Nasrin Shikha, a woman farmer from a marginal community in the Jamalpur district, has undergone a remarkable transformation in the last Five years. She had little knowledge about crop production but has now become a successful farmer.
To empower women like Nasrin Shikha, 800 producer groups (PGs) with 25 smallholder farmers each were formed by World Vision Bangladesh to facilitate income growth through buying and selling collectively in 5specific value chains of chili, maize, rice, eggplant and other vegetables.
These producer groups were equipped with new skills on improved production technologies, commercial farming and financial literacy to increase their income, which then allows them to buy nutritious food.
According to sources, the international development organization World Vision Bangladesh along with local partner NGO Unnayan Sangha has been implementing a project titled "Nutrition Sensitive Value Chains for Smallholder Farmers (NSVC)" in21 Unions in the Jamalpur Sadar, Islampur and Dewanganj Upazila in the Jamalpur District from 2017 to 2023under close technical supervision from World Vision Australia.
This US$5.77 million, six-year-long project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP)and reached approximately 20,000 farming household including11,765 female and 8,235 male.
The project not only introduced women to commercial farming but also created male and female community sales agents (CSA) who have been providing last mile service of quality agricultural inputs at the doorsteps of farmers. They sell their products to the producer groups at a competitive price.
They also established a suitable business relationship among farmers, agricultural input sellers and output buyers. Thus, the project played a pioneer role in involving women as entrepreneurs in the male-dominated agro-based business.
Shimu Akter is one of such Community Sales Agent of Nandina village in Jamalpur Sadar Upazilla. She told the Observer, "With my husband facing a disability, World Vision stepped in to provide me with two crucial training sessions, centered on business management and technical training by the reputed input companies.
When a new crop season starts, I meet with producer groups and collect their input demand. Later I sell agricultural inputs accordingly on time at a fair price after purchasing from dealer points of different companies. It saves their money and time".
According to the sources, the project generated total 108 sales agents (31 female and 77 male), are serving 10 to 15 PGs and neighboring farmers (on average 137 farmers per CSA).
NSVC Project Manager Asim Chatterjee told the Daily Observer, that at community level, the project has facilitated farmers to engage in collective buying and selling through groups. Producers' groups received training on improved production and post-harvest technologies, commercial farming and basic financial literacy.
Asim said, "Project is working to achieve women's economic advancement and access through involving them with different part of agricultural value chain by applying a gender lens to inclusive market system development."
He also added that "the project also included interventions targeting women's agency and equitable systems to address the harmful gender norms at household and community level."
In Jamalpur, a significant number of women lacked awareness about nutritious food and healthy behaviors, particularly impacting pregnant and lactating mothers who require essential daily nutrition and healthcare. Sondha Begum is one such woman.
The project formed the Infant and Young Child Feeding Groups (IYCF) each including 8-10 mothers like her. A total of 8,381 pregnant and lactating mothers included in 864 IYCF groups.
These IYCF groups undergo hands-on training sessions in the community to learn about the essential components of nutritious food and how to prepare it.
Sondha Begum told daily Observer that she came to learn about the cooking and storage process of nutritious food, institutional delivery, colostrum and exclusive breastfeeding, Antenatal and postnatal checkups from these sessions.
In addition to enhancing income and making people aware of nutrition, the project also promoted gender equitable relations in the farming households so that women can participate more in economic decision making process and husbands can also take part in household chores.
Sumita Begum, a resident of Dharmatora village in Islampur upazila of Jamalpur district, said, "I have three sons. Earlier, there was trouble in our family.
I used to do all my household work alone. My husband was not cooperative. But after participating in the 14 sessions on MenCare provided by the project, now my husband helps me at home."
World Vision implements 'MenCare' approach as a tool of Men's involvement in order to achieve family well-being, gender equality, and better health for mothers, fathers, and children.
Sumita Begum's husband Fakir Ali said, "Now I'm helping my wife with some household activities. If I hadn't gone to the men care sessions, I wouldn't have known how important it is for the husband and wife to have equal involvement in the family issues.
Now I let my wife to be involved with making different decisions together. In addition to my child, I also encourage my wife to eat nutritious food."
This project had a significant impact on the target families of Jamalpur by contributing to increased income, improved consumption of nutritious foods, and more equitable gender relations to reduce poverty, improve child wellbeing and overall family food-security.
