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Inception of VGDUP Programme

Title:
Capacity building of VGDUP women and their dependants for improvement of their livelihood

Locations:
Districts: Rangpur, Nilphamari and Gaibandha

Upazilas: Gangachara, Kaunia and Taraganj (Rangpur), Dimla, Domar and Kishoreganj (Nilphamari) and Fulchari, Gobindaganj, Sadullapur and Sunderganj (Gaibandha)

Cost of the action and amount requested from the Contracting Authority

Objectives:
Describe the overall objective(s) to which the action aims to contribute towards and the specific objective that the action aims to achieve.
The main objective of the programme will contribute to the reduction of extreme poverty and food insecurity of the VGDUP women and their dependants, increasing their capacity, establishment of means for income generation and ensuring household food security.
The VGDUP women who are ultra poor have no means of earning in their life due to lack of job opportunities in the region .Consequently job markets for VGDUP women & their dependants are being reduced and they are not well paid. The proposed action will enhance IGA programs and reduce discrimination with male counter part to the whole of ultra poor community. The VGDUP women will increase their purchasing capacity by mobilizing local, regional resources transfer to the ultra poor in the region. Regional resources will be utilized with highest priority because once the resources are mobilized in its full energies the fate of the VGDUP women will be changed to the positive aspect of the social empowerment and development. In this sense the proposed action is relevant coherent with the proposed project objective.

The specific objective is to improve and sustain socio-economic conditions and food security of 22,222 VGDUP direct beneficiaries by sustainable supporting the ultra-poor women with money, savings, training, start-up income generating activities (IGAs) and asset transfer in the targeted areas of Bangladesh through a community based approach to food security.

Food security is the condition in which all people at all times have both physical and economic access to sufficient food to meet their dietary needs for a productive and healthy life. Food security in a particular area depends on various factors- production in agriculture, employment opportunities, income earnings, intrahousehold decision making, resources allocation, health and nutrition care utilization and practices.

In Bangladesh especially in Rajshahi Division under 3 districts respectively–Rangpur, Nilphamari, and Gaibandha are supposed to be near famine because majority people are living under the poverty line termed as ultra poor. A team of ASOD in association with two partner organizations conducted FGD through cluster method in different parts of the ultra poor prone areas in Rangpur, Nilphamari and Gaibandha districts. From discussion with the ultra poor women & their dependants innumerable points of food insecurity have been revealed to the staff of the organizations.

The VGDUP women & their dependents are worst sufferers in various part of the selected area. . The poor & ultra poor are in despair because they have neither land nor means of income in their areas. The price of food is increasing by leaps & bounds and Rangpur, Nilphamari and Gaibandha districts are worst affected by drought, flood, famine & river erosion. Famine and disaster are interlinked because famine engulfs new areas every year and disaster leads in mental anxiety.

As quoted by Hua Due the departing Country Director of ADB, “Bangladesh has huge resources once utilised in proper way Bangladesh would be able to export food grains in foreign countries” In spite of river erosion, disaster, near famine, drought the proposed areas are replete with potential resources. The government has limited capacity to mobilize resources with structured management. The VGDUP women & their dependents have no knowledge of mobilizing local resources into capital due to chronic vulnerability of the women. Lack of mobilizing resources makes them from poorer to the poorest in the areas. Inflation rate is increasing with an average 10%.and price of essential commodities has increased like a mad horse. In tackling the severe crisis of food there must be wider scope of income generation with local resources- sustainable frame for their increasing purchasing capacity.

Good governance is considered to be sine quo non for the development of the society. There is a big gap between the performance of the state & demand of the society. Due to lack of good governance society can not escape from disparity, injustice, corruption deprivation, lawlessness. To reduce poverty at higher rate good governance must be ensured in all level of organs of the governments.

Beneficiaries and estimated number.
Target groups:

• Ultra poor.
• Landless.
• Widows
• Average caloric intake below 1900.
• Migrant women & their dependents.

Direct beneficiaries are 22,222 VGDUP women & their dependants in three districts and they would be selected through qualitative & Quantitative assessment. Due to the above problems the VGDUP women and their dependents are continuously facing challenge for food security.

Overall objective: Access to sustainable Livelihood of VGDUP women.
The proposed action is to improve the livelihood of the VGDUP women and their dependants like safety net programs which they will be able to transfer regional resources in to capital and their purchasing capacity will be enhanced. In the char & riverine belt the ultra poor have been maintaining their life with hard struggle due to unavailable of sustainable opportunities of job market in their regions. Their land is not fixed either because in every month new natural calamities are engulfing their region by destroying their households, cultivated land & crops. In the agricultural sectors revolutionary change or green crops have not been seen due to unavailable of proper technology in agricultural sectors. Huge population remains unemployed for year after year because regional resources are not properly utilized, managed by the concerned agencies of the government. Their per captia income is below 1 dollar a day. One side flood, disaster, famine are leading their life & livelihood to multidimensional phases of food insecurities, another side they have no concrete means of earning. In the char & riverine belt they face challenges of sustaining their standard of life. No opportunities are available by the government so that they can increase their income in sustainable ways. Under this context the proposed overall objective is coherent and relevant to the proposed action.

Specific Objective: Enhance Capacity of the VGDUP women improving livelihood through employment generation
Women are worst sufferers in the monga prone (Near Famine) areas specially those who are widows, landless & unemployed. They have to be rehabilitated by adopting sustainable structure of income generation. Their capacity refers to mobilize regional resources which can provide them income generation. Horticulture, homestead gardening, vegetable productions, cattle rearing, handicrafts developments, tailoring. Awareness on water & sanitation, gender discrimination, human rights will be incorporated to enhance their capacity.

Proper training on skill development, providing credit for micro scale entrepreneurship development will make them stand on their own foot. They will cultivate fish in the ponds or marsh, they will cultivate in their own or other’s land by leasing. 85% ultra poor women & children as compared to richest households are affected by water born diseases like cholera, diarrhoea and dermatological infections. They are not aware on the adverse reaction to the stale water. In most cases intestinal disorders refrain them from work. They are also not aware of their rights in the society consequently they are exploited, dominated and oppressed by the elite people. Their overall participation in concrete base is part & parcel of the proposed action. Due to gender discrimination women have little access to the job markets. By involving them in the main stream of life for capacity enhancement is a challenge to the specific objective of the proposed project.

Outputs and expected results
Expected Results: