Md. Sazedul Islam :
People with disabilities (PWDs) are the poorest and marginalized in our country. Mainly living in rural areas, they are often deprived of getting benefit from development initiatives. According to Wikipedia, PWDs constitute about 10% of total population in Bangladesh. They are entitled to government support, but programmes have been limited in scope. The question of disability has not been integrated into general development programmes.
Hence, disability inclusive development is essential to ensure that they can participate meaningfully in development processes and policies. In our agricultural sector, there are a lot of opportunities where the PWDs can grow and become successful business persons. Agriculture is a vital sector for many living in poverty, but it is one where the PWDs face some of the greatest prejudice and exclusion.
It is assumed that the PWDs are incapable of doing agricultural works. The general perception held by many is that there has to be something easier, safer, and more profitable than farming or ranching has proven to be a significant hurdle for many farmers and ranchers.
The rights activists said such negative perceptions deny tremendous opportunities for the PWDs to be self-sufficient and productive members of society. The PWDs can be self-reliant through agriculture if there is proper scope.
Two young women, both sisters, residents of a village in Gaibandha district, proved it. The two women with hearing impairment were fully dependent on their brother when they were selected to be part of an EU-funded food security programme. Together with other women, they formed Village Women Group and received training on healthy food, how to start their own vegetable garden and other ways to generate their own income.
With the help of a community member, who is able to speak the local sign language, they were able to fully contribute to the group. They chose to raise chickens. After receiving the birds and training on how to raise chickens, they were soon able to eat and sell the eggs and provided a few hens to another group member.
In return, they received a goat from another group member. With the profit they made, they were able to rent a plot of land and start growing pumpkins. They also kept ducks.
Now, generating their own income, they are no longer fully dependent on their brother. The income generating activities have not only improved their economic status, but also their social status and self-confidence. The story is not an isolated incident. Many others like them became self-reliant through agriculture.
The World Food Summit, organized by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 1996, acknowledged the fundamental contribution to food security by disabled farmers, noting that a large proportion of the disabled people were farmers with responsibility for the food security of their households. Assisting the PWDs is certainly an integral part of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This can be accomplished by integrating the PWDs into sustainable rural development policies and programmes.
FAO stressed on improving income generating and employment opportunities for the PWDs in agriculture and related sectors, and upgrading agricultural production technologies to meet the special requirements of disabled workers. FAO said its initiative in Thailand through Mushroom project proved effective. Mushrooms, one of the most successful projects for the disabled ever implemented by FAO-in Ubon Ratchathani, Northern Thailand – focused upon mushroom production by disabled people.
During the period 1998-2000, over 200 disabled people and relatives were trained in commercial mushroom production, provided with small startup loans and encouraged to establish a small enterprise. Extensive reporting, information exchange and publications resulted. Models have been proposed and/or introduced elsewhere in South-East Asia. It was an excellent result for just US$150,000 investment.
The overall conclusion emerging from FAO’s work in support of disabled people is that, time and again, PWDs are capable of doing and successfully learning and applying new knowledge for income generation and improved livelihoods. Disability is not inability!
FAO stressed on pursuing rights-based approaches to poverty and hunger reduction. It is important that disabled men and women are able to learn by doing, and that the trauma they experience because of their disability is appropriately addressed in programmes and policies. In 2006, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). It was the first to focus explicitly on disability. The CRPD states that all development aid should now be: ‘…inclusive of and accessible to, persons with disabilities’ (Article 32).
In Bangladesh, there are some areas of agriculture where the PWDs can comfortably engage themselves and become economically vibrant, employees, and supporting the effort to ensure food security in our nation. If they are given necessary training and supports, they can do fish cultivation and agro-business. They can run small shop for selling fertilizer, seeds and other agricultural products.
The areas of agricultural practices includes, rearing of grass cutters, poultry, snail, quail, cassava farming and its processing etc. This is achievable through the support from the government to both individuals and co-operative societies formed by PWDs.
The support can be giving of grants and supplying required agricultural input without charges. The government should at all times encourage and sponsor seminars and workshops to boost the knowledge of the (special) farmers on the modern agricultural practices. Our National Agriculture Policy 2018, Coordinated Policy 2009 on Appointment of Fertilizer Dealer and Fertilizer Distribution, Seeds Ordinance 2018, and Disability Rights and Protection Act 2013 did not say anything about empowering the PWDs through agriculture-related works.
These policies and laws should be amended by giving priority to the empowerment of PWDs. Policy support is essential. It is important to include rights-based approach in those polices and laws for empowering the PWDs through agriculture. Steps should be taken up to involve and promote the PWDs in agricultural sector through comprehensive training. The PWDs should have access to loans and it is needed to create online shopping platform to assist them sell their finished products.
The PWDs need intensive training on agro-business, crop production, animal husbandry, cassava processing for baking and pastry making, among others to meet local sustenance and global trends.We should support the PWDs, because there is ability in disability.
Nobody should discriminate them as a result of their disability, but rather there is need for empowering them through agriculture to become entrepreneurs and asset to themselves and the society.
They have competences and creative potentials that are grossly undervalued and unutilized due to stigma. Experience has shown that when the PWDs are empowered adequately to participate and lead the process of development, their entire families, communities and even the larger society will benefit because their involvement creates opportunity for everyone with or without disability in any developmental effort.
The empowerment would reduce hunger from the PWDs through engaging them in agriculture as they would be employed, and at the same time creates income generation for self-reliance.
The PWDs have a right to participate in and benefit from development and their inclusion will help reduce the inequalities that are slowing down progress on the elimination of extreme poverty.
Article 19 of our National Constitution called for ensuring equal opportunities for all the people by removing social and economic inequality. It is hoped that necessary steps would be taken for improving the condition of PWDs in interest of building a better Bangladesh.
