The forest plays a moderate role as a source of livelihood in the forest-adjacent village of Pokigron in the heart of Suriname. This can be attributed to a lack of access to markets and poor infrastructure as well as to people's desire to engage rapidly in 'modernization'. People prefer making ends meet by combining various sources of non-forest income. These are the main conclusions of a study by Eleonora Zito, student in International Development Studies of the University of Amsterdam, carried out during the first half of 2009. The study, facilitated by Tropenbos International Suriname, was meant to contribute in efforts to reconstruct a village that was virtually abandoned during the armed conflict that raged in the interior from 1986 to 1992.