BANGLADESH
INTRODUCTION: COUNTRY PROFILE
Social Profile
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Population:
-156,050,883 (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
- 0-14 years : 34.6% (male 27,065,625/female
26,913,961)
- 15-64 years: 61.4% (male 45,222,182/female
50,537,052)
- 65 years and over: 4% (male
3,057,255/female 3,254,808) (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
- 1.292% (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
- urban population: 27% of total population
(2008)
- rate of urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of
change (2005-10 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
- total population: 60.25 years
- male: 57.57 years
- female : 63.03 years (2009 est.)
Asia – Bangladesh
Economic Profile

Economy - overview:
The economy has grown 5-6% per year since
1996 despite inefficient state-owned enterprises,
delays in exploiting natural gas resources,
insufficient power supplies, and slow
implementation
of
economic
reforms.
Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated, and
inefficiently-governed nation. Although more
than half of GDP is generated through the
service
sector,
nearly
two-thirds
of
Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture
sector, with rice as the single-most-important
product. Garment exports and remittances from
Bangladeshis working overseas, mainly in the
Middle East and East Asia, fuel economic
growth. In 2008 Bangladesh pursued a monetary
policy aimed at maintaining high employment,
but created higher inflation in the process.
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Ethnic groups:
- Bengali 98%, other 2% (includes tribal
groups, non-Bengali Muslims) (1998)
Religions:
- Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)
Literacy:
- definition: age 15 and over can read and write
- total population: 47.9%
- male: 54%
- female: 41.4% (2001 Census)
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
- $224 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
- $1,500 (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
- agriculture: 63%
- industry: 11%
- services: 26% (FY95/96)
Population below poverty line:
- 45% (2004 est.)
Source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bb.html
STATE OF WOMEN ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN THE COUNTRY
Source: http://www.weforum.org/pdf/gendergap/ggg08_bangladesh.pdf
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BEST PRACTICE PROJECT 1: GRAMEEN BANK, BANGLADESH
Project Initiators:
The origin of Grameen Bank can be traced back to
1976 when Professor Muhammad Yunus, Head of
the Rural Economics Program at the University of
Chittagong, launched an action research project to
examine the possibility of designing a credit
delivery system to provide banking services
targeted at the rural poor (http://www.grameeninfo.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=vie
w&id=19&Itemid=114).
Grameen Bank (GB) has reversed conventional
banking practice by removing the need for collateral
and created a banking system based on mutual trust,
accountability, participation and creativity. GB
provides credit to the poorest of the poor in rural
Bangladesh, without any collateral. At GB, credit is
a cost effective weapon to fight poverty and it
serves as a catalyst in the over all development of
socio-economic conditions of the poor who have
been kept outside the banking orbit on the ground
that they are poor and hence not bankable. Professor
Muhammad Yunus, the founder of "Grameen Bank"
and its Managing Director, reasoned that if financial
resources can be made available to the poor people
on terms and conditions that are appropriate and
reasonable, "these millions of small people with
their millions of small pursuits can add up to create
the biggest development wonder."
As of November, 2009, it has 7.95 million
borrowers, 97 percent of whom are women. With
2,562 branches, GB provides services in 83,458
villages, covering more than 100 percent of the total
villages in Bangladesh.
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Grameen Bank's positive impact on its poor and
formerly poor borrowers has been documented in
many independent studies carried out by external
agencies including the World Bank, the
International Food Research Policy Institute
(IFPRI) and the Bangladesh Institute of
Development Studies (BIDS).
Muhammad Yunus
Dr. Muhammad Yunus is a global leader in anti-poverty efforts, and
has pioneered the use of "micro-loans" to provide credit to poor
individuals without collateral. Dr. Yunus, an economist by training,
founded the Grameen Bank in 1983 in his native Bangladesh to
provide small, low-interest loans to the poor to help better their
livelihood and communities. Despite its low interest rates and lending
to poor individuals, Grameen Bank is sustainable and 98% percent of
its loans are repaid – higher than other banking systems. It has spread
its successful model throughout the world. Dr. Yunus received the
Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his work
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Project Design:
The Grameen Bank Project (Grameen means "rural"
or "village" in Bangla language) came into
operation with the following objectives:
- extend banking facilities to poor men and women;
eliminate the exploitation of the poor by money
lenders;
- create opportunities for self-employment for the
vast multitude of unemployed people in rural
Bangladesh;
- bring the disadvantaged, mostly the women from
the poorest households, within the fold of an
organizational format which they can understand
and manage by themselves; and
- reverse the age-old vicious circle of "low income,
low saving & low investment", into virtuous circle
of "low income, injection of credit, investment,
more income, more savings, more investment, more
income".
The action research demonstrated its strength in
Jobra (a village adjacent to Chittagong University)
and some of the neighboring villages during 19761979. With the sponsorship of the central bank of
the country and support of the nationalized
commercial banks, the project was extended to
