Living standards of Kurigram char dwellers have been improving just by getting some training and vegetable seeds and sheep at free of cost.
With the financial assistance of Friendship Luxembourg, an international NGO, Friendship Bangladesh has been implementing a welfare project since 2017 for the underprivileged people in the flood-prone char areas of the district to bring a positive change in their life.
The welfare project titled Transitional Fund (ASD) is changing the socio-economic condition of the char dwellers by providing them with sheep, different varieties of season-wise vegetable seeds and tools for vermicomposting as well as necessary training on sheep rearing, vermicomposting, and vegetables and ginger cultivation through sack method.
Jorina Begum of Kurigram Sadar upazila said like other beneficiaries she received a sheep worth Tk4,100 and 14 varieties of vegetable seed from the project.
After rearing the sheep on the char land and cultivating vegetables on her homestead, the number of sheep has increased, and the vegetable farming has also extended. Now she has three sheep, the price of which has stood at Tk27,000. She earned Tk22,000 through selling vegetables in the local market after meeting her family demand.
Sajiron Begum started vermicompost production after getting training on it organised by the Friendship. Now she earns Tk2,000 by selling vermicompost every month. It helps her family during hard times.
Sadequl Islam of char Bhogobotipur is cultivating ginger in 35 sacks and expecting Tk12,000 from selling the ginger.
Dr Md Habibur Rahman, Kurigram district livestock officer, said, “The organisation provided sheep and training to 420 families of Kurigram Sadar, Chilmari and Rowmari upazila this year.
However, the Livestock department ensured vaccination and deworming, he said. As a result, the families got chance to increase their income within a short time through sheep rearing, he added.
The NGO is encouraging community-based vegetable cultivation so that vegetable production continues even during floods. It is also facilitating ginger cultivation through sack method. Besides, it is promoting papaya cultivation, and production and use of vermicompost instead of chemical fertilizers in vegetable farming.
Apart from it, the organisation is working with the char dwellers to eradicate social problems like child marriage and domestic violence, says Assistant Director of Friendship Md Nayeem Khan, who is running the project in the region.
Besides, it is working to build their capacity of facing natural disasters, said agriculturalist Md Ashraful Islam Mollick, regional manager of the Friendship Bangladesh.
Md Abdullah Al Mamun, deputy director of the Agricultural Extension department, assured that the department would support the residents of the char areas through capacity building and providing technical support to them.
He appreciated the methods of vegetable and ginger cultivation through sack method, and the vermicompost production introduced by the Friendship.
