WB help for 10 more disaster-hit dists

Notun Jibon, a Social Investment Programme Project (SIPP) that started as a small-scale pilot project in two of the poorest districts of Bangladesh -- Jamalpur and Gaibandha, has now been expanded to 10 more districts affected by recent floods and the cyclone Sidr.
The government-led project, co-financed by the World Bank ($18.3 million), targets the hard core poor who cannot avail themselves of micro-credit facilities, says a World Bank press release.
The project has tested new community-based financing to improve access to local infrastructure and basic services for the hard core poor. Its community driven development approach has helped the poor form their own institutions, and the project provides funds for investment and small-scale lending directly into the hands of the villagers.
The second phase of Notun Jibon - Empowerment and Livelihood Project - will be initiated in 2010, and will expand to 12 new districts and broaden to deepen the achievements of Phase I.