Tangail district (a district north of Dhaka, the
capital city of Bangladesh) in 1979. With the
success in Tangail, the project was extended to
several other districts in the country. In October
1983, the Grameen Bank Project was transformed
into an independent bank by government
legislation. Today Grameen Bank is owned by the
rural poor whom it serves. Borrowers of the Bank
own 90% of its shares, while the remaining 10% is
owned by the government.
Grameen Bank methodology is almost the reverse
of the conventional banking methodology.
Conventional banking is based on the principle that
the more you have, the more you can get. In other
words, if you have little or nothing, you get nothing.
As a result, more than half the population of the
world is deprived of the financial services of the
conventional banks. Conventional banking is based
on collateral, Grameen system is collateral- free.
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Grameen Bank starts with the belief that credit
should be accepted as a human right, and builds a
system where one who does not possess anything
gets the highest priority in getting a loan. Grameen
methodology is not based on assessing the material
possession of a person, it is based on the potential
of a person. Grameen believes that all human
beings, including the poorest, are endowed with
endless potential.
Conventional banks look at what has already been
acquired by a person. Grameen looks at the
potential that is waiting to be unleashed in a person.
Conventional banks are owned by the rich,
generally men. Grameen Bank is owned by poor
women.
Overarching objective of the conventional banks is
to maximize profit. Grameen Bank's objective is to
bring financial services to the poor, particularly
women and the poorest — to help them fight
poverty, stay profitable and financially sound. It is a
composite objective, coming out of social and
economic visions.
Conventional banks focus on men, Grameen gives
high priority to women. 97 per cent of Grameen
Bank's borrowers are women. Grameen Bank works
to raise the status of poor women in their families
by giving them ownership of assets. It makes sure
that the ownership of the houses built with Grameen
Bank loans remain with the borrowers, i.e., the
women.
Grameen Bank branches are located in the rural
areas, unlike the branches of conventional banks
which try to locate themselves as close as possible
to the business districts and urban centers. First
principle of Grameen banking is that the clients
should not go to the bank, it is the bank which
should go to the people instead. Grameen Bank's
23,311 staff meet 7.95 million borrowers at their
door-step in 83,458 villages spread out all over
Bangladesh, every week, and deliver bank's service.
Repayment of Grameen loans is also made very
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6
easy by splitting the loan amount in tiny weekly
installments. Doing business this way means a lot of
work for the bank, but it is a lot convenient for the
borrowers.
There is no legal instrument between the lender and
the borrower in the Grameen methodology. There is
no stipulation that a client will be taken to the court
of law to recover the loan, unlike in the
conventional system. There is no provision in the
methodology to enforce a contract by any external
intervention.
Conventional banks go into 'punishment' mode
when a borrower is taking more time in repaying
the loan than it was agreed upon. They call these
borrowers "defaulters". Grameen methodology
allows such borrowers to reschedule their loans
without making them feel that they have done
anything wrong (indeed, they have not done
anything wrong.)
When a client gets into difficulty, conventional
banks get worried about their money, and make all
efforts to recover the money, including taking over
the collateral. Grameen system, in such cases,
works extra hard to assist the borrower in difficulty,
and makes all efforts to help her regain her strength
and overcome her difficulties.
In conventional banks charging interest does not
stop unless specific exception is made to a
particular defaulted loan. Interest charged on a loan
can be multiple of the principal,depending on the
length of the loan period. In Grameen Bank, under
no circumstances total interest on a loan can exceed
the amount of the loan, no matter how long the loan
remains unrepaid. No interest is charged after the
interest amount equals the principal.
Conventional banks do not pay attention to what
happens to the borrowers' families as results of
taking loans from the banks. Grameen system pays
a lot of attention to monitoring the education of the
children (Grameen Bank routinely gives them
scholarships and student loans), housing, sanitation,
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7
access to clean drinking water, and their coping
capacity for meeting disasters and emergency
situations. Grameen system helps the borrowers to
build their own pension funds, and other types of
savings.
Interest on conventional bank loans are generally
compounded quarterly, while all interests are simple
interests in Grameen Bank.
In case of death of a borrower, Grameen system
does not require the family of the deceased to pay
back the loan. There is a built-in insurance
programme which pays off the entire outstanding
amount with interest. No liability is transferred to
the family.
In Grameen Bank even a beggar gets special
attention. A beggar comes under a campaign from
Grameen Bank which is designed to persuade
him/her to join Grameen programme. The bank
explains to her how she can carry some
merchandise with her when she goes out to beg
from door to door and earn money, or she can
display some merchandise by her side when she is
begging in a fixed place. Grameen's idea is to
graduate her to a dignified livelihood rather than
continue with begging.
Such a programme would not be a part of a
conventional bank's work.
Grameen system encourages the borrowers to adopt
some goals in social, educational and health areas.
These are knows as "Sixteen Decisions" (no dowry,
education for children, sanitary latrine, planting
trees, eating vegetables to combat night-blindness
