The Jibika project, a joint initiative of BRAC and US-based Oil giant Chevron Bangladesh, has helped lift 20,000 marginalised and vulnerable people out of extreme poverty in Sylhet region in the last three years.
The figure was disclosed at a function styled as 'Sharing Experience of the Jibika Project' held at a city hotel on Monday, organised by the BRAC in association with Chevron.
The three-year project involving 110 community-based organisations known as Village Development Organisations (VDO) was implemented under the BRAC's Integrated Development Programme.
IDEA, a Sylhet-based NGO, has been working with BRAC as the implementing partner of the project since October 2015.
The project aims to develop local institutions and promote entrepreneurship for sustainable income growth of the poor and marginalised farming households around Chevron-operated gas fields in Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Habiganj.
Some 106 community-based organisations, out of 110, have been registered as operatives under the Jibika (livelihoods) project and 58 per cent of the members of VDO executive committees are women.
Md Kamal Uddin Talukder, secretary of Rural Development & Cooperative Division, Ministry of LGRD & Cooperatives, spoke on the occasion as the chief guest, with Anna Minj, Director, Community Empowerment, Integrated Development, Gender Justice & Diversity Programme of BRAC, in the chair.
Md Abdul Majid, Registrar and Director General, Department of Cooperatives, Ministry of LGRD & Cooperatives; Neil Menzies, President, Chevron Bangladesh; Ismail Chowdhury, Director, Policy, Government & Public Affairs, Chevron Bangladesh and KAM Morshed, Director, Advocacy for Social Change, Technology and Partnership Strengthening Unit, BRAC, attended the event as special guests.
Talima Begum, president of Uttor Baluchar Zonaki Kornofuli Sharbik Gram Unnayana Samabaya Samiti, said the trainings imparted under the Jibika project has helped her and other community members learn how to run a village development organisation and how to develop an enterprise using new technology, marketing system and linkages with service providers.
She thanked Jibika for improving the lives of women of the community.
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary Kamal Uddin Talukder lauded the BRAC and Chevron for working together for the socio-economic development of vulnerable communities in northeast region.
Chevron Bangladesh President Neil Menzies thanked the Jibika project and the cooperatives department for their contribution to socio-economic development through institutionalisation of the community organisations.
KAM Morshed, Director of BRAC, emphasised the need for value chain system and enterprise development programme for the community people.
He also said this model can be replicated in other regions of the country, especially for the vulnerable people in haor areas.
The event featured display of Jibika model, a stall representing Jibika VDO and documentary show.
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