WFP project helps ultra poor people in Gaibandha

A project entitled “Enhance Resilience to Disaster and the Effect of
Climate Change” launched in January, 2013 has created positive impacts
on the ultra poor in the district.The objective of the project designed for two years is to create
working opportunities for the ultra poor of the rural areas to change
and develop their livelihoods side by side with helping them achieve
food security, official sources said.
To create working opportunities for the poor, infrastructural
development activities like river bank protection work to check
erosion, construction and re-construction of road cum embankment,
raising homestead and disaster shelter, excavation and re- excavation
of irrigation drainage canal are being done by them in rural areas.
Besides, the beneficiary workers are being made aware about climate
change and adaptation to changed climatic condition and their capacity
is also built to face climate change related disaster risks like
floods, cyclones and excessive rainfall with minimum losses during the
emergencies through imparting them training under the project.
Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) is implementing the
project at 19 unions of six upazilas here and Eco Social Development
Organization (ESDO) is assisting the department as an cooperative
partner while Government of Bangladesh and Japan assisted World Food
Programme (WFP) are providing the fund, said Dr. Muhammad Shahid Uz
Zaman, executive director of ESDO.
Under the project, a total of 9,500 selected ultra poor women of the
district have been engaged in 50 schemes as workers.  Of those, 28
schemes have already been completed and the rest 22 are progressing
fast, he also said.
The project is formed with two components-foods for assets (FFA) and
food for training (FFT), said Mamunur Rashid, assistant programme
officer of WFP’s sub office, Rangpur.
Each of the beneficiary workers is getting 2 kg of rice, 200 gram of
pulse, 100 gram of oil and TK 58 under FFA component for cutting 1.5
cubic meter of earth per day and 22.50 kgs of rice and cash TK 652 per
month under FFT component, he also said.
Till June 24, 825.55 tons of rice, 80.47 tons of pulse, 40.23 tons of
oil, 12.70 tons of canned fish and TK 1.08 crore have already been
disbursed to the selected workers of the project, said M. Azizul
Islam, district coordinator of ESDO.
Angur Begum, a project beneficiary of Kuptala union, said they have
been passing their days without economical troubles and already
started changing their socio-economic condition through alleviating
poverty gradually since joining the project.
On Sunday, a function on food distribution to the beneficiary workers
was held on the premises of Kuptala union parishad office under Sadar
upazila with UP Chairman Rafiqul Islam Sarker in the chair.
Local lawmaker Mahbub Ara Begum Gini addressed the function as the
chief guest and deputy commissioner Dr. Quazi Anwarul Haque,
superintendent of police M. Sajid Hossain, executive engineer of LGED
M. Belal Hossain, Upazila Chairman Abdur Rashid Sarker and UNO Mamunur
Rashid were present as the special guests.
A large number of people including WFP officials, public
representatives, political leaders, local elite, NGO activists and
journalists were present on the occasion.
(BSS, Gaibandha)

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