Ensured Food Security among the Vulnerable Landless Poor Laborer during the lockdown on COVID-19 pandemic in CDA’s working areas.

RESPONSE REPORT /SNAPSHOTS

Support unspent budget from the CDA’s “Sustainable Organization and Land Rights & Agrarian Reform (SOLAR)” Program. Financial supported by: Bread for the World (BftW), Germany

‘Leave No One Behind’....

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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (CDA) Upa-shahar, Block#01, House# 51, Dinajpur-5200

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Contents

SL # Contents Page # Preface 3 1 Summary of the response 4 project 2 Introduction 5 3 Response Related Activities 5 4 Description of response items 6 5 District & wise budget 6 &item distributed on COVID- 19 response 6 Participation of local 6-11 Government Officials during the COVID-19 response

7 COVID-19 distribution items 11 coverage by the religion & custom 8 Challenges & Learning to 12 implement the COVID-19 response program 9 Some Reflection of the use on 12-14 COVID-19 response goods by the beneficiaries

2 PREPACE

Community Development Association (CDA) is a highly secular, non-partisan, not-for-profit and non-governmental development organization (NGDO) established in 1986 in North-western part of . CDA is facilitates the poorest, landless and marginal farmers along with the plain land indigenous people (IP) including the differently able men, women& youth with a view to empower & ensure access to land Rights from its inception.

CDA is currently implementing program for Building Sustainable Organization for Land Right and Agrarian Reform (SOLAR) under the development facilitation process. During the implementation of the program year 2019-2020, a health hazard called Novel COVID-19 pandemic spread-out globally including in Bangladesh since 1st week of March 2020. People are worried about the infected situationrapidly day by day and slowly transmitted from the urban community to rural community(es). In this situation,the Government declared to stay home from 25th March 2020 until further order. In this unexpected & uncertain lockdown, all sections of vulnerable poor & daily income group of people are affected with hunger without food &Jobless throughout the country especially in CDA’s working areas. Government supplies through safetynet are insufficient. Many of the program beneficiaries, Leaders Peoples Organizations, Social Leaders & local government officials were requested to CDA for creating scope to response against COVID-19 epidemic crisis. In this backdrop CDA communicated with its donor ofthe SOLAR program the “Bread for the World-Germany and requested them “how to use the program unspent money for responding on COVID-19 pandemic among CDA current beneficiaries”. Finally CDA got a positive response from the Bread for World-Germany to consider the COVID-19 pandemic issue for CDA working areas.

The report is reflected how many vulnerable beneficiaries are covered under the response program and how much unspent budget is allocated from the current SOLAR program and also what types of food items are distributed with the cooperation from different level of local government departments or the participation of the officials in this program etc.

CDA expresses thanks and highly appreciates to the Bread for the World-Germany, FMSF –India & NGO Affairs of Bureau (NGOAB)-The Prime Minister Office of the Government Republic of Bangladesh for speedupthe approval process &the Local Government Authorities under Dinajpur & Thakurgaon districts for their cooperation and participation. Also CDA would like to thanks to the managements of People’s Organization (PO) and the leaders who are actively participated in operating the COVID-19 response program in CDA’s working areas as approved.

All the best.

Shah I Mobin Jinnah Executive Director, CDA

3 1. SUMMARY OF THE RESPONSE PROJECT: The following summary is determined by CDA for responding of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in 11 nos. of (sub-district) under the Dinajpur and Thankurgaon districts.

Response Project Goal:  Ensured the food Security among the locked down landless poor no income families staying in their home followed by the declaration of the Government of Bangladesh. Objectives:  To assess & enlist the vulnerable food insecure families due to uncertain locked down  To ensure food security among vulnerable poor& noincome groups at least 1400 families(members composition with Infant, Children, Old ages, pregnant women, Lactating mother, differently able).  To supply minimum food items to mitigatehunger among the families during the locked down period from the reserve fund(if possible) from CDA-SOALR Project along-with expected unspent from the existing planned activities(no possibilities to implement during lookdown) in 1st Year.  To save the hunger people from food insecurity related mortality & Morbidity

Activities:  Prepare an Action Plan  Submit the response project proposal to the donor for ensure the feedback and approval.  Project Sharing in Program Operation Cell (POC) of CDA  FD-7 approval is submitted to the local Government administrative authorities.  Formation of a responsible coordination team  Project information sent to Region officesof CDA  List down the hunger families through survey  Design food package (food composition in the package)  Budget preparation & take approval from donor /NGOAB  Prepare distribution schedule by the responsible team.  Purchase&distribute to food package in consultation with local Government administrative authority (es).  InviteLocal Government Administration, Union Perished, Up-zilla Parishad & Member of the Parliament at constituency level for distribution of the response goods  Report to donor / others stakeholders

