Programs
1. Economic Livelihood Development Program (ELDP)
1.1. Micro Finance (MF)
1.1.1. Income Generating Activities (IGA)
With “Income Generating Activities”, SUS currently gives credit to 22043 members who are organized in 1372 groups. IGAs were first established in 1986 so they are a fundamental part of SUS from the beginning.
• The program starts with a door-to-door-survey done by the Community Organizer (CO) in the village. With the help of criteria such as land possession (not more than 50 decimals (one decimal= 40.47 m²)), daily income (60-70 taka) and age (18-45 years), the members of a credit group are selected. The CO also talks to the husband about his wife's plan and the married couple together decides how to invest the money.
• On average, one group consists of 20 members. Five members form the Committee consisting of the group leader, the “advisor” for health, the “advisor” for legal aid, the cashier and the secretary. These five members get special training at SUS. They then transfer their knowledge to the other members of their group.
• Every member is given 5000 to 11000 taka loan per year, according to her need. The women pay back weekly. For example, if a woman gets 6000 taka loan, she has to pay back 120 taka every week. Additionally, a very low service charge of 10% is charged. Savings should amount 10 to 20 taka per week.
• In emergency cases like illness, a member can get a maximum of 50% of her savings back after two years. Usually, she gets it back after the five years duration.
• Within the five-year-period, the given loan is increased by 2000 taka every year if necessary.
• The women build up little shops, buy ducks, a cow and poultry, establish vegetable gardening, install tea stalls or create tailoring businesses with the money. Sometimes they also save up for a rickshaw. They have a weekly meeting with the CO (one CO is responsible for 12 groups and follows up 2-3 groups every day except for Thursday and Friday). At the weekly meeting, awareness is raised on topics like education, rights or health and the members also talk about their savings and plans with the loan.
The CO of an IGA group in Shapmara
The groups are situated as follows:
Madan : 161
Mohanganj : 134
Mohanganj : 134
Purbadhala : 163
Barhatta : 51
Kendua : 136
Netrakona Sadar : 302
Atpara : 288
Kalmakanda : 59
Shyemganj : 74
Dharmapasha : 64
• SUS has enlarged the IGAs. It has established 74 groups in Shamgonj. Also, 59 and 64 groups have been established in Kalmakanda and Dharmapasha respectively.
• SUS staff members have selected the members carefully. That is why the survey at the beginning of the program is so time-consuming. So far, very few problems with members have occurred.
An interesting study on the results of IGAs is named “Livelihood status of the group members” and was concluded in December 2001 by SUS. The study compares 195 group members from 1998 who have been included in this program for four years with group members of a group formed in 2001. At first, the study presents changes of the 1998-group. Some are:
• The members now have a hygienic latrine
• They established a linkage with market for sell and purchase
• They are more conscious about food intake
• They increased contraceptive use and are aware of family planning
• They use safe water for drinking
• They get medical treatment instead of treatment from the traditional healer
• Participation in household decision making is increased
• Dependency on the husband is reduced
• Knowledge of fundamental law has increased
• Some participate in salishs (6%) and some attend social gatherings (6%).
• They established a coordination with local power structures
The average yearly income of one family (5 members) is 51400 taka (different income sources) whereas the average yearly expenditure is 46140 taka.
Other results of the 1998-IGA group according to this study:
• 51% of the selected members are conscious about proper marriage age
• 23% are conscious about social violence like rape and acids
• The condition of 26% of the beneficiaries has been totally changed from “poor” to “developed” (according to criteria like income sources, utilization of credit, expectation of children's education, awareness about primary health care, etc.)
• The condition of 49% changed from “poor” to “moderate”
• In the group of 1998, most women (12%) chose rice husking as an IGA, 10% chose grocery, 9% chose poultry and duck rearing, cow fattening or fish business respectively.
• 67% control their IGA jointly with their husband, son or father in law, 25% are not at all involved in control and only 8% control their IGA alone.
1.1.2. Market Based Small Businesses (MBSB)
Program
“Market Based Small Businesses” (MBSB) are organized by SUS in groups of about 12 male members. The members are given a loan every year for five years. In the first year, the members get 15000 taka loan. This amount increases every year by 5000 taka. In the fifth year, they then get 35000 taka loan.
• With the money, they set up small businesses like ornament shops, electronic shops, garment shops or clothes shops.
• Every week, the groups have a meeting with the Committee Organizer (CO) of SUS to talk about their businesses and strategies. They have to pay back part of their loan weekly. That is 300 taka per week in the first year (15000 taka divided by 50 weeks), 400 taka in the second year and so on.
• Additionally, they have to pay a 15% service charge that is 45 tk. in the first year, 60 tk in the second year etc. Also, the CO collects savings of 40-50 tk. every week. In emergency cases like illness, a member can get a maximum of 50% of his savings after two years. Usually, he gets it back after the five years duration.
• Currently, there are 67 groups in Netrakona District with 533 members.
Location
The groups are situated as follows:
Madan tana : 11
Mohanganj : 10
Purbadhala : 11
Barhatta : 09
Kendua : 04
Netrakona Sadar : 18
Atpara : 04
Future plans
In December 2005, three groups were closed because SUS will try another approach of personal loan. The plan is to give every member a personal loan of 50000.00 taka per year. This way, bigger businesses can be created. The personal loan is not supposed to substitute the MBSBs in future; it is simply another approach. The person who the loan is given to also has to pay back weekly with a 15% service charge. He is supposed to save 100 taka every week.
