Project Name: Capacity development of summer vegetable farmers to promote safe vegetables for consumers (AVC) Project

Project Introduction:

The proposed project will achieve broad-based economic growth thus enhancing long-term food security in the project areas by applying a market systems approach. This approach will be sustainable – i.e., capable of continuing to achieve results after the life of activity. The market systems approach will transform targeted agricultural value chains to increase on and off-farm income at the household level. The project will also increase key investments in value chain innovation and build capacity of local organizations to ensure that value chain upgrading is private-sector driven and sustainable in the long term reflecting USAID’s emphasis on locally-led and implemented development efforts. The project goal statement is “Improved food security through strengthened agricultural value chains.”

Prevalent practices in vegetables production and post-harvest in Jessore have become major concerns due to high usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides harmful for human consumption. As a result, a segment of conscious consumers no longer buys vegetables from markets unless they are sure that the produce comes from a safe source. The project will be increased awareness of consumers in food safety has created an opportunity for marketing and  branding  of Southern crops as safe commodities, if the producers follow safe production and post-harvest management practices. The project wants to promote best practices in farming of high yielding varieties of summer vegetables (Bitter gourd, pointed gourd and Eggplant). The focus of AVC interventions is to create an increased access to and availability of safe crops in local, regional, and national markets. This will contribute significantly to accomplishing enhanced access to safe food and increased food security in the Southern Delta of Bangladesh especially in Jessore. Within the summer vegetable basket DAM focus is on three crops namely Bitter gourd, Pointed gourd and Eggplant.

Project Agreement Number: PO-Dhaka-0107

Overall Objective:

DAI seeks to partner with Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) to build the capacity of 5000 summer vegetable farmers in selected southern districts. Through the fixed price contract, DAI will exclusively aim at introducing and promoting improved and safe cultivation (using IPM technologies) and post-harvest practices among 5,000 summer vegetable farmers. An awarded firm should engage with minimum 5000 farmers. The awarded firms will select farmers and organize them in groups, conduct 2 days training for the farmers on modern cultivation and post-harvest management techniques. A brief detail on the training modality is attached as annex. The awarded firms will need to collect data and register farmers using AVC prescribed registration book and submit both hard copy and soft copy to AVC.

Specific Objectives:

Outputs:

AVC takes a market systems approach designed to achieve the following systemic results :

• Crowd-in new actors by building broader and deeper commercially grounded networks;
• e., increasing the attractiveness for new entrants to establish more effective relationships in the market system, interconnected markets and/or enabling environments Foster competition based on upgrading; i.e., increased productivity, increased investments,
• increased efficiencies, etc. Improve credibility of and confidence in market mechanisms by making benefit flows to all
• market actors more transparent , and more appropriate; Support key end market factors that will increase competitiveness – product, operations;
• e., improve the specific market system products and operations required to increase the capacity of the industry to differentiate itself from its competitors.

Project Components: Modern cultivation techniques, post-harvest management and input market linkage

Major Activities:

To introduce the modern cultivation techniques, post-harvest management and input/forward market linkages, the following activities and steps are required:

Activity-1: Staffs orientation and staff meeting

Organize day long staff orientation on project goal, objectives, activities and M&E systems

• provided by AVC Coach and counsel staff for implementation of project activities
• Organize monthly staff meeting for views & information sharing and planning

Activity- 2: Identify and select summer vegetables farmers and organize producer groups Select working area in Jessore or Barisal region. Select minimum 5000 summer vegetables

• farmers and form groups constituting of 25 to 30 farmers in each group (cluster approach) through meeting. Collect data on farmers’ profile information (production, yield, income, area of cultivation, etc.) using the AVC prescribed registration format. Bidder should specify number of farmers working for one or more than one summer
• vegetable crops. However, same farmer cannot be engaged in multiple crops within the summer basket. Assist AVC’s M&E team in verifying sample of farmers’ data and finalize the farmers group as and when required

Activity- 3: Facilitate farmers Training Hire trainers in association with the AVC team. The number of trainers has to be rational with the proposed number of farmers that an awarded firm intends to work with. The awarded firm will be responsible for conducting the Training of Trainers (ToTs) for the hired trainers. The ToTs will have to be delivered by high quality trainer/ consultant Organize and conduct 2-day farmers’ trainings in Jessore and/or Barisal region. Ensure appropriate logistics support is provided for conducting the trainings

• Ensure trainees’/farmers’ timely participation in the trainings
• Ensure trainings are of quality and monitoring mechanisms are in place
• Prepare and submit complete training reports separately with required deliverables

Project Participants (Direct):  5000 summer vegetable Farmers.

