Qualitative Monitoring of Shiree Interventions: Cms5 (S) Life History and Intervention Tracking

QUALITATIVE MONITORING OF SHIREE INTERVENTIONS: CMS5 (S) LIFE HISTORY AND INTERVENTION TRACKING

REFLECTIONS ON THE INTERVENTION 2 OF SHAH ALAM

Shiree Q2 Research on Extreme Poverty in Bangladesh

Author Sohel Rana and Sk. Tariquzzaman

Institution Uttaran

CMS1 Reference 487254734109

Interviewee name Shah Alam Se M Age 34 x

Union, upazilla and Union: Noapara, Upazilla: Debhata, Zilla: Sathkhira Zilla

Dates of Interview 17/04/12, 25/05/12. Before the intervention Oct April 2012 Livelihood before and 2010 after the intervention 1.Shrimp Farmer 1.Shrimp Farmer in loan

2.Shrimp Farm labourer 2.Shrimp Farm labourer

3.Rickshaw puller 3.Rickshaw Puller

Well- being Status Lower working extreme poor to Upper working extreme poor before and after the extreme poor (1.5 to 2) Intervention

Marital status, Married. Stays with wife and Married. Stays with wife two children and other two daughters daughters and his mother. household members

Keywords Leasing of new plot of land on share basis, losing the shrimp fries due to flood, homestead getting flooded, living in the temporary shelter, receiving loans for buying shrimp fries

INTRODUCTION

This is the continuation of a tracking study on Shah Alam’s life and livelihood. This tracking began with his life history up to the intervention, followed by a first reflection on the intervention (ROI 1) which covered reflections from date of intervention to July 2011. In the top up of ROI 2 we will cover his life events up to April 2012. His life history and a more comprehensive first reflection on the intervention are both published on the shiree website:

(http://www.shiree.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Shah-Alam.pdf, http://www.shiree.org/wp- content/uploads/2012/02/ShahAlam-ROI final_SF_Sonia.pdf.).

From his life history we have learnt that the household is composed of four members: Shah Alam himself, his wife and his two daughters. Although the household has occupied 1 acre of khas land since 1997 on which he has been cultivating shrimp for 10 -12 years, the family has never had any significant income from this land because of a lack of capital for intensive

1 QUALITATIVE MONITORING OF SHIREE INTERVENTIONS: CMS5 (S) LIFE HISTORY AND INTERVENTION TRACKING shrimp production, as a result Shah Alam relied on shrimp gher labouring and hired in rickshaw pulling in lean season. Moreover, cyclones and tidal surges damaged his home and gher, virus infections demolished his harvests and refusal to let his wife do paid work outside of the household reduced the potential income of the household.

The first reflection on the intervention reveals that Shah Alam received a permanent settlement for the occupied khas land where he initially started cultivating shrimp which he made very good profits in the first year. With that money he bought a solar panel and leased a new plot of land for shared shrimp cultivation. However, due to sudden flooding, the household and land was all washed away leaving the family helpless.

Since the flood Shah Alam has been struggling to enable his family recover. Currently he is undergoing a stage of recovery with the help of relief activities, new interventions and a loan from his well-wisher.

SUMMARY OF CHANGE IN KEY INDICATORS SINCE INTERVENTION

Indicator Just before the June/July 2011 April 2012 intervention Well-being Working extreme Moderate poor Upper working extreme category poor poor Diets One/two meals a 2 to three meals a day Three meals a day with day with one one vegetable curry vegetable curry Water soaked rice (panta) in the Fish once a morning Fish once a week. week Rice and vegetable for lunch and dinner

Fish if he/she is able to catch otherwise once or twice a week bought from the market paying around 15 to 20 taka

Livelihoods 1. Shrimp 1. Shrimp cultivation in own and 1. Shrimp cultivation ranked in cultivation leased in gher 2. Working as shrimp terms of 2. Working as shrimp farm farm labourer in contribution 2. Working as labourers if extra time is Neighbours shrimp to that years’ shrimp farm available farms income labourer in 3. Working as a rickshaw puller 3.Working as a neighbours if gher work can be finished on rickshaw puller in shrimp farms time Dhaka

3.Working as a After the intervention, Shah Work in road For other rickshaw puller Alam’s wife started looking after construction (food for principal in Dhaka the family’s farm and the cow work) adult that her husband bought for member her.

