BSS, Rajshahi :
Over 29,000 people of 6,447 less-income and marginal families in Rajshahi city will get financial and awareness assistance to fight against the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic situation.
Each of 1,345 households will get Taka 5,000 for three months, while each of 680 other families Taka 500 for various income-generating activities like hand-washing point installations and repairing and maintenance of community level physical infrastructures.
Each of 2,400 other households will be given hygiene kits valued at Taka 1,000. Apart from this, 9,100 families will be brought under awareness programmes on how they can protect themselves from infection of the deadly virus.
The support will be given on behalf of two development projects to be implemented in some parts of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) by the Rajshahi Regional office of Caritas Bangladesh.
These were revealed in an inception workshop of the two projects held at city bhaban conference hall on Monday.
City Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton attended and addressed the workshop as chief guest, while Rajshahi Regional Director of Caritas Bangladesh Sukleash George Costa was in the chair.
RCC Panel Mayors Shariful Islam and Tehera Khatun, Chief Executive Officer Dr Sharif Uddin, Chief Health Officer Dr Anjuman Ara and Executive Engineer Nur Islam also spoke.
The meeting was told that the projects titled ‘Humanitarian Assistance to Multi-Hazard Affected Vulnerable People under the Urban Management of Migration due to Climate Change’ and ‘ Supporting vulnerable communities in slums during the COVID-19 pandemic’ will be implemented.
During his concept paper presentations, Dipok Ekka, Programme Officer of Caritas Bangladesh, said German Corporation for International Cooperation will extend financial support to implement the projects.
He said restoration of living and livelihood condition of poor and vulnerable slums dwellers from adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic and other multiple hazards at urban areas is the main thrust of the project.
Another allied objective of the schemes is to strengthen the capacity of poor and vulnerable slum dwellers from adverse impact of pandemic COVID-19 outbreak in urban areas.
As a whole, the projects are intended to sensitize and increase the coping capacity of multiple hazard affected people through awareness campaigns and cash support in slums.
These will also assist COVID-19 affected people through providing awareness message, income generating activities, WASH and infrastructure repairing supports of slum-dwelling families.
In his remarks, Mayor Liton called for proper and effective implementation of the projects so that the target group of households can derive total benefits of those.