Project Duration: 01 March 2016 to 31 October 2016

Financial partner (Donor): Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI)

Implementing partner (if any): N/A

Project Location/s and number of Field offices:  Jessore: Jessore Sadar, Bagarpara and Sharsha Upazila, Satkhira: Kolaroa Upazila

Project Budget : BDT 8,767,880

Number of project staffs and volunteers : 11

Contact Person: Md. Shadiqur Rahman, Project Manager

Email: shadiqurrahman@yahoo.com,    Cell : 01811480010

http://www.dfed.org.bd

Project Introduction: The vulnerable group development programme is the largest social safety net programme of the Government of Bangladesh that exclusive target ultra poor household. About 750000 direct ultra poor participants across the country receive monthly food ration for the house hold and development support service inclusive of life skill and income generating skill training saving and access to credit for a cycle in486 Upazilla.To ensure sustainability of development result and to provide women with opportunities o further improve their livelihoods VGD participants are mainstreamed into regular NGO development programme.

Project Agreement Number: 6833454

Overall Objective: The Main objective are to build up the income earning capacities of VGD women and the social Empower them through training and awareness.

Specific Objectives: To ensure sustainability of development result and provide women with opportunities further improve their livelihood’s.

Outputs: The development support services consists of providing training on awareness and income generating activity

Project Components: The provision of development support service to women under the vulnerable group development programme

Major Activities:

• Awareness training provide to the VGD women
• Provide IGA training
• Saving collection

Children(0-10)		Adolescent(11-17)		Youth(18-25)		Adult(26-60)		Senior Citizen(61+)
M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F
						2880

Project Duration : March-2015 to December-2016

Financial partner (Donor): Department of Women Affairs

Implementing partner (if any): Dhaka Ahsania Mission

Project Location/s and number of Field Offices:  Juri, Kulaura & Barlekha Upazila under Moulvibazar district and 1 field office at Kulaura.

Project Budget: 2,448,000/-

Number of project staffs and volunteers :

Staff (Regular)		Paid Volunteer		Non-Paid Volunteer
M	F	M	F	M	F
4	3

Contact Person: ARM Sharif Hossain, Programme Officer

Email:arms.hossain@ahsanimission.org.bd  Cell : 01817543097

Project Introduction:

The overall goal of SHOUHARDO II is to transform the lives of women and men in 370,000 households in 11 of the poorest and most marginalized Districts by reducing their vulnerability to food insecurity. The Program will target the poor and extreme poor (PEP) populations and address availability, access and utilization issues of food insecurity as well as the underlying causes, which include social injustice and discrimination, lack of participation and voice, and heightened vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change. SHOUHARDO II’s design is consistent with CARE’s Unifying Program Framework for Poverty Eradication and Social Justice, and there is complementarily between the CARE Framework and Food for Peace’s “An Expanded Conceptual Framework for Understanding Food Insecurity”. Lessons learned from CARE’s food security work, including its very successful current Title II Program – SHOUHARDO (where “stunting” among children 6 to 24 months was reduced by 30%), have been applied to SHOUHARDO II, thus contributing to the continual evolution of CARE’s food security programming. Over the next five years, the Program will expand its approaches to address food security and sustainability, with support from government service providers, and build greater private sector engagement with the PEP of Bangladesh.

