Supported by Stories of Courage and Resilience STORIES OF COURAGE AND RESILIENCE

Manusher Jonno Foundation April 2021 Plot : 3 & 4, Hazi Road, Avenue : 3 Rupnagar Housing Estate, Mirpur 2, Dhaka, Phone : 880-2-58053191 – 99. 880-2-58053190. Email: info@manusher.​org. Supported by

Stories of Courage and Resilience

1 Publisher & Copyright Manusher Jonno Foundation

Coordination and Edit: Md. Ahsanul Wahed, Deputy Program Manager, MJF

Review: MJF Team Banasree Mitra Neogi, Gender Advisor Shahana Huda, Senior Coordinator Wasiur Rahman Tonmoy, Coordinator PREFACE Md. Ahsanul Wahed, Deputy Program Manager Afrina Binth-A Ashraf, Deputy Program Manager The economic growth of Bangladesh largely depends on agricultural production, including crops, fisheries, and livestock. Climate change is becoming a threat for agrarian countries like Bangladesh And as agricultural growth is ultimately affected by climatic variation. Despite not contributing to climate Project Coordinators of: degradation, Bangladesh is paying a huge price due to its geographical location. Frequent flooding, Ashika Development Associates, Chandradip Development Society, increased salinity, and rise in sea level is posing a massive threat to the lives and livelihoods of people. Sufferings of people are most intense in coastal areas as they are experiencing frequent depression Gana Unnayan Kendra, Hill Flower, Jagrata Juba Shangha, and cyclones, soil and water salinity, coastal erosion, thunderstorm, tidal surge, and hailstorm. People Nabolok, Nazrul Smriti Sangsad, TAHZINGDONG of floodplain areas experience regular and extreme floods and river erosion at the same time drought, Village Education Resource Center tornado, thunderstorm, hailstorm, and dense fog. Moreover, hill ecosystems face flash floods, drought, and landslides due to anthropogenic intervention and climate variability. Recently COVId-19 has posed Date of Publication Research & Story additional challenges such as loss of lives and income. April 2021 Mahbubur Rahman Goonjohn Manusher Jonno Foundation is implementing a project titled “Strengthen civil society & public institutions to address gender-based violence & build community resilience to adapt climate change” funded by the Photography Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), to address people’s sufferings of the Din Muhammad Shibly above-mentioned geographical locations. The project aims to change the lives of vulnerable people Design through promoting climate-smart adaptive interventions. Interventions such as an increase in people’s Md Athir Rahman capacity on adaptive practices, linking up people with both government and non-government service providers to get support through accessing different services are initiated. Besides, ease access to Project Publication Coordination financial tools by creating IGA funds at the community level and building the community’s capacity to Strengthen Civil Society and Public Institutions to Address Gender-Based Partha Prathim Sadhu run the fund solely themselves so people can translate their knowledge into practice by taking interest- Violence and Build Community Resilience to Adapt Climate Change Xfactor Production House free loan support. Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) has taken the initiative to document the changes in people’s lives Disclaimer by using different means. The photo storybook is one of such initiatives. Manusher Jonno Foundation is The publisher reserves all rights. No part of this publication may be All the photographs used in this book are taken grateful for the support from SIDA for the publication of this storybook. reprinted, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, with the direct consent from the beneficiaries participated in photo shoot and the related mechanical, recording, or otherwise) without prior permission in writing from Shaheen Anam the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act concerning this information is also collected directly from them Executive Director publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claim for damages. with consent to further use. Manusher Jonno Foundation