among children, arranging clean drinking water,
etc.). Conventional banks do not see this as their
business.
In Grameen, we see the poor people as human
"bonsai". If a healthy seed of a giant tree is planted
in a flower-pot, the tree that will grow will be a
miniature version of the giant tree. It is not because
of any fault in the seed, because there is no fault in
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8
the seed. It is only because the seed has been denied
of the real base to grow on. People are poor because
society has denied them the real social and
economic base to grow on. They are given only the
"flower-pots" to grow on. Grameen's effort is to
move them from the "flower-pot" to the real soil of
the society.
If we can succeed in doing that there will be no
human "bonsai" in the world. We'll have a povertyfree world.
We shall follow and advance the four principles of
Grameen Bank --- Discipline, Unity, Courage and Hard
work – in all walks of out lives.
Prosperity we shall bring to our families.
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We shall collectively undertake bigger investments for
higher incomes.
Grameen credit:
a) It promotes credit as a human right.
b) Its mission is to help the poor families to help
themselves to overcome poverty. It is targeted to
the poor, particularly poor women.
c) Most distinctive feature of Grameencredit is that
it is not based on any collateral, or legally
enforceable contracts. It is based on "trust", not
on legal procedures and system.
d) It is offered for creating self-employment for
income-generating activities and housing for the
poor, as opposed to consumption.
e) It was initiated as a challenge to the conventional
banking which rejected the poor by classifying
them to be "not creditworthy". As a result it
rejected the basic methodology of the
conventional banking and created its own
methodology.
f) It provides service at the door-step of the poor
based on the principle that the people should not
go to the bank, bank should go to the people.
g) In order to obtain loans a borrower must join a
group of borrowers.
h) Loans can be received in a continuous sequence.
New loan becomes available to a borrower if her
previous loan is repaid.
i) All loans are to be paid back in instalments
(weekly, or bi-weekly).
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j) Simultaneously more than one loan can be
received by a borrower.
k) It comes with both obligatory and voluntary
savings programmes for the borrowers.
l) Generally these loans are given through nonprofit organizations or through institutions owned
primarily by the borrowers. If it is done through
for-profit institutions not owned by the borrowers,
efforts are made to keep the interest rate at a level
which is close to a level commensurate with
sustainability of the programme rather than
bringing attractive return for the investors.
Grameencredit's thumb-rule is to keep the interest
rate as close to the market rate, prevailing in the
commercial banking sector, as possible, without
sacrificing sustain-ability. In fixing the interest
rate market interest rate is taken as the reference
rate, rather than the moneylenders' rate. Reaching
the poor is its non-negotiable mission. Reaching
sustainability is a directional goal. It must reach
sustainability as soon as possible, so that it can
expand its outreach without fund constraints.
m) Grameencredit gives high priority on building
social capital. It is promoted through formation of
groups and centres, developing leadership quality
through annual election of group and centre
leaders, electing board members when the
institution is owned by the borrowers. To develop
a social agenda owned by the borrowers,
something similar to the "sixteen decisions", it
undertakes a process of intensive discussion
among the borrowers, and encourage them to take
these decisions seriously and implement them. It
gives special emphasis on the formation of human
capital and concern for protecting environment. It
monitors
children's
education,
provides
scholarships and studentloans for higher
education. For formation of human capital it
makes efforts to bring technology, like mobile
phones, solar power, and promote mechanical
power
to
replace
manual
power
(http://www.grameeninfo.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=vi
ew&id=28&Itemid=177).
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Project Impact:
Nurajahan
Nurjahan is a borrower of the Grameen Bank in
Bangladesh. Her name means "the light of the
world." Abandoned by her parents at three months
of age and raised by a neighbor, Nurjahan was
married at twelve only to be abandoned by her
husband a year later, while three months pregnant.
She returned to the family who had raised her,
cooking for them while raising her son.
Before joining Grameen, Nurjahan had never
earned more than $37.50 in a year and owned no
land. After five years as a borrower with the
Grameen Bank, her annual income is $250 (just
above the national average) and she owns two
goats, one pregnant cow, ten hens, and two-thirds of
an acre of land. The land cost $1,000, more than
four times the average annual income. Seasonally,
she employs two farm-hands to assist with her rice
crop. In a country where only 46 percent of the
children reach grade five, Nurjahan's son is now in
8th
grade
(http://www.microcreditsummit.org/news/borrower
_stories/)
Hajeera
Hajeera Begum was born in 1959 in a poor farmer’s
family. She was married to a blind man because he
didn’t ask any dowry! She and her family survived
on her little income from house cleaning job. When
Hajeera wanted to join Grameen her husband
threatened to divorce her. Hajeera secretly went to
another village, joined a group there. Her group
supported her to take loan and buy a calf for
fattening and rice paddy to husk. When Hajeera’s
father brought the calf to her husband – the blind
man was so excited that he had forgotten about
divorce!
Within one year Hajeera paid back the first loan.
With her third loan she bought rice field, goats,
ducks and chickens!
She says, “All my life I was told I am no good, that
I brought only misery to my parents because I was a