Output Indicators:  Enlisted 1400 hunger families with their Particulars along with size and population.  Ensured Minimum 10 days food security among hungry families  1400 vulnerable families have access to food under SOLAR program areas in Dinajpur and Thakurgaon districts.  Reduced mortality & morbidity of food in secured infant, children, old ages, pregnant women, lactating mother & disables (differently able)

Response Areas:  Dinajpur and Thakurgaon Districts Response Period:  1st April 2020 to 30th April 2020 Budget: BDT-10,40,000/=

4 2. Introduction: The experience of COVID-19 response is the first time in CDA’ over the three decades in its development journey. Andalso it is the first time that Novel COVID-19 epidemic has spread-out in the country. The healthinfrastructure throughout the country are not ready to deal with COVID-19 pandemic and not well equipped. There was no alternative way of the Government accept to announce lockdown. In this background of the asset less poor people in the society who are dependent on daily income having a detrimental or negative effect on their livelihood in terms of income, employment& food security. Considering the context, CDA ensured food security for a short time among the vulnerable landless poor laborer during the lockdown on COVID-19 pandemic in Dinajpur and . The report is focusing the response related activities on COVID-19 pandemic.

3. Response Related Activities: CDA is decentralized response activities to the regional levels such as 4 regions in Dinajpur district and 2 regions in Thakurgaon district according to its project plan, budget and action plan for implementation. CDA prepared a COVD-19 response guidelines with some of the contents consisted as follows:

 Tile of the guideline  Source of funding  Budget allocation  Coverage of the families  Region based beneficiaries segregation  Formation of responsible team for response implementation.  Implementation Plan.  Implementation budget.  Beneficiaries selection according to the define criteria.  Set out required Beneficiaries information.  How to Maintain Government Protocol.  Procurement rules and process.  Maintain COVID-19 health protocol during the implementation  How to maintain record keeping system.  Chartered of each family goods items  Site selection for distributing of response item  Packaging and distribution

All regional offices are informed about response related activities:. • Submitted FD-7 to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (sub district level administrative authority) • Submitted and validated CDA beneficiaries assessment list with local administrative authority • Food items by the regional team according to CDA response guideline. • Communicated and Coordinated with the Local union parishad, Government administrative authority, Upazila Parishad & Member of Parliament (MP) at constituency level. • Plan for distribution schedule & invite to the Local union parishad, Government administrative authority, Upazila Parishad & Member of Parliament (MP) at constituency level for distribution of the COVID-19 food response. • COVID-19 food items distributed in 11 nos. of sub districts in Dinajpur and Thakurgaon districts.

5 4. Description of response or food items for each family:

SL# Planned response items for each Quantity (Kg/Number) Total # of planned families & family& distributed received response items 1 Rice 10 Kg Total # of family received in 2 Potato 2 kg Dinajpur district- 860 3 Soyabin Oil 0.5 (Half) Kg Total # of family received in 4 Salt 0.5(Half) Kg Thakurgaon district-540 5 Pulse (boter dal) 1 kg 6 Milk Packet / Powder milk 100 gram 7 Hand washing Soap 1 nos.

5. District & Upazila wise budget & items distributed on COVID -19 response:

SL# Name of District Name of covered # of families covered by Budget (BDT) Upazila/ Subdistrict the COVID-19 response Dinajpur Sadar 150 1,11,300.00 Chirirbandar 100 74,200.00 Parbotipur 70 51,940.00 1 Dinajpur Bochaganj 100 74,200.00 Birol 180 1,33,560.00 Kaharol 100 74,200.00 Birganj 160 1,18,720.00 Total in Dinajpur 7 subdistricts 860 6,38,120.00 Thakurgaon Sadar 100 74,200.00 Pirganj 240 1,79,280.00 2 Thakurgaon District Ranishankail 100 74,200.00 Haripur 100 74,200.00 Total in Thakurgaon district 4 sub districts 540 4,01,880.00 G. Total- 2 districts 11 sub districts 1400 10,40,000.00

6. Participation of local Government Officials during the COVID-19 response: Local administrations and elected representatives of the local government institutions have spontaneously participated in the COVID-19 response implementation process for food security of unemployed rights holders due to the negative impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in the CDA working areas. In this process a total 69 nos. of Union parishads, 11 nos of subdistricts/ Upazila parishad, Zila Parishad and constituency level. The following local government participation scenario has been documented with some picture views of CDA COVID-19 response. The level of participation of the local government is union parishad chairman, members, upazila parishad chairmen, upazila administration, representatives of the upazila administration and member of the parliament. Distribution process is maintained by the WHO & Government Health Advisory issues.