SHOUHARDO II will target 30 Upazilas in 11 Districts, which include northern and mid riverine chars, the northeastern haor areas, and the Cox’s Bazaar coastal belt. Within Upazilas, it will select Union Parishads (UP) with the highest concentration of PEP, high levels of chronic food insecurity, and high risk from natural disasters. This is in line with the USAID Office of Food for Peace (FFP) Bangladesh Food Security Country Framework, FY 2010-2014; and the livelihood assessments of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB), World Bank and the World Food Program (WFP).

Activities will be mainly targeted to the PEP, including improving livelihoods through food production and alternative incomes, and improving health, hygiene and nutrition (HHN) practices. These will empower PEP to participate in decision-making affecting them, helping service providers become more responsive to the needs of the PEP, and ensuring they receive entitlements that are their rights as citizens. In turn communities will be supported to prepare and respond to disasters and adapt to the increasing impact of climate change.

Project Agreement Number: 2011-395-094-508 & 509-08

Overall Objective: Transform the lives of 370,000 poor and Extreme Poor (PEP) households in 11 of the poorest and most marginalized districts in Bangladesh by reducing their vulnerability to food insecurity.

Specific Objectives: Dhaka Ahsania Mission SHOUHARDO II Program proceed with 5(five) strategic objectives. Such as Strategic Objective (SO)are as follows :

SO 1: “Availability of” and “access to” nutritious foods enhanced and protected for 370,000 PEP households

SO 2: Improved health, hygiene and nutrition status of 176,706 children under 2 years of age

SO 3: PEP women and adolescent girls empowered in their families, communities and Union Parishad

SO 4: Local elected bodies and government service provider’s responsiveness and accountability to the PEP increased

SO 5: Targeted community members and government institutions are better prepared for, mitigate, and respond to disasters and adapt to climate change

Outputs: Direct result of process Product of Project activities

Project Components: 1.Agricultural Sector Capacity 2. Civil Participation 3. Basic Education 4. Capacity Building, Preparedness and Planning 5. Maternal & Child Health 6. Nutrition 7. Strengthen Micro Enterprise Productivity 8. Water Supply and Sanitation & Social Assistance 9. Materials and Equipment for Beneficiaries 10. Assistance and Recovery

Major Activities:

• 2 day non residential technical and production training for PEP on Field crop.
• 3 days non residential Technical and production training for PEP on CHD activities at Village Level.
• 2 days non residential training on Technical and production training for PEP on fisheries activities at Union Level
• 2 days residential Training to the positive deviant farmer (PDF) at District Level.
• Demo plot establishment & maintaining & Field day observation.
• Cross Visit of COG participants.
• Organize half day WS to link PEP with NBDs.
• Interactive discussion meeting with various institution and service providers (Legal & medical VAW related issues), including local religious leaders for women empowerment and reduce VAW, at Union level.
• Mobilize communities of Domestic Violence legislation.
• Organize Quarterly coordination of EVAW committee and NNPC at Union level.
• Youth campaign (engage adolescent boys and girls to reduce VAW).
• Cross visit for selected EKATA and ECCD Volunteers (Intra region).
• Participate “People’s Organization convention-2013” 2 days convention at National level.
• Quarterly Half day Facilitate regular DMC meetings in targeted Union.
• Undertake Community Awareness Activities at Union level.
• Half day, Quarterly Union Disaster Volunteers (DV) Meeting at union level.
• Observance of National Disaster Preparedness Day.
• Half yearly Coordination meeting with Union Health and Family Planning staffs to have exercise on service availability and accessibility.
• Capacity building for targeted vocational beneficiaries.
• Half yearly One day Mobilize and Monitor the collectors according to routes identified.
• Facilitate Union Development Coordination Committee (UDCC) meeting.