1.2. Extreme Poor Women Development Project (EPWDP)
The goal of this project is to reduce rural extreme poverty. This goal will be reached if, at the end of the program, 80% of the targeted women eat three meals a day and if their productive assets have increased.
Program
• Within the project period (2002-2006), 800 extreme poor women are included in 60 groups in 6 unions of Mohanganj upazila and part of Barhatta upazila in Netrakona district.
• Each group consists of 10 to 15 women.
• Priority is given to female-headed households without another earner, disabled women and members of ethnic minorities. Criteria for participants are landlessness, no more than two meals a day and a monthly income less than 500 taka (for families with more than four family members, the income should be less than 1500 taka).
• The REFLECT approach is used for group-based awareness and institution building.
• According to their needs, the members receive different trainings and productive assets including credits from SUS. Most of the members of the 2nd phase that started in 2005 chose cow rearing (157 members), others preferred boat and net - Income Generating Activities (65), a grosser business (15), duck rearing (9) etc.
• According to a study, 63% of the women are running additional IGAs such as duck and chicken rearing or homestead gardening.
• The women do not become the owner of the cow or any other asset for three years. By the third year, they need to pay 20% of the asset value to SUS to make it their property.
• The members get compensation during the training period.
• Each group chooses a group president, secretary and a cashier. They get a special training on leadership & group management and savings credit procedures.
• The group members receive trainings on Disaster Management and Emergency Response, prepare their individual family development plan and save a certain amount of money regularly.
• 210 members have been included into existing mainstream activities of SUS in which they take part at least once every 15 days. A loan of 4000-6000 taka at the most is given to them which they should pay back weekly with a 10% interest rate.
• It is decided upon whether a member is capable of taking part in these activities or whether she needs more skill training. One CDO (Community Development Organizer) is responsible for five groups. He or she also follows up 45 members weekly observing the use of inputs and the family development plan and offers counseling to groups on how to get access to services from government agencies.
Evaluation
One can observe the impact of the program when comparing results of members of the 1st phase and members of the 2nd phase (who have only recently been included into the program, put in brackets in the following):
• 100% are able to sign (70%), 90% are aware of bad effects of early marriages (50%), 80% of the women participate in decision-making processes in their families (20%).
• Additionally, the daily average income is much higher of members who have been included into a group for a longer time (1st phase) than of those who have become participants recently (2nd phase). For example 1st phase-members earn 40-50 taka with cow rearing while 2nd phase-members only earn 25-35 taka. The highest income, 220-230 taka or 130-160 taka respectively, is earned with duck rearing.
A self-evaluation report was conducted in May and June 2005 with the assistance of NETZ. It recommended more meetings and workshops with village representatives and husbands. It also suggested the formation of disaster management committees at village level.
Visit
Women's group in Dashpara
One women's group with 15 members was visited in Dashpara. It started one year ago. Most of the women (12) do cow rearing. A newly formed group in Kakura that consists of 9 members is called “Mongol” (“good luck”). It meets together with another group from the neighborhood, “sorop” (“sand”), in which 9 members are included. 7 out of 18 participants are Hindus. These groups meet every Tuesday and had their first meeting in March 2006. The average age of the participants is 31 years, the oldest one is 45 and the youngest one is 20 years old. The women were surprisingly self-confident and vivacious.
1.3. Sustainable Agriculture Project (SAP)
Program
Most farmers in Bangladesh use chemical fertilizers and hybrid; they have been neglecting local seeds for a long period of time. The pesticides are very harmful to the soil; they also pollute the water and kill fish. It is easier for farmers to buy pesticides instead of making bio insecticides themselves (like cow dung). When using hybrid varieties, farmers are obliged to buy new seedlings every year instead of planting the ones kept from the last harvest.
In spite of the consequences for nature and human beings, there is no government policy to promote changes concerning the use of pesticides in agriculture. Three to four NGOs in Bangladesh work on sustainable agriculture.
SUS joined them in 2003. We built a model farm not far away from the SUS office in Netrakona where vegetable and rice grow and two ponds harbour fish. In an experiment, half of a field is fertilized with cow dung and a chemical fertilizer is used on the other half. Then the outcome is compared. So far the outcome from the first half is only a little less than that of the other half of the field. An advantage of organic fertilizers is that the leaves of the plants can still be used as food.
• On field level, SUS trains farmers in using organic fertilizers and encourages them to plant local seeds. There are 13 local seeds available.
• 10-15 interested farmers are selected in a village. On a part of their field, they then use organic fertilizer and local seeds provided by SUS. When they see the satisfactory results, they use organic fertilizers for a bigger portion of the field. The results also motivate other farmers to follow their neighbour's example.
• To inform about consequences of pesticides and to discuss about other agricultural issues, SUS gives trainings to the farmers in the villages. At the moment, there are 50 farmers in the project who plant vegetables and 50 cultivate rice.
• The project is financed by the SUS fund.
Future plans
For 2006, it is planned to reach 150 farmers in Netrakona sadar and Mohanganj.
Study
Once 48 types of paddy were cultivated, whereas now only 10-12 are used. As part of the After-Flood-Rehabilitation-Project in 1998, the Bangladeshi government permitted private companies to import seed for the first time violating its traditional rules. Gradually these companies have innovated highbred with the help of genetic engineering from which re-production is not possible. Besides this, farmers are now under compulsion to use the company's special insecticide products.
For marketing these seeds, the multi national companies are not depending only on markets, but they are also using micro credit programs of NGOs. For example, farmers were compelled to use highbred paddy seed of “ACI Company” in the micro-credit-programs of NGOs. The study found out that 60 percent of the seeds have been provided by NGOs; private dealers have provided 20 percent. As a result, farmers are being indebted in exchange for being economically self-reliant.
