People across Myanmar continue to face significant challenges driven by conflict, climate shocks, and persistent economic instability. Farmers, small businesses, and informal workers are struggling to maintain stable incomes due to limited access to markets, quality inputs, and relevant skills. Despite these constraints, sectors such as agriculture, textiles, and infrastructure offer strong potential for job creation and sustainable livelihoods – provided they become more inclusive, competitive, and resilient. This programme addresses these needs by strengthening market systems, building skills, and creating lasting economic opportunities, particularly for MSMEs, women, youth, and other vulnerable groups.
This programme supports people in Myanmar in rebuilding their livelihoods by strengthening local market systems in agriculture, textiles, and infrastructure maintenance. Applying a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach, it empowers MSMEs, farmers, and youth through improved skills, enhanced services, and better access to markets. Building on two earlier phases that focused on piloting and scaling vocational training, Phase 3 deepens the impact with a strong emphasis on resilience and local ownership.
Key activities include capacity building of market actors, supporting inclusive value chains, and introducing digital tools – such as the SuBuu app - to enhance access to knowledge and services. The project collaborates closely with private companies, INGOs, NGOs and associations to ensure sustainable impact. Innovations include localized, demand driven models and stronger fostering more inclusive and resilient market systems.
Beneficiaries include MSMEs, farmers, youth, women and textile artisans in targeted locations. By promoting inclusive, competitive, and resilient systems, the project creates long-term opportunities for decent work and income generation.
Vision for Agriculture Sector
A resilient and competitive agriculture sector generates and safeguards jobs and promotes resilient livelihoods for communities across Mon, Southern Shan, and Yangon. Empowered MSMEs and skilled farmers in the black gram, soybean, vegetable, and fertilizer value chains ensure sustainable production, minimize losses, and strengthen access to reliable inputs and markets.
Vision for Textiles Sector
A resilient and competitive textiles sector in Mon, Southern Shan, Mandalay, and Yangon generates inclusive jobs through stronger linkages to domestic and regional export markets. Better skilled MSMEs and home-based producers enhance product quality, expand market access, have more opportunities for value addition, and a sustainable digital ecosystem.
Vision for Infrastructure Maintenance Sector
A resilient and competitive infrastructure maintenance sector in Mon, Southern Shan, Mandalay, and Yangon generates more jobs and contributes to resilient livelihoods. MSMEs, involved in safer construction practices and reliable solar system installation and maintenance services, deliver localized, market-driven technical solutions in earthquake-resilient low-cost housing construction and solar energy technologies.
Phase 3 (2023 - 2027):
As a result, the annual average income across targeted beneficiaries increases by CHF 2.8 million.