RAJSHAHI, Dec 30, 2019 (BSS)- By dint of their relentless and sincere
efforts, more than 1,230 underprivileged ethnic minority families of 30
villages under Godagari upazila in the district have attained food security
and self-reliance.
‘The Aboriginals Village-based Sustainable Food Security Program’ has been
playing a positive role in making them free from poverty and hunger through
building food storage (Raksha-gola).
With this breakthrough the underprivileged and disadvantaged community
people have built food security to mitigate their long-lasting sufferings
during the lean period.
This was revealed at a daylong annual general meeting of all the benefited
community members both males and females on Rajabarihat High school
playground under the same upazila today.
Center for Capacity Building of Voluntary Organization (CCBVO) has
initiated the programme in 2003 through disseminating updated ideas and
extending some financial and technical support under the village-based
community development approach.
Omor Faruque Chowdhury, MP, addressed the meeting as chief guest while
CCBVO Executive Chief Sarwar-E-Kamal welcomed the participants with Proshen
Ekka in the chair.
Former Registrar of Rajshahi University Prof Abdus Salam, Upazila Chairman
Jahangir Alam and its Nirbahi Officer Nazmul Islam Sarker and Union Parishad
Chairman Mohammad Akteruzzaman also spoke.
Some 6,236 community people including 1,792 women and 2,663 boys and girls
from the organized families attended the ceremony hosted with financial
assistance from Bread for the World, Germany .
The meeting was told that the community members have so far saved 3.17 lakh
tons of rice and 96.96 tons of paddy in addition to capital formation of
around Taka 60.46 lakh.
The villages are: Choitanyapur, Shahanapara, Kantapasha- Edulpur, Nimkuri,
Patharghata, Beldanga, Golai, Geolmari, Gardaing, Mulkidiang, Daingpara,
Neemghutu, Shreerampur, Biroil, Baganpara, Gonoker Daing, Farshapara, Dadour,
Gunigram-Rajpara, Idulpur, Narshinghagarh- Adarshagram, Agalpur, Madhaipur
and Udpur.
Besides, they disbursed 9.74 tonnes of rice and cash Taka 15.76 lakh for
health, education and other family purposes to the needy members as risk
reduction assistance during the current year.
Apart from this, the beneficiaries are engaged in various income-generating
activities like homestead gardening and dairy and poultry rearing, through
which, they also meet up daily nutritional requirement along with building
their capacity.
Lawmaker Faruque Chowdhury assured the organized people that tube-wells
will be installed in the villages besides concretization of all the katcha
roads and re-excavation of the existing ponds within the next six months.