woman and my family could not pay for my dowry.
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Many times I heard my mother say she should have
killed me at birth. I did not feel I was worthy of a
loan, or that I could ever repay it”.
“We now enjoy three meals a day, and my children
no longer go hungry. We can now even afford some
meat once a week. I intend to send all my children
to school and college, so that they will not suffer as
I did. You ask me what I think of Grameen?
Grameen is like my mother. No, Grameen is not
like my mother, she is my mother. She has given me
new life”.
You can find hundreds of Hajeera around the globe
since Grameen success is spread all over the world
now. Let me tell you a different woman’s story
now.
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BEST PRACTICE PROJECT 2: ISLAMIC RELIEF MICROCREDIT,
BANGLADESH
Project Initiators:
Islamic Relief
Islamic Relief (IR) is an international relief and
development charity, which aims to alleviate the
suffering of the world’s poorest people. It is an
independent
Non-Governmental
Organisation
(NGO) founded in the UK in 1984 by Dr Hany El
Banna
(http://www.islamicrelief.com/Whoweare/Default.aspx?depID=2).
Islamic Relief’s Mission:
Islamic Relief is dedicated to alleviating the poverty
and suffering of the world’s poorest people.
"Whoever saved a life, it would be as if he saved the
life of all mankind" (Qur'an 5:32)
As well as responding to disasters and emergencies,
Islamic Relief promotes sustainable economic and
social development by working with local
communities - regardless of race, religion or gender.
Islamic Relief works in six main sectors:
- Sustainable Livelihoods
- Education
- Health and Nutrition
- Orphans and Child Welfare
- Water and Sanitation
- Emergency Relief & Disaster Preparedness
(http://www.islamicrelief.com/Whoweare/Default.aspx?depID=2).
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Project Design:
Community Based Integrated Orphans &
Widows Livelihood Project in Bangladesh:
Background
The 2002 UNDP Human Development Report
indicates that Bangladesh continues to have one of
the lowest per capita incomes and amongst the
highest percentage of people living in poverty in the
world. Furthermore, with nearly 128 million people,
Bangladesh is recognised as one of the most densely
populated country.
Widows and orphans are often amongst the poorest
and the most vulnerable segment of society in
Bangladesh. Orphans from destitute families are
often deprived of their rights, surviving in stark
poverty, homelessness, neglect and remain largely
uncared for. In addition to the ongoing orphan
sponsorship project in Bangladesh (initiated in
1992), Islamic Relief has developed the
“Community Based Integrated Orphan & Widow
Livelihood Project”, giving more chances for
orphans and widows to become self-sustainable.
Objectives:
With this project, Islamic Relief aims to establish a
sustainable community based livelihood support
mechanism for destitute orphans and widows with
support from their communities, which helps them
to escape hard-core poverty and exploitation
(through securing their basic needs for an improved
quality of life over a longer term, without requiring
consistent external donor or agency support. In
order to facilitate a sustainable positive change in
the life and livelihood of destitute orphans and
widows, Islamic Relief proposes to provide skill
development training and micro credit including
supporting with minimum receipts of basic needs,
like food, clothing, shelter, education and health
care.
Description:
The activities are undertaken by actively involving
the community in the process of identification,
planning, implementation and review, monitoring
and evaluation of the programme activities.
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The main activities are :
 Providing
micro-finance and microenterprise services, including access to
micro-credit services, training on income
generation opportunities, help setting up
micro-enterprises, income from microenterprise activities ;
 Meeting basic necessities through provision
of adequate shelter and an access to
adequate nutrition, water sanitation facilities
and appropriate health services ;
 Capacity building including an access to
appropriate education (child & adult
literacy) and vocational & skill training
support geared towards skilled employment
or self- employment
 Community participation & support.
Project Impact:
Rural poor orphan and widows, and their
communities are the key stakeholders of the project.
Among them, 1’000 benefit of the programme
activities. The initial project has started in 2005 for
a period of one year, and then it would be extended
for duration of further two years. The budget
amounts to 103’200 USD (http://www.islamicrelief.ch/irv19/spip.php?article81)
Islamic Relief (IR) began working in Bangladesh in
1991, helping victims of a tropical cyclone.
Today, more than 425,000 people are benefiting
from IR’s current relief and development projects
(http://www.islamicrelief.com/wherewework/CountryPage.aspx?Countr
yID=BD).
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BEST PRACTICE PROJECT 3: PROJECT JOYEETA - EMPOWERING
BANGLADESHI WOMEN THROUGH
MICRO ENTERPRISES
Project Initiators:
Unilever Company
This global consumer products company operates in
about 100 countries.
It has Contributed €91m to communities around the
world in 2008.
Project Joyeeta is helping Unilever Bangladesh
achieve its business and social goals by providing
women with the means to start their own micro
enterprises.
Project Design:
Dual benefits
In Bangladesh, poor infrastructure means it is often
difficult to distribute and sell products in rural
areas. Project Joyeeta helps Unilever overcome
these difficulties, giving access to the huge number
of rural consumers throughout the country. Unilever
achieved BDT200 million (€2.1 million) additional
sales through Joyeeta in 2008.
Not only does Project Joyeeta mean Unilever can
increase sales in rural Bangladesh, but the lives of
local women and their families have been changed
significantly. By running their own businesses,
women are empowered, and they provide
