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