2 3 Courage and resilience

Climate change is an evil of the 20th century making socio-economic responsibilities. lives and livelihoods uncertain for the countries like The three most vulnerable areas to climate change in Bangladesh. The geography, agricultural economy, Bangladesh are a) coastal areas, b) flat erosion-prone poverty, and dense population are the critical factors riverine pastures, and c) the hill tracts. The types of for making life miserable for people living in the damage caused by climate change are different in greatest delta. The journey of struggle is a great these three regions. Therefore, the struggle for living challenge, with almost 17 crores of people having half and livelihood of the people of these three regions of the female population who are more vulnerable to is varied. Inhabitants of coastal people face severe climate change due to traditional and social norms of salinity, frequent and intense depression, cyclone, the country. tidal surge, river erosion while prolonged flood, river In our society, women are more likely than men to be erosion, and drought enhancing misery of life and affected by climate change. Generally, marginalized livelihood of the people living in a riverine flood plain. women living below the poverty line have to take Moreover, drought, landslide, and flash flood have on two roles at the same time: a) they are engaged become common phenomena for the people living in in income-generating activities for the family as hill tracts. Besides, erratic rainfall all over the country producers, b) they are engaged in household chores is risking livelihood. However, women are most to take care of the whole family, including children vulnerable and face multidimensional challenges, and the elderly. Women have to struggle inside and deprived of their rights due to structural inequality in outside with the impact of climate change due to their all three regions. Manusher Jonno Foundation works

4 5 with climate-vulnerable communities, resilience towards climate change towards partners and beneficiaries in The partner organizations are also them to overcome the situation and get particularly women, to build livelihood impacts and engaged 13136 HHs from almost all the scope they could cope up. involved in strengthening public fight back. Women and the community opportunities and awareness regarding three climate-vulnerable areas. Providing livelihood support by promoting institutions to ensure responsiveness and collectively began their hard work with their rights, build capacity on IGA, facilitating access of beneficiaries to accountability to prompt services towards courage and confidence to recover better The project mainly promotes context- alternative agricultural technologies, other GO and NGO resources, providing gender concerns, including Violence and stronger. The project supported most specific, ecosystem-friendly, and disaster preparedness, and response. training and guidance, and resources Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and where women started farming, fishing, climate-adaptive agricultural and The five-year project funded by the to adapt climate-resilient interventions, Climate Change Adaptation (CCA). agriculture, and small enterprises that are livelihood practices in Coastal, Char, Swedish International Development motivating and inspiring beneficiaries especially vulnerable to climate change. and Hilly regions; So, building capacity Cooperation Agency (SIDA) intends to to adopt alternative ways of cultivation, The project has been running successfully So, it started moving forward despite the and knowledge management by enhance the capacity of civil society farming, and other income-generating for more than three years. It then falls slowdown in its process and progress. utilizing best practices for community- and public institutions to address activities, etc. are the most effective under the unavoidable threat of the based climate change adaptation is an gender-based violence in the public supports provided to the beneficiaries pandemic COVID-19 and experienced This initiative is taken to capture changes integral part of the project. Therefore, and private domain and build greater and survivors of the project. As a result, devastation of cyclones like Amphan, in the lives of people living in three reducing the vulnerability of climate resilience of vulnerable communities to changes are reflected in their lives Fani, and prolonged flood. This climate-vulnerable regions due to the change impacts is one of the major deal with climate change impacts and and livelihood. Beneficiaries are more pandemic, cyclone, and flood directly project’s intervention. result areas of the project. natural disasters. Under this project, confident than the others of the same hit people living in coastal, char, and hill areas. But they have been able Let’s start a journey towards the changes the MJF has already established a To address the sufferings of distressed areas and, therefore, become an example to turn around. The project has given of courageous climate-vulnerable people Photo : Sony Ramany (Top) partnership with 9 organizations to people, MJF widened their cooperation to the community to follow to be resilient. and communities’ resilience. Partha Prathim Sadhu work directly for building community tremendous efforts and stands with

6 7 Living with salinity

The southernmost are struggling with multifaceted problems created by climate change. It impacts the lives and livelihoods in different layers:

8 9 1. Salinity in water creates To mitigate these grave difficulties, the negative impacts on their health, MJF, with their partner organizations, productivity, and earnings; has designed the program with different 2. Salinity in the soil makes their kinds of support and interventions. livelihood hard-earned by The hardworking inhabitants of the decreasing the productivity in coastal belt have received support to agriculture; improve their knowledge and capacity, 3. Natural calamities like a cyclone, which propelled their flight towards high tide, and river erosion every the change. As we walk through their one or two years distress their lives villages and households to listen to their and livelihood; stories, we can see the change reflecting 4. Hardship in earnings impacts the their activities and appearances. family and social life. As a result, violence against women and children increases at an alarmingly high rate. Repeated tidal surges fill the agricultural land with saline water. Land loses fertility. Moreover, the retention of saline water to make shrimp farms made lands of this region unsuitable for agriculture. Shrimp is called the white gold of Bangladesh. So, the production of this export-oriented product cannot be stopped. But this pressure on agricultural land is one of the biggest problems in the region.