2. Health, Education and Environment Program (HEEP)
2.1. Education
2.1.1 Sustainable Approach for Quality Education (SAQE)
Program
SUS is working together with chosen government schools or registered schools (explanation under “visit”) since 2001. The aim is to increase and ensure student attendance, quality education, reduce dropouts and to revitalize the teachers and parents.
• Every year, SUS arranges a 7-days-training for the teachers at the SUS office.
• SUS arranges courtyard meetings in the school's village 4-5 times per year. We also organize mothers' meetings twice a year.
• Every school has a School Management Committee (SMC) that consists of eleven members: five students' parents, two teachers, two local personalities of whom one has to be female, one high school teacher and the donor who rents the land of the school. About 70% of the SMC-members in all schools are active now and most were inactive before.
• SUS assists the children in scholarship-programs. In the school that was visited, more children got scholarships after SUS supported them (see “Visit”). Location SUS supports 36 schools in 6 upazilas. 9 are in Netrakona Sadar, 4 are in Atpara, 8 in Modon, 7 in Kindua, 4 in Purbadala and 4 in Mohanganj. In Netrakona Sadar, the schools are located in these villages: Amtola (2), Kaliapuna (registered school which is close to Amtola), Panchkahania, Pitua (registered school, close to Panchkahania), Rubi, Mauze Bali, Bara Kailati and Malni (see map AEP).
Visit
A big field serves as a playground
The school in Kaliakuna is a registered school, which means it is not fully supported by the government. Two years after the establishment, the teachers receive a salary from the government; the initiative before has to be taken voluntarily. Only about 30% of Bangladesh's schools are fully governmental schools. In registered schools, the teachers get only 80% of the salary and no pension is provided. These schools also have fewer facilities. Whether a school becomes fully governmental depends on the student's results and the school's cooperation with the government.
This school exists since 1986 and was registered in 1991. Four teachers work here. Class one (69 children) and two (38 children) are being taught from 9:30-12 o'clock in the morning. In the afternoon from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., classes three (35 students), four (32 students) and five (32 students) attend.
60 children of class one sit side by side
Before SUS started supporting this school in 2001, the School Management Committee was inactive. Now, the School Managing Group is very active and meets once a month. Action points for the year 2005 included creating a little garden next to the school building, improving the road (sandy way) leading to the school, expanding the school by one room (still needs to be done) and conducting a child survey to inform about admissions for the coming year.
Two children (one male, one female) in every union get a special scholarship (that means from class five on) from the government. Since 2001, one child of the school got a scholarship every year (in total 2 girls and 2 boys). There are 13 other schools in this union. It is planned by the government to double the number of scholarships and to give four children per union a scholarship in the future. If one imagines that one child has to compete with about 500 others in this union, providing more scholarships is urgently necessary. Early Childhood Development Program (ECDP) Sustainable Approach for Quality Education (SAQE) as it exists now will be given up (the SAQE schools will still be visited once a month as a follow up) and changed into two components: Early Childhood Development Program (ECDP) and Block teaching. At present, many of the class one students in Primary Schools are too young or not ready to go to school yet. They usually do not get the chance of right preparation at home. These children would then be included into ECDP instead of being admitted to school. A community teacher will prepare children for school the year before they are admitted to class one. Within ECDP, 42 centres will be established in 7 upazilas. 14 SAQE-schools have already included the ECDP in their schools.
For the Block teaching, one teacher from each SAQE- school is selected and receives a special training from SUS. Then he or she teaches all subjects in class one and the size of the class will be limited to 30-40 students. This is similar to the NFPE-approach.
Sabalamby wants to cover up 100% (500 schools in Netrakona district) of the area. With three approaches- NFPE, ECDP and Block teaching-, we reach far more students than before. Also, SUS does not want to create high expectations and we want to work with the help of government facilities. Now that we supported the schools for four years, the situation has improved so much (Community and School Managing Groups are active) that SUS is no longer needed.
2.1.2 Non Formal Primary Education (NFPE)
NFPE projects of SUS work with the poor, helpless and uninterested children. The parents are not conscious about education and have to work hard to earn their livelihood. They do not have time to think about health, education and their children's future. Dropped-out students are also admitted to NFPE schools. Having failed to go to school at a proper age, they had no chance to go to government schools due to their parents' lack of awareness about education or other reasons (e.g. no government school in their village, poverty, big family size).
In general, education has really improved in Netrakona district since SUS started its programme of NFPE. In 1991, only 71% of the children took admission for class one. Since then, many governmental and non-governmental institutions have been working to increase enrolment. With astonishing results: 97% now take admission for Primary School. But still, only 63% complete their primary education. Since 1992, girls do not have to pay for Secondary Education anymore. Hence, girls' percentage has risen to 51% in Secondary Schools.
Program
The NFPE class in Panchkahania
• Before an NFPE-school opens, a baseline survey is done in the village. Students are between 7 and 11 years old. At least 70% of the selected students are girls. Five of the schools in Netrakona Sadar take place from 9-12 o'clock in the morning, the others from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The time is fixed after discussing the suitable time with the parents and children. This way it is also easier for the Project Supervisor to visit two circles within one day.
• The children in NFPE schools have three subjects: Bangla, mathematics and English. Singing, dancing and art are also taught to them. Three students form one learning group. It consists of one weak, one medium and one strong student who support each other.
• SUS pays for materials, but not for the clothes. Local materials, which do not cost money, are used if possible, for example when the children learn to calculate, little stones are helping them.
