and labour mobility 131 09 Annexes 295 05 Conflict-affected areas 1. LIFT project locations 296 2. Ongoing projects in 2020 298 5.1 Rakhine 171 3. COVID-19 response funding 301 5.2 North East: Kachin and 4. Project updates 302 northern Shans State 183 5 Financial Inclusion partners 315 5.3 The South-East 201 6. Policy engagement 316 VI VII LIFT Annual Report 2020 ANNUAL ANNUAL REPORT 2020 REPORT VIII IX LIFT Annual Report 2020 01 WORKING FOR INCLUSIVE AND TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE The multi-donor Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT) has been present in Myanmar for 11 years, supporting Myanmar’s people to reach their full economic potential and increase their resilience through improved nutrition, income diversification and skills development. LIFT’s 2019-2023 strategic period intensifies LIFT’s focus on inclusion of the most vulnerable through four strategic shifts: » Increase focus on inclusion and social cohesion » Intensify efforts on gender equality and women’s empowerment » Increase geographical focus on ethnic/border states and conflict- affected areas » Bring internally displaced people and returnees into LIFT’s development programmes LIFT’s differentiated livelihoods strategy to help families across Myanmar to ‘step up’, ‘step out’ or ‘hang in’ remains a centrepiece of LIFT’s work in INTRODUCTION 2019-2023. LIFT’s strategy and programming is presented thematically - Nutrition, Financial Inclusion, Agriculture, Markets and Food Systems and Decent Work and Labour Mobility - with each thematic area contributing to changes at the policy, system and household/individual level. LIFT’s cross-cutting work on policy, civil society strengthening, gender and social protection continue. LIFT’s four thematic programmes guided much of LIFT’s work throughout 2020: The priority of LIFT’s Nutrition Programme is to reduce stunting in children aged under five years. In Myanmar, one in three children below five years is stunted and the first 1,000 Days is a window of opportunity to ensure the good nutrition necessary for optimal growth, development and health throughout life. When addressed at scale, good nutrition can transform economies. Since 2014, LIFT has established itself as a 1 Executive Summary LIFT Annual Report 2020 leader, coordinator and catalyst on improving nutrition in Myanmar, In this 2019-2023 phase, LIFT intensifies its focus on the most vulnerable piloting maternal and child cash transfers (MCCT) in several areas of the in the ethnic/border states and conflict-affected areas. LIFT aims to country leading to the Government’s ownership of a universal MCCT support more sustainable and robust approaches to poverty and hunger programme that includes conflict-affected areas and ethnic border reduction for communities in protracted crises and marginal areas; regions, playing a key role in supporting the Government’s development bring internally displaced persons and returnees into its development of the Multi-Sectoral National Plan of Action for Nutrition (MS-NPAN), programmes by supporting the humanitarian development transition; and intensifying our focus on nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive contribute to improved nutritional outcomes; help displaced people approaches proven to have a positive impact on nutrition outcomes of secure jobs and income, and prevent exploitation, providing protection children, adolescents and women. services to victims of trafficking and building cohesion with host communities. LIFT’s Financial Inclusion Programme works to ensure that the most vulnerable people in villages and wards across the country, irrespective COVID-19 hit Myanmar in March 2020 and demanded flexibility and of their economic and social status, can benefit from a developing rural action. LIFT and our partners quickly responded and pivoted existing financial market. Large sections of the population remain unserved or resources to deliver immediate preparedness and prevention activities underserved, yet socially responsible and inclusive financial services can in support of the most vulnerable. Projects adapted to COVID-19 provide a wide range of benefits to individuals and the economy. LIFT’s restrictions and continued to deliver their planned activities under LIFT’s Financial Inclusion Programme’s microfinance partners have had strong thematic programmes and cross-cutting areas of work. reach across Myanmar since 2014 and changes in the financial sector and the rapid rise of mobile phone ownership opened considerable Civil society navigated well through the difficult context of COVID-19 in opportunities to introduce savings and digital financial services. The 2020 and civil society delivered on the vast majority of LIFT’s results. Financial Inclusion Programme 2019-2023 continues to support LIFT was informed by their updates and insights and LIFT committed to microfinance institutions, including expansion of the capital markets, supporting the emerging needs prioritised by communities that were expanding pro-poor financial services, mobilising savings, supporting in line with LIFT’s goals. LIFT developed five localisation goals, aimed agribusinesses and enabling the policy environment for inclusive, at increasing our direct and explicit efforts to promote and support socially responsible financial services. localisation, and this will remain a priority throughout 2019-2023. LIFT’s Agriculture, Markets and Food Systems Programme explicitly LIFT support, amounting to USD 579 million, has reached around 12.8 seeks to address women’s empowerment and gender equality as million rural people, roughly 38 per cent of the country’s rural population. women often face difficulties accessing finance, market information, LIFT’s geographic coverage is wide, reaching 255 townships in 2020. extension services and entering higher growth markets. The agricultural LIFT’s partners, implementing programmes across the country, are local sector contributes approximately 30 per cent to gross domestic product, and international non-government organisations, UN agencies, civil second only to the services sector in its contribution to economic growth. society actors, academic and research bodies, and the private sector. While there is considerable potential for production and productivity LIFT provides technical support and guidance
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