External intervention hence becomes necessary to break this cycle. PMF currently provides training in business skills, provides tailoring lessons to women, establishes cluster groups and self-help groups within local communities. Provides micro-credit for farming, livestock, and enterprise start-ups. Many of the PMF clients are households in poverty involved in subsistence farming. The poor normal
ly grow low quality wheat or corn that fetches a low price in the market. They mostly grow the same crop every year and the excess supply drive the prices down and the unsold output is subsequently self-consumed. PMF educates poor farmers in growing cash crops such as ginger and musli that return a high yield from the produce, and provides micro-loans to buy good quality seeds and farming equipment such as water pumps. In one example a micro-loan for 10 kg of musli seed (total £75 including interest) has generated a yield of £300. Along with providing economic support to break the poverty cycle, PMF is involved in providing health services and environmental development projects in the region. PMF has established a health care unit for the poor who would otherwise travel long distances to town (around three hours’ journey in some cases) or use other local sources such as witch doctors. PMF is also involved in tree-planting initiatives in the dry lands of the region. This helps maintain the ecological balance in the region.
