Empowerment in economic terms means gaining access and control of productive resources by people’s organization to meet their basic needs. Projects should not only aim to increase income but should be a means to strengthen their economic bases so they can effectively participate in all process affecting their lives.
The ESRP assists organizations in preparing project feasibility studies, in developing their accounting, bookkeeping, management, auditing and entrepreneurial skills, and in tapping internal and external technical and financial resources to support local initiatives. In essence, economic projects are viewed not as an end of organizing efforts but as a means whereby people can concretize work values such as cooperativism, self-reliance, creativity, resourcefulness, and dignity if labor.