10 11 She has been equipped with the information on the rights and entitlements Parul Rani Baidya of Boro Kupot village of Atulia of the community that makes her Union, Shyamnagar , Satkhira District, confident to claim their rights. To solve is a Baro Kupot Dalim Village Group member the drinking water crisis in the locality, formed by Nabolok, the partner organization of she demanded a water-treatment plant to MJF. To win against poverty due to a disaster local Member of Parliament (MP) during like a cyclone and increased salinity, she started a meeting. Then with support from the practicing integrated farming with guidance from MP, she has received a water treatment the project. She became a sincere gardener and plant from an initiative of RUPANTAR, begun to cultivate different kinds of vegetables. WaterAid, and local government. Now she She utilized all of her lands for agriculture, became a small entrepreneur. She sells including her homestead and even an under- 20 liters jars to the villagers at a meager construction room of her building! Combined price (BDT 10 only) from her plant with a farming, including fish, poultry, and gardening, is capacity of 500 liters/hour. another intervention introduced by the project.

12 13 Anita Rani Mondal of Phulbari village of Shyamnagar Sadar Union is another beneficiary of the project, linked with the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) by the project. She got training on producing vermicompost and Trico- Compost and started production Pratima Rani of the same village is another beneficiary who was for the first time. Besides, trained under the project to adapt climate-resilient agricultural she’s also growing chicken of technologies. She is cultivating vegetables following tower technology native breed with the technical to avoid the impact of erratic rainfall, and increased salinity, one of the guidance of the project. climate change adaptations learned from the project.

14 15 Dilip Kumar Gayen lives in Khashkata village of Burigoalini Union of Shyamnagar Upazila Alokesh Chandra Haldar, an inhabitant of South Holdibunia under the Satkhira district. He Khashpara village of Chila Union, Mongla Upazila, Bagerhat came to know about stress-tolerant District, a member of the Farmers’ Group of the project crop cultivation and climate implemented by Jagrata Juba Shangha – JJS, has started adaptive agricultural practices from climate adaptive agriculture in his land. The JJS took him the project. Dilip started cultivating to the Upazila Agriculture Office to get short training on BRRI Dhan 67, which is a salt- climate adaptive agriculture and techniques. Besides, they tolerant variety of paddy. During supported him with regular guidance, seeds, and an interest- the monsoon, his paddy field turns free loan from the IGA fund to start his farming. Alokesh into a pond, and then he cultures started growing different kinds of vegetables like sweet-gourd, fish there. In an adverse climate, cucumber, brinjal, chili, lady’s finger, etc., on his farm. This he is coping with the odds to make year he earned a handsome amount from his farm and their future bright. became a role model to the neighboring farmers and villagers.

16 17 Dipu Mondal lives in Holdibunia village of Chila Union of Mongla Upazila under the Bagerhat District, is a community group member of the JJS. She took Meanwhile, Lopita Haldar, a 5000 BDT interest-free loan another Community Group from the IGA fund and invested member of the same village, the money into her grocery store. took BDT 5000 from the Nowadays, her daily sales are near IGA fund and invested in about BDT 1500, from where purchasing cattle feed. This her net income per month is near year she got a water tank from BDT 6000. Shefali Mondal, her the Union Parishad under the mother-in-law regularly helps her Linkage program of the JJS to both in shopkeeping and household preserve harvested rainwater activities. for her yearlong usage.

18 19 Nasima Akter of the same village has built her house, raising the plinth from the regular flood level. Besides, she has been practicing making compost and growing bananas to strengthen her We may know about Manjhi – The Mountain Man, who made a pathway breaking the mountain alone! Let’s meet another tenacious economic condition with support from the project. lady Parvin from Goiatola village of Nilganj Union of under , who dug this pond all alone to raise She also harvests rainwater and preserves it in a her house and garden from the flood level. Having none beside her, she didn’t become slack. Because she got this motivation from her concrete-made reservoir with a capacity of 7500 brothers and sisters from Nazrul Smriti Sangsad – NSS, who supported her with moral courage, proper guideline, inspiring support liters to reduce the scarcity of fresh water. from different openings, and last but not the least, a small amount of cash. The result is in front of you.