• Every month, a parents' meeting takes place. The main problem the parents talk about is illness of their children and how to cure them.
• The teachers get a 6-days-training at SUS before starting to teach. Every month, they go to a refresher's training for one day at SUS office. The teachers of NFPE-schools all live in the villages they teach in. They are therefore well-known, respected and know about the local structures and problems.
Location
SUS started the first schools in 1991. We now have 39 NFPE schools of which 10 area in Netrakona Sadar, 10 in Atpara, 10 in Mohanganj and 9 in Barhatta. In Netrakona Sadar, the schools are situated in these villages: Panchkahania, Dugia Rampur, Amtola (2 schools), Kasba, Debpur (all Amtola Union), Mymenshinhu Rubi (Sinhen Bangla Union), Mauze Bali and Sidlaur (Kailati Union) and Koyarhati (Medni Union). (see map AEP)
Visit
• The teacher Nazma (27) has already taught in schools of Proshika and GSS before she came to SUS. She teaches 22 girls and 8 boys.
• In this class in Panchkahania, the students are 8 or 9 years old. They come to school every day except for Fridays and holidays from 9 to 12 o'clock.
• The professions of the students' fathers are: 10 are day labours, 9 are farmers, 3 are rickshaw drivers, 6 do a small business like selling vegetables, one is a rickshaw maker and one buys and sells wood.
This is a chart made before the school started which shows that all except three could not write or read. Below, the children expressed what they like to do in their free time: for example, six like to play with dolls, five like to play with balls and for nine students, cooking is their passion. The circle shows the daily routine of the children which includes eight hours of sleep, household-work, homework, playing and eating.
• Six siblings (three brothers and three sisters) of the students go to a high school which is located about 20 minutes away. For high schools, girls do not have to pay. Boys pay a fee of 25-30 taka per month depending on their grade. Both boys and girls have to buy books which cost about 600 taka and pens, notebooks and clothes. The students usually buy the books second-hand from older students, so they only pay half price.
Future plans
In 2006, 14 schools have been closed because they have finished after three years duration. 25 schools are running and 41 new schools have been established. So all in all, 66 schools are running since March 2006 in 6 upazilas of SUS working areas : Netrakona sadar -20 , Atpara -10, Mohanganj -10, Barhatta -6, Modan -10 and Kindua -10.
Study
The study “A tracer study on phased-out students of NFPE” by SUS is based on a survey done in 2001 for which 465 (10%) out of 4650 phase-out students since 1993 were selected. Amongst other things, information about ongoing education after phasing put of NFPE schools and about marital status is given:
• 63% of the phase-out students are involved in continuous education.
• 33% are presently married and 67% unmarried. If one has a closer look at the age structure, only 3,4% of the interviewed phased-out students are older than 18 years and 11% are 17 or 18 years old. By law, teenagers can marry at the age of 18 earliest.
• Of the girls, 36% are married, of the boys only 26%.
• 60% know the “perfect” marriage age The study concludes that partfont size="4" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">• 60% know the “perfect” marriage age The study concludes that participation in family decision-making and community, although increasing, is still low. Health awareness and practice has greatly improved (for example, 91% now use safe water in all sectors. For comparison: only 70% of the comparable non-school going children used safe water).
2.2. Health
Health indicators of the poor people in Netrakona are far below the national average. SUS realized that most families did not use the credit programs properly because they spent the money on treatment of different diseases. As a result of their weakness, children do not go to school regularly and finally drop out. The Comprehensive Health Service Project started its work in 1996. In 2001, SUS started providing both curative and preventive services and established a static clinic. Mostly women (80%) come here, about 30 every day. Of these, about five are pregnant. SUS staff is working in 48 villages in 7 unions of Netrakona sadar upazila.
2.2.1. Comprehensive Health Services (CHS)
Program
Objectives of this program are to:
• Raise awareness on reproductive health care as a preventive measure
Strengthen village groups, prevent sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS, conduct community meetings on pregnancy care, on causes of disability and on the importance of nutrition.
• Build capacity on reproductive health care
Midwives training; training of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs)
• Provide services on comprehensive care
Satellite clinics in different communities, pathological tests on pregnancy, diabetic, etc.; Home visits for physiotherapy, support for operation on harelip, clubfeet, etc.; provide available services on family planning; provide health card/pregnancy card
With the Pregnancy Packet Program, 130-140 women are treated during their pregnancy. The women get a card for 40 taka and can then visit the doctor for free before delivery. Four visits are recommended to them. A kit is handed out that contains different things needed during delivery like a plastic sheet, gloves and a razor. The actual cost of the Packet is 290 taka, but the women only have to pay 40 taka.
• Build up a network
work with other organizations like CDD (Dhaka), Community centre on disability rehabilitation (Dhaka), Central Hospital (Dhaka); establish links with the Department of Family Planning in Netrakona from where clients can receive free family planning methods; establish links with Government Health Department and public maternity clinics. Every upazila has five Community Organizers. Every three months, a one-day-training is given to the Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA). All in all, there are 80 TBAs working in the five upazilas.
2.2.2. Reproductive and Sexual Health Rights
Program
SUS established this program in July of 2005 with the assistance of Action Aid Bangladesh. Its goals are to create acceptance among husbands and other family members regarding reproductive and sexual health rights and to create an environment among the health service institutions and respective persons to provide qualitative health services.
In order to reach these goals, SUS is working with Traditional Birth Attendance (TBA) circle participants, pregnant mothers, husbands and mothers in law, REFLECT trainers, health workers, Union Parishads, Upazilla health committees, District level health committee etc.