Project Participants (Direct):

Children(0-10)		Adolescent(11-17)		Youth(18-25)		Adult(26-60)		Senior Citizen(61+)
Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
–	–	–	–	–	–	10148	17374	459	539

Project Duration: March 2011 to February 2015

Financial partner (Donor): USAID, Bangladesh Government

Project Location/s and number of Field offices: Phulpur & Nandail Upazila and Number of field is also two Phulpur & Nandail

Project Budget: Total BDT. 38,438,283

Number of project staffs and volunteers:

Staff (Regular)		Paid Volunteer		Non-Paid Volunteer
Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
47	05	90	218	198	198

Contact Person : Md. Mukhlesur Rahman, Program Manager

Email & Cell : mokles@ahsaniamission.org.bd, 01715-496782

Title of the project: Early Recovery of Extreme Poor Flood Victims Project

Project Introduction:

Dhaka Ahsania Mission is implementing “Early Recovery of  Extreme Poor Flood Victims Project”  funded by Swiss Solidarity, in Jamalpur district from January 2018 under the leadership of HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation with a view to generate some income of the severely affected farmers (on & off farm) to recover from the shock through the project activities.

Project Objectives: 

To contribute to improve the resilience of 2800 flood affected extreme poor household of Gaibanda (1400) and Jamalpur (1400) district, enabling them to withstand the negative effects of the flood through recovered agricultural assets and production enterprises, or income from non-farm business activities.

Duration of the project: From January to September 2018

Donor Agency: Swiss Solidarity

Project budget:  BDT- 8,945,318

Major Activities: 

• Beneficiary selection
• Develop household plans to rehabilitate agricultural production activities
• Transfer Cash grant support to BHHs ( vegetables / Native chicken /non farm)
• Mobilizes LSP to deliver technical, business and market access and linkages services to BHHs
• Orientation to LSP on the implementation process and their roles and tasks

Project location: Jamalpur District (Sharishabari, Dewangonj & Madergonj Upazillas)

Target beneficiaries: 1400 Extreme poor

Project Staff & Volunteers: staff- 5 (Two person- part time, 3 persons- full time), and volunteer-12 (paid)

Contact person:  Md. Shadiqur Rahman, Program Manager, Cell No # 01717433487,

 Email- shadiqur@ahsaniamission.org.bd

Project Introduction:
Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) has the strong presence in Jamalpur district with various activities. Considering the vulnerabilities and presence of DAM, Jamalpur Sador Upazila (sub district of Jamalpur) may be selected as working area.

Jamalpur district is one of the poorest and disaster prone areas in Bangladesh. Total area of the district is 2031.98 square kilometer and its population is 2089366, among them male are 50.58%, female 49.42 %. Average literacy rate is 39%, male 53 %, female 25 %. Actually poor people are the most vulnerable. Their lives are highly susceptible to shocks or disruption caused by climate change, natural disaster and the spread of infectious disease. More than half of the population in this district lives below poverty line. They are much more leg behind than other district because of vulnerabilities like flood, river erosion,   draught, poverty, migration, seasonal unemployment, single cropping land, landless, low literacy, human trafficking, risk of disaster ,impact of climate change, unequal market infrastructure( less buyer, absent of processing, lack of storage facilities, hazardous transportation. . So collective marketing through cooperative based community enterprises may be a tested model to sustainable livelihood development.

In spite of vulnerabilities, there is a great opportunity to increase agricultural production through access to information, adaptation of new technologies and linkages to market. These Opportunities will help small-scale farmers move from subsistence to commercial farming so they can feed their families and their communities. Opportunity provides these farmers with affordable, convenient agricultural finance services and the technical assistance they need to grow more food and increase their profits. Our strategy is to   engage with farmers at every level of the value chain—from planting to harvesting to selling crops— to ensure their success.

Agriculture is an engine of growth and poverty reduction in our country where it is the main occupation of the poor. But women, who can represent a crucial resource in agriculture and the rural economy through their roles as farmers, laborers and entrepreneurs, almost everywhere face more severe constraints than men in access to productive resources because of their disadvantaged position with respect to human capital and bargaining power

Rural women often manage complex households and pursue multiple livelihood strategies. Their activities typically include producing agricultural crops, tending animals, processing and preparing food, working for wages in agricultural or other rural enterprises, collecting fuel and water, engaging in trade and marketing, caring for family members and maintaining their homes.
It has been observed that the local communities, union parisad, Upazila administration and Community Based Organization (CBO) are very much cooperative. It is very much required to have response and cooperation from all stakeholders to involve in the interventions taken by project for sustainability.  These resources could be used to uplift the life style of the people of the district and make the area free from food insecurity.