20 21 Parvin’s single hand’s efforts can Morium Begum is a vulnerable landless cover a whole book. She dug clay woman living on the embankment of not to create a pond but to raise Boleshwar river in Ruhita village of the plinth of her house to make it Sadar Union of climate-resilient. Besides, she also under the . Two years raised the homestead garden to be ago, she got an interest-free loan of free from the impact of salinity and BDT 2000 from the IGA fund, added erratic rainfall. There she raised a small amount of her own and bought the seedbeds, applied mulching a goat with two calves. Now she has technology to grow vegetables. She 12 goats; among those, 4 were already stores seeds for the next season’s sold for BDT 13000. She spent the cultivation and prepares compost for money on renovations of her house and the soil. She Started rearing ducks livelihood. She raised the plinth of her and pigeons and planned to go for household and adapted technology to aquaculture on that pond as well. harvest rainwater.

22 23 Johurul Islam, a resident of Chhoto Patharghata village of Rahima Begum of Kalmegha Union of Patharghata the same village is a Upazila under the Barguna member of the Village District, is another beneficiary of Group of the NSS. the project who tried Mulching Rahima took BDT technology in his field for the 5000 from the IGA production of chili for the fund as an interest-free first time with the suggestion loan and invested it in from the project. He applied her entrepreneurship mulching in half portion of of fishing net weaving. his land, while another half Besides, she raised was cultivated following the plinth of her house the traditional system. The to make her household difference is obvious! disaster-resilient.

24 25 In Kalapara Upazila of Patuakhali District, Hang Sey of Company para village of Baliatoli Union started vegetable Rangabali, the southernmost island cultivation round the year with Upazila of Patuakhali District, is one technical guidance from the of the hard-to-reach territories of project, which was not familiar Bangladesh. The remote island is just to that indigenous community. on the borderline of the land and the The Rakhine inhabitant adopted bay. The enormous struggle of the some of the climate-resilient inhabitants against the climate and technologies, and those include calamity made them daredevils. They 1. Sorjan or modified raised bed, 2. Bottle drip 3. Cyclone earn their livelihood snatching it from resilient house building 4. the mighty paw of Nature. The project’s Handicraft (crafting fence with main achievement in the region is to Golpata) 5. Cultivation following motivate the sea-clashing fishermen to modern technology. Now he has cultivate the land by applying the best become a model of adaptation. possible climate-resilient technologies.

26 27 Md. Sabuj Mollah, a Member of the Farmers Group of VERC, lives on the embankment of the WAPDA in the village of East Baher Char of Rangabali Sadar Union under Rangabali Upazila. He has a big squad of swan & duck, a considerable number of native chickens also. He cultivates vegetables following raised bed technology, prepares compost, uses bio-insecticides like sex pheromone. His fruit garden is enriched with banana, guava, mango, lemon, and other fruit plants. And don’t forget to see his healthy and good- Fatima Begum of Naya Bhangani village of Chotobaisdia Union of looking goats. Rangabali Upazila under the Patuakhali District has learned different climate-adaptive interventions from Village Education and Research The VERC enriched his knowledge through continuous nursing and provided support Center – VERC, the partner of the MJF. Some of these include the Mada to establish linkage with the Department technology; intensive farming at a time in a small land. She grew brinjal, of Agricultural Extension and Department bitter gourd, papaya, melon and watermelon, gourd, bean, chilies, of Livestock for developing his farm and cucumber, tomato, etc., in a tiny piece of land. She prepares organic cultivation, then provided him seeds of insecticides from Neem, Mahogany seeds, and Eucalyptus, etc. Besides, vegetables and saplings of fruit trees. Now she uses sex pheromone also. Handicrafts like hand-stitched embroidery he has become a role model of integrated quilt & Mat made of Hogla (a plant) are her other interventions. farming of the area.