2.2.3. Disability Rehabilitation Project (DRP)
Program
According to information from the Population Census 2001(Bureau of Statistics), 10% of the Bangladeshi population is somehow disabled. Possible causes are complexities during pregnancy and after birth. Superstitions and ignorance about disability are still widely spread. Disability in Bangladesh is still often seen as a punishment of God. Others assume that the disabled child is the mother's “fault” and blame her. The parents themselves sometimes do not see any use of “investing” in their child who will be no help for them in the future so they give less or worse food to the disabled one; this hinders the child's in its development.
SUS started the DRP in June 1998 and is now working in six upazilas: Atpara, Madon, Kendua, Purbadhola and Mohonganj and Netrakona Sadar.
Its objectives are to raise awareness on the causes of disability, to rehabilitate disabled clients, to establish their rights and to change people's negative attitude towards disabled persons. Services are provided through home visits (50 homes in every upazila), therapy and counselling.
Every two weeks, a courtyard meeting with 15 to 20 neighbors and friends of the disabled child's family is arranged to discuss about disability and the progress the child made. A lot of times neighbors are skeptical about the program's use.
There is also a static clinic at SUS hospital in Netrakona, where disabled children come with their parents on Saturdays and Thursdays.
In Netrakona Sadar alone, there are 500 disabled clients. About 12 to 15 children come on each of these two days. SUS staff ensures devices like special toilets, wheel chairs or “corner chairs” to control the head. If a family lends devices, SUS takes 100 taka for three months. In 2005, theatre groups of SUS performed four dramas about disability.
The DRP is also working through other SUS programs like NFPE and SAQE and cooperates with the HRLS section and REFLECT circles. It tries to involve disabled clients and their families into IGAs.
Future
• In 2006, SUS plans to reduce the number of clients per Disability Rehabilitation Worker to 15 so they have more time for the single child.
• 12 drama performances are planned (two per upazila).
• Groups at upazila-level will be formed consisting of journalists, government employees, doctors, police superintendents and UP- chairmen as well as UP-members to discuss laws and other topics concerning disability. In 2006, two first orientation meetings with these groups are planned in every upazila.
Visit
Shilpi from SUS with
Chagor in his homeChagor is seven years old. He has one younger sister. His father has a fruit's shop at the Boro bazaar in Netrakona town. Chagor has been trained for a very long time. His rehabilitation with SUS started when he was only six months old and he has made great progress since then. Birth complications caused his disability. He suffers from cerebral palsy. His parents additionally train him four times per day with exercises SUS staff has shown them. Since January 2006, Chagor attends the “Holy Child Kindergarten” in Muktapara and the teachers find him very smart. Chagor laughs and giggles all of the time. His mother is now worried because he does not grow like other children his age. The neighbours were initially sceptical, but they now see the good results.
2.2.4. Nutritional Surveillance Project (NSP)
Program
The prevalence of malnutrition in Bangladesh is among the highest in the world. According to the Annual Report of SUS, 60% of young children suffer from underweight and 42% of mothers have chronic energy deficiency. The NSP is currently working in 24 upazilas throughout the country. SUS is working in Atpara upazila since 1998 in collaboration with Helen Keller International (HKI). Data is collected bi-monthly.
2.3. Adolescent Empowerment Project (AEP)
“A child of today will be an adult of tomorrow by passing adolescence and youth”, the Annual Report 2005 says. Important physical and mental changes happen between the age of 12 and 18. According to UNFPA, 23% of the Bangladeshi population is adolescent.
Development is not possible without including adolescents. In Netrakona District, the infant mortality rate of children under 5 years is 14%. Often, the mothers are too young or do not know enough about nutrition, vaccination and hygiene. 63% of the girls who are 15 to 19 years old are already married in the rural areas although the legal marriage is 18. Poverty is usually the cause for early marriages since the parents cannot afford having an additional eater in their house and the amount of dowry, though illegal, increases with the age of a girl.
Finally, the age differences between wife and husband changes a girl's future married-life. If the woman is much younger than the man, she will have problems establishing her position in the new household. As a result, early-married girls have less power and autonomy and a lower status. Women who marry at a young age with elder men are more likely to be abused or physically threatened. The behavior, attitudes and power relations that are formed early in marriage may persist over time.
Girls are not educated about their menstruation and only 20% know about the use of contraceptives. Regarding the rapid population growth, it is not understandable how the government and NGOs have neglected adolescents.
The success of our AEP program is shown in numbers: In the years 2004 and 2005, 37 early marriages could be stopped and two marriages were arranged without dowry. The AEP, supported by NETZ Germany, will go on until 2007 and started its first phase in 2000. Within its second phase from 2004 on, it plans to cover a total of 6100 adolescents.
The program includes:
• Institution Building
o Adolescent REFLECT circles
o Pioneer Groups
• Skill development training (280 participants)
• Trade and Marketing
• School Mobilization (1400 students) and
• Advocacy and Local Level Networking
2.3.1. Institution Building
2.3.1.1. Adolescent REFLECT circles
Many adolescents - especially girls- do not get the chance to visit a school for different reasons: They are obliged to work to contribute to the family's income, they live in very remote areas or the parents simply do not see the necessity of their daughter going to school because they themselves never did. The REFLECT (Regenerated Freirean Literacy through Empowering Community Techniques) approach, used both for the circles and the pioneer groups, does not only aim at increasing literacy but also addresses the adolescents' most urgent concerns and problems. That way, the classes are never theoretical and the girls and boys have influence on what they are being taught about and how they implement their knowledge. Maps, pictures and diagrams are used instead of boards alone.