inspiration to others.
Strong foundations
The scheme is part of a series of micro enterprise
initiatives around South Asia that encourage women
to add to their household incomes by selling
Asia – Bangladesh
17
Unilever products to members of their communities.
Local NGOs provide loans to help women buy the
goods – everything from tea to toothpaste – while
Unilever helps with training in commercial skills.
Project Impact:
Improving incomes
Feroza faced ruin after a flood washed away her and
her husband's poultry farm. "I lost the will to live,
the inspiration to carry on. There was no food, no
shelter, and my daughter could not go to school".
She became a Joyeeta entrepreneur after the project
visited her village in north-west Bangladesh. With a
small loan from a local NGO she was able to buy
her first batch of Unilever products to sell to her
neighbours. "I started a new life," she says. "My
daughter goes to school and the loan was paid off
last year."
"It is not only my own prosperity that
much to me. People get inspiration from
say, 'If Feroza can do it, why not me?'
than a representative of Unilever,
ambassador of life, hope and dreams."
means so
me. They
I'm more
I'm an
Piloted in 2003, Project Joyeeta had 1 950
entrepreneurs like Feroza selling Unilever products
in hard to reach communities by the end of 2008.
Joyeeta is derived from the Bengali word for win.
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Project Joyeeta has inspired several spin-off
projects, including a joint venture with aid agency
CARE Bangladesh which aims to increase the
number of entrepreneurs and sales by offering a
wider range of goods including shoes, spices and
clothes as well as Unilever products
(www.unilever.com/.../economic.../empoweringwomen-through-micro-enterprises.aspx -)
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BEST PRACTICE PROJECT 4: MICRO –AID PROJECTS - ERADICATING
POVERTY THROUGH FAMILY
ENTERPRISES
Project Initiators:
MicroAid Projects Charity is a development
charity that helps poor families to eradicate poverty
with their own small home enterprises.
MicroAid Projects pays for "learning activities" simple education and hands-on training for poor
families to try a new home business idea without
risk of failure.
2001 - Richard and Toby Beresford formed SHIP
(Self Help Ideas and Plans)as a social enterprise
limited company in the UK with the objective of
taking SHIP's methodology onto the Internet to
"connect poor families to global resources".
2002
SHIP
(http://www.microaid.org/)
became
known.
In Bangladesh MicroAid works with local
Community Facilitation Partner Samaj Jagoron
O Unnayan Kendra – SJOK
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Samaj Jagoron O Unnayan Kendra – SJOK
Vision
To create a poverty free society
Mission
A society where men & women both take
initiative and work together to achieve self
reliance and higher standard of living.
Team of Samaj Jagoron O Unnayan Kendra - SJOK
Organization Detail
Team Leader
: Ms. Helen Rahman
Email
: rahmanhelen@yaho
o.com
Mail Address
: House # 6, Road
# 1, Professor
Colony
Post: Gaibandha
Upazila
Team Members:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Mr. Sushil Kumer Roy
Mr. S.N. Anwer
Mrs. Helen Rahman
Md. Abdur Rahman
Moinul Islam Raja
Md. Nozrul Islam
Md. Abdur Rouf
Md. Shafiul Islam
Mrs. Shanaz Parvin
Fasilitators:
District: Gaibandha
Post Code: 5700
Country
: Bangladesh
Telephone
: 01712-532003
Organization
Type
: Non Government
Organisation
Formation
Date
: 5 Feb 1997
Project Design:
Asia – Bangladesh
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Ms. Helen Rahman
Md. Bazlur Rahman
Md. Shafiul Islam
Md. Oliul Islam
Mr. Shonker Kumer
Md. Samsuzzoha
Md. Mahabubr Rahman
In English, the registration certificate contains: No:
Gai/Sadar/377, Date: 05.02.1997. Name of the
organization: Samaj Jagoron O Unnyan Kendra
(SJOUK), Address: Professor Colony, College
Road, Gaibandha. Post, District: Gaibandha.
MicroAid was launched as an Internet service,
providing a charitable donation broking service
using online payment tools and a unique technology
platform for a network of over 40 small charities in
Indonesia and Bangladesh
21
Through local Community Facilitation Partner
Samaj Jagoron O Unnayan Kendra – SJOK, fund
applicants propose their business project ideas. If
the idea turns out to work well MicroAid then let
them get on with it, or if they need more capital,
MicroAid introduces them to a local bank to get a
microcredit loan.
If the idea doesn't work MicroAid fund them to
learn about a different business idea.
Project Impact:
Micro projects
(1) Sewing Training Project
Budget Total = £ 150
Costs Breakdown:
Media and Communications:
£0
Transportation and
Accommodation: £14
Learning Skill: £101
Equipment & Materials: £20
Micro Finance: £0
Local Trainer: £15
Duration Time:
2 day(s)
Description:
Bangladesh garments sectors play a vital role for
earning foreign revenue. A large number of women
are involved with this sector. But this activity is
based in the capital city. So, the rural women are
not getting this opportunity. However, every day a
huge amount of small cloths become surpluses from
these garments and these cloths sell in bulk at the
market at a cheaper rate. The garments owners sell
these cloths to the cotton mills owners or small
traders, who sell it at the road site. These cloths can
easily be used in others small family based
garments. The poor women can purchase 2 kg
cloths with GBP £1 and use it preparing children’s
dress with sewing machines and sell it in local
market. The women will easily earn £2 per day day.
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The demand for such clothes in local area is very
high. Through these activities the women of rural
area can earn money and will be self reliant.
The project will be implemented by joint approach
(Beneficiaries and NGO). The Beneficiaries
perform the main activities; like purchasing cloths,
making cloths etc. and the NGO will provide
necessary support; like, provide training, seeking
market for selling their products, advice on quality
control etc. Beside the NGO will monitor their
activities and their progress.
Activities:

