Title: People’s Empowerment for Accessing Rights to Livelihoods  (PEARL)

Duration: August 2013- July 2016

Name of the sub-partners (if applicable) Himmawanti

Total cost of the Project: 1,62,93,507 (BDT)

1. Goal: Improved livelihood and human dignity of marginalized/disadvantaged/poorest community of Rangamati Hill District through increased life skills for preservation of cultural heritage.

2. Purpose:

               i.      To increase average household income through providing supports for IGA and ensure food securities for the poorest populations.

             ii.      Mobilization to access social justice in human rights violation

            iii.      Practical application of traditional knowledge and preservation of traditional items to ensure

Identity 

3. Activities:

 (1) Formation of Gram Surakka  Komity (GSK):

CIPD will form 30 GSK with 30 -100 HHs in a village. Women, vulnerable groups, poor and people of disadvantaged Jumia communities will be given first priority during formation of GSK. The GSK will be composed of local Headmen, Karbari’s, UP Chairman/member, learned persons and youth having permanent resident in the respective village.  At least one-third members will be included from women in GSK. The main purposes of the GSK are to create a strong leadership of Jumia community for managing Rice Bank as a revolving fund to ensure food security of poor Jumia families, to establish child rights, women rights and ensure gender equity in the area and monitor IGA. 

(2) Formation of youth and adolescent group:

The project aims to develop total 15 youth and adolescent groups comprising of 15 to 20 members for each lead by the sub partner organization. Out of total groups, 10 female 5 male  total 15 groups will be  formed in 03 unions of 03 Upazila under Rangamati district where total 300 youth and adolescents members are planned to be motivated for managing their own development affairs through secure reasonable earning activities by the project intervention. Cultural groups will also be developed within these 15 groups. The project will provide various need base skill trainings to build their capacity and provide a package of training, guidance and mentoring support to youth and adolescents in a range of skills including life skills, group management, IGA planning and Bank account operating. Additionally, revolving funds without interest will provide support to the groups. The project intend to youth engagement in social arbitration process, play vital role to protect community violence against women and build linkage with legal service providers. Upazila base potential cultural groups will be developed to build awareness through cultural performance on different social issues. This cultural performance/practice will serve two way purposes: awareness building and cultural restoring. Sessions will be will be offered on traditional laws, human rights, women rights, Child rights, violence against women, gender and right to information etc.

(3) Provide Training:

Training is an important component for the empowerment of the community. Following training will be conducted to community peoples.

Firstly, provide leadership, project management and basic human right training to 75 GSKmembers.

Secondly, IGA training on goat/pig rearing, homestead gardening will be conducted to vulnerable peoples to generate income for improvement of livelihood. Jum cultivators, youth and adolescent, day labor, wild vegetable collectors, female headed households, no regular income and landless, internally displaced HH will be included in the selection process.

Thirdly, for awareness building to the youth and adolescent monthly session will be conducted on traditional laws and awareness rising sessions on Human rights, women rights, Child rights, violence against women, gender and right to information etc. Training will also be provided for Upazila based cultural groups to promote their technical capacity.

(4) Provide legal aid support to women victims:

Women Victims will be supported by SPO through counseling with legal aid providers/organizations to access social justice at traditional (Headman/Karbari)/GoB court.

(5) Provide Support of Income generation Activities (IGA) opportunity:

To reduce the vulnerability of Hill people, it is important to introduce alternative income generation activity to increase household income. To this subject, 2300 HHs (53% of total targeted HHs) will be provided IGA support. These are followed by three items/kinds:

i) Provide Pig/goat:  200-300 HHs will be selected through GSK following a guideline and a pig worth of TK 1500 TK 3000 – will be given to each HH.

ii) Provide seeds for Homestead gardening: Seed of vegetable worth of TK 1200 will be provided to 900 HHs.

iii) Provide sapling for Mixed fruit gardening: Saplings of high yielding fruit like China-3 litchi, Rangua mango will be provided to 1200 HHs etc for homestead gardening. Those who have above a half acre of land will be provided sapling and encouraged for mixed fruit gardening for their permanent source of income. 20% of the Jumia HHs will be benefited from such kind of garden. 

(6) Celebrate International days:

Day observation will be celebrated on basic human rights, International Mother Tongue day, Indigenous Day and Women day at Upazila level to sensitize for preserving own culture and heritage.

(7) Preservation of Culture and Heritage:

Traditional crafts of Jumia people are on the way of distinction and the following initiatives will be taken for protecting and preserving all aspect of culture & heritage;

 (i) Set up Cultural Display & Sales Centre:

CIPD came forward to collect and preserve all rare products related to handicrafts of bamboo strips, cane and wood. CIPD established OZOLENG, a cultural display and sale centre at Rangamati. Visible items made of bamboo strips, cane & wood, dresses, musical instruments, hunting instruments, rare documents, books, magazine & publication on indigenous issues and culture will be collected for sale & display.

(ii) Conduct Research and Documentation on indigenous knowledge:

Literature on traditional medicinal system (Boidya Sustra) will be collected, verified, compiled and published with list  of plants providing medicinal quality identified in local, Bengali and Botanical names. The Boidyas (traditional healer) will be encouraged since they will be involved in the participatory exercises and the indigenous knowledge on herbal medicine and traditional treatment system shall be protected and developed.

(iii) Set up Herbal Garden:

A central herbal garden will be established with 100 -300 spices of medicinal plants at Mogban Union under Rangamati. This garden will be used as training centre of Boidyas to identify herbal species, usefulness and effectiveness of herbal medicine and for developing of treatment methodology. Collection of required numbers seedlings/saplings of available herbal plants shall be collected from jungle and nursery. The Boidyas (traditional healer) will be imparted special Ayurbedic course on ayurbedic treatment for academic certification.

(iv) Participation in Tree Fair: For awareness building on herbs and medicinal plant CIPD will participate in tree fair at Rangamati sadar during national tree fair every year.

(8) Management of Rice Bank (RB):

To overcome the seasonal food shortage and food crisis, 23 Rice Banks (RB) have been set up in 7 unions of Jurachari and Belaichari Upazila. Thus the RBs are being used as revolving fund for food security. These banks are being managed by GSK following a guideline.  CIPD will monitor and ensure the proper management of these rice banks on monthly basis. .

4. Geographical location:

The project will be implemented in Rangamati district covering following Upazila, Unions and villages.

DistrictUpazilaUnionNo of villages
  RangamatiJurachariBanjugichara, Jurachari, Moidong, Dumdumya49
BelaichariKengrachari, Belaichari, Farua49
Rangamati sadarSapchari, Pourashova16
KawkhaliGhaghra16
410130

5. Targeted Direct Beneficiaries:

Direct Beneficiaries of the project is 4300 HH (4300*5=21500 persons) covering   women,   men,    boys, girls and boidya of CIPD and 300 hundreds youth and adolescent (300* each HH member 5=1500)  of sub partner.

BeneficiariesWomenmenBoyGirlsOrganization
30 GSK(100-150 HH in each GSK)IGA support on pig farming, Homestead gardening, Fruit gardening 7748807120762006CIPD
Youth and adolescent groups700600150150Sub partner
Grand Total844886712225215621500

6. Duration of the project: August 2013-July 2016