ZCZC
BSS-01
ETHNIC-SKILL-DEVELOPMENT (with picture)
Ethnic women to become income-generators in Rajshahi
By Dr Aynal Haque
RAJSHAHI, Oct 6, 2020 (BSS) – Some 4,000 ethnic minority people, including 2,000 women, are on the way to become self-reliant through various income generating activities in the Barind area.
To this end, 1000 of the enlisted people age between 18 to 29 from 800 households have already been imparted need-based training on various trades and vocations like electrics, mobile, mechanic, tailoring, computer operating, beautification, driving, carpentry, tiles fitting and building construction.
The skill and capacity building activities are being implemented under a three-year project titled “Fighting Forced Labour with Adivasi and Dalit Communities in South Asia” in 30 villages under Tanore Upazila in Rajshahi and Nachole Upazila in Chapainawabganj districts.
The Agriculture Sustainable and Socio-economic development Organization (ASSEDO) has been implementing the project with financial and technical support of European Union and Tradecraft Exchange since January, 2019.
ASSEDO Executive Director Rabiul Alam said the project is aimed to address the systemic and structural vulnerabilities of marginalized agricultural communities for eliminating the menace of child labour.
Some 1,000 youths including 550 females coming from 800 ethnic minority families were given different income-generating tools including cash taka aimed at boosting their level of confidence through making them self-reliant.
Of them, 145 got building construction instruments, 80 electrical and house wearing, 68 Mobile servicing equipment, 60 beef fattening, 50 tailoring, 55 tiles fitting materials and 40 goat rearing.
Earlier on, they were imparted practical training on the respective trades and vocations so that they can earn money after the best uses of the training and tools as alternative income sources.
At least 20 of the beneficiaries have got jobs in different private sectors and doing their jobs successfully.
Sonali Hasda, 25, one of the beneficiaries, lived with her husband and her son and daughter on a khash land in Bachanda village under Nachole upazila.
After receiving training on tailoring, she was given a sewing machine on behalf of the project.
She was oriented about record keeping and accounting of any business. Besides, she was linked with the nearby market actors.
At the beginning, she bought some raw materials from a nearby market. Then she started making clothes with limited resources and sold these locally.
Now, she is very busy as she is getting orders from different cloth stores randomly.
At present, she is earning Taka 4,500 on an average per month. Side by side with her tailoring activities, she is rearing five ducks and two goats.
“Now I can provide tuition fees for my children, provide better food for my family members and clothes for our children,” Sonali said, adding that her social status is gradually rising besides improving her level of confidence.
In future, she will expand her business. “I shall buy some cattle to establish a small cattle farm very soon, she added.
Like Sonali, many other beneficiary youths have got new life after the best uses of the training and income-generating tools.
Professor Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan from the Department of Geology and Mining in Rajshahi University said a need-based income generation programme is being adjudged as the vital means of mainstreaming the ethnic people of Rajshahi region.
Terming the people as laborious and devoted to various income- generation activities he advocated for launching more training on different time-fitting trades and vocations so that they can improve their living and livelihood condition alongside empowering themselves.
Prof Chowdhury illustrated various aspects of technical and vocational education and training towards mainstreaming the ethnic minority people.
In his remarks, Lutfor Haider Rashid, Chairman of Tanore Upazila Parishad said alternative income sources for the ethnic minority people can be the crucial means of ensuring their food security round the year side by side with debarring them from various unemployment related social crimes including drug addiction.
He categorically viewed that the ethnic community people in the region suffer a lot from absence of regular works because their ancestral practice of selling labour in agricultural fields remains in only three months in a year.
BSS/SPL/AH/MR/MMA/1253HRS