Profitability and Marketing of Income Generating Activities (IGA) for ...

Study on Profitability and Marketing of IGA of Ultra-Poor under IFSUP Final Report
Chapter -1
Study on Profitability and Marketing of Income Generating Activities (IGA) of Ultra-Poor –
in particular Adibasis under the project of ‘Income and Food Security for Ultra-poor
(IFSUP)’
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Challenge
Reaching Ultra poor with a package of supports for sustainable upgrading of their livelihoods
toward solvency is the biggest challenge to the development practitioners in Bangladesh.
They have little or no assets as well as physical and economic capacity to independently
invest and generate sustainable surplus for incremental incomes. Their meager resources
are often completely exhausted or eroded when confronted with natural, health and social
hazards. It is even greater challenge to reach Ultra poor Adibasis because they are socially
secluded, often migratory and easily fall pray in the exploitative society with a precarious
condition of social justice and protection from the community as well as the nation.
1.2 IFSUP of NETZ
Income and Food Security for Ultra Poor project (IFSUP) of NETZ Partnership for
Development and Justice is one of the initiatives directly focused to a small number of
selected Ultra poor of selected villages of 24 unions of 6 upazilas namely Kaunia and
Gongachara upazilla of Rangpur, Sadar and Panchbibi upazillas of Joypurhat, and Durgapur
and Kolmakanda upazilas of Netrakona (Map 1). In each Upazila 4 Unions are included. Name
of the unions have been shown in table 1. The project is providing an asset package worth
about Tk. 15,000 to beneficiaries to invest in IGAs of individual choices from among a wide
range of IGAs. Beneficiaries are selected on the basis of certain criteria 1 ensuring to be really
Ultra poor, excluding disabled and handicapped. Relevant skill development training is
provided before transferring the assets. As a protection of capital assets the capital is
deposited to back in a project account deducted from the income accrued which is
reimbursed to them again for reinvestment according to their choices. Presently, the project
is supporting a total of 4803 beneficiaries of whom about 2400 are Adibasis. Aside from asset
transfer, awareness raising through weekly issue based discussion and strengthening group
capacity including leadership development is another key element of the project. IGA wise
distribution of beneficiaries has been shown in table 2. At the grassroots level activities are
organized and carried out by three partner NGOs, namely Ashrai in Joypurhat district,
Jagorani Chakra Foundation (JCF) in Rangpur district and Sabalamby Unnayan Samity (SUS) in
Netrakona district.
1 The criteria of selecting Ultra poor are as follows:
a) Capacity to work – Physically capable to work
b) Land holding – Landless to functionally landless (