Enhancing Resources andIncreasing Capacities of PoorHouseholds towards Eliminationof Their Poverty (ENRICH)

Enhancing Resources and Increasing Capacities of Poor Household towards Elimination of their Poverty (ENRICH) is an integrated pilot project which started in July 2014 with the support of PKSF.

The ENRICH has been uniquely designed to target such issues towards ensuring household-based sustainable development. The ENRICH aims to facilitate the best utilization of the existing capabilities and resources of the poor households and, at the same time, help enhance both their capabilities and resources in order to enable them to come out of poverty and move ahead towards a life of human dignity. By working with the households in association with the local government and other committed service providers, the ENRICH catalysis the households’ efforts to lift themselves out of poverty. The overall goal of the ENRICH is to ensure human dignity and freedom by gradually reducing poverty in a sustainable manner, towards total elimination of poverty and beyond poverty sustainable development at the household level in the unions under the programme. The vision is that the goal would eventually be achieved for all citizens of the country. Specifically, a key objective is to unlock the latent potentials of the poor and to encourage and assist them in improving their socio-economic status. The underlying dynamics of ENRICH are that the PKSF, the PO, the Union Parishad and other concerned service providers work with the people included in the programme to empower them to take charge of their destiny. Hence, it is important that the people themselves are fully committed to shaping their own future, reaching a level of humanly dignified living. Awareness-raising among the people is, therefore, an important ENRICH-activity to help the people to make that commitment and work accordingly.

The specific objectives of the ENRICH are to: 1. Attain total development of each household as well as the whole community participating in ENRICH; 2. Ensure freedom from all ‘un-freedoms’ and human dignity for all members of all households under ENRICH; 3. Empower the poor households so that they can pursue a pathway that would lead them towards the goal of human freedom and dignity; 4. Ensure access of all participants in ENRICH to all capacity enhancing activities such as education, skill training, and health services; essential institutional facilities; appropriate financing for their chosen economic undertakings; necessary market and other information; appropriate technologies; and so on.

The project is being implemented in Shilkhali Union of Pekua Upazilla in the District of Cox’s Bazar. The programme seeks to end poverty of 3805 households from 33 villages of Shilkhali Union where 17930 people are living.   BASTOB has been working with those poor household members in association with the local government and other committed stakeholders to help them lift themselves out of poverty, so that they can bring changes in their socio-economic condition by themselves.  The project deployed 41 staff members which include 1 Union Coordinator, 1 health assistant, 8 health sebika, 1 education supervisor and 30 school teachers for overall development of the union,.

ENRICH HEALTH CARE

Our target community receives quality healthcare services at no cost through the following initiatives:

  1. Specialized Health Camps: These camps feature esteemed doctors specializing in internal medicine, gynecology, ENT, and ophthalmology.
  2. Satelite Clinics: These teams deliver basic treatments and free medicines while also conducting courtyard sessions to educate communities about hygiene and nutrition.
  3. BASTOB Health Shebika: Regular visits are made to all 3,843 households in the Union to distribute free medicines and raise awareness.

 

 

ENRICH HOME

As of June 30, 2023, 60 ENRICH homes were established and remain actively operational. These homes focus on maximizing the use of each household’s existing resources. Homestead lands are utilized efficiently through careful planning. Every ENRICH home is equipped with a sanitary latrine and access to safe drinking water, preferably from tube wells. To enhance family income and improve nutrition, various economic activities are promoted within the homesteads, including livestock rearing and the cultivation of vegetables, fruits, and medicinal plants.

ENRICH EDUCATION

ENRICH education services essentially address the problems of dropout of children from primary education. Students from Classes I & II are tutored in the afternoon at the education assistance centers. They are given lessons on general knowledge and creative education and help to complete their homework. The children also took part in extra-curricular activities such as recitation of poems, dance, singing, drawing, etc.

Program for Uplifting the Quality of the Lives of the Elderly People

 

The aim of the Uplifting the Quality of the Lives of the Elderly People Program is to minimize the miseries of elderly people in our working areas. The participants of this project are male (419) and female (296) disadvantaged elderly people. There are 715 elderly people participating in this program. The program assists elderly people to have easy access to social safety, financial benefits, and health care services.

Formation of Ward and Union Committees: During the reporting year, a total of 9 Ward Committees and 1 Union Committee were formed to ensure their participation and successful implementation of the program. These committees play a vital role in the implementation of the project. There were 50 ward committees and 4 union committee meetings. Till 2024, total 266 Ward committee meetings and 27 Union committee meetings has been held.

Recognition of the Elderly Persons and Best Children: To recognize their contribution to society and to encourage the community, 24 Elderly people and 21 children were awarded certificates, crests, and cash money as the best elderly people and best children till 2024.

Allowance for elderly people: During the fiscal year 2023-2024, total 86 elderly people (Female 38 and Male 48) were provided 499000 BDT allowances. Old Age Allowances were provided to the underprivileged elderly people to meet their medical and basic needs.

Special Assistance: During the reporting year, BASTOB provided 205 blankets, 50 shawl, 50 walking stick, 13 wheelchairs to distressed elderly people.

Assistance for Funeral: Funeral assistance was provided to the families of 06 elderly persons amounting to Taka 12,000.00 per family. Till 2024, 61 elderly persons have been assisted, amounting to Taka 1,22,000.00 per family.