28 29 Nur Shahida of the same village was a distressed woman whose husband abandoned her to marry another woman. She was living with her in-laws, but after her husband’s second marriage, she became helpless thinking of where to go. At that moment, the government was listing the names of the beneficiaries for the allotment of houses offered by the Prime Rima Begum resident from South Chanchra Minister to celebrate the village of Chanchra Union of Tazumuddin Mujib Barsho, the Centenary Upazila under the is a of the Father of the Nation. member of the Sikdar Para 6 no. Women’s The VERC advocated and Group of Chandradip Development Society incorporated her name into the - CDS. She took an IGA loan of BDT 3000 list, and finally, she got a brand to invest in her Nokshikantha (embroidery new climate-resilient house. quilt) venture. From the Upazila Livestock Office, she got 20 numbers of Quail birds Getting an interest-free loan with their nest and feed, managed by the from the IGA fund of the CDS under the Linkage program. With the project, she started moving her little help of her Nakshi Kantha venture, sewing machine and became she then grew poultry, vegetables, and fish the familiar tailor of her locality. to generate a considerable income. And the Besides, she started a tailoring brand new house we see here is made of training center in her residence. her income!

30 31 Once she was a solvent farmer In Ghosherhaat village of and cultivator, Lipika Rani Shambhupur Union of Tazumuddin Chakrabarti lost everything due Upazila, Nahar Begum has been to river erosion consecutively four working with the CDS since times! Then she started living with 2017. She is a member of the her husband Arjun Chakrabarti Shambhupur 6 no. Women’s and two sons in Dori Chandpur Group of the CDS. Before joining village of Chandpur Union under the CDS, she was not aware of Tozumuddin Upazila. Being her credibility. Her husband was supported by the MJF and well jobless then. The CDS sensitized cared for by the CDS, she has and motivated her to do something started from a new beginning for her own and for her family, and worked extremely hard to not to wait for her husband’s regain her right to live. All her job. She took an interest-free interventions are paying her back loan of BDT 3000 from the IGA well. Vegetables, fish, and poultry fund and invested in her prime are cashable round the year, a entrepreneurship, Mat Crafting. handful amount of money allows Now she is a self-made and self- them to send their two sons to sufficient woman who has become school and fulfill the dream to an example for others. have a prosperous, happy life.

32 33 Hazera Begum, an inhabitant of Uttar Chanchra village of Chanchra Union of under the Bhola District, is a member of the Uttar Chanchra women’s group. Knowledge and skill development, capacity building, communication, linkage, and connectivity, etc. are the ultimate supports provided by the CDS as the partner of the MJF. She got an interest-free loan of BDT 3000 from the IGA fund to invest in her seed-production intervention and became a pioneer seed vendor of the locality. She also has round the year vegetable cultivation, tailoring, handicraft like making Living on the ‘Hogla Mat’, poultry and Livestock, aquaculture, etc. Edge of Char

Rivers are the blessings for Bangladesh. But, sometimes, the river seems to be their biggest rival. Therefore, rivers and women’s struggle seems to be the overall reflection of the northern riverine Districts. The main problems faced by the women of this area due to river erosion and flood include,

34 35 Mst. Reshma Begum was an inhabitant of East Kunderpara village, which is now completely erased in river erosion. As a beneficiary of the project implemented by the MJF in association with Gana Unnayan Kendra – GUK, about one year ago, she got a shelter 1. Living a miserable life as a migrant; the family leaves for the big town to 6. Decreased rate of education resulting in in the village, namely Kunderpara at earn money but does not return as new social problems; 2. Frustration at not being able to do Kamarganj Union of Sadar Upazila he thinks living in a town instead of under the Gaibandha District, anything against river erosion and the flood-prone riverine area is easier Besides river erosion and flood, the people of the northern flood plain region also face renovated by the project with a raised flood as they are irresistible natural and burdenless. In most of the cases, disasters; scarcity of water due to drought during the dry plinth. Reshma is now trying to forget he gets married again and leaves her season. Keeping these vulnerabilities in mind, those terrible memories of her climate previous wife, even informing her 3. Sudden loss of livelihood and property, the project gave its effort to introduce adaptive vulnerabilities and dreaming about a nothing about it, thus abandons her deteriorates quality of life, and solutions at the root level. As a result, the stable life and livelihood in a durable forever; changes in the living and livelihood of the inability to cope with it; land raised high from the extreme flood beneficiaries and survivors are seen, which 5. Increase in violence against women level. About 100 people of 20 families 4. Sometimes, the male member of inspires the others who are yet to come under and gender-based violence; the coverage of the project. are now living in this cluster village.

