ZCZC
BSS-18
BRIEFING-WORKSHOP
Cordial, sincere efforts to make SWAPNO successful underscored
GAIBANDHA, Nov 25, 2019 (BSS) – Speakers in a function here today
underscored the need for joint, cordial and sincere efforts of all the
concerned to make the project for the ultra-poor women a grand success.
They made the comments while addressing a workshop on Strengthening Women’s
Ability for Productive New Opportunities (SWAPNO) project at the conference
room of Deputy Commissioner (DC) here on Monday.
Local Government Section of DC office arranged the workshop with the
financial support of Marico Limited, Swedish International Development
Cooperation (sida) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) while DC
Abdul Matin presided over the function.
National Project Director-SWAPNO and also Additional Secretary of Local
Government Division under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development
and Cooperatives Mohammad Emdad Ullah Miah addressed the function as the
chief guest while Deputy Secretary of Local Government Division of the
ministry Shamsul Alam was present as a resource person.
National Project Manager Dr Kazol Chaterjee made a power point presentation
on the project and said all the 17 unions of Shaghata and Fulchhari upazilas
of the district have been brought under the project for the period of 15
months.
A total of 612 ultra-poor women particularly the widows and divorced would
be selected from the unions as beneficiaries through lottery and they would
do earth filling work on the roads five hours and participate in life skills
training one hour every working day, Kazol Chaterjee said.
Each of the beneficiaries would get Taka 200 against the work per day and
of them, Taka 50 would be cut for their savings which they would get at a
time and utilize it for income generating activities like cow, goat, sheep
rearing and poultry farming in a bid to earn economical profit against the
IGAs, he added.
Respective union Parishads of the upazilas would implement the project in
partnership with a local reputed non-government organisation Gana Unnanyan
Kendra (GUK), he mentioned.
Moderated by Deputy Director of LGS under the DC office Rokhsana Begum, the
workshop was also addressed, among others, by District Fisheries Officer
Abdud Dayan Dulu, Deputy Director of Women Affairs Department Nargis Jahan,
Fulchhari upazila Chairman GM Selim Parvez, Fulchhari UNO Abu Raihan Dolon
and Shaghata UNO Mohiuddin Jahangir.
Mohammad Emdad Ullah said the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina adopted the project for 64,980 ultra-poor women of 1,030 unions under
106 upazilas of 22 district across the country aimed at changing their socio-
economic condition.
The beneficiaries would be involved in income generating activities day by
day and for this, they would be imparted training on IGAs regularly so that
they would remove their poverty and be self-reliant economically and help the
government build a poverty free happy and prosperous country, he added.
All the upazila chairmen, vice chairmen, UNOs, UP chairmen and secretaries
of project command areas and NGO representatives, including journalists of
print and electronic media participated in the workshop.
BSS/CORR/SSS/1708 hrs