Overall Objective:
Enhancing food security for 1,000 vulnerable smallholder women farmers & sustainable livelihood for the vulnerable people specially women to reduce poverty

Specific Objectives:
The project Objectives are following
a)    To strengthen agricultural service provision in Bangladesh through training local service providers (LSPs)
b)    To Increase women’s skills, and knowledge of agricultural techniques.
c)    To increase women’s awareness of and access to agricultural inputs.
d)    To link women to markets, consumers and micro-finance.

Outputs:
At the end of the project:

• 80 %  of HH achieve 25% higher agricultural yield, leading to increased income
• 80% of HH achieve 15% higher margin, leading to increased income
• 50% of women headed HH involved in agricultural production related events
• 70 % of LSP have establish functional linkage  with Agricultural Extension Agencies and are updating their skill bi -monthly

Project Components:

• Measurable improvement in food security due to productivity increased through use of low cost environment friendly agricultural technologies
• Measurable income increases through establishing functional linkages with  agricultural market actors, adequate market extension and value chain promotion at local and regional level
• Women human capital and bargaining power increased through engagement at every level of agricultural product value chain.
• Integrated and sustainable stakeholder institution for local service provision developed for technology transfer , marketing linkages

Major Activities:

• Transfer of new/additional environment  friendly  agricultural technologies
• Transfer of assets related to production , processing & storage including working capital
• Hold farmers Field Day
• Organize cross visit
• Match making workshop  between beneficiary &  market actors
• Developed  Local Service Provider( LSP)
• Training  for LSP on different agricultural technologies
• Training  for LSP on marketing skills ( Cooperative marketing strategies ,market chain analysis , business   plan)
• Leadership development training for LSP
• Organizational development training for LSP
• Facilitated technical session in groups by LSP
• Mobilization of 40 groups to receive services from LSP
• Sharing workshop with LSP on working with communities

Project Participants (Direct):

1000 HHs  will be selected for the desired project from the mentioned area where a data base of the poor is available, through Focus Group Discussion ( FGD) following some criteria like i) Marginal farmers affected by poverty ii) Land size  less than 1.5 acre  iii)  They must have been engaged in minimum 03 years family farming.

Children(0-10)		Adolescent (11-17)		Youth (18-25)		Adult(26-60)		Senior Citizen(61+)
M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F
–	–	–	–	–	–		1,000	–	–

Project Duration : June 01, 2017 up to May 31, 2018

Financial partner (Donor) : Funded by  Guernsey Overseas Aid Commission and  Lead Agency – DAM UK

Project Location/s and number of Field offices: 

• District- Jamalpur, Sadar Upazila (Kendua & Mesta Union).
• Field office -01 (basically its MFP Office and partly space share)

Project Budget: BDT 2,199,267/-

Number of project staffs and volunteers :

Staff (Regular)		Paid Volunteer		Non-Paid Volunteer
M	F	M	F	M	F
3	–	–	–	–	–

Contact Person:
Name & Designation: Md. Niamul Kabir, Project Focal Person
Email : niamulkbr@yahoo.com               Cell :01811480006, 01721130905

Dhaka Ahsania Mission has been implementing the “Improving Food Security and Livelihoods of poor farming households” Project (IFSL) with the partnership of HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation in six upazilla of Jamalpur district since October 2015. This project will run up to March 2018.

The project builds on the proven concept of Local Service Providers (LSP), whose is selected by the target communities to become their advisors and provide marketing support. Additional transparency and sustainability is created through the strengthening of farmers’ groups and Service Provider Associations (SPA). The main theme of the project is the transfer of knowledge and skills and increasing the transparency of the largely informal agricultural sector in Bangladesh. This combination will not only reduce poverty and unemployment, but will also empower vulnerable and isolated groups. LSP will play a pivotal role in this process and the fact that they are part of the target communities, contributes to their accountability. The establishment / strengthening of informal farmer groups and SPA will lead to additional checks and balances and will create even more opportunities for smallholder farmers to gain access to GoB services and influence decisions of local government institutions.