36 37 Mst. Afruza Begum from Char Ratanpur village of Uriya Union of Phulchhari Upazila under the Gaibandha District is a member of the Gandharaj Village Group. She cultivates sweet-gourd following pit cultivation methods to avoid Reshma took an interest-free loan of BDT 5000 drought stress at sandy char from the IGA fund introduced by the project areas. This season she earned and invested it in her livestock raising. Now BDT 4600 from her sweet- she has 6 cows and 3 rams. The GUK provided gourd sales and is looking her seeds and plants, enrolled her in additional forward to earning 10 to support and training programs in various GO and 12 thousand more from her NGO initiatives, and created other options for production. Sac-gardening is earning. Now her elder son Yusuf reads in level another intervention, which 8 at Kunderpara Gana Unnayan Academy junior is very effective in a flood- school. Her husband Abdur Rashid is also earning prone area, though the other by operating a tea-stall at Kunderpara Bazar. villagers are yet to be used to this intervention.

38 39 Anita Rani from North Uria village of Uria Union of Phulchari Upazila has got training from the GUK on vermicompost preparation. Besides, she got an interest-free loan from her group’s IGA fund and invested in the intervention. As a result, she became Mst. Aasia Begum is a member of Beli Mst. Rahima Begum of the same village was supported to rear a ram. Now, she has the pioneer of selling vermicompost Women Group and the closest neighbor of 6 rams (including 2 calves). Besides, she got an interest-free loan of BDT 5000 from from her territory. She is now Reshma. She also took BDT 5000 as an IGA her group’s fund to engage herself in the IGA activities. She also got a Tubewell, some trading beyond her District even. loan from the MJF and grew less water-loving saplings of fruit plants of olive, guava, mango, etc., from the project. Vegetable seeds This tidy little house symbolizes her crop, Groundnut, in the dry season. She has are also given to her, including Ginger and Turmeric. These supports made her self- success because she made it from just harvested her crop and started dreaming employed, and now she can dream to protect her farm from the damage of flood and her single income of vermicompost to invest in further income generation. drought due to having her home on raised land from flood level and irrigation facility. entrepreneurship.

40 41 Up Above the

Mountain High springs and streams. The MJF initiated the project to improve the quality of life of the indigenous people living The hills were already inaccessible, in Hill Tracts and address gender- nowadays becoming barren due to based violence, which is plagued climate change and unsustainable by extremely limited resources, lack anthropogenic activities. Due to of education on alternative farming, climate change, the hills’ inhabitants lack of access to clean water, lack of are facing challenges in engaging access to technology, etc. Their three themselves in traditional agriculture partner organizations continue to work because of erratic rainfall. The hill tirelessly to implement the project. women wasted their lives year after In doing so, the hills began to turn year in the arduous task of fetching around by adopting the IGA, climate- drinking water from distant mountain tolerant technology, and so on.

42 43 Kandebochara is a small village situated in the Balukhali Union of Sadar Upazila, besides the Kaptai Lake of Rangamati. The inhabitants of this village do not raise cattle or poultry, though they are not vegetarian. Unable to find a way, Monica Chakma started farming for her livelihood. She informed that this land supplies vegetables to the Sadar Upazila of Debashish Chakma, the President of the Kandebochora Junopohor Samiti has also cultivated Rangamati District. If they fail to reach their products to the market, it creates shortages and crises throughout the District. his land following climate-resilient technologies. This tiny island was barren and not suitable The crisis of seeds often hampers their cultivation as they need to depend for seeds upon the town far away from their for cultivation. But adoption of climate-resilient technologies like Bed and Mada technology has place. That’s why Monica started growing her seeds and plants with support from the project. She also learned climate- been showing a reverse scenario this year. He is very happy to see the barren land turned into resilient agricultural practices from Hill Flower, the partnering organization, to implement the MJF project. cropland full of lavish vegetables.

