A step towards alleviating poverty

Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) yesterday launched the "Partnership for Resilient Livelihoods in the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) Region" project, aiming to alleviate poverty and enhance the lives of extremely low-income households in the area.

As many as 98,000 people in Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari will directly be benefitted from the project, funded by the European Union and technical support from UNDP Bangladesh.

Around 52 percent of CHT's population lives below the poverty line, while the national rate is 18.7 percent.

The EU has donated a budget of EUR 8 million (USD 8.65 million) for the 2023-26 project, which will work under three components, including resilient livelihoods, nutrition, and social protection and advocacy, according to MJF officials.

During her opening speech, Shaheen Anam, MJF executive director, underscored the significance of the project in addressing the escalating poverty, child malnutrition and drinkable water crisis in the CHT region.

"In this context, the PRLC project will play a vital role. But we all have to work with integrity to achieve our goals," she said.

Speaking as chief guest, Bir Bahadur U Shwe Sing, minister of CHT affairs, said, "The government is dedicatedly working in CHT to alleviate poverty and improve livelihoods. We deeply appreciate our development partners working alongside the government to achieve our goals in the CHT region."

However, he emphasised the importance of efficiently utilising the funds by ensuring that the majority of the resources are directly allocated to the beneficiaries.

At the event, four beneficiaries of the UNDP's support in the past two decades described how their lives and livelihood were improved.

"It will help to implement the sustainable development goals," said Mashiur Rahman NDC, secretary of the ministry.

"We did not get the right price for our products due to the absence of any marketing system. UNDP has helped us overcome it," said Aklima Khanam, a beneficiary from Rangamati, while sharing her perspective.

Speaking as a special guest, Charles Whiteley, European Union ambassador to Bangladesh, said the project will have special attention to livelihood promotion for the extremely poor, expansion of nutrition services, community mobilisation, and market development.

"Issues like gender equity, women empowerment, and disability inclusion will be the core of the project," he said.

Van Nguyen, deputy resident representative of UNDP Bangladesh, highlighted their collaboration with the Ministry of CHT Affairs for the capacity building of CHT institutions and communities during the last two decades.

"The EU was one of the major contributors to UNDP's project funding in the region," she said.

"The project will work very closely with the ministry, CHT Regional Council, and Hill District Councils...We hope that the project will be able to make a positive change in the CHT," she added.

The event was presided over by Nirupa Dewan, MJF's governing board member.