news - Ultra poor women start getting out of poverty

2010 Annual Conference and General Assembly

from 05/10/2010 to 09/10/2010

Accra, Ghana

From October 5th to 9th, 2010, the Africa Microfinance Network (AFMIN) will organize its 9th Annual Conference on the theme "Access to Financial Services: Reaching the Poor and Excluded"....

Discover job opportunities available and their contacts
Click here
More links
More links
Ultra poor women start getting out of poverty
February 25, 2010

Dacca, February 25, 2010 (The New Nation) - Ultra poor women in the country have started getting out of poverty through the Rural Employment Opportunities for Public Assets (REOPA) project.

Ministry sources said, the objective of REOPA is to contribute to the long-term sustainable socio-economic development of rural Bangladesh.

As part of the government's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and Bangladesh commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), REOPA will contribute to

poverty alleviation in rural areas and mainstreaming women into development programmes.

Thousands of poor households headed by women, who are either widowed, abandoned by their husbands and have no asset, are now equipped to start micro-enterprises through the project. These women started income generating activities, becoming self-reliant and capable of managing their families, it said.

Under the project, about 11,640 women have been repairing almost 12,000 km of earthen roads in 388 Union Parishads in six districts. A second batch of 12,804 women, who joined in May last year, would continue until April of the current year, a highly-placed source of the LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry said.

These women have successfully managed to step out of extreme poverty and are equipped to start up micro-enterprises through the support from the REOPA project, one of the government's social safety nets funded by the European Union, he said.

These women are engaged in the maintenance and post-flood repairs of almost 12,000 km vital earthen roads since February 15, 2008.

Their daily wage is Tk 100. Out of their daily wage, Tk 30 was reserved for mandatory saving. Over the past two years, each woman has earned Tk 48,430 paid in cash and has accumulated savings of Tk 20,560 with interest deposited in a local savings bank account.

They now withdraw the savings and invest in micro-enterprises. It will also provide for basic needs.

The women will continue to receive assistance from REOPA's partner NGOs on how to best invest their cumulative savings in micro-enterprises. To secure their livelihood activities, linkages between the women beneficiaries and local service providers such as between a cow owner and a local veterinary worker are being established.

"The government will stand beside them (women) in their journey towards successful micro-entrepreneurship and self-reliance", said by Manzor Hossain, Secretary, Local Government Division, Ministry of LGRD and Cooperatives.

Dr. Stefan Frowein, head of delegation of EU termed the achievement of the women as a 'great satisfaction'. He said a real change could be achieved as these women are involved with income generating activities, making them self-reliant with the capability of managing their families in a better way.

UNDP Country Director Stefan Priesner said through resilience and sheer hard work, the women have overcome tremendous adversity and lifted themselves out of poverty.

OTHER NEWS