Gangachara: NGO Forum for Public Health on Monday provided ‘Income Generating Activities (IGA)’ assistance to 200 climate-vulnerable poor families in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur to establish and sustain model farms. This assistance was distributed in a ceremony held at Laksmitari union parishad office premises in the upazila as part of the Adaptation Initiative for Climate-Vulnerable Offshore Small Islands and Riverine Charland in Bangladesh (2024-2029) project.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the project is funded by UNDP and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It aims to enhance climate resilience for vulnerable communities in adverse situations by focusing on climate-vulnerable offshore small islands and riverine charlands. Each beneficiary family received 20 indigenous chickens, a chicken house, 50 kg of feed, and water pots to establish model family chicken farms, ultimately improving their livelihoods and living standards.
The event was chaired by Laksmitari union parishad chairman Abdullah Al Hadi, with Gangachara Upazila Livestock Officer Dr Md Mahfuzar Rahman attending as the chief guest. Other notable attendees included UNDP Livelihood Associate Tonu Majumder and NGO Forum Technical Officer Md Mahmud Kabir, along with Admin and Finance Officer Kamruzzaman, Field Facilitator Mashiur Rahman, and Jahangir Alam.
Speaking to BSS, beneficiary Julekha Begum from Laksmitari village expressed her intent to become self-sufficient with the chickens received. Mokleshur Rahman from Anur Bazar West Sarkartari village appreciated the assistance provided by the NGO Forum for Public Health and UNDP, which included chickens, houses, and food, aiming to help them achieve self-sufficiency.
UNDP Associate Tonu Majumder highlighted that the assistance distribution followed necessary training and equipment provision, expressing hope for the beneficiaries’ development through this initiative. Laksmitari union parishad chairman Abdullah Al Hadi noted the distribution of local indigenous chicken species aimed to support the economic transition for the poor.
Chief guest Dr Md Mahfuzar Rahman emphasized that the provided resources would help families meet nutritional needs and facilitate income generation by selling surplus chickens and eggs. “We are very much hopeful that this assistance will change the lives and livelihoods of the beneficiary families of the river-erosion-prone Laksmitari union of Gangachara upazila of Rangpur,” he added.