Social & Livelihood Support
The focus of the CDSP IV Social and Livelihoods Support (SLS) component lies on the social and economic development of the households situated in the five chars, with a special emphasis on women and children. Approximately 28,000 households were thought to inhabit the five chars; so far 27,654 have been identified.
The support program consists of 8 sub-components: 1. Group formation, Micro-finance and Capacity Building, 2. Health and Family Planning, 3. Water and Sanitation, 4. Legal and Human Rights, 5. Disaster Management and Climate Change 6. Homestead Agriculture and Value Chain Development.7. Poultry & Livestock, and 8. Fisheries.
These sub-components are implemented at field level by four partners NGO’s (PNGO’s). Brac (Char Nangulia, Noler Char, Caring Char, Char Ziauddin), Sagarika Samaj Unnayan Sangstha or SSUS (Char Nangulia, Noler Char, Caring Char), Dwip Unnayan Songstha (Char Nangulia, Noler Char), and the Society for Development Initiatives or DSI (Char Nangulia, Urir Char). Each PNGO works in all the program’s sub-components.
Sub-components
1. Group formation, Micro-finance and Capacity Building
Micro-credits are expected to make a big impact on the livelihoods front. The four selected PNGOs have vast experience with implementing microfinance programs. All households are brought under the program. Participants are investing in livestock, poultry, petty trade, shops and crops. The sub component is covering 26373 (94%) households from all chars, in 984 groups. Almost Tk 108.26 million savings have been collected and almost 85148 loans were disbursed for a total of nearly Tk 1500.24 million. The total member coverage by loans is 94%. Nearly 22101 beneficiaries that are involved with income generating activities received training on their trade from the NGO’s. Loan recovery rate is 100%.
2. Health and Family Planning program
As health services were very poor in the project areas, the project team adopted the National Health Strategy to implement this sub-component.195 Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA’s) were trained for Mother and Child Health care and they get refresher training monthly. 2,600 Local elites received orientation on health care, 130 Village doctors are trained. During the project period 43986 health forums were conducted. ORS, de-worming tablets, contraceptives and micronutrients are distributed on a large scale. 13 Static and mobile clinics are functioning for daily practice, one in each PNGO branch.
3. Water and Sanitation
Access to safe water and sanitation are critical factors for good quality of life. Since the start of the project, access to safe drinking water has improved significantly in the project areas. So far 1297 Deep Tube Wells (DTW’s) have been installed with 1454 Tube well User Groups (TUG’s) established. Two care taker families have been trained for each DTW and have been supplied with a DTW repairing kit. 100% of the char inhabitants now have access to safe drinking water. Additionally 19270 single pit latrines have been distributed to the beneficiary families to improve the sanitation situation on the chars.
4. Legal and Human Rights
The main objective of this program component is to provide group members access to information on 7 basic laws, disseminating the laws through legal literacy classes, raising awareness about legal rights, and empowering the poor, especially women, both legally and socially by encouraging them to take legal action. So far 2300 meetings were held that touched on these essential social subjects. 93 child marriages have been stopped by the community members.
5. Disaster Management and Climate Change
To raise mass awareness on disaster management and climate change in the project area, selected group members are trained on disaster mitigation and preparedness. The trained members disseminate the issues to the other people in the community. 2000 beneficiaries were trained on the subject. Trend of taking shelter is increasing found in Roanu 2014 and Mora in 2017 after hoisting danger signal. Other activities under this component are house strengthening, plinth raising and trainings on improved cooking systems and on bio-digester.
6. Homestead Agriculture and Value Chain Development
This sub-component is implemented to reduce malnutrition and to increase the income of households by agricultural production of beneficiaries through technology transfer, using demonstration plots. So far over 13,520 individuals received training on fruits and vegetables, 7,544 farmers established on high value crops demonstration, 924 farmers produce organic fertilizer and 61 farmers established on high value crop organic demonstration. Rain water harvest to combat salinity in dry season. Additionally 38,940 fruit saplings were distributed among the farmers. CDSP IV also implements a value chain development program to increase the income of farmers through agricultural production and linkage with wholesale markets throughout the country. During inception vegetables & others agri commodities met local consumption supplied from outside the project. After receiving training on value chain development, the project beneficiaries and farmers are now producing a huge quantity of vegetables, pulse &oils fruits etc for their family consumption and selling in retail and wholesale markets. Only in 2016 – 2017a total of 33633 tons of vegetables have been sold in local and wholesale markets at Dhaka, Chittagong, Comilla and other districts through value chain market actors.
7. Poultry and Livestock Program
CDSP-IV is implementing the poultry and livestock program to reduce the poultry and livestock mortality and to increase the income of households by rearing poultry and livestock by proper management and care. 60 poultry workers and 12 paravets were developed within project area. About 3,34,523 poultry birds and 36614 livestock get vaccinated against different infectious and fatal diseases. 18314 sick livestock got necessary primary treatment. 220 beneficiaries were trained on fodder cultivation. 30 demo poultry farmers were (sonali cross breed) developed in project area.
8. Fisheries Program
This program is implemented to improve livelihood and socio-economic status, to enhance protein consumption, to develop knowledge, transfer modern technology, to ensure quality fish seed of char dweller by giving training and using demonstration pond, above all to increase the fish production in the project area for sustainability of fish culture management.
5440 beneficiaries were trained on fish farming under IGA, 1080 fish farmers were trained on model fish farming, 150 members were trained on fish nursery. Total 104.8 kg spawn were released to the 133 nursery ponds and 28150 kg fish feed, 6, 21,800 fingerlings and 18,00,000 Mono sex tilapia were distributed to 1080 model fish farmers prepared ponds as an Input support in the project area. 32, 17,202 fingerlings sold by 133 fish nursurer and total price were tk 49, 29,500 got as an additional income. Total 166.61MT fish were produced from 720 model farmer’s pond and total price was tk. 1, 97, 19,635.