ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

We believe in creating jobs, promoting sustainable livelihoods, and increasing access to opportunities. We galvanize small businesses, provide 21st century skills and vocational training to youth and vulnerable people, and promote urban and rural development, while conserving natural resources.

Generating Employment and Income for Self-Reliance

Employment generation is one of PADF’s main priorities so as to enable self-reliance. Using a variety of approaches, our programs help support micro and medium-size businesses, provide skills training to youth and vulnerable people, improve agricultural conditions and techniques, expand and improve local infrastructure and focus on natural resources conservation. To assure maximum benefits, we work with local residents who are disadvantaged because of economic disparity, civil conflict, racial or ethnic prejudices and lack of access to basic opportunities, ensuring that our programs create the essential conditions for sustainable economic growth.

Developing Micro, Small, Medium, and Community Enterprises

For decades, PADF has supported local businesses with the goal of creating jobs and giving people access to additional income and increased wealth. This is why PADF supports entrepreneurs and the creation of micro, small and community enterprises as a way to improve the capacity of specific communities, particularly the most vulnerable, such as displaced and disadvantaged people. Our programs provide capacity building, training and technical assistance, helping communities implement alternative development and creating new income streams that contribute to their overall development.

Developing Micro, Small, Medium, and Community Enterprises

Implementing Community-Driven Development

The Community-driven development (CDD) strategy transforms the traditional development model by transferring control over resources and decision-making from development organizations to communities. This allows communities to identify their needs and the development options that work best for them. Then they take the lead in carrying out projects that aim to improve their lives. This approach promotes self-reliance, emphasizes transparency and accountability, empowers citizens and creates more responsive local governments. In the decade, CDD has turned local communities into engines of economic growth and job creation through projects that focused on improving livestock reproduction, outfitting fishermen with modern equipment, improving poultry production and setting up artisan and tailor workshops, among others.

Supporting Agriculture and Rural Development

PADF is an acknowledged leader in working with small holders and off farm processors within the value chain transferring technical knowledge of agricultural production and marketing, soil and water conservation, agroforestry, natural resources management. PADF’s agroforestry programs have helped community-based farming organizations raise the incomes of small producers through sustainable agricultural practices that promote soil conservation and reforestation.

Supporting Agriculture and Rural Development

Mobilizing Diaspora Remittances for Development

Diaspora remittances continue to be a strong source of income for millions of people in the Americas. For a decade, PADF has worked with diaspora groups to channel funding for transnational development projects in their communities of origin. Through this approach, U.S.-based immigrant groups direct community remittances to projects that generate jobs and raise family incomes back home. In turn, PADF provides training and capacity-building programs for the partner immigrant groups on prioritizing development needs, raising funds and implementing and evaluating projects they support.