Please visit:  http://www.dfed.org.bd

Project Name: USAID Feed the Future Asia Innovative Farmers Activity (AIFA) Project

Project Introduction:
Winrock International is implementing the USAID Feed the Future Asia Innovative Farmers Project, a regional project with activities in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Nepal ‍as led partner where Dhaka Ahsania Mission is working as implementing partner.  The primary objective of the project is to address common regional issues causing poverty, food insecurity and environmental degradation across the region. The project facilitates the exchange of agricultural innovation and technology to increase agricultural productivity with especially horticulture and aquaculture.
This TOR covers support to the implementation of field testing of Pest Exclusion Nets – one of the projects’s targeted technologies. The use of pest exclusion nets in Bangladesh is currently very limited, and the purpose of project testing is to confirm the cost/benefit of the technology for smallholders in Bangladesh, study the smallholder market for the product and test the effectiveness of distribution models for the technology.
A key function of the USAID Feed the Future Asia Innovative Farmers Project is to research new market information in the Project’s target countries to facilitate the establishment of supply chains for transferring agricultural innovations to smallholder farmers in those countries. This market information is mainly derived from field testing the technologies, which are carried out by in-country partners, usually an academic institute and an NGO to study the benefits on agricultural production, the users’ experience and appropriateness of the innovation within their physical and socioeconomic environment.
Field testing under this TOR covers six farmers’ plots. These sites are divided into two geographically varied locations in the country. At each location, which could be a province, district or geographic area, there are three plots farmed by three different households. One is led by a woman, another by a man and the last by a youth. Also at each location, three focus groups are established including one male farmers group, one female farmers group and one value chain actors group. The latter comprises agricultural supply retailers, extension workers, produce traders, consumers and other interested persons. Each focus group has 15 members and their function is to provide feedback on the innovation after they have been shown its application on the lead farmers’ test plots.
Before field testing can begin, trainings to impart the necessary skills for using the technology and understanding data collection and management are provided to the responsible in-country staff from the academic institute and NGO or other implementing partners. The partner organization that is responsible for overseeing the farmer-led field tests then trains the participating farmers on how to conduct the field test, as well as the focus group members on the use of the technology, its expected benefits and change of behavior that is necessary to use the technology.

Project Agreement Number: AID-486-A-15-00005

Overall Objective:
To understand the innovation’s suitability within the economic and sociocultural context of Bangladesh, Cambodia and Nepal. This will provide a basis for product localization, marketing and scaling up.
Specific Objectives:

• To increase safe vegetable production.
• To expand the marketing or new field of Net vegetable

Outputs:

• PEN 8 trial plots will be set up.
• 8 people on the PEN will receive technical training
• Chemical/Toxic free vegetable production will be increased
• Linkages will be trying to create a market for the sale of toxic free vegetable

Project Components:
Farmer test sites established, Winter season Implementation, Summer season Implementation, Draft final report and Final report.

Major Activities:

• Conduct farmers’ field trial
• Data collection, processing and analysis
• Results’ documentation / Reporting

Project Participants (Direct):

Children (0-10)		Adolescent (11-17)		Youth (18-25)		Adult (26-60)		Senior Citizen (61+)
M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F
–	–	–	–	2	–	4	2	–	–

Project Duration: 30 November 2016 to 31 October 2017
Financial partner (Donor): Winrock International (through USAID)
Implementing partner (if any): Not Applicable
Project Location/s and number of Field offices: Sadar Upazila, Jessore and Mithapukur, Rangpur and # Field Offices = 0
Project Budget: Tk. 2,418,213 (BDT)
Number of project staffs and volunteers :

Staff (Regular)		Paid Volunteer		Non-Paid Volunteer
M	F	M	F	M	F
3	–	–	–	–	–

Contact Person:
Name & Designation: Md.Niamul Kabir, Project Coordinator
Email:niamulkbr@yahoo.com, Cell : 01811480006, 01721130905

In order to maximize the access of huge un-banked population into the banking system, an agreement is signed between DAM Foundation (DFED) and Bank Asia for Agent Banking on March 16, 2017. Under this agreement, DFED will operate two Agent Bank Outlets at Jeshore. The agent outlets will provide banking services such as opening of customer accounts using biometric system, accepting cash deposits and withdrawal, accepting bills, payment of foreign remittance, online fund transfer, DPS, ATM card service etc.

