Braving floods and erosion people living in Char areas (newly emerged land) are rebuilding their lives in northern district of Kurigram with income generating and social awareness programmes.
Brahmaputra, Dharala, Teesta are among the 16 rivers that run through this district where annual floods and river erosion are common. Every year hundreds of poor marginal people lose their homesteads to erosion and deluge.
As the river erosion and floods take away homes, new lands emerge from the soil deposits which are called Chars ( land bars). Homeless people often migrate to the Chars for living and growing crops in the fertile soil. Kurigram has 420 such Chars, according to official estimate.
During a recent visit to Sadar upazila’s Sardarpara village ashore of Dharala River the UNB reporter found 240 flood devastated families rebuilding their lives by engaging in economic and social activities.
Malek and Dildar residents of the village said the road connecting the village to other parts broke down in the latest flood but the locals repaired it with the assistance of Union Council and individual aid.
The local initiative has made the road usable for vehicles and the children are able to go to school again, they said.
Cultivating seasonal vegetables, rearing sheep suitable for the region has become the key to changing the living standards of Char residents in Kurigram.
Along with the means of livelihood the residents are being made aware of legal and social rights and about good governance which is helping them become self-sufficient and responsible citizens.
The credit largely goes to the private development organization Friendship Bangladesh which has come to support 720 families of 24 Char in Chilmari, Roumari and Sadar upazila in their journey to this change.
Sumi Begum, another villager said, “We have recently been trained on good governance where we learned about the adverse effects of domestic violence, early marriage, divorce, multiple marriages.” She said they also now know about the country’s constitution and parliament.
Whenever the locals need legal support or have queries the organization’s legal booth provides them cost free service, she said
Babita Begum got a sheep under the transition fund of the ASD project which already gave birth to three calves. “When I will need money I can sell the animals and solve my problem.I feel relieved.”
“We used to buy fertilizer from the market but now we make our own low cost organic fertilizer along with that we have learned to use pheromone traps for insects,” told Ahad Ali, from the village. His neighbours Rosna and Sazina Khatun echo the same feelings.
To avail different government facilities they have learned how to contact different offices now, said the villagers.
Dr Md Ashraful Islam Mallik, agriculturist and ASD project manager of Friendship Bangladesh said the perspective of Char locals have changed a lot after getting training on domestic violence and how to redress it.
“Providing sheep to 240 families of the region gave them an opportunity to earn more within a short period,” said Dr Md Habibur Rahman, livestock officer in the Sadar upazila.
All the sheep got free vaccination and deworming done from the government, he said.
“As the Char region is very suitable for sheep rearing it can be a feasible option for people here to become self-reliant as well as meeting their need for protein,” said the livestock officer.