Village based Peoples Organization (PO) members and upper tiers landless coordination committee leaders also taken initiative for selecting appropriate beneficiaries, organizing, packaging, distributing, coordinating & implementing the CDA supported COVID-19 response programin their respective areas.

District Name of Response Location Participation of local government Upazila date institutions representatives & media

6 personnel Birganj May 21, 2020 Birganj Pilot High Mahesh Chandra Roy, Chairman of School Sujalpur Union Parishad, and Binoy Chandra Roy, Chairman of Upazila Landless Coordination Committee and Mr. Habibur Rahman, Chairman of the Union Landless Coordination Dinajpur Committee. Kaharol 22 May 2020, Upazila Premises Member of the Parliament Mr. Manoranjan Shil Gopal, Md. Manjurul Hasan, Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Karole Upazila parishad, Member of District Landless Coordination Committee.

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District Name of Response Location Participation of local government Upazila date institutions representatives & media personnel Birol 20th May’20 Dhukurjhari High Assistant Land Commissioner (AC) School Land Mr. Jaber Mohammad Swaib, Mr. Lutfar Rahman, Chairman, Dinajpur District Landless Coordination Committee and the Daily Jugantar correspondent Md. Atiur Rahman was present on the Dinajpur response program. Bochaganj 20th May’20 Premises of Advocate Julfikar Hossen, Chairman, Setabganj Kamil Bochaganj Upazila Parishad, Madrasa Administrative Officer (AO) on behalf of UNO- Bochaganj & Mr. Lutfar Rahman, Chairman, Dinajpur District Landless Coordination Committee.

7 Participation of local government institutions representatives & media personnel in Birol Upazila

District Name of Response Location Participation of local government Upazila date institutions representatives & media personnel Dinajpur 21-22 May CDA region According to consent of Chirirbandar Sadar 2020 office, Gabora, Upazila Parishad Chairman, Chirirbandar. distribution completed by General Secretary of District Landless Coordination Committee (DLCC) Mr. Saruj Chandra Roy & Mst. Shahnaz Parvin member of DLCC- Dinajpur Chirirbandar 23rd May Pilot High School, Sub district administrative authority 2020 Chirirbandar (Upazila Nirbahi Officer), Women Vice Chairman of Dinajpur Parishad & Upazila Health Officer of Chirirbandar are inaugurated the response program. Chairman of Upazila/Thana Landless Coordination Committee (TLCC) Md. Alamgir Hossen and Different POs leaders were present in the distribution of COVID-19 response items. The Local media person of “Dinbodeler Sangbad” were present.

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Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Chirirbandar Upazila Parishad inaugurated the COVID-19 response program of CDA

District Name of Response Location Participation of local government Upazila date institutions representatives & media personnel Dinajpur Parbotipur 21 May Parbatipur Sub district authority of Parbotipur 2020& 22 Upazila (UpazilaNirbahi Officer) is inaugurated the May 2020 premise COVID-19 response program. Chairman of the Baloram, Chandipur & South Gobindapur People’s Organization were present the response program. *

District Name of Response Location Participation of local government Upazila date institutions representatives & media personnel Thakurgaon Thakurgaon 23 May 2020 Thakurgaon Mashura Begum (Hura), Vice Chairman, Sadar Regional Parishad, Office Mr. Narayar Chandra Roy, Chairman, premises Thakurgaon Sadar Fedaration of Landless Coordination Committee and Mr. Md. Emdadul Haque, District representative of Daily Sarabangla Patrika, GTV Thakurgaon was present on the occasion. Pirganj 22 May 2020 Pirganj Honorable Member of the Parliament Laboratory (MP) Md. Zahidur Rahman, Constituency School and Thakurgaon-3, Federation of Landless College. Coordinating Committee Chairman Mr. Gajendra Nath Roy, Thakurgaon District Landless Coordinating Committee Chairman Md. Enamul Haque and the corresponded of Dainik Jugantar Patrika Pirganj Upazila were present on the occasion.

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Mashura Begum (Hura), Women Vice Chairman, ThakurgaonSadarUpazila Parishad distributed COVID-19 response goods to the Landless Poor.

District Name of Response Location Participation of local government Upazila date institutions representatives & media personnel Thakurgaon Ranishankail 21 Ranishankail The distribution completed through May2020 CDA Regional permission of sub district administrative Office premise authority& Upazila Parishad Chairman. Chairman of RanishankailUpazilaLandless Coordination Committee Md. Abu Taher and General Secretary Md. Abu Bakkar, Executive Member of the District Landless Coordination Committee Md. Jahangir Alam were present the response program. Haripur 22ndMay Government Upazila Nirbahi Officer (Sub district 2020 Moslem Uddin Authority) Mr. Abdul Karim is inaugurated College. the COVID-19 response distribution program. Chairman of Upozila/Thana Landless Coordination Committee Md. Mobarak Ali and member of Federation of People’s Organization Mr. korban Ali were present the response program.