For Details: http://www.dfed.org.bd/

“Enhancing Resources and Increasing Capacities of Poor Households towards Elimination of their Poverty (ENRICH)” is an integrated poverty alleviation approach designed by PKSF to increase household’s socio-economic status and welfare on a sustained basis. The overarching objective of ENRICH is to help the poor to establish their human dignity by extending necessary services and creating an enabling environment so that they can increase their income, protect themselves from income erosion, improve their human capabilities, raise their social standing, and expand their choices. To that end, ENRICH provides wide-ranging support services and facilities in the areas of health, education, and training; facilities to widen the choices and opportunities of the participants of the programme, and offers services for enterprise development and demand-driven financial support.

ENRICH Education Programme: The ENRICH Education Programme primarily seeks to address the problem of drop-out of children from primary level education. Under this programme, at least one afternoon education centre has been established in every village under working Union. All students up to Class 2 are helped in these teaching centres to prepare the next days’ tasks, given that often there are no facilities and educational support for the students at their homes. These education centres take special care of students who are generally slow learners and need the extra help and time to grasp material taught at school. So far 20 education centres have been established in the working Union and about 600 students enrolled.

ENRICH Health and Nutrition Programme: The ENRICH Health and Nutrition Programme is designed to provide comprehensive primary healthcare services for all households in the selected Unions. Each household of Unions is visited by health volunteers and health assistants at least once a month to collect health related information about all its members. The information and data collected are recorded in the household health cards. The health assistants arrange satellite clinics every week which are attended by MBBS doctors. Health camps (vision, dental, heart, diabetes, medicine, etc) are also organized from time to time, with specialist doctors attending. In these camps, patients with serious ailments are referred to different public as well as private hospitals and clinics where their treatment is arranged free of cost. ENRICH has also launched a de-worming campaign, giving away free medicine (albendezole) to 100% of its registered households for all members above 5 years of age. During 2014-15, ENRICH programme arranged free cataract surgery of about 103 persons with the support from PKSF, Sitesavers and Dhaka Progressive Lions Hospital.

Special Financial Assistance Programme: Three types of special credit services have been designed for the ENRICH households: Income Generating Activities Loan (IGAL), Livelihood Improvement Loan (LIL), and Asset Creation Loan (ACL). Under IGAL, eligible household members can take loan for more than one activity to increase their income. As for the purchase of necessary equipment and taking other actions related to livelihood improvement. In this case, the ceiling for a household is BDT 10,000 in purchasing any kind of productive asset. The ACL ceiling for a household is BDT 30,000 and the interest rate payable is 8%.

Community-Based Interventions: Under community-based interventions, various problems faced by a community are identified, which may include: need for tube-wells and sanitary latrines at public places (schools, colleges, mosques, temples, library, etc.), problems relating to access to clean drinking water, need for small bridges and culverts for public use, lack of community awareness or capacity for immediate response to natural disasters, and so on. The ENRICH does not address such problems in all cases by itself. It does whatever is within its means and sensitizes and canvasses the appropriate service providers for action concerning relevant cases and usually that works.