Impart training to the beneficiaries by
master tailor

Providing sewing machine, raw materials
and other equipment from nearby towns/city

Making children’s dress by sewing machine

Sale the products in the local market
Outcomes:

The target women income will increase

The socio-economic condition will improve

Local villagers will get dress within the
locality with cheaper rate.

The women income will be double after
365 days.
Benefit:
The above mentioned project is an income
generating project. The Hindu women of this area
are conservative and unwilling to move outside of
the locality. They are mostly housewife and
educational qualification is below class V. The
husbands of these women are day labourers. The
average house holds size is 5-6. The women have
enough leisure time and some idea on sewing. The
proposed project is house oriented and would not
need to move out of village and higher education is
not requiring for this activities. So, it will be helpful
and bring additional income for the women and
their families.
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Beneficiaries:
1.
Sree Ranjita Rani (Mrs.)
2.
Sree Basona Rani (Mrs.)
3.
Sree Ranjana Rani (Mrs.)
Ranjita Rani making cloth
(2) Duck Rearing Project
Costs Breakdown:
Media and Communications:
£0
Transportation and
Accommodation: £10
Learning Skill: £10
Equipment & Materials: £130
Micro Finance: £0
Local Trainer: £0
Duration Time:
30 day(s)
Moti Rani rearing duck
Description:
About 65% people in Bangladesh are involved with
agricultural activities. The rural women of the
project area are mostly housewife. They do not have
any income sources. The proposed project is duck
rearing. If a women and her family members buy
100 ducks and rear it systematically after four
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24
months the ducks will lay egg. Each day about 8085% duck will lay eggs. The value of 80 eggs is
GBP £6. The demand of the eggs in local area is
still high. Through these activities the women of
rural area can earn money and will be self reliance.
The project will implemented by joint approach
(Beneficiaries and NGO). The Beneficiaries
perform the main activities; like shed preparing,
rearing duck, selling eggs etc. and the NGO will
provide necessary suggestion, provide training,
seeking market for selling their products and
treatment etc. Beside time-to-time the NGO will
monitoring their activities and progress.








