QuarterlyQuarterly 2019 October-December Kartik-Poush 1426 INSIDE THIS ISSUE 'PKSF plays a significant role in sustainable poverty alleviation' Says PM Sheikh Hasina at inauguration of PKSF Development Fair 2019 Children of PKSF Officials Draw and Write 02 Learning and Innovation Fund to Test New Ideas (LIFT) Program 02 Inauguration of the Piloting Phase of the PPEPP Project 03 Environment and Climate Change Unit 03 PACE Project 04 Innovation for Civil Services 04 ENRICH Highlights 05 Cultural and Sports Program 06 Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on 14 November 2019, inaugurated the Skills for Employment week-long PKSF Development Fair 2019 at Bangabandhu International Conference Investment Program (SEIP) 06 Centre (BICC). Speaking as the Chief Guest, she referred to various Program for Adolescents 07 multidimensional interventions made by the government that brought down the country's poverty rate from 41.5% in 2005-06 to 21% in 2018. She recalled Father of Sustainable Enterprise the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's contribution to rebuilding the Project (SEP) 07 war-ravaged Bangladesh and taking up development programs. PKSF Development Fair 2019 08 Highlighting different PKSF programs, the Prime Minister hoped that these will help Field Visits 10 materialize the dream of the Father of the Nation to build a 'Golden Bangladesh'. She Social Advocacy and also noted that PKSF has come out of the purview of ‘microcredit only’ and has Knowledge Dissemination Unit 12 directed its focus to sustainable holistic development of the poor with programs covering health, education, entrepreneur development, technical skill development Low Income Community Housing training, technology transfer in agriculture sector, establishing market linkages etc. Support Project (LICHSP) 12 Finance Minister Mr AHM Mustafa Kamal, FCA, MP, the Special Guest of the ABASON Program 12 ceremony, said that when PKSF was established by the government in 1990, the Training 13 poverty rate in the country was 58.8 per cent, which has now come down to 21 per Research 14 cent. PKSF can claim recognition for its contribution in this particular area, he noted. Addressing the ceremony as its Chair, Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Chairman, Credit Operations 15 PKSF, lauded the Prime Minister's initiatives to ensure development of the Celebration of Victory Day 2019 16 disadvantaged people of Bangladesh. PKSF is implementing human-centered multidimensional inclusive development programs with inspiration from the historic PKSF Newsletter 7 March speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Declaration of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) Independence of Bangladesh, and the Vision 2021. PKSF Bhaban PKSF Managing Director Mr Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah, in his welcome E-4/B, Agargaon Administrative Area speech, said that the Prime Minister's presence at PKSF Development Fair 2019 makes Sher-e-Bangla Nagar it a historic day for PKSF. He expressed his hope that the week-long fair would help Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh Phone : 880-2-8181169 micro-entrepreneurs of the country to expand the markets for their products. 880-2-8181664-69 Former Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury was honored at the ceremony with Fax : 880-2-8181678 'Lifetime Achievement Award' for her unparalleled contribution to the welfare of farmers, E-mail : [email protected] Web : www.pksf-bd.org poverty reduction, agricultural development and establishment of human dignity. After the facebook.com/pksf.org inaugural ceremony, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited different stalls of the fair. PKSF NEWSLETTER 01 Children of PKSF Officials Draw and Write Jahsim Uddin spoke on the occasion. The drawing competition was divided into 3 categories. Students of up to Class VI drew on the theme -- ‘Bangladesh’. The theme for the students from Classes VII to X was 'Muktijuddho O Bangladesh' (Liberation War and Bangladesh). In the third group, children with special needs (up to Class X) participated and the topic was open to them. On 18 December 2019, PKSF organized a special discussion meeting to mark the Victory Day 2019, where prizes were given to children securing the first three positions in both the PKSF arranged special programs to celebrate the 48th competitions. anniversary of the nation's glorious victory in the Liberation War in 1971. As part of the programs, children of PKSF officials took part in drawing and essay writing competitions. The essay writing competition was divided into 3 categories: a. Class III to V, b. Class VI to VIII, c. Class IX to X. The topic was 'Muktijuddho O Bangladesh' (Liberation War & Bangladesh). Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Chairman, PKSF inaugurated the drawing competition on 14 December 2019 at PKSF Bhaban. PKSF's Managing Director Mr Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah and Deputy Managing Director Dr Md Learning and Innovation Fund to Test New Ideas (LIFT) Program working with adolescent girls and women subjected to abuse, and wayward/drug addicted youths to bring them back to normal life. Disadvantaged ethnic minorities and Dalit communities are provided with a set of financial and nonfinancial services for their inclusive and sustained development. LIFT is facilitating specialized loan products for thousands of extremely poor and economically backward people living in remote areas including the Haor and Char regions. LIFT has financed in the installation of seven community radios until now, to connect the country's marginalized communities to the integrated development process. LIFT has established 20 desalination plants to address PKSF has been implementing the 'Learning and Innovation potable water crisis in the coastal area. Fund to Test New Ideas (LIFT)' program since 2006 to New Initiative support and scale up financial and non-financial innovative initiatives to expedite inclusive development for the PKSF started implementing an initiative under the LIFT disadvantaged poor and the extremely poor people. As on 31 program titled 'Protecting rights to the land, preserving December 2019, 34 innovative initiatives are being cultural heritage and improving the standard of living of the implemented in 47 districts under the LIFT program. This ethnic groups of the plain lands' through Eco-Social unconventional financing alternative is being carried out in Development Organization (ESDO), a PKSF PO. It is PKSF's partnership with 56 organizations, of which 43 are Partner first ever initiative to work for the rights to land ownership of Organizations (POs) and 13 non-POs. small ethnic groups. The initiatives under the LIFT program are being implemented ESDO will work for ethnic groups like Santals, Oraons, throughout the country with a view to enhancing inclusive Mundas living in Thakurgaon Sadar and Pirganj upazila. The development of the disadvantaged people. The LIFT funding of LIFT is available for land survey, collection and introduced inclusive financing, capacity building training and preservation of records, skill development training, exhibition healthcare services for elderly poor people and persons with of income generating activities, appropriate services for disabilities to establish and uphold human dignity. LIFT is also education, health and preservation of cultural tradition. 02 PKSF NEWSLETTER Inauguration of the Piloting Phase of the Prosperity Project So far, PKSF has provided different financial and non-financial services to at least six crore people directly or indirectly, informed Mr Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah, MD of PKSF in his speech. PKSF's Deputy Managing Director Mr AQM Golam Mawla gave a presentation on the project. The PPEPP project -- jointly funded by the DFID and the EU -- seeks to ensure poverty alleviation and sustainable development of up to 10 lac people through 20 POs. As on 31 December 2019, the Project Implementation Unit has identified 33,338 extreme poor households in 17 Unions in different parts of the country. The piloting phase of the 'Pathways to Prosperity for Extremely Coordination Meeting Poor People (PPEPP)' project was launched on 01 October 2019 th at PKSF Bhaban. Mr Md Ashadul Islam, Senior Secretary of the The 5 monthly coordination meeting of the PPEPP project Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance was the was held on 23 October 2019 at the British High Commission, Chief Guest of the program, presided over by PKSF Managing Dhaka. Representatives of DFID Bangladesh and PKSF Director Mr Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah. attended the meeting. th Ms Judith Herbertson, Head of the Department for International The 6 monthly coordination meeting of the project was held Development (DFID) Bangladesh, and Mr Maurizio Cian, Head on 24 November 2019 at PKSF Bhaban. A 3-member DFID of Cooperation of European Union (EU) Bangladesh were delegation led by Mr John Warburton, Team Leader, Extreme present as special guests. The Prosperity project website -- Poverty, DFID Bangladesh, attended the meeting. Livelihood www.ppepp.org -- was also launched in the program. Adviser Mr ABM Feroz Ahmed and Senior Program Manager Ms Tasneem Rahman were the other members of the delegation. Referring to the government's commitment to bring down extreme poverty rate to 8.9 per cent by 2020, the Chief Guest Workshops Mr Md Ashadul Islam expressed his hope that this project ii On 07 November 2019, a day-long workshop was held at would play an important role in achieving the Sustainable PKSF Bhaban on 'Nutrition component'. 24 Technical Development Goal-1 (No Poverty). Officers and Assistant Technical Officers from 10 POs Ms Judith