Local Support Organisations

What are LSOs

Local Support Organisations (LSOs) are central to the ‘Social Mobilisation’ approach of the Rural Support Programmes (RSPs). In a bid to reduce poverty and empower marginalised people especially women, the RSPs mobilise rural communities into a three-tiered structure, which consists of Community Organisations (COs) – neighbourhood level community groups, Village Organisations (VOs) – village level federations of COs, and LSOs – union council level federations of VOs. LSOs are able to carry out community-led development at a much greater level due to the advantage they gain from numbers. As the tertiary tier, LSOs are also uniquely able to develop linkages with government and non-government organisations, donor agencies and the private sector.