Gram Bikash Kendra (GBK) is a local-level, non-profit development organization working in the Northwest Region of Bangladesh. Since 1992, GBK has worked as an enabling force for vulnerable section of the community. In particular, GBK's work focuses on women, children and indigenous people. We have strong links with National and international organizations, including HEKS - Switzerland, ICCO - Netherlands, PKSF - Bangladesh, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), Nayantara Communications-Bangladesh and Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).
SEDAB-IGP project
Socio-Economic Development Activities by Income Generating Programme-(SEDAB-IGP).
Background:
Development of socio-economic condition of the community people with especial emphasis on poor, ultra poor, women entrepreneurs and indigenous people are is an important issue of the organization in its development activities. From the very inception, GBK is implementing the Socio-Economic Development Activities By Income Generating Activities (SEDAB-IGP) programme. This programme mainly deals with awareness raising, institutional building, savings accumulation, technical skill development of income generating activities/enterprises, technical support, supervison and business development.
Programme Goal:
Increase poor and hardcore poor peoples’ participation in the power process through their socio-economic development.
Objectives of the programme:
• Organize and unite the poor people and hardcore poor people
• Building their social, health, education, civic awareness through continuous development education
• Capital formation through small savings for economic development
• Developing people in identifying their own problems and initiate the problems themselves
• Motivate them to participate in the social and state events and responsibilities
• Creating self employment through credit support in their income generation activities/ business/enterprise
• Developing leadership skill through participation process
• Inspire and motivate people for forestry and use of sanitary latrine
• Assist to create congenial atmosphere in the society for both women and men
Working area of the programme:
The SEDAB-IGP is being implemented in 1500 village/communities under 175 union/ municipalities Of 17 Upazila under 4 northern district of Bangladesh.
Programme partner:
Palli Karma Shahayak Foundation (PKSF), Dhaka is GBK’s main partner in this programme from where GBK lend money and provide credit support towards the group members for their income generation activity implementation. However, other partner and sponsoring agencies including ADB, department of livestock, and department of fisheries are also involved in this programme for their technical and other supports.
Components in the programme:
The SEDAB-IGP programme is being implemented through the following components of the programme-
(a) Rural Micro credit -RMC
(b) Urban Micro credit-RMC
(c) Ultra Poor Programme-UPP
(d) Micro Enterprise-ME
(e) Participatory Livestock Development Project2- PLDP-2
(f) Seasonal Credit-SC
(g) Disaster Management-DM
Programme Implementation strategy:
The SEDAB-IGP programme is implemented through formation and development of groups known as “shomittees”. Generally a group consists of 20-30 women members; however there are also men gropes formed. Each of the groups meets together with one of GBK’s micro finance programme Development Organizer (DO) at a fixed place within their community. One member of the group is selected as main facilitator and another one as assistant facilitator and they facilitate their meetings mainly. Group members keep all the records of their meeting with the assistance of the GBK’s DO. During the meeting, various development issues including- health awareness, sanitation, nutrition, education, woman and child rights’ and the environment are discussed. They also take part in discussion about their income generation scheme and savings and loan related issues. Sometimes the group members take different social/special initiatives together i.e. marriage registration, birth and death registration, immunization and social forestation activities.
Program Management:
The whole program is managed by one Programme Manager-PM who is overall responsible for the programme under the direct guidance of the director of the organization. The PM is assisted by two Zonal Managers (ZM), 6 Regional Managers and 37 branch Managers. Each of the Branch Managers is responsible for their respective branch. Each branch offices are consisting of one branch manager, one supervisor (accounts and field) and 6 development organizers. There are 298 staff members in the entire programme among which 26 are women and the remaining 272 are men.
The development organizers are the key staffs at the field level who assist in forming and nursing groups and play an important role to keep the group dynamics. The GBK internal audit team, training cell and monitoring cell provide regular support to run the program in an effective and appropriate manner.
Other Changes among the group member’s families:
Use of Latrine:
Health and sanitation awareness building among the group member’s families is one o\f the most important activity that GBK do through weekly group meetings. As a result of these awareness information, the group member’s are trying to improve their family health and hygiene practice and behaviors. Our report says that, a total of 15142 (18%) group member’s families have been installed latrine. Total 60568 members from these families use latrine and only 18154 (30%) member wash hand after use of latrine with soap or ash. However, the numbers of latrine user families and people wash hand (using soap/ash) after latrine use will still have to be increased through awareness increasing.
Tree plantation:
Awareness rising about environmental degradation and its prevention is also done during the group meetings. The group members are using their even small space of land/homestead place for tree plantation. Not only the timber or fruits tree, but also they are planting herbal trees as well. Through this activity, the group members are contributing a lot in improving our environmental and this is also building a strong base of their family economy. During the reporting year, a total of 40343 trees including 22180 fruits, 15021 timber and 3142 herbal trees have been planted by the group member’s families.
Group Member’s Child Education:
The SEDAB-IGP programme bringing not only the financial solvency of the group members, but also it also contributing a lot in education of the group members children. Number of school/college going children among the group members families are increasing. In the reporting year, the group member’s family’s child education status was-
Representation in the local Government:
Local government has very important role in dealing the local issues of the community people. Union Parishad (UP) is the smallest and nearest unit of local government in rural Bangladesh. There is an important opportunity to serve the own community people through being elected representative of UP. Total 7 members from different groups (among which 2 are women are 5 men) of SEDAB-IGP have been elected as UP members in different Union Parishad. They are performing their role effectively in the respective community and UP.