Community Empowerment Project (CEP) - Mymensingh (Phase-II)

 

Location: Gouripur, Mymensingh

Donor: SMC and ADRA Sweden

Direct Beneficiaries: 2,500

Indirect Beneficiaries: 10,000

Total Beneficiaries: 12,500

Project Duration: 01/01/2022 - 31/12/2026

Total Budget: BDT. 1,20,91,802.53 (for the year 2023)

NGO Bureau Approval Date: 25/09/2022

NGO Bureau  Approval Reference No. : 03.07.0000.657.68.07.22-725

 

Project Goal: 

 

The Bangladeshi communities overcome poverty through improved socio-economic, healthy, and resilient living conditions by the end of the project intervention (2023).

 

 

Key Activities:

 

• Self-help Groups formation

• Samiti formation and registration

• Capital Raising through savings collection

• Develop awareness of health, literacy, and rights

• Enhance capacity on need-based IGA

• Transfer agriculture technologies

• Adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA)

• Encourage organic farming

• Develop a linkage with the government

• Women and child nutrition 

• Nutrition celebration for community awareness

• Issues-based community awareness event 

• Training on group management capacity building,

• Follow up for the Phase-out area etc.

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Project Description:

 

In Mymensingh, the Community Empowerment Project (CEP) works to improve the living standards of underprivileged communities. The project supported 2,500 women to establish 10 community-based organizations (CBOs) so that they can work together to build various capacities and increase family income. The project helped them to start saving and credit activities among themselves, to empower them with different advocacy training and campaign, to equip them with skills by providing training in a variety of income-generating activities (IGAs) (such as tailoring, handicrafts, cattle rearing, poultry, etc.) in the area. Furthermore, their male counterparts are trained in agricultural technologies.

 

Of the 2,500 targeted women beneficiaries, 2,028 are now participating in IGA activities. As part of this initiative, the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) approach was introduced to the targeted community members. As a result, 518 of the target population are now producing rice in their fields using the SRI method with 25% ~ 30% higher productivity than those obtained using other technologies. The introduction of organic fertilizer (vermicompost), which is now in high demand in the region, helped them to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and generate income. With the project support, the CBOs are approaching formal registration from the government's cooperative department and to be independent.