Economic Livelihood Development Project (ELDP)

Economic Livelihood Development Project (ELDP)

Sabalamby Unnayan Samity (SUS) involved with development initiatives with a view to improve the livelihood status of the poor and destitute section of the society. To change the livelihood condition, SUS operate major five components. Economic Livelihood Development Project (ELDP) is one of the core components of SUS development initiatives. ELDP mainly focuses on economic development of the target group.
Goal
To improve the economical status of the group members by promoting agriculture, livestock, fisheries, handicraft production and other micro enterprise activities.

Objectives
• To aware and build up capacity IGA operation of the poor women.
• To involve the women with income earning activities.
• To habituate in savings and accumulate own capital.
• To create alternative/additional income sources.
• To reduce violence against women.
• To increase capacity to access and control over income and decision-making process.
• To increase dignity within the family as well as the society.

Achievements
Economic
55% program participants have taken alternatives IGAs. Food security has been ensured for 75% program participants. 57% can spend money for their children’s education. 50% can take proper treatment from their income. 52% program participants have different types of assets. 25% have purchased cultivable land. 55% have made furniture. 70% dependence reduced. 78% program participants don’t take loan from money-lender.

Social
8% program participants can participate in the arbitration. 32% are invited in social function. 56% know about the importance of unity. 65% are aware on bad effect of early marriage, polygamy, divorce, dowry and they are able to protect on these issues.

Rights and Political
20% program participants can play vital role for establishing their rights in the family and society. 15% are communicating with different govt. institutions for establishing their rights. 40% can participate in the family decision. 95% can cast their votes independently. 25% can demand to elected representatives for implementing the rights.

Skill and health
58% program participants can implement their project directly. 52% can calculate their income and expenditure. 10% are involved with vegetable cultivation including compost preparation. 100% can sign their name. 65% can play vital role for improving the group and solving family problems. 45% are aware on cleanliness. 75% are aware on taking care of pregnant mother and TT vaccination and they have taken TT vaccines. 35% are using sanitary latrine. 35% take nutritious food. 39% are using family planning method.

Income and Food Security for Ultra Poor (IFSUP)
There are 30 types of tribes in Bangladesh. The tribal population is 1205978 and out of which 29311 (Mainly Garo and Hajong) are living at Netrakona. They are deprived from their basic need especially livelihood sector. There are less employment opportunities. Around 80% people are day laborer. So, people migrate to different places for search of work. There is ample scope of introducing appropriate technology for vegetable cultivation but they are not so much interested because they don’t get actual prices of their products due to lack of communication and market facilities. People sometimes illegally cross the border for getting more profit of their products. There is no small industry where they can sell their labor. People are affected by mal-nutrition, malaria and reproductive health diseases due to limitations and lack of awareness. Arsenic is also a severe problem. There is no education on their own language. So, they are far behind regarding information. There is discrimination between men and women. Usually women work outside and men sit idle at home and drink alcohols. Poor people have less access into different resources and service sectors. In this context, with the assistance of European Commission and technical support by NETZ Partnership for development and Justice, Sabalamby Unnayan Samity (SUS) has launched a project named “ Income and Food Security for Ultra Poor (IFSUP) in 2007.

Objective of the project:

Over all objectives:
To contribute to the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger (MDG) in Bangladesh.

Specific Objective:
The income of ultra poor families in Joypurhat, Netrokona, and Rangpur districts increased and sustained at increased level to meet daily nutritional needs.

The project is succeeding in achieving its objectives to each area. The situation as regards awareness and knowledge is to achieve their rights in the family and society and their access into the resources and regarding self confidence of the extreme poor has improved as compared to that prevailing before started to the project. Long working experience of SUS has contributed to the successfully implementation of the project. SUS sound management policy and time-to-time donor contribution has enabled the project to manage its activities with a committed staff.

In 2007, SUS has launched a project named by “Income and Food Security for Ultra Poor (IFSUP) by covering total 2000 households (HH) where 1600 direct and 400 controlled beneficiaries. Among them 786 are adibashies, out of 1600 direct beneficiaries. Percentage of Adibashi is 49.12.

Flood Proofing Project (FPP)
SUS in collaboration with CARE Bangladesh took massive initiative in structural activities at Mohanganj during the years 1998-2002. SUS completed non-structural, traditional, Home Gardening (H/G) plantation & Concentrated Cement (CC) block work. But we failed to complete work of Wave Protection Wall (WPW) & Brick Retaining Wall (BRW) at Bharam purba.



Goal
To reduce the vulnerability of the flood affected people in a sustainable manner.

Objectives
• Target people conserve their assets and resources during and after the flood.
• Households and communities use community resources after the flood.
• Flood vulnerable households improve their hygiene and dietary practices.
• Community committees are organized and effectively maintaining flood proofing initiatives.

Activities are as follows
Structural work
* Group latrine distribution * carried over scheme and * Boat making * Group latrine distribution - No. of latrine distributed: 169

Non-structural work
* Flood Preparedness, Health and Nutrition Education (FPHNE)
* Plantation (Home gardening, plantation, korosh plantation and vegetation)
* Awareness program, * Nursery, * LPS and CBV training, MC, CBV list confirmation: