1,500 corona-hit families get assistance in Rajshahi

Around 1,500 marginalised households, hardest hit by the adverse impact of Covid-19 are getting humanitarian support, including monetary and income-generating training and assets as emergency response, in the region over the last year.

The stimulus support is being given with the intervention of a project titled "Resilience to Economic Volatility of Indigenous and Vulnerable Populations through Empowerment (REVIVE)" so that the beneficiary households can recoup their losses caused by the pandemic.

They are also being motivated to improve hygiene practices for protecting them from infection by the deadly virus by providing 1,500 hand washing devices. The project is being implemented in six unions of Nachole and Gomostapur upazilas in Chapainawabganj district, said Narayan Chandra, Coordinator of the project.

DASCOH Foundation has been implementing the project in cooperation with HEKS/EPER supported by Switzerland since July last year for contributing to the holistic development of disadvantaged communities, including 80 per cent ethnic minorities. The ultimate goal of the two-year project is to contribute to the economic recovery and resilience of indigenous and other marginalised communities.

Narayan Chandra said they have divided the beneficiary households into 50 groups by primary selection of beneficiaries through social mapping, wellbeing ranking and prioritisation for successful implementation of the project. Each of the households was brought under cash incentives worth Tk 4,000. They are being imparted training on various income-generating activities, including agriculture, vegetable farming, homestead gardening, fisheries, livestock, vermicompost and horticulture, based on their interest and choice.

Apart from this, the beneficiaries are being given post-training materials and logistic support so that they can engage themselves in income-generating activities for improving their living and livelihood conditions after the best use of their knowledge acquired from the training.

Monika Mardi, a resident of Sonaichondi Mahali para in Nachole upazila of Chapainawabgonj district, has become an income generator. Among many other beneficiaries, she is now involved in the manufacturing and selling of bamboo baskets after getting financial support from the project.