REFLECT circle in Gabindupur
The role of the “teacher” is only to assist the adolescents in forming their own ideas, discussing and helping them to read, write and calculate. They also encourage the adolescents to implement their decisions, e.g. completing birth registration in their communities.
Program
The 50 REFLECT circles go on for two years and are located in 44 villages of Netrakona Sadar. About 1000 adolescents are reached.
• Court yard meetings with the local community and with the guardians are part of the project. Guardian meetings result in higher attendance rates in the REFLECT circles because parents become more aware on the circles' necessity.
• The attendance rate in 2005 was 70%. This is because many participants, especially in the poor areas, still have to work to help their families. According to an evaluation, about 60% of the adolescents were involved with income generating activities.
• In 2005, 14 girls dropped out. 10 of them were married at the age of 18 years or older and four were victims of early marriages.
• 41% of the participants stated that they will involve in continuous education after the completion of their REFLECT circle. Some of the adolescents are already 18 years or older and are unlikely to go to primary school because they will feel ashamed. Unfortunately, they do not yet have enough knowledge to attend school at a higher level.
Visit of a REFLECT circle in Islampur
Islampur is a very poor slum area. Only nine out of the 20 circle's participants attended class that day. The others had to work to support their families, for example five work in a cigarette factory in Netrakona. Two were sick and stayed at home and two had to work at home. The girls working in the factory attend circles only 7-8 times every month when they are free of work.
Classes take place every day from 9-11 a.m. except on Fridays. The girls learn to calculate, read, write and discuss. They are 12-15 years old (that is called an “Early Circle”; whereas girls' circles with adolescents who are between 15 and 18 years old are named “Late Circle”). After the two years duration of the REFLECT Circle, only two want to go to Primary School. Most of them expressed their shyness because they feel too old to go to Primary School now. This circle is the first chance of education in their lives. SUS observes an enormous increase of their self-esteem.
In the following year after the completion of the circle, SUS will meet once a month with the girls to do a follow-up and to repeat some topics. One REFLECT trainer of SUS is responsible for 10 circles so every circle is supervised once a week. The trainers of the circles get a 9-days-training before starting to teach; later they attend a refresher's training every month.
Visit:Selection of new REFLECT circle participants for 2006
The trainers Liza and Roxana conducted the selection process for new participants of the future adolescent REFLECT circles. The trainers get a list of the girls' names, addresses and ages collected by the facilitator who will later on teach the girls in the village. Two circles are planned for 2006 in this village so two meetings with the selected girls and their mothers were arranged.
The two circles will be “early”, meaning their participants are aged between 12 and 15 years. Overall, 70% of the circles are “early”. The girls were asked to write down their names and read something from a paper shown to them. Most of them knew how to write their names, but not more. One girl was 14 years old and she had been married for four years. She looked a lot older and has gone through much pain: she already gave birth to a dead boy. Despite her sorrow, she smiled and acted cheerfully. She was accepted as a participant.
2.3.1.2. Pioneer groups
Adolescents who have basic knowledge in reading, writing and calculating are included in pioneer groups. The REFLECT method is used for teaching.
Program
• SUS will build up 140 Pioneer groups with about 3000 adolescents until the end of 2007. In 2004 and 2005, 80 pioneer groups with 1705 participants were formed. Of these, 80% were girls' groups. In March 2006, 20 new groups started meeting and additionally 20 will be formed in May. The participants are trained in age-related issues like health, rights, importance of education, bad effects of early marriages, hygiene etc.
• Pioneer groups go on for one year, meeting twice a week for two hours.
• The Pioneer Leaders (PL) receive a basic training and are being taught in REFLECT methods. They take part in refresher's meetings bi-monthly and attend an orientation on rights and gender issues. PLs get a non-recurring payment of 6000 taka.
• More than half of the participants continue going to school. The government primary schools offer two class sessions (9:30-12 a.m. and 12:15-16:15 p.m.). It is therefore manageable for the pioneer group's participants to attend school.
• After analyzing their situation, the groups decide upon action points that have to be taken in order to improve their current situation. In previous groups, mostly tree (fruit, wood or medicine trees) plantations, installation of sanitary latrines, TT vaccinations and compost preparations were implemented as action points.
• A parent's meeting is held monthly. The PL trainer discusses topics that are relevant for the adolescent's parents like nutrition, health and early marriage with the assistance of a SUS pioneer trainer. Parents are conscious about the adolescent program and usually encourage their children to attend the circles. Including the parents into the program increases the attendance rate of the adolescents.
• The magazine “Koishore” (“adolescent”) is published quarterly with a circulation of 4000 copies. Success stories of groups, articles about adolescents' issues, participants' thoughts etc. are included. The magazine is also handed out to other institutions like schools and to relevant persons like UP chairmen.
• A mobile library has been set up. Unfortunately, there are only 19 libraries for 90 groups (pioneer groups and 2nd year of adolescent REFLECT circles together). Each library contains the same set of 15 books so that the adolescents get bored when the libraries take turn after 8 weeks and stay for 10 days. The plan for 2006 is to set up a variety of libraries with different books included.
• A quarterly supervision of the groups is conducted by SUS.
Evaluations
2nd batch (started in the end of 2004 and ended in 2005)
Important findings:
• 70% can participate in family decisions
• 50% are involved with income generating activities
• 34% continue their education
• 76% exercise writing and reading at home and
• 86% go to the hospital or to a registered doctor for treatment
3rd batch (started March 2005; not yet finished at the time of evaluation) The awareness of the participants highly increased. For example: Previously,
only 18% of the participants thought about the importance of a girl's education, at present 60% think that it is essential. 80% (previously 16%) know about the bad effects of early marriages and 80% (previously 11%) can explain why the use of a sanitary latrine is needed. Topics that are apparently hard to address are for example women's rights concerning inheritance of their father's or husband's property: only 45% of the participants have knowledge about this matter. The cause might be the complexity of this issue that cannot be easily illustrated.