She had to spend a lot of time arranging fodder for the cow and looking after the two farms which made it difficult for her to continue working as a farm

2 QUALITATIVE MONITORING OF SHIREE INTERVENTIONS: CMS5 (S) LIFE HISTORY AND INTERVENTION TRACKING labourer.

Productive 1.Occupied khas 1. Khas land with permanent 1. Khas land with assets now land settlement deed (9 lakh taka) permanent settlement rank them in deed terms of 2. 1 and a half bigha (50 value decimal) of leased land (3 lakh 2. Shrimp gher with one (e.g. Land, 50 thousands ) year lease livestock, rickshaws), 2. Cow (1) (bought with 10000 3. Three ducks and 2 taka and sold with 27000 taka goats. and leased land)

3. Goats (5)-5200/-(IGA assistance) Sold—6,000

4. A solar panel(10000 taka)

House and Lives in a Kept on living in the same Lives in his father’s homestead: thatched hut thatched on khas land. house made of earth. ownership, made of earth condition of and corrugated 6400 taka spent on filling up the tenure, sheet which backyard of the house. He paid condition of Shah Alam had for this construction work from house. built himself. selling the catch from the farms.

400/- taka spent for constructing side wall of latrine. This amount was left after transferring assets in three phases.

3 4 NARRATIVE

The flood and its aftermath

Because of the devastating flooding in August 2011, Shah Alam lost almost his entire productive assets including his house, only some poultry and a goat were saved. Right after the flooding they had to stay in a nearby primary school for 15 days. As soon as the flood water started decreasing, the family moved all their belongings to Shah Alam’s parents’ house where they were invited to stay because their own family house was completely destroyed.

Following this, Shah Alam went to Dhaka to work as rickshaw puller for 15 days. He returned home with a balance of 1000 taka and a loan of 7000 taka from his well-wishers which he used to afford releasing shrimp post larvae into his shrimp farm. In December (2011) Shah Alam harvested and sold the shrimp receiving a total amount 13000 taka with that money he renewed the lease of shared shrimp farm.

During the flooding period until November 2011 the family’s main source of livelihood was relief donations provided by Shusilan (A local NGO). During the first three months they were provided with 3 kgs of pulse, 4 litres of oil, and 50 kgs of rice every month and during the last three month they received 1500 taka and 15kg of rice every month. In November, Shah Alam decided to go to Dhaka to work as a rickshaw puller for 15 days, earning about 1800 taka. From December 2011 to January 2012 his main source of income was from 20-25 days of day labour in neighbouring shrimp farms earning 100 taka per day.

In January 2012 he released his first batch of shrimp fries in both of his shrimp farms. Until now he has received a total of three batches of shrimp fries in both of his shrimp farm. The third batch was provided by Uttaran as flood recovery support in the third week of February with 3900tk worth of shrimp fries. The first two batches of shrimp fries were taken in credit of 7000 taka. In March his wife worked on a food for work project for 40 days. In the second week of April, Shah Alam started harvesting the shrimp.

ANALYSIS DISAGGREGATED BY MATERIAL, RELATIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT

Here we analyse the changes since July 2011:

MATERIAL EMPOWERMENT: CHANGES IN ABILITY TO COMMAND MATERIAL WELL-BEING

Because of the devastating flood in August 2011 Shah Alam lost his entire productive assets with the exception only of his poultry birds and a goat, which greatly affected his livelihood options. Now he has 2 goats, 3 ducks, 1 acre khas land with permanent settlement and a shared shrimp farm leased for one year. Since then until March 2011 Shah Alam’s family were mostly reliant on NGO relief donations. Therefore following the flooding the household suffered from severe dietary problems and food insecurity as they didn’t have adequate income to buy vegetables, fish, meat, and eggs for themselves.

During this time Shah Alam went to Dhaka twice to work as a rickshaw puller and also worked on neighbouring shrimp farms as a day labourer. His wife worked on road construction (cash for work). Working as a day laborer on the ghers Shah Alam earns 150 taka per day. His wife can earn on the food for work scheme. On the date of the interview the family had just started harvesting shrimps from both of his shrimp farms and sold them for 910 taka. To release the shrimp fries he took out a

5 loan of 7000 taka from a well-wisher and also bought shrimp fries on credit of 7500 taka. Yet, he continued his savings in the primary organization where the amount is 1435 taka.

