DUS is implementing some projects under the social development program which promotes long-term development and sustainability by encouraging communities to be self-reliant and to maximize their own resources.  This ensures empowerment at the grass roots level and involves the community as an important stakeholder.

 

Legal and Human Rights:

After a long experience with the char dwellers, DUS  learnt that most of the settlers have inadequate knowledge about their fundamental rights especially about land rights, registration & mutation process, family laws like marriage law, registration. The settlers are vulnerable position regarding getting land ownership. Besides, violence against women and children are regular scenario in the project catchment area. So women rights issues with the family and society need to be addressed.

 

DUS is implementing this project in Hatiya Upazialla with the financial support of GoB and Netherland Govt. The objective of the program is to inform the members and community about several critical laws, human rights issues through training and awareness raising activities. According to the program plan, DUS is responsible for organizing and conducting training and awareness session to the group members, UP chairman, elites regarding Human rights and different laws for marriage. The program also observed the important days related to rights like human rights day, women day, children day etc.

 

The program is also aim to get secure land titles for the dwellers. DUS is responsible a plot to plot survey to identify parcels of land and their current occupiers for registration of title which is carried out by the land staff of the local administration. DUS also support to improve the land record system into computerized of records so that the records less vulnerable to improper alteration and more accessible to the public.

 

Agriculture and Value Chain

Agriculture (field and homestead crops) is the main source of livelihoods for char dwellers. DUS has found from its long experience to work with the char-dwellers that, child nutrition is in dire state, with very visible child under-weight and stunting. Most of the men of household leave the area for seasonal work and the women have the responsibility for food. Sometimes, these women are responsible for homestead agriculture, but their knowledge of farming is limited. Thus the program is designed to overcome the challenges and develop & expand crop or non-crop products.

 

With the assistance of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), DUS is implementing this program aimed to developing field crops especially focused on fruits and vegetables and enable farmers to make better use of land resources. In this program period, DUS will promote fruits and timber trees to operating nurseries and qualitative & climate resilient seeds and trees for homestead gardening to the group members of DUS. There are two Agriculturists who are implementing the program at Chanondi and Nanguliar char of Hatiya under Noakhali district. The program also included ToT for agriculture coordinator, farmer’s orientation & training on the basis of demand and opportunities to introduce new technologies and Training on Nursery development.

 

The program is also included demonstration on high value crop. DUS is providing climate resilient seeds, plants, fertilizer, insecticides, signboard, new technology for farming and the demonstrating the block in the two respective program areas. Training on high value chain will be also conducted for the farmers.

 

There are field days and motivational tour in this program activity. To disseminate the result of successful demonstration, the field days will be observance and the local visit will be conducted to exchange the farmer’s experience. There is also study on homestead agriculture and value chain. The study will identify the key production constraints and potentialities for the program intervention including adaptable new crops and technologies.

 

Non-Formal Education:

DUS has 0had experience of working on Non-Formal Education (NFE) since early nineties offering opportunities for basic education of children from ultra poor families unable of the charland to get enrolled in formal primary schools, or dropouts before completing primary cycle due to poverty and/or social-structural constraints and thus remain deprived of their basic right. In this program, DUS is operating 10 nos. schools in the charland areas comprised with 30 nos. learners in each school.

The project was initiated to enhancing the life options of the children and adolescents of the char land to give them access and rights to education, protection and development and participation. Under the project the activities there is implementing Establishment of Learning Centers, Learner selection, Teacher and Supervisor Recruitment, Teacher and supervisors’ Training, Center Management Committee (CMC) formation and activities, Livelihood Skills Education Program, Linkages with livelihood skills education providing agencies, Livelihood skills training through Advocacy, Social Mobilization and Communication for behavioral change, Capacity Building and Experience Sharing, Program Management and Monitoring, Learner’s Selection for Quality Basic Education etc.

 

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Education Program:

Now a day, ICT is the important subject of the development sector. Besides university level education, students need to know the knowledge of ICT. The most of beneficiary of DUS is charland area and there is no opportunity to learn about new technology. Thus DUS has provided this program for the charland area’s student to pursue a professional career immediately after graduation. DUS has designed the program with the aim to familiarize students with the use and workings of computers  and related accessories.  This program was initiates since 2001. There are two training center of DUS, one is in Hatiya and another is in Maizdee.  The Center is facilitated with computers, printer, scanner and internet. Both male and female facilitators are conducting the training session. DUS is implementing this program with its own fund.

 

Remittance Money Transfer Program:

More than one crore people of Bangladesh live in different foreign countries for earning money who are sending huge foreign remittance in a day. Most of the people are from the root area and they don’t know about the banking services which is very fast and modern to receive money from abroad. That’s why money laundering is happening regularly. Lots of beneficiary’s family members of DUS live in abroad.

In view of this situation, DUS has contracted with Bank-ASIA and Western Union Money Transfer to deliver fast and secure services of the modern banking to the group members as well as the poor people of Noakhali district. DUS is implementing this program to the respective program area with 20 nos. branches with the aim to ensure compliance with anti-money Laundering and combating financing of terrorism and access fast banking services.

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