Improvement Committee (SIC) took lead role in developing
Slum/Settlement Improvement Plan (SIP) and their implementation
(infrastructure services, livelihoods promotion -waste management,
different IGAs, capacity building of staff of Municipality and CBOs). SIPs
endorsed by the Municipality and other Non-state Actors (NSAs) played
significant role in implementing activities and achievement of objectives and
expected results of the projects and contributed to improve environmental
health services and health conditions of slums, reduced incidence of illness
and expenditure on health, livelihoods promotion and alleviation of poverty
and improved participatory Governance practices in municipality and CBOs
itself. CIF co-opted as member of the Steering Committee by the municipal
administration in Faridpur and allocated office room permanently in the
Municipality Building. The integrated community participatory approach,
direct involvement in project activities and collaboration (GO-NGO) with the
Municipality, has been able to influence policy and practice change in
Municipality Governance, mainstream participatory planning exercise and
changing resource allocation practices, which, altogether is considered as a
‘best practice, and could be replicated on wider scale to the interest of the
urban low income settlement/slum people.
2. Formation of women farmers groups and attaining entitlement
and recognition as farmers
Babor Ali, Mukti Nari o Shishu Unnayan Sangstha
Asha and Tori Reflect Circle at Char Thotarpara village in Ramkrishnapur
unioin under Daulatpur upazila of Kustia district started discussing the issues
of women rights in 2009. At a stage of their discussion and actions the
women realised that they do not have recognition as farmers though they
perform most of the agricultural activities. Consequently they formed an
alliance in their locality, which gave the women farmers a platform to be
organized. Through alliance building, they mobilised other women farmers
to establish the recognition. They also took different initiatives to pave their
economic empowerment. Bangladesh, being based on an agricultural
economy, having the significant contributions made by the women should
recognise them as farmers and provide all entitlements for furthering
agriculture as a profitable and sustainable one.
32 4th National Knowledge Convention