Activities:
Impart training to the beneficiaries by Resource
trainer
Provide duck, raw materials and other equipment
Duck rearing
Sale the eggs in the local market
Outcomes:
The target women income will increase.
Women’s social status will increase.
Their socio-economic condition will increase day
by day.
Local people will get egg or meat in cheaper rate
Benefit:
The above mentioned project is an income
generating project. The women of this area are
conservative and unwilling to move outside of the
locality. They are mostly housewives and
educational qualification is below class V. The
husbands of these women are fishermen. There is a
large water pond named Azrar Beel around the
village. The proposed project is in-situ and does not
need to move out of the village. It also does not
require high educational attainment. So, it will be
helpful and bring additional income for the women
and their families.
Beneficiaries:
1.
Sree Moti Ruposi Rani
2.
Sree Moti Radha Rani
3.
Sree Shipu Babu
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(3) Sheep Rearing Project
Budget Total = £ 145
Costs Breakdown:
Media and Communications: £5
Transportation and
Accommodation: £10
Learning Skill: £0
Equipment & Materials: £115
Micro Finance: £0
Local Trainer: £15
Duration Time:
30 day(s)
Nibai Rani was taking care of her sheep
Description:
The proposed project is sheep rearing project. The
women will earn additional income through this
project which will be helpful for their livelihood. At
first they will receive training from the organization
and local livestock department. Then they will get
sheep and start to rear those systematically. After 45 months the sheep will expect calf and after 90
days each sheep will give 2-3 calf. The calf will be
matured within 7-8 months and they will sell it in
the local market in different festival with higher
rate. As a result they will earn £ 120-150 after one
year. So through these activities the poor women of
the rural area can earn money and will be self
reliance.
The project will implemented by joint approach
(Beneficiaries and NGO). The Beneficiaries
perform the main activities; like purchasing sheep
and food, rearing sheep etc. and the NGO will
provide necessary suggestion, provide training,
seeking market for selling their sheep etc. Beside
time-to-time NGO will monitoring their activities
and their progress.
Activities:

Impart training to the beneficiaries by
livestock officer
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
Provide sheep and other equipment from
nearby towns/city

Sheep rearing

Sale the sheep in the local market
Outcomes:

Poor family’s income will increase.

Their social status will increase

Meat production will increase

Add new skill about how to sheep rear in
short time

Provide new job for rural poor in the village
Benefit:
The above mentioned project is an income
generating project. The women of this area have no
income generating activities. Their main profession
is house wife. The proposed project is house
oriented and will not move out of village. Higher
education is not required for this activities. So, it
will be helpful and bring additional income for the
poor people, women and their families.
Beneficiaries:
1.
Sreemoti Monusha Rani
2.
Sree Nibaron
(4) Cattle Fattening Project
Budget Total = £ 150
Costs Breakdown:
Media and Communications: £0
Transportation and
Accommodation: £10
Learning Skill: £0
Equipment & Materials: £125
Micro Finance: £0
Local Trainer: £15
Duration Time:
30 day(s)
Anjali Rani giving food for fattening of cattle
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Description:
The proposed project is cattle fattening project.
Through this project the poor people or women can
earn additional income which will be helpful for
their livelihood. At first they will receive training
from the organization and Department of
Agriculture. Then they will manage cattle according
to criteria. Then they rear it through systematically.
The techniques are; the farmers manage the small
thin cattle with cheaper rate. After then they will
start treatment and special food ( molasses). After 3
months the cattle will be sold in the local market.
As a result they will earn 30-40% profit. So it will
be an additional earning source of the poor families.
So through these activities the poor of the rural area
can earn money and will be self reliant.
The project will implemented by joint approach
(Beneficiaries and NGO). The Beneficiaries
perform the main activities; like manage cattle and
food, rearing cattle, make molasses etc. and the
NGO will provide necessary suggestion, provide
training, seeking market for selling their products
etc. Beside time-to-time NGO will monitor their
activities and their progress.









