RANGPUR, July 17 (BSS): Local employment and income generation opportunities have been assisting 0.16 million extremely poor people, including distressed women, in becoming self-reliant through changing fortune in Rangpur region.
They have been earning well through vegetable cultivation, milk production, cow fattening, fish farming, poultry rearing, mini garment cotton crafts, handloom and embroidery works along with other income generation activities.
Rangpur Regional Office of HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation under its 'Samridhhi' project has been assisting the beneficiaries since 2010 under various value chain development programmes with financial assistance of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation to achieve the project's goal.
Under the project assistance and cooperation between private sectors and local entrepreneurs, effective value chain systems have been developed creating opportunities for sustainable jobs and income generation activities locally.
The project has strengthened the local service providing systems enhancing capacity of local service providers, their associations and collaboration among the government agencies, private entrepreneurs, companies and organisations.
Under the project, 0.16 million people of 33,800 extremely poor households of Rangpur, Nilphamari, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat and Kurigram have already achieved economic self-reliance, empowerment and well-being in their own areas.
Private entrepreneur Abu Bakar Siddik has set up mini garment factory 'Students Care' at Dimla town of Nilphamari to promote the 'Cotton Craft' value chain programme through skill development of rural women and establishing rural production centres.
Some 450 trained men and women have been working at 'Students Care' and its other eight more garments production centres set up at different rural areas of Dimla and Domar upazilas by women entrepreneurs after getting training from 'Students Care'.
The trained men and women have been producing quality school dresses like tie, batch, bags, pants, shirts for male and female students at 'Students Care' and also at other eight production centres.
"All of the products are being supplied to the 'Students Care' from where those are being marketed for students of 1,500 schools in 27 upazilas of 13 districts throughout the country," said proprietor of 'Students Care' Abu Bakar Siddik.
Besides, the trained men and women have been producing other garment products at these centres for marketing through local traders and entrepreneurs with the assistance of the value chain programme of the project.
Like other garments producer women, Basiron, 45, Rasheda, 35, Lipa, 21, Rafia, 38, Ambia, 35, Samina, 32 and Minaki, 29, said they are earning Taka 5,000 to 6,000 every month now to lead solvent life with their family members and children.