RELATIONAL EMPOWERMENT: CHANGE IN POWER IN SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL RELATIONS

As the family house was totally damaged by the flooding and has not been properly reconstructed, the family is currently still living in Shah Alam’s mother’s home increasing the family size. From the very beginning our survey team has observed that he always maintained good relations with his wife which continues up till now. As his mother joined the family household, relations between them became much better than before.

People from his community suggested and supported his participation in the last union Parishad election which he refused, but brought him closer to the community network as well as to other community networks. Now he maintains good relations with the political leaders of his community. He always makes sure to keep his commitments with the fish traders in order to maintain good relations with them, he does this because he wants to continue getting shrimp fries inputs worth of 7500 taka on credit.

PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT

Before the intervention he seemed very depressed as he had practically nothing and a very insecure and unsustainable livelihood. Now he seems a more positive person with well-established community relations both with other community households and with the political leaders.

Shah Alam himself stated: “I felt very much afraid to talk with the higher class people of the community and the project staff, now I have the courage to talk with the political leaders, school teachers, and traders”.

Shah Alam is a very religiously devout person holding the firm belief in fate; however since the intervention he seems to have changed his mind instead believing that one can change one’s fate through hard work.

Shah Alam also seems to have changed his attitude towards his wife employment, now feeling more comfortable with letting her pursue paid work outside the household. This may relate to the high earnings she can command in food for work projects. Provided that he can make good profit this year his plan is to invest in buying a cow, as the training he received from our project taught him livestock rearing skills, and to continue the shrimp production.

GENDER EMPOWERMENT

When Shah Alam was asked about how important decision making is done in his family household he claimed that he always consults with his wife before taking any major or minor decisions regarding the family.

He said: “Once I was thinking about selling our goats so I asked my wife for her opinion. As she looks after the goats, she has more right to make the decision. As she did now allow me, I didn’t sell them”.

Before the intervention Shah Alam’s wife was not permitted to work outside of their community or far away from their house, whereas now she is working in a food for work project. Moreover, Shah Alam’s wife would go alone to Uttaran office to collect the flood recovery support.

6 Still, Shah Alam does not want his daughter to receive higher education than class 9 because he believes it will be difficult for him to find a sufficiently educated groom in their community that would match her.

WIDER CONTEXT – CHANGES SINCE THE INTERVENTION

Natural disasters have always been a threat to shrimp farms, a threat which is increasing day by day with the pace of climate change. This impact of climate change on shrimp cultivation causing reduced employment opportunities for the poor resulting in increased in-country and cross-country migration (e.g. to India) for work. This trend of migration generally serves as a strong network base enabling people to get jobs and sustain their families in cases of emergencies.

OTHER FAMILY MEMBER’S EXPERIENCE OF THE INTERVENTION

Shah Alam’s wife is a hard working woman who always supports her husband and looks after his business whenever he is himself unable to. Whenever Shah Alam goes to Dhaka for work she maintains the family, livestock and the shrimp farm on her own. Adding to the family income Shah Alam’s wife sometimes works in the shrimp farm as well. When she was asked about the project she said the assistance helped her husband to achieve much larger production. Their big profit made in the 2010 - 2011 season helped them build a house and buy a solar panel. As her husband’s income increased she no longer had to work as a day laborer allowing her much more time to look after their children and assisting them with their school work.

SUMMARY

This project intervention has helped the household to achieve the resilience factors lifting the family from their situation of extreme poverty. In conclusion, the key reflection points on Shah Alam’s life and livelihood are:

 Capital for large scale inputs into production with the help of project intervention. As the production increased the fish traders are providing shrimp fries on credit which was not possible before the intervention.

 Creating new assets, such as leasing in a new shrimp farm, will increase the household income.

 The project helped empower Shah Alam’s wife to provide the household with extra income for the family in times of need via her involvement in shrimp production, cattle rearing and by linking her up to food for work.

ANALYSIS OF SUSTAINABILITY

Changing the gender perceptions of Shah Alam caused a significant impact on the household by ensuring that both husband and wife contribute to financing the daily expenses with their combined income. This was observed as being this particular household’s main strength. The project support helped the household build a capital base which contributed to the expansion of farming via new leasing arrangements and credit support from the input supplier. Also increasing capacity for

7 migration to the capital city for rickshaw pulling in the lean season has given them financial support in the lean period and other household emergencies.