“Ujjibito” meaning “breathing for new life” is a very remarkably successful project on socio-economic empowerment of the disadvantaged population of Proyas’ working areas. The project titled “Food Security 2012 Bangladesh-Ujjibito” has been implemented since 2013 with funding assistance from European Union (EU) and technical assistance from PKSF. The project is being implemented in 5 Upazillas of of Chapainawabganj district. The main beneficiaries selection critia is the women/female headed ultra-poor households. This project is being implemented through 15 units under 5 Upazilas of Chapainawabganj district. Under this project, Proyas is providing supporting the community mainly in two major areas, like for economic empowerment with IGA training, micro-credit support for various income generating activities (IGAs) and arranging vocational/skills training and for better health. However, it is conducting awareness sessions on food, nutrition, reproductive health, early marriage etc. About 90% of the women received training on tailoring and embroidery are running their business and contributing a lot their family economy. All the households under this component are divided in five IGA clusters and 15 Nutrition villages, where female members of those houselds received training on health and nutrition aspects, were supported with vegetable seeds for household level vegetable gardening through which they meet their day to day nutritional needs. This project provides “risk fund” to beneficiaries to overcome the damages/loses of their income generative activities.
During the year 2017, total 15 women received vocational training on food processing and preservation. All trained women are now being benefited from selling of their mango based products. Proyas has also arranged vocational training for 15 men on electrical house wiring, all are either employed by others (e.g. 5 are employed by Rangpur Foundry Limited-RFL a renowned company of Bangladesh) or self-employed in their technical field locally. All of them are earning BDT 15,000 to 25,000 per month. During the year assistance from such risk fund, 70 families were supported financially and 45 out of those families, who have disable members, were additional supported with one goat each.
training like goat rearing, layer poultry birds rearing, training on vermicompost and its use, beef fattening etc through its own demonstration units as well as providing free vaccination to the livestock and poultry birds of the beneficiary household level. The beneficiaries are being benefitted from this support services and more interestingly the organic cultivation using vermicompost (organic fertilizer) instead of chemical fertilizer is becoming more and more popular amongst the local farmers.
To encourage the community people for organic agricultural development, this project has motivated and trained the interested community people on vermi-compost production and use. At present, there are 135 vermi-compost production units from where they are selling the products to different farmers of the community, by which both the producer and the farmers are being directly benefitted. The demand and interest of producing and using vermi-compost are increasing rapidly.
During this period, through Ujjibito project, Proyas has implemented various activities for economic and skills development and disseminated health and hygiene related message. The project staff have closely monitored the improvement and changing status of health and hygiene related behavior and practice. Following are the detail about the activities under Ujjibito:
- Agricultural Skill Trainin
- Non- Agricultural Skill Training
- Vocational Training
- IGA Support to Ultra-poor Households
- Field Level Capacity/skills Development on Agriculture
- Awareness Sessions & Follow-up visits
- Adolescent Clubs/Kishori Club