44 45 Sita Devi Chakma and Shefali Chakma live on the top of a small hill near Duttang Para. They depend on the Subilal Chakma of Duttang Para of 6 no. Balukhali Union of GFS for their drinking and household water. The Gravity Sadar Upazila under the Rangamati District is a farmer who Flow System is a unique climate-adaptive technology grows Tara, a traditional vegetable. The indigenous people to supply water withdrawn from a distant and hilly take this delicious vegetable as an auspicious meal often source like a fountain or stream and preserve them in cooked on religious and social festivals previously available in a reservoir set up adjacent to the community. Before the wild. Hill Flower motivates and supports the inhabitants setting up GFS, villagers used to spend almost an hour to revive the cultivation of this endangered vegetable. As a a day collecting their drinking water. The MJF, with their result, nowadays, the Tara garden is often seen in different local partner organization Hill Flower, set up this GFS neighborhoods of the working area of the project. to make the lives and livelihoods of the locals easy.

46 47 Palash Chakma & Jhinu Chakma live in Hajachari para village of Ghilachari Union of under the Rangamati District. The flat land at the foot of the hills is now being submerged by floodwaters every year during the monsoon. So they were having a lot of trouble doing regular paddy cultivation. Therefore, they have started cultivating onion, garlic, and other seasonal vegetables in winter and tara cultivation in foothills with the suggestion from ASHIKA, the partner of the project. Besides, the project also provides them the Roktimoy Dewan lives in Soyenderpara of Gilachori Union of Naniarchar Upazila. He had no source of IGA loans, seeds, plants, natural income at all. Then he became a member of the IGA group of the project formed by ASHIKA. He took an IGA pesticides, etc., for the development loan for rearing goats. Ashika provided him training and linked him with the local livestock office to learn how of their livelihood. to rearing goats. As a result, he has been enjoying good returns from the intervention.

48 49 Chhaya Rani Chakma is the general secretary of the Suridaspara Women’s Group of Burighat Union under Naniarchar Upazila, Rangamati District. She raises poultry. Besides, she maintains rice bank, which was formed by the contribution of the project and the members of the group. The project sensitized and supported beneficiaries to have community food savings during their good time to borrow during the lean period. During the lockdown situation imposed by the government to prevent COVID 19, the In another locality of the same village, the MJF set up a group members lived on that rice bank as deep-set pump in association with ASHIKA to mitigate they did not have any other way to earn. need of the locals’ drinking water. Now Shova Rani Bashantara Chakma is her close relative, Chakma and Alota Chakma do not need to walk miles helping her maintain the Rice Bank and after miles and climb to the top of the hills to collect do other group activities to implement the water from the stream, and they can collect water from MJF project. that pump close to their household.

50 51 Mensai Mro of the same area used to plant pineapples vertically influenced the landslide. TAHZINGDONG motivated him to grow pineapples horizontally to prevent soil erosion and engaged him in the exposure visit at Soil Resources Development Institute (SRDI) at Bandarban. After that, he planted seedlings of 25000 pineapples horizontally through the hill.

On the other hand, Lenyan Mro from Ramri Para of Tonkaboti Union of under the is a cultivator of Dragon Fruit and a community group Unue Prue Marma, resident of member TAHZINGDONG, the partner Dulo Jhiri Para of Taracha Union of the MJF. The MJF provided him of Rowangchhori Upazila under guidance for cultivation along with Bandarban District, cultivates 25 pillars, seedlings, and fertilizer. vegetables. But a few years back, Then he arranged another 25 pillars they used to produce tobacco in to expand his garden. TAHZINGDONG their whole land. TAHZINGDONG also linked him with the DAE for motivated them to produce further guidance. Now he expects BDT vegetables instead of tobacco as 125000 gross income from his farm tobacco cultivation is detrimental within the next one year. for both soil and human health.

52 53 Uma Ching Marma and her husband Mong Thwoi Lipi Marma and Prumay Ching Marma are the Marma of the same inhabitants of the same village who live on the village have also started upside of the hill, where the source of a GFS is cultivating vegetables situated. They are very happy to get the GFS with instead of tobacco. a built-in water treatment plant. Life became more accessible regarding water issues at least.

54 55 May Nue Marma and her husband U Mrathwoi Marma are members of the community group of the TAHZINGDONG. They took an IGA loan and invested from their own to grow 3 types of vegetables (Korola, Barbati, Bean) in 1-acre land. Along with the interest-free loan support, they were linked with the DAE for further guidance. With guidance and support from both project and DAE, they are expecting BDT 250000 from their investment of BDT 70000.

56 PB