Practical Action Bangladesh সম্পর্কে
Practical Action Bangladesh
History
Practical Action (formerly Intermediate Technology Development Group) started working in Bangladesh in the early 1980s in response to requests from a number of prominent national NGOs. It has evolved over time to meet the challenges of poverty, inequality and vulnerability. Deeply committed to helping the poor, its work on appropriate technology as a means to improve poor peoples livelihoods, has been flexible and responsive to local conditions and needs.
In 1990 a Bangladesh country office was formally established with its head office in Dhaka. From 1997, Practical Action Bangladesh began implementing large scale programmes in the technology areas of food production, agro-processing, small enterprise development and light engineering.
Practical Action Bangladesh now works directly and through partners in geographically focused areas with high incidence of poverty. It has now established visible programs in Kurigram, Rangpur, Faridpur, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, and also in Bogra, Gazipur, Dinajpur, Barisal and Cox's Bazar districts. The aim is to ultimately scale up successful experiences and achieve positive impact and change in poor peoples lives throughout the country.
Practical Action's work in Bangladesh has evolved over time to meet the challenges of poverty, inequality and vulnerability. Deeply committed to helping the poor in Bangladesh, our work on appropriate technology as a means to improve poor peoples livelihoods has been flexible and responsive to local conditions and needs.
Where we work
We work in Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Sriajganj, Rajbari, Faridpur, Jessore, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Chittagong, Rangamati and Bandarban, with offices in Gaibandha, Rangpur, Faridpur, Sirajgonj, Dinajpur and Gazipur, Cox's Bazar and our head office in Dhaka.
About Pumpkins Against Poverty Project:
Location: Rangpur and Kurigram districts, Bangladesh
Number of beneficiaries: 50,000
Project date: April 2016 - March 2018
Partners: Department of Agricultural Extension of Government of Bangladesh, Uttara Development Programme Society
Principal funders: UKaid
Impact:
Reduce extreme poverty and hunger amongst extremely poor people living on flood protection embankments in north west Bangladesh.
Outcome of the Project:
30,000 extreme poor (60% women) displaced by river erosion and living in flood protection embankments in Rangpur and Kirugram Districts are accessing and utilising sand bars, improved nutrition, and markets to become self sufficient in income and nutritious food.
OUTPUT:
1) 5000 extreme poor households ( 25,000 extreme poor , at least 60% women headed ) negotiating operational access to riverine transitional land raised temporarily in river basins.
2) 6000 extreme poor households ( 30,000 extreme poor , at least 60% women headed ) in two districts trained in pumpkin and livestock farming to enhance economic opportunity and food security
3) 6000 households (30000 individual beneficiary) in 2 districts of northwest Bangladesh are trained to reduce food intake discrimination and access nutritionally balanced meals.
What we’re doing to help
Objective: Transform the lives of 50,000 landless farmers by turning barren land into productive pumpkin fields.
The Pumpkins Against Poverty project is training 50,000 Bangladeshis with no land of their own to grow up to 600 pumpkins a year. With the extra income they earn, they can send their children to school, buy livestock and create a more secure future.
By simply digging holes in sandy residues left by the flooding and filling them with manure, compost and pumpkin seeds, crops can thrive. As well as giving a high yield and being packed full of health benefits, pumpkins can be stored for up to a year, meaning people have a crop both for their familiies and also to sell.
We will be supporting farmers to gain tenure of temporary sand bars and create better markets for them to sell their pumpkins.
The Ministry of Agriculture in Bangladesh want to replicate this model throughout the country, helping alleviate poverty through tens of thousands more people overcoming hunger and increasing their income.