 

Please visit:  http://www.dfed.org.bd

Project Introduction:

DAM has been implementing its Micro-Finance Programme (MFP) since 1993. At the time of inception, the programme was initiated as a supportive component of Education Programme by the project entitled “Institution Building for Income Generation”. The initial objective was the livelihood development through community mobilization, creation of grassroots organization, human resourcedevelopment, promotes agricultural diversification and ensure easy access to micro finance. Gradually it becomes as an independent program. Over the years, MFP increases its working area in different location of the country with diversified savings and credit products that includes savings, insurance, rural micro-credit, micro-enterprise development, agricultural extension, rural housing, water and sanitation, disaster risk reduction and special credit support for ultra poor. Presently Micro-Finance Programme becomes one of the core development programme of livelihood sector of DAM. According to DAM sectoral development strategy, Microfinance program focus on Financial Service, Skills Development Service, Agricultural Extension Service and Employment Support Service. In recent times, DAM has taken different steps to move ahead MFP for meeting up current requirement of MF market. Under the development process, DAM is going to automate its MF branches with microfinance software to provide efficient service to the clients. By this time, to provide agricultural extension loan of the government, DAM established five separate branches with the partnership of First Security Islami Bank Ltd. Moreover, DAM establishes three separate branches to provide Skills Development Training and Financial Services to undertake Income Generating Activities for the vulnerable groups through the project entitled “Vulnerable Group Development Project (VGDP)” with the support of Department of Women Affairs, Government of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh. At present, DAM has been Implementing MFP in 74upazillas of 18 Districts covering 267 unions and 1,240 villages through its 106 branches and serving 124,946 members of 7,142 groups.

Vision:
The vision of DAM Foundation for Economic Development (DFED) is a society where people, particularly the disadvantaged segment, free from poverty, undergo a transformation process for fulfillment of basic rights in an atmosphere of improved socio-economic living condition.

Mission:
DFED pursues a mission to create conditions for increased access of targeted people and communities to public and private services and enhance their capacities to maximally utilize the services particularly in the fields of socio-economic development and agriculture with gender and environment as a cross cutting theme.

Objectives:

• To address the needs of disadvantage households through financial and technical services in order that they may become self-reliant and contribute as the active citizens of Bangladesh.
• To plan, organize, manage and implement programs and projects in the fields of agriculture diversification, rural enterprise development, forestry, fishery, livestock and other innovative technology aided higher value added products and services.
• To provide support and training as may be necessary for the social and economic development of the beneficiaries so as to achieve their self-reliance and sustainable development.
• To provide aid and assistance to the people affected by natural calamities and disasters.
• To inform the DFED’s program beneficiaries about facilities and services available and provided by government, non-government organizations and private agencies and assist them in receiving these.
• To operate financial services of DFED based on Islamic Shariah and on terms and conditions as required under the law of the country.

Who the project will serve/is serving (gender disaggregated data if possible by category of recipients) : 374,748 no. of men and women (93%) will be serving the project.

Project Duration: From January 1993 to Present (ongoing program)

Start date:  Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) has started Microfinance Program in 1993. Then DAM Microfinance PKSF funded started in 1996.

Financial partner (Donor): PKSF (PKSF Loan Fund, Loan from Commercial Banks, Members Savings, Surplus, Organizational Fund)

Project Location/s and number of Field offices: Project locations are different areas such as Dhaka, Narayangonj, Munshigonj, Narsindi, Gazipur, Rajshahi, Khulna, Jessore, Satkhira, Jhenaidah, Magura, Chattogram, Patuakhali, Barguna, Panchogar, Thakurgoan, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Jamalpur, SunamgonjDistrict. Dhaka Ahsania Mission has 106 Branches Offices under PKSF fund in 18 districts.

Budget with annual breakup: In 2018-19, DFED extended micro-credit to its target HHs amounting to Tk. 3,201.38 million. Cumulative disbursement of micro-credit is Tk. 14,526.83 million and present outstanding of Tk. 1796.95 million. Beneficiaries invested the loan amount in a variety of demand driven loan products. The performance of loan recovery of the organization was good having Cumulative Recovery Rate (CRR) of 99.28 per cent.

Number of project staffs and volunteers: 667 no. of staffs of PKSF project and this project no volunteers.

Contact Person : Md. Asaduzzaman, CEO, DFED

E-mail : a.zaman@ahsaniamission.org.bd, damron2005@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.dfed.org.bd