Development of Women through Capacity Building and Introducing ICT for Empowerment
A SAMHATI – ESDO Joint Project in Northern Bangladesh

The project was located in the small villages of Betgari and Charani under the Gangachara Thana of Rangpur District (see map1 and see map 2)..  The area for the two villages total 787 acres, and their total population, 5933 persons (2004).  Of these, 3364 were woman with a literacy rate of 4.2% only.  Northern Bangladesh is relatively more backward than the rest of the country.  Until the opening of the Jamuna Bridge a decade ago, it was almost cut off from the rest of the country.  Movement of goods and communication were difficult and time consuming.   The project was conceived to build the capacity of 200 women who would receive training in health, hygiene, income generation activities, recycling domestic waste to organic fertilizer and adult education.  After group training and adult education, the women could sign their own names and take responsible decisions – individually or collectively.  Then micro-credit was made available to them for use as capital to be utilized in a small business for improving their own lives.  About one hundred women saved and took out collateral loans. 

For the first time in a SAMHATI funded project, ICT (Internet and Computer Training)  was offered to girls with a high school education.  This was possible because electricity was available to the Betgari village.  It is located near the main highway from Rangpur. 

SAMHATI’s partner in these development efforts was the Environmental and Social Development Organization (ESDO).  They are a non-governmental organization (NGO) registered with the Government of Bangladesh (GOB).  Dr. Hossain Shariar, Executive Director and Ms Siddika Sultana, Program Director are both dynamic and experienced leaders in grass roots development and micro-credit.  The project period was initially for three years (2004-2006), with a budget of $45,000.  Of this amount, SAMHATI contributed $30,000 and the balance of $15,000 was raised locally by ESDO.  Due to the overwhelming success of the computer training program, ESDO requested funding for two new computers and one laser printer at a cost of $1,885 in April 2005.  The money was made available to ESDO after the Board of Directors of SAMHATI approved the funding.   Later a grant of $5,000 was given to ESDO by SAMHATI for continuation to a fourth year (2007).  The independent auditor’s report for each year is available for inspection by our benefactors.  There are a total of four reports.  For more information on ESDO, visit their web site at www.esdobd.net.

Eco-Village Approach

The project was designed along an Eco-Village or Sustainable Development approach.   ESDO’s Eco-Village project also addressed environmental issues that are preventing the villages in Rangpur to prosper. This project therefore aimed to raise environmental awareness amongst the community, including teaching them skills and knowledge to better manage and preserve their environment.  The project is among a series of Eco-Villages conceived by ESDO.  The others were in Munshiganj and Narayanganj.   

Initially, the major focus of the project included:

Ongoing components of the project included:

Two hundred women were divided in five groups of about 40 each.  Each group learned: (1) Cattle raising and poultry; (2) Aquaculture and bee keeping; (3) Seed and sapling production; (4) Small business like vending, handicrafts and grocery shops; (5) Internet and Computer Training.  The members of the first three groups took adult literacy classes in two centers – Sherpur area (Charani village) and Telmal area (Betgari village).  The members rotated between groups to learn about the different means of livelihood.  All the groups participated in waste collection (kitchen waste, cow and goat droppings, even small pieces of paper) to produce bio-fertilizers and do organic farming.  Ultimately they became self reliant, helped themselves and in a small but important way contributed to the world-wide green movement.  Of course there were some pitfalls.  For example, women attending the adult literacy classes in a yard were rained out during the monsoon season, and the 2005 floods washed away the nursery stock of another group receiving  training in seedling/sapling production.  But the women overcame these setbacks and became productive residents of their community, the region, and productive citizens of Bangladesh.  We are proud to report that 80% of the high school graduates who took computer training are employed and many have moved to other places in Bangladesh.  We will now read about two persons whose lives we were humbly able to touch. 

INSERT by ESDO on stories of two women (Feroza family and Tulen)who had participated in the program.

Conclusion

Evidence suggests that the progressive refinements made by ESDO-SAMHATI over the years towards project implementation may have had a cumulativly beneficial effect.

In this project ESDO was responsible for promoting alternative development and the way out for reduction of poverty. SAMHATI increased its commitment to development by strengthening ESDOs efforts and providing funds.  SAMHATI members regularly monitored the project and visited the sites at least 4 times.  These field visits were made by Noorjahan Bose and Wajeda Rab.

After completion of the project activities it has been recognize by the local community that the women are integral part of economic and social development. Without direct participation of the women, poverty reduction and sustainability cannot be achieved. The project successfully addressed the need of ICT, adult literacy, livelihood training, awareness and responsibility.
The project demonstrated there is no alternative to human development.

The relationship between SAMHATI and ESDO was extremely satisfactory and is still continuing toady on other projects, such as the Katakhali and the Natore Projects.  In order to encourage the younger generation to continue with their studies, a scholarship program is being initiated in the villages of Betgari and Charani through ESDO.  The scholarship program will have an annual budget of $2,000.