Visit of a pioneer group
Twenty girls aged 12 to 15 are included in the pioneer's group in Purbomedni. This group started in August 2005 and meets twice a week from 10 to 12 o'clock in the morning.
The van-diagram shows the bad effects of an early marriage. The distance from the center and the size of the “breads” (as they are called by the adolescents) indicate the time and importance of the problems such as: Stopping the education, having delivery problems, giving birth to a disabled child, suffering from bleeding or malnutrition, maybe having to accept another wife if the husband takes a second one etc.
Four of the present stopped going to school due to lack of money. Their fathers work as rickshaw-pullers, farmers or little shop owners. After the girls' group finished, a parents meeting was held. The girls called their mothers and 12 of them attended. The PL talked about the importance of iodine and immunizations. The third topic on the agenda was early marriage that is addressed several times in parents meetings.
Mothers meet with the PL (taking notes)
2.3.2. Skill development training
To give adolescent girls a perspective for their life, SUS set up a skill-training section to train them in practical work. They are enabled to earn money after having completed the training. The girls are perceived as useful workers by their own families and are therefore not rashly “given away”. Early marriages are prevented. The girls become more aware of their own rights through awareness-raising classes.
Program
Selection of participants
• 45 girls and 5 boys are selected every year to start their training with SUS. These adolescents (12-18 years old) come from poor families living not farther away than four kilometers from the training center. The families do not own more than 0.5 dc of land and they have little income. Field workers of SUS collect their names and prepare a list of potential participants.
Shirin and Akther apparently enjoy their work
• Disabled, divorced and widowed adolescents are given priority. SUS wants to approach a family from different sides with its programs. Therefore, children of parents that are already in other programs like Income Generating Activities are preferred. Phased-out students from REFLECT circles or pioneer circles have greater chances to be accepted.
• Up to 10 girls have the chance to live in the shelter house close to the SUS office if they experienced violence at home or are beaten by their husbands. Currently eight are living there. The girls are chosen by the “Human Rights and Legal Services”-unit of SUS and get support, if necessary, in court. Mrs. Rehana brings the girls to the shelter house after work and stays with them until 9 p.m.
The training
A disabled girl working in the embroidery section
• The adolescents can choose between embroidery (currently 10 girls), sewing (14 girls, 4 boys), bamboo (9 girls) and batik (12 girls, one boy) skill trainings that go on for one year.
• Batik and sewing techniques are more complex and therefore only advanced adolescents are admitted to this training. The batik techniques include waxing, tie die, block and skin print. The raw materials for batik are not available on the local market and are expensive.
• The participants earn 400 taka monthly of which 100 taka are mandatory savings kept by SUS. The adolescents receive their savings after the one-year training has finished. The participants have to take an exam every month.
• An awareness-raising class is arranged every morning from 9 to 10 o'clock that uses the REFLECT method to teach about hygiene, early marriage, nutrition and other topics. The participants who are already literate and dropped out of school are taught in an extra class. The teachers have been trained together with teachers from Pioneer circles for nine days.
• A parents' meeting takes places quarterly.
After the training
• The adolescents can work at the SUS training center if not exceeding the age of 18. About half of them stay and then earn money per piece instead of monthly. Some work at home and bring the completed products back to SUS.
Shirin in the bamboo section
• Every year in March and then quarterly, SUS conducts a survey for the participants of the previous year and asks about changes in the families, earning and work. Some girls form groups or train other family members.
• The following year, SUS tries to follow up on some girls' development through siblings that also get trainings at SUS or by visiting their homes.
• Currently, there are 57 girls working in the production section of the training center.
Embroidery : 8 girls
Bamboo : 16
girls Batik : 19 girls
Sewing : 14 girls
The average income per month of the trainees from 2004 who are still involved with SUS is highest in the sewing section (479 taka) and in Batik (469 taka). The adolescents working with Bamboo and Cane (356 taka) and Embroidery (320 taka) earn less.
2.3.3. Trade and Marketing
• SUS set up a shop in the office building next to the training section (Bikash) and one in Netrakona town (Netrapanya). Together, their monthly average income is about 92.500 taka.
• Orders from a third world shop in Turku, Finland, for 150.000 taka make up about 10% of the total income which is 1.200.000 taka (2005). Shops from the USA and Japan are also interested and asked for information via e-mail. SUS wants to develop its website to show the latest products and make an order via e-mail easier. Since SUS does not have the license to export products, it uses Heed Handicrafts in Tongi (Dhaka) to send items abroad.
• According to a study conducted from March to December 2005, male clothes like fatua and shirts sell better than female ones.
• SUS employed two designers for the skill-training section. They control the quality and select new designs every month in a meeting that is also attended by all the trainers, the sales supervisor, the person in charge of the shop and the supervisor.
• SUS started a network with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) for the next five years. A designer regularly comes from MCC, prepares new samples and assists in the marketing of these products.
Future:
For 2006, production has been planned as follows:
Bamboo: 2222 products
Embroidery: 3674
Batik: 3930
Sewing: 2450
The sewing section also produces for the other sections to provide them with working material. It is therefore the busiest section.
