BSS, Rangpur :
Thousands of extremely poor people living in the remote char islands in Brahmaputra basin have successfully won over abject poverty through various income generation activities.
They have also improved their life standard through achieving hygienic sanitation and access to pure drinking water, reducing malnutrition of children, women and pregnant women and neonatal deaths substantially.
All these have been possible because of successful implementation of the Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP) that has become a milestone in changing the fate of 1.33 lakh extremely poor living in char islands of ten northwestern districts.
Under the comprehensive livelihoods improvement programme, 5.17 lakh people of 1.33 lakh have-nots group landless char families are now marching forward to become completely self-reliant.
The UK aid through the Department for International Development, Australian Government through Australian Agency for International Development and Government of Bangladesh have been funding implementation of the CLP activities since 2004.
Under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, CLP is being executed by the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division with the management through Maxwell Stamp Plc.
The comprehensive activities are aimed at eradicating extreme poverty of 1.33 lakh char households and improve their livelihood, life standard and change socioeconomic condition by 2016. According to Livelihoods Coordinator of CLP Dr. Mahbub Alam, the local NGOs have been implementing the multi-dimensional CLP activities successfully as partners to achieve the goals.
Executive Director of Rangpur-based Northbengal Institute of Development Studies Dr Syed Samsuzzaman termed the CLP as one of the most effective poverty alleviation programmes to change fortune of the char families.
Monjusree Saha, Head of Programme Coordination of RDRS Bangladesh, one of the implementing partner NGOs, said the CLP has been proved to be very effective for the char households to win over abject poverty. Agriculture and Environment Coordinator Mamunur Rashid of RDRS Bangladesh said the programme is being implemented through GO-NGO collaboration.
“Under the programme, plinths of the beneficiary families were raised first before providing grants, assets, training and assistance to make them self-reliant through income generation activities, boost char economy and improve their livelihoods,” he said.
Legendary freedom fighter Taramon Bibi, Bir Pratik, said the plinth-raising programme of CLP has become very effective for the char people in escaping floods and improving livelihoods through various income generation activities.
Chilmari upazila chairman Shawkat Ali Sarker, Bir Bikram, said the beneficiary have-nots group char people have won over extreme poverty by virtue of the CLP.
“The CLP has been helping the char people in meeting nutritional demand through vegetable farming and ensuring sanitation, hygiene and pure drinking water and family planning,” he said.
Talking to BSS, CLP beneficiaries Akhtera Banu, Shyamoli Rani and Nirmola said they have alleviated poverty through sewing handloom garments, animal husbandry, poultry, dairy, selling labours, homestead gardening, farming vegetables and agri-activities.
Thousands of extremely poor people living in the remote char islands in Brahmaputra basin have successfully won over abject poverty through various income generation activities.
They have also improved their life standard through achieving hygienic sanitation and access to pure drinking water, reducing malnutrition of children, women and pregnant women and neonatal deaths substantially.
All these have been possible because of successful implementation of the Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP) that has become a milestone in changing the fate of 1.33 lakh extremely poor living in char islands of ten northwestern districts.
Under the comprehensive livelihoods improvement programme, 5.17 lakh people of 1.33 lakh have-nots group landless char families are now marching forward to become completely self-reliant.
The UK aid through the Department for International Development, Australian Government through Australian Agency for International Development and Government of Bangladesh have been funding implementation of the CLP activities since 2004.
Under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, CLP is being executed by the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division with the management through Maxwell Stamp Plc.
The comprehensive activities are aimed at eradicating extreme poverty of 1.33 lakh char households and improve their livelihood, life standard and change socioeconomic condition by 2016. According to Livelihoods Coordinator of CLP Dr. Mahbub Alam, the local NGOs have been implementing the multi-dimensional CLP activities successfully as partners to achieve the goals.
Executive Director of Rangpur-based Northbengal Institute of Development Studies Dr Syed Samsuzzaman termed the CLP as one of the most effective poverty alleviation programmes to change fortune of the char families.
Monjusree Saha, Head of Programme Coordination of RDRS Bangladesh, one of the implementing partner NGOs, said the CLP has been proved to be very effective for the char households to win over abject poverty. Agriculture and Environment Coordinator Mamunur Rashid of RDRS Bangladesh said the programme is being implemented through GO-NGO collaboration.
“Under the programme, plinths of the beneficiary families were raised first before providing grants, assets, training and assistance to make them self-reliant through income generation activities, boost char economy and improve their livelihoods,” he said.
Legendary freedom fighter Taramon Bibi, Bir Pratik, said the plinth-raising programme of CLP has become very effective for the char people in escaping floods and improving livelihoods through various income generation activities.
Chilmari upazila chairman Shawkat Ali Sarker, Bir Bikram, said the beneficiary have-nots group char people have won over extreme poverty by virtue of the CLP.
“The CLP has been helping the char people in meeting nutritional demand through vegetable farming and ensuring sanitation, hygiene and pure drinking water and family planning,” he said.
Talking to BSS, CLP beneficiaries Akhtera Banu, Shyamoli Rani and Nirmola said they have alleviated poverty through sewing handloom garments, animal husbandry, poultry, dairy, selling labours, homestead gardening, farming vegetables and agri-activities.
