NETZ Bangladesch Annual Report 2017

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NETZ Annual Report 2017 V Programme 1: Sustainable livelihoods 200,000 people have better nutrition and access to rights Hunger is a reality for millions of people in Bangladesh. Especially in structurally underdeveloped rural areas, families are affected by it. Mothers cannot provide adequate amounts of food, clothes and medicine to their children, because their elemental rights are being neglected. It is possible, however, to permanently change the situation for the better. With start-up grant families can build future-proof livelihoods for themselves and in self-help organisations they are actively shaping the life in their villages. NETZ supports them to achieve this. 1 50,952 families were supported by NETZ in 2016, so that they can sustainably generate their own income and free themselves from hunger. Included in this are families from the Indian federal states West Bengal and Jharkhand. 2 192,749 people have a better income and better nutrition through this. 3 526 families were newly included in the programme by NETZ in 2016. Tamsila Begum: From hunger to self-sufficiency “We have overcome hunger. Now we can live in dignity”, says Tamsila Begum from the village Ichly. Her biggest wish was going to bed at night without the debilitating feeling of hunger and shortage. Tamsila Begum achieved her goal. The basis for this was a start-up grant: a cow, chickens and seeds. A small farm, which she has built up, was growing continuously and today it is the basis for their living, as the mother of two children reports. There is storage for rice and potatoes in the house. Apart from that, Tamsila Begum bought a sewing »I am impressed by the projects aiming to find and jointly walk paths out of poverty with the people in Bangladesh. At the same time, I admire that so many competent people strive politically and socially – in Bangladesh and in Germany – for improving living conditions. A hope that remains: We can change the world. Mary Kling, « One-World-Shop in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen A potato stock brings security for Tamsila Begum’s family. kit and produces shirts, which her husband sells at a local market. Photo: Sven Wagner Strong together against injustice: Women in Balapara NETZ-supported project unite: Women, who participate in it, form self-help groups for mutual support. These local groups jointly form self-help associations at regional level to effectively represent the interests of people living in poverty. “There are still many poor people out there, just as we were once”, says Mazeda Begum, chairwoman of the selfhelp association in Balapara. “Now we are supported these people, after we have made it ourselves.” The women know best: Poverty is not self-inflicted. They demand that social benefits are paid out to those in need; they oppose corruption of public authorities and prevent child marriage. To every meeting they bring a handful of rice and put it in a so-called “rice bank” to support families in need. They provide start-up capital from credit pools under their management to promote new investments in agriculture and handicraft. This approach and good practices are available to development experts and any interested parties and published in detail under www.end-extreme-poverty.org. Project impact Successful: Already 35 self-help associations have hired female staff members for the bookkeeping of their credit funds. 15 project participants were elected into union councils, so that they can represent their interests. Pioneering: Village groups collected 62.8 tons in rice banks. Landless families received the right to use 48.7 hectare of public land through their struggle. In Joypurhat district, indigenous women accomplished to receive the same wage as men for their work in the fields. 4
Sustainable livelihoods programme Establishment of self-help structures for the poorest. Trainings in: Agriculture and livestock breeding, founding of small businesses, women’s rights and preventive health care. What was achieved and who was assisted? 50,952 women have organised themselves in 2,593 village groups. 14,660 women participated and deepened their knowledge on rights and sustainable income generation. Photo: Sven Wagner Thanks to start-up capital and training, 50,952 families sustainably generate their own income. Start-up capital: Cows, goats, hens, a rickshaw, or seeds and leased land for the cultivation of rice and vegetables. The women are active participants in development and stand up for their rights. They are committed to local policies for the benefit of the poorest. Challenging: The fight against structural causes of hunger, such as land grabbing or corruption of public authorities, is complex, as it questions existing power structures. It is a long way until the poor are given their rights and can participate equally in democratic decision-making processes. Self-help organisations require More than 192,000 family members have better, more secure nutrition. In 2016, NETZ included 526 families newly into the programme. With the assistance of village groups, in 23,311 cases families have received the support from the governmental social security programme to which they are entitled. The village groups formed 240 self-help associations to make their voices heard in local politics. intensive support to achieve this. Only few institutions are willing to support such long-term empowerment processes. Improvement needed: The activities of two self-help associations are stagnating due to internal conflicts. A concrete plan – Balapara self-help association. Goals 2017 1 NETZ further strengthens the self-help and active citizenship of 51,000 women, who are currently participating in the project. From 2019, their self-help organisations will assume all responsibilities. 2 Together with participants and partner organisations, NETZ is further developing the project design. On this basis an expansion project is developed, which supports families to overcome malnutrition and to secure their rights. 3 People living in extreme poverty suffer most from the effects of climate change. NETZ aims to develop a pilot project in Southern Bangladesh, where the situation is most precarious. Programme 2: Primary education Quality primary education for more than 29,000 children ó Education is elementary: Reading, writing and calculation are basic skills for a self-reliant life. More than two million children in Bangladesh grow up without this perspective as they do attend primary school. Most of these girls and boys belong to families living in poverty. To change this situation, NETZ creates access to inclusive quality education in structurally weak regions. 1 In 2016, NETZ and its local partners supported 233 primary schools in remote, poverty prone regions. 2 29,432 students received high quality pre-primary and primary education, including theatre performances, dance and enjoying diversity of religions. Tanjila: School instead of child marriage Tanjila was one of the best students in primary school. Although her ability to hear and speak is restricted, the youngest of four sisters has achieved an excellent result in the final exams. However, her Education instead of child marriage: Tanjila with her mother Renuka Begum. Photo: Ashrai parents decided that the minor-age girl should be married – out of fear that her restriction might develop further and that she would not be able to find a husband later on. Tanjila’s teachers caught suspicion, after the girl stopped coming to school. They talked to her parents and pointed out that Tanjila would be robbed off her potential, if she was married. The parents understood that Tanjila could pass higher education and take her life into her own hands. Their plans for marriage were cancelled and Tanjila is now visiting a secondary school. Together for Bangladesh 5
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NETZ Bangladesch Annual Report 2017

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