Activities:
Impart training to the beneficiaries by resource
trainer
Provide cattle and other equipment from nearby
towns/city
Cattle fattening
Sell the products in the local market
Outcomes:
Poor family’s income will increase.
Their social status will increase.
Meat production will increase.
Add new skill about how to cattle fattening in short
time
Provide new job for rural poor in our village
Benefit:
The above mentioned project is an income
generating project. The people of this area are poor
and their main profession is day labor. The
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proposed project is house oriented and will not
move out of village. Higher education is not
requiring for this activities. So, it will be helpful
and bring additional income for the poor people,
women and their families. Benefit:
Beneficiaries:
1.
Feroza Begum
2.
Sada Mia
(5) Herbal Tea Practice at Krisnapur Village
Project
Budget Total = £ 140
Costs Breakdown:
Media and Communications:
£15
Transportation and
Accommodation: £15
Learning Skill: £0
Equipment & Materials: £80
Micro Finance: £0
Local Trainer: £30
Duration Time:
30 day(s)
Julakha Begum shows the herbal tea
Description:
The proposed project is Herbal Tea project.
Through this project the poor farmer or women can
earn additional income which will be helpful for
their needed. Beside this tea will be used as
medicine for different type of disease. At first they
received training from the organization. Then they
planate herbal plant named Tulshi. Then they taking
care it through systematically. When the tree will be
matured then its leaf will be processing and make
tea. It will be additional earning source of the poor
farmer. So through these activities the poor of the
rural area can earn money and will be self
reliance.The project will implemented by joint
approach (Beneficiaries and NGO). The
Beneficiaries perform the main activities; like
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29
plated herbal plants, taking care, collect leaf,
processing the leaf etc. and the NGO will provide
necessary suggestion, provide training, seeking
market for selling their products etc. Beside time-totime NGO will monitoring their activities and their
progress.



Activities:
Impart training to the beneficiaries by trainer
Provide plants and other equipment from nearby
towns/city
Plants cultivation and taking care
Processing the raw materials and packaging
Sale the products in the local market






Outcomes:
Poor family’s income will increase.
Their social status will increase.
It will be treatment of cough, pressure etc disease.
Add new skill about how to make herbal tea
The fallow land will bring under cultivation
Provide new job for rural poor in our village


Benefit:
The above mentioned project is a new technology
project. The 80% people of this area are farmer.
They dependent on agriculture. In rural area about
5% area is forestry and bushy area where different
type of herbal tree grows. The farmers can plant
herbal tree named (tulshi) in this jungle taking care
of the plants and sale its leaf to the tea producers for
making herbal tea. This tea will be helpful for
different types of disease, like cough, bronchitis,
high blood presser etc. So its demand is high. As a
result the leaf producer and the tea producer both
will be benefited from these activities. So, it will be
helpful and bring additional income for the poor
farmer, women and their families. So we proposed
the project.
Beneficiaries:
1.
Julakha Begum
2.
Habizar Rahman
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LESSONS FROM THE ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT PROJECTS: WINNING
POINTS
1. A ready fund paves the way
2. A collectively felt need justifies the efforts
3. An enlightened board of policy makers show the way
4. An efficient on the ground mechanism guarantees implementation
5. A global-local network makes it happen
6. A special emphasis on remotely located women adds value to the project
7. A special emphasis on chronically neglected women adds value to the project
8. Physical and mental health is pre-requisite of economic empowerment.
9. Respect for the women’s existential right makes the difference.
10. Creative techniques ensure women’s accessibility to empowerment.
11. Faith in women as effective leaders for change in their families and communities
secures success of projects
REFERENCES
Central
Intellegence
Agency.
2009.
The
world
factbook.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bg.html
World Economic Forum. 2008. The Global Gender Gap 2008 Report: Country Profiles.
http://www.weforum.org/pdf/gendergap/ggg08_bangladesh.pdf
http://www.microcreditsummit.org/news/borrower_stories/
http://www.microaid.org/?q=donate
http://www.grameeninfo.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=114
http://www.islamic-relief.ch/irv19/spip.php?article81
http://www.islamic-relief.com/Whoweare/Default.aspx?depID=2
http://www.islamic-relief.com/wherewework/CountryPage.aspx?CountryID=BD
www.unilever.com/.../economic.../empowering-women-through-micro-enterprises.aspx -
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