People with disabilities (PWDs) are the poorest and marginalized in our country. Mainly living in rural areas, they are often deprived of getting benefit from development initiatives. According to Wikipedia, PWDs constitute about 10% of total population in Bangladesh. They are entitled to government support, but programmes have been limited in scope. The question of disability has not been integrated into general development programmes.
Hence, disability inclusive development is essential to ensure that they can participate meaningfully in development processes and policies. In our agricultural sector, there are a lot of opportunities where the PWDs can grow and become successful business persons. Agriculture is a vital sector for many living in poverty, but it is one where the PWDs face some of the greatest prejudice and exclusion.
It is assumed that the PWDs are incapable of doing agricultural works. The general perception held by many is that there has to be something easier, safer, and more profitable than farming or ranching has proven to be a significant hurdle for many farmers and ranchers.
The rights activists said such negative perceptions deny tremendous opportunities for the PWDs to be self-sufficient and productive members of society. The PWDs can be self-reliant through agriculture if there is proper scope.
Two young women, both sisters, residents of a village in Gaibandha district, proved it. The two women with hearing impairment were fully dependent on their brother when they were selected to be part of an EU-funded food security programme. Together with other women, they formed Village Women Group and received training on healthy food, how to start their own vegetable garden and other ways to generate their own income.
With the help of a community member, who is able to speak the local sign language, they were able to fully contribute to the group. They chose to raise chickens. After receiving the birds and training on how to raise chickens, they were soon able to eat and sell the eggs and provided a few hens to another group member.
In return, they received a goat from another group member. With the profit they made, they were able to rent a plot of land and start growing pumpkins. They also kept ducks.
Now, generating their own income, they are no longer fully dependent on their brother. The income generating activities have not only improved their economic status, but also their social status and self-confidence. The story is not an isolated incident. Many others like them became self-reliant through agriculture.
The World Food Summit, organized by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 1996, acknowledged the fundamental contribution to food security by disabled farmers, noting that a large proportion of the disabled people were farmers with responsibility for the food security of their households. Assisting the PWDs is certainly an integral part of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This can be accomplished by integrating the PWDs into sustainable rural development policies and programmes.
FAO stressed on improving income generating and employment opportunities for the PWDs in agriculture and related sectors, and upgrading agricultural production technologies to meet the special requirements of disabled workers. FAO said its initiative in Thailand through Mushroom project proved effective. Mushrooms, one of the most successful projects for the disabled ever implemented by FAO-in Ubon Ratchathani, Northern Thailand – focused upon mushroom production by disabled people.
During the period 1998-2000, over 200 disabled people and relatives were trained in commercial mushroom production, provided with small startup loans and encouraged to establish a small enterprise. Extensive reporting, information exchange and publications resulted. Models have been proposed and/or introduced elsewhere in South-East Asia. It was an excellent result for just US$150,000 investment.
The overall conclusion emerging from FAO’s work in support of disabled people is that, time and again, PWDs are capable of doing and successfully learning and applying new knowledge for income generation and improved livelihoods. Disability is not inability!
FAO stressed on pursuing rights-based approaches to poverty and hunger reduction. It is important that disabled men and women are able to learn by doing, and that the trauma they experience because of their disability is appropriately addressed in programmes and policies. In 2006, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). It was the first to focus explicitly on disability. The CRPD states that all development aid should now be: ‘…inclusive of and accessible to, persons with disabilities’ (Article 32).
In Bangladesh, there are some areas of agriculture where the PWDs can comfortably engage themselves and become economically vibrant, employees, and supporting the effort to ensure food security in our nation. If they are given necessary training and supports, they can do fish cultivation and agro-business. They can run small shop for selling fertilizer, seeds and other agricultural products.
The areas of agricultural practices includes, rearing of grass cutters, poultry, snail, quail, cassava farming and its processing etc. This is achievable through the support from the government to both individuals and co-operative societies formed by PWDs.
The support can be giving of grants and supplying required agricultural input without charges. The government should at all times encourage and sponsor seminars and workshops to boost the knowledge of the (special) farmers on the modern agricultural practices. Our National Agriculture Policy 2018, Coordinated Policy 2009 on Appointment of Fertilizer Dealer and Fertilizer Distribution, Seeds Ordinance 2018, and Disability Rights and Protection Act 2013 did not say anything about empowering the PWDs through agriculture-related works.
These policies and laws should be amended by giving priority to the empowerment of PWDs. Policy support is essential. It is important to include rights-based approach in those polices and laws for empowering the PWDs through agriculture. Steps should be taken up to involve and promote the PWDs in agricultural sector through comprehensive training. The PWDs should have access to loans and it is needed to create online shopping platform to assist them sell their finished products.
The PWDs need intensive training on agro-business, crop production, animal husbandry, cassava processing for baking and pastry making, among others to meet local sustenance and global trends.We should support the PWDs, because there is ability in disability.
Nobody should discriminate them as a result of their disability, but rather there is need for empowering them through agriculture to become entrepreneurs and asset to themselves and the society.
They have competences and creative potentials that are grossly undervalued and unutilized due to stigma. Experience has shown that when the PWDs are empowered adequately to participate and lead the process of development, their entire families, communities and even the larger society will benefit because their involvement creates opportunity for everyone with or without disability in any developmental effort.
The empowerment would reduce hunger from the PWDs through engaging them in agriculture as they would be employed, and at the same time creates income generation for self-reliance.
The PWDs have a right to participate in and benefit from development and their inclusion will help reduce the inequalities that are slowing down progress on the elimination of extreme poverty.
Article 19 of our National Constitution called for ensuring equal opportunities for all the people by removing social and economic inequality. It is hoped that necessary steps would be taken for improving the condition of PWDs in interest of building a better Bangladesh.