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Right holders waited the Government Moslem Uddin College of , Thankurgaon district.

7. COVID-19 distribution items coverage by religion & customs:

# of family coverage

Most Vulnerable from 795 Majorities 1400 Most Vulnerablefrom Minorities 504 Most Vulnerable from 101 Plain Land IPs Total

11 8. Challenges & Learning to implement the COVID-19 response program

Challenges: • Fear with infected people with COVID-19 virus, the local government authorities avoided participating in the response distribution program in their respective areas showing different causes. • The number of helpless landless poor are much higher and the relief items are less than their needs • Response distribution program is hampered due to unexpected rainfall& cloudy weather. • As the number of landless poor are much than the number of targeted response families. Consequently, lot of problems during the preparation of beneficiary list. • Pressure from political leaders to list their own people under the response. • The Government restrictions to enter in the village during the lockdown.

Learning: • Organised people in each villages can manage the disaster support to the proper victims, it is a people centered management and good and Transparent system. • People centered community based leadership can initiate and aware themselves to link up with sources/resources available and strengthen their just system by their own organization.

9. Some Reflection upon the use of COVID-19 response materials by the beneficiaries.

Beneficiaries /Right holders Mode of Vulnerability Use / impact on response goods • IP family • COVID-19 Response • Day labor package complement & • Poor ensured food security of • 2 dependent children the family members for • Unemployed during the 7 days & used 3 times in COVID lockdown daily meals • Food insecurity • Family size: 4 members ( male-1, Female-1, Child-2)

Name: Subano Rhishi, Fakdanpur PO, 8 no. Rahimanpur union, Thakurgaon Sadar.

12 Beneficiaries /Right holders Mode of Vulnerability Use / impact on response goods • Minority family • COVID-19 Response • Husband profession is package/ items day labor complement & ensured • Poor food security of the • Lactating mother family members for 6 • Living with old age father days & used 3 times in & mother in law daily meals • Unemployed during the • Soap & Detergent used COVID-19 lockdown health, hygiene & • Family Size: 5 (Male-2, cleanness. Female-3 including 1 Sita Rani Roy, Chanpur Tiyapara PO, Union: 3 no. infant) Khangao, Upazila: Pirganj, Thakurgaon district • Amina Begum herself • COVID-19 Response physically challenge (Leg) package/ items • Landless complement & ensured • Poor food security of the • Husband day labor family members for 7 • Living with khasland days& used 3 times in • Comparatively Poor daily meals condition of house. • Unemployed during the COVID-19 lockdown • Food insecurity • Family Size: 4 members (Male-2, Female-2) Name: Amina Begum, Purba Begunbari PO, Union: 19 no. Begunbari, Upazila: Thakurgao Sadar • Disable • COVID-19 Response • Age: 55 years package/ items • No wife & children complement & ensured • Unmarried food security of the family members for 15 • Living with Nephew days& used 3 times in house. daily meals • Livelihood depending on people kind • Nephew profession is a mason • Depending on daily wages & poor family • Food insecurity Name: Fasir Uddin, Chapur PO, Union: 4 no. • Unemployed during the Lehemba, Upazila: Ranishankail COVID-19 lockdown

13 Beneficiaries /Right holders Mode of Vulnerability Use / impact on response goods • IP family • COVID-19 Response • Old age package/ items • Age: 75 complement & ensured • Landless food security of the • Day labor family members for 6 • Poor days& used 3 times in • Depending on daily wage. daily meals • Food insecurity • Unemployed during the COVID-19 lockdown • Family size: 4 members including 1 child of son.

Name: Sarker Mardi, Rangatungi PO, Union: Nandoar, Upazila: Ranishankail, • Disable • COVID-19 Response • Age: 38 package/ items • Unmarried complement & ensured • Living with father & food security of the mother. family members for 6 • Father & mother are days& used 3 times in depending on daily wages daily meals • Day labor & poor family • Food insecurity • Unemployed during the COVID-19 lockdown • Family size: 4 members

Name: Asfin Ara, Parajpur PO, Union: 5 no. Sharshra, Upazila: Dinajpur Sadar, Dinajpur. • Lactating mother • COVID-19 Response • Husband day labor package/ items • Poor complement & ensured • Depending on daily wages food security of the • Unemployed during the family members for 5 COVID-19 lockdown days& used 3 times in • Family size: 5 members daily meals (including 1 infant, 1 child)

Name: Setu Akter, Mazdanga PO, Union: 2no Chehelgazi, Upazila: Dinajpur Sadar

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Report Prepared by: CDA Response Team

Report Designed by: Management Information System (MIS) & Information Communication Technology (ICT) Department

Information Collected by: Publication & Documentation Department.

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