Livelihood
1. Comprehensive Village Development Programme: A Sustainable
Approach to Rural Development
Md. Habibur Rahman, Deputy Project Director, CVDP, Rural Development
Academy, Bogra
Comprehensive Village Development Programme (CVDP) started its
experimental journey in 1975. Under the programme, an action research
was undertaken in 1988-89. The experimental phase of the programme was
jointly implemented by BARD and RDA, which ended in 2005. Then, the
government took CVDP as a model concept for rural development and
decided to implement as a national programme. This phase will continue up
to December 2013. The implementing agencies are BARD, RDA, BRDB and
Co-operative Department. It is observed that CVDP has been able to develop
a strong institutional base at village level having massive participation of the
people. Training provided by CVDP has created a huge impact in the areas of
technology transfer, employment and income generation. CVDP
cooperatives have been able to operate credit programme on their own
capital. This model sets the example of how the cooperatives under CVDP
are flourished as self–sustained organization at village level. This model
proves that co-operators can plan, manage and help themselves, if they are
empowered to exercise their rights and wisdom.
2. Homeo Bottle Producing Factory
Bimola Roy, SKS Foundation, Gaibandha
Gaibandha is one of the disadvantegd districts in Bangladesh. There is no
work opportunity for women in this area. They rear duck-hen, cow-goat,
produce vegetables, sew cloths, etc. But, they cannot spend what they earn
on their own. In 2011, the participants of Progati Lokokendra in Fulchhari
upazila discussed among themselves about how to initiate income
generating activities. They planned to earn through making homeo bottle.
According to the plan, they formed a four member committee to
communicate with homeo bottle producing factories in different areas. They
checked potentials of the initiative, availability of raw materials and
machines, and calculated the profit and loss and finally decided to initiate it.
They started it with an investment taking from their fund. All the members
also individually contributed to the initiative with 200 taka each. They
purchased raw materials and machines spending 11,200 taka. They took a
25,000 taka loan from their fund. Now their capital is 50,000 taka. With the
help of a two-month training, they themselves can now produce homeo
Poverty and Development: Realities of Grassroots 33