Char people changing fortune thru’ homestead gardening

RANGPUR: Homestead gardening has become popular among the poor char people living on the Brahmaputra basin in recent years to increase vegetable production in meeting their nutritional demand and changing fortune, reports BSS.
According to sources, over 5.20 lakh people of 1.33 lakh extremely poor char households have achieved the success through homestead gardening with other income generating activities under the comprehensive Char Livelihoods Programme (CLP) since 2004.
Under the CLP activities, plinths of houses of the landless char families were raised first through government-non-government organisation collaboration to save them from floods and make them self-reliant through income generation activities like homestead gardening.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator Mamunur Rashid of RDRS Bangladesh, one of the CLP implementing partner NGOs, said the UKaid through the Department for International Development (DFID) and Australian Government through Australian Agency for International Development (Aus AID) are funding CLP implementation.
“Under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, CLP is being executed by the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division with the management through Maxwell Stamp Plc,” he said.
“The CLP has been proved to be very successful and effective for the extremely poor and have-nots group char households to alleviate and win over abject poverty through various income generation activities including homestead gardening,” Mamun added.
According to CLP sources, 1.33 lakh extremely poor char families living on riverine char islands in Kurigram, Bogra, Gaibandha, Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Pabna and Tangail districts have achieved success in homestead gardening.
CLP beneficiaries Parul, Anwara Begum, Laboni, Tahera, Maksuda, Shahera, Lal Banu, Halima and Rahela Begum of different char villages narrated unthinkable success they have achieved through vegetables farming on their tiny homesteads.
Before taking up vegetables farming as the means of their subsistence, the extremely poor char families were in abject poverty in the erosion-and poverty-prone sandy chars on the Brahmaputra, Teesta and Dharla basins, they said.
“We are leading better life now, meeting nutritional demand and earning by selling surplus production of vegetables, our children going to schools with dream for a better future,” said CLP beneficiaries Subarna, Maksuda and Sultana Parveen.
Charwomen Noor Jahan and Sonvan said they have been cultivating pumpkin, bitter gourd, snake gourd, long beans, teasle gourd, ridge Gourd, cucumber, bottle guard, brinjal, chilly, palong shak, lal shak, onion, garlic and other vegetables on their homesteads.
Chilmari upazila chairman Shawkat Ali Sarker, Bir Bikram, said the char people have been successfully improving their livelihoods, meeting nutritional demand and earning well through homestead gardening along with other income generating activities.
Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said huge vegetables are being produced in char villages of Gangachara, Pirgachha and Kawnia upazilas in Rangpur alone, changing life of 1,600 families so far.
“A number of local NGOs have been implementing the multi-dimensional CLP activities as partners in the riverine char islands to effectively improve livelihoods of the extremely poor char households,” he added.

 

Char people changing fortune thru homestead gardening

RANGPUR: Homestead gardening has become popular among the poor char people living on the Brahmaputra basin in recent years to increase vegetable production in meeting their nutritional demand and changing fortune, reports BSS. According to sources, over 5.20 lakh people of 1.33 lakh extremely poor char households have achieved the success through homestead gardening with other income generating activities under the comprehensive Char Livelihoods Programme (CLP) since 2004. Under the CLP activities, plinths of houses of the landless char families were raised first through government-non-government organisation collaboration to save them from floods and make them self-reliant through income generation activities like homestead gardening. Agriculture and Environment Coordinator Mamunur Rashid of RDRS Bangladesh, one of the CLP implementing partner NGOs, said the UKaid through the Department for International Development (DFID) and Australian Government through Australian Agency for International Development (Aus AID) are funding CLP implementation. Under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, CLP is being executed by the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division with the management through Maxwell Stamp Plc, he said. The CLP has been proved to be very successful and effective for the extremely poor and have-nots group char households to alleviate and win over abject poverty through various income generation activities including homestead gardening, Mamun added. According to CLP sources, 1.33 lakh extremely poor char families living on riverine char islands in Kurigram, Bogra, Gaibandha, Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Pabna and Tangail districts have achieved success in homestead gardening. CLP beneficiaries Parul, Anwara Begum, Laboni, Tahera, Maksuda, Shahera, Lal Banu, Halima and Rahela Begum of different char villages narrated unthinkable success they have achieved through vegetables farming on their tiny homesteads. Before taking up vegetables farming as the means of their subsistence, the extremely poor char families were in abject poverty in the erosion-and poverty-prone sandy chars on the Brahmaputra, Teesta and Dharla basins, they said. We are leading better life now, meeting nutritional demand and earning by selling surplus production of vegetables, our children going to schools with dream for a better future, said CLP beneficiaries Subarna, Maksuda and Sultana Parveen. Charwomen Noor Jahan and Sonvan said they have been cultivating pumpkin, bitter gourd, snake gourd, long beans, teasle gourd, ridge Gourd, cucumber, bottle guard, brinjal, chilly, palong shak, lal shak, onion, garlic and other vegetables on their homesteads. Chilmari upazila chairman Shawkat Ali Sarker, Bir Bikram, said the char people have been successfully improving their livelihoods, meeting nutritional demand and earning well through homestead gardening along with other income generating activities. Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said huge vegetables are being produced in char villages of Gangachara, Pirgachha and Kawnia upazilas in Rangpur alone, changing life of 1,600 families so far. A number of local NGOs have been implementing the multi-dimensional CLP activities as partners in the riverine char islands to effectively improve livelihoods of the extremely poor char households, he added.