2.3.4. School mobilization
Schools are perfect places to exchange information regarding adolescents' rights and opportunities. The school program and the informal institutions of AEP (REFLECT circles and pioneer groups) take complementary roles in raising awareness among the adolescents.
Program
In Netrakona Sadar, information from 18 schools has been collected and 10 schools were finally selected. One school is located in another upazila.
• Adolescent Groups with 30 and Adolescent Committees with 5 members respectively were set up in each school. Adolescent Committees meet monthly. Adolescent Groups meet weekly during the tiffin break. Education, rights, law, gender, health and reproductive health issues are discussed.
• Two adolescents from each Adolescent Committee are sent to the Adolescent Forum
• Essay competitions were organized.
• An area wise irregular learner list was prepared and these students (in total 109) were visited at home.
• Teachers received an orientation on Para education (parallel activities besides the curriculum, e.g. dance and drama).
• In 2006, cooperation with two colleges in Netrakona is planned: Government Women's College and “Abbu Abbas Degree College”.
e="2">• In 2006, cooperation with two colleges in Netrakona is planned: Government Women's College and “Abbu Abbas Degree College”.
2.3.5. Advocacy and Local Level Networking
To change society's view on early marriage and other topics, important and respected persons need to be included and activated. It does not help at all to teach adolescents- and especially girls- about topics that the rest of their village is reluctant to listen to and change.
A picture taken by SUS for a card
SUS' goal is that the stakeholders around the adolescents publicly acknowledge the necessity of special care and education for the adolescents. They should express their willingness to raise awareness and to prevent early marriages through local advocacy.
SUS has built up
• An Adolescent Forum (consisting of 36 adolescents from Pioneer groups, REFLECT circles and the schools)
• A Professional Forum (consisting of 26 doctors, imams, marriage registers, lawyers, guardians and one teacher from each school)
• 7 Local Security Committees and
• Education Implementation Committees.
3. Human Rights and Legal Services (HRLS)
“A challenging initiative will be taken for reducing dependency at family level. It is important to take initiative for reforming, modernizing and activating the local judicial system such as Shalishi parishad (mediation) and court”, the HRLS-unit writes in the SUS Annual Report 2005. This unit has been developed in 2001 with four components:
1. Human Rights and Legal Support
2. Gender and Women Issues
3. Culture and Information
4. Publication and Networking
The unit openly writes about hindrances in their work such as superstitious beliefs, natural calamities like floods, lack of education, corruption in the administration and governance, some inactive UP members that affected the participation of others etc.
3.1. Human Rights and Legal Support
• The HRLS set up Community Based Organizations (CBOs) at union level in 21 unions. One is called “Manobadhikar Shongrakkhan Parishad” (MSP) or “Human Rights Protection Organization” The MSPs at union level consist of two women and two men from every ward (consisting of 2-3 villages). Nine wards form one MSP and meet monthly. Gradually, the number of interested members increased from 36 to 108-120 members, depending on the MSP. The MSPs, as a consequence, formed an Executive Committee of 30 persons.
• The MSPs work independently and are only supervised from time to time by SUS. SUS conducts skill building trainings, workshops and group discussions for them to raise awareness on gender relations, human rights etc.
• SUS tries to increase Union Parishads' sensibility for concerns of the poor.
• Legal aid support from the government legal aid fund is assured.
• A complaint desk for human rights violations has been developed. In total, the HRLS unit received 321 complaints in 2005 of which 188 could be solved. 49 are still under process. The reasons for the complaints were torture for dowry (59), Land related dispute (50), conjugal conflict (30), remarriage (19), physical torture of the wife (17) etc.
• In Bangladesh, village courts, which are actually situated at Union level, exist since 1976. Members are the chairman, two Union Parishad members and two honorable persons selected by the victim's and the opponent's side respectively. Most of these village courts are not active though. From 2006 on, the HRLS unit will support 20 unions in 5 upazilas to develop and strengthen the village courts. The village courts' necessity is explained on the grounds that corruption in other institutions like the police or the courts is common. Destitute persons are not able to bribe responsible persons in order to get their cases filed or investigated. Additionally, the next court available is at District Level; for some victims impossible to reach due to lack of money for transportation.
3.2. Gender and Women Issues
• SUS organized a Union Parishad female member forum (UFMF)
• It set up another CBO named “Manobadhikar Naro Somaz” (MNS) or “Human Rights Women Groups” which, for example, assists victims in filing their cases in court.
• A gender working group and a gender policy within SUS has been developed.
• “Stop Violence Against Women” District Committees have been set up with doctors, teachers, lawyers, journalists etc. as members. So far 6 sessions have been arranged.
3.3. Culture and Information
• CBOc named “Mannubadhikar Nattor Parishad”s (MNP) or “Human Rights Theater Organizations” have been formed and they presented dramas and folk songs at local level. 100% decrease in Hillah marriages and oral divorces has been observed during 2005 in comparison to 2004.
• MNP/MSP arranged their own schedule of observations of special days like Rural Women's Day.
3.4. Publication and Networking
• An NGO coordination meeting with 16 NGOs and an Advocate Panel has been set up and its members hold monthly meetings.
• In 2005, SUS published Somoyer Kotha (four issues), Jogasutra- a booklet on legal aid fund (two issues), a booklet on shalishi (a kind of mediation, two issues) and a poster on women's rights and legal aid (two issues).
Future
The HRLS unit came up with recommendations for their own work like monitoring human rights violations after they have been reported and regular evaluations to ensure that grass root level activities are moving forward according to the plan. The unit also plans to purchase a set of reference materials for the office like books, magazines, manuals etc. Training on basic counseling for traumatic experiences will be provided to the staff.
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