22 NGF - Nowabenki Gonomukhi Foundation

Project Brief

Introduction: Since 2020, Christian Aid, has been working with 56 local women led CSOs to have enhanced capacity to promote women’s leadership, accelerate localisation of Disaster Risk Reduction, increase resilience building and promote gender mainstreaming in DRR and response processes. During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, Christian Aid provided support to CSOs in responding Covid-19 through provisioning unconditional multiple cash transfer projects to 2322 most marginalised groups and gender diverse people in designated five districts (Kurigram, Jamalpur, Patuakhali, Khulna and Satkhira district). Further, six CSOs were also involved in Cyclone Amphan and Floods activities with cash disbursement, complaint mechanism, beneficiary selection, hygiene kits distribution, etc. The referred project collaborates with Christian Aid, Caritas, World Vision and Oxfam, funded by Un Women, IrishAid, FCDO-UNOPS and ECHO. CA Bangladesh also supports 13 women CSOs in Jamalpur and Kurigram districts to enhance the food security and disaster resilience of 260 vulnerable families using its core resources.

Rational: One of the learning from recent CA projects is that since almost 50% of the total population are women, their active participation in early warning systems is crucial to protect more lives, livelihoods, and infrastructures2. Women have been an integral part of the early warning system from the very beginning. Therefore, it is crucial to include women in the community-based approach to developing more gender-responsive, mainstreamed, and resilient societies. As the most grassroot level organisations, women led CSOs are well placed in their communities to take women friendly best initiatives to tackle climatic events and reduction of disaster risks interventions. Hence their capacity on designing, managing guided by standards and polices are required.

Millions living in poverty in these areas have been devastated by the effects of Cyclone Amphan. The 2020 Floods affected 3.3 million people in 21 districts with more than 50% being women and girls (1.7 million); 84,195 are Female-Headed Households, 101,000 are pregnant women; 1.6 lac are girls aged between 5 and 18. These are the most vulnerable groups to food insecurity, gender-based violence and inaccessibility to essential services. Further, in 2020, communities have been hit hard by the sudden and unprecedented spread of COVID-19. For those at the frontlines of climate change, the pandemic and its associated lockdowns have only had a multiplier effect. With combined effects of floods, cyclone and COVID-19, many people witnessed disruption to livelihoods and various income-generating activities, functioning of local markets, crops, livestock, and fisheries. Bangladeshi women, who control homestead-based livelihoods, lose income, and have the situation worsen when crops are blown or washed away. Loss of homestead also meant that access to essential vegetables and fruits were not available during COVID-19. Food security remains a concern for Bangladesh who has one of the high child stunting rates globally. Due to harmful social and gender norms, women and girls often eat less and last. This negative coping mechanism was further exacerbated during the COVID-19.

Considering the above information, Christian Aid is planning to utilise its unrestricted funds to strengthen the capacity and knowledge of women led CSOs and Union Disaster Management Committees and women farmers on resilient action planning and executing of the plans in their respective locality by establishing climate-resilient on farm and off farm trails, improving the resources they depend on, and empowering them to “better deal” with disaster and pandemics like Covid-19.

Project Activities

Key Activities under Result-1: CSOs and local DMCs are capacitated on responding emergencies, Climate Resilient Action Planning and Rapid Needs Assessment including early warning systems

1.Training Needs Assessment (TNA): A simplified template will be developed to assess the training needs and the course will be developed based training need assessment.

2.ToT on climate resilience action planning and rapid need assessment, a 4-5 day long residential training will be organised to facilitate the sessions. A total of30 participants from 8 CSOs will participate in the training including NGF and CAID.

3.Development of Union level Participatory Resilience Action Plan (UPRAP) and lobby meeting with UP for inclusion and implementation of UPRAP

Based on the training outcome, a comprehensive UPARP will be developed by the Women led CSOs. They will facilitate capacity development and action plan development sessions in consultation with their respective union level community members. CSOs will engage and coordinate local government representative, existing professional groups, people at risks groups e.g.,Children, women, men, transgender, elderly people, and persons with disabilities so that the needs of all sorts of people and groups are addressed.Later, CSOs will coordinate and advocate to Union Parishad to include the plan in the Union Level Development plan. A total 8 lobby meetings will be organised with the Union Parishad.

4.Resilience Action Plan Implementation through mitigation/or adaptation intervention

Based resilience action plan priorities, CSOs will pilot small mitigation works with the support of local union Parishadand affected communities through community financing modality. CSOs will anchor the implementationResilience Action Plan.The project will partially contribute to promote community actions in terms of action plan implementation.

5.District Level Sharing and Lobby meeting with DDM and relevant actors on project learning (achievements and challenges of Climate Actors)The project will arrange District Level Sharing and Lobby meeting with DDM and relevant actors on project learning to achievement and challenges of climate actions. The CSOs, local government, local administration, GoB line department, journalist and civil society representative will be invited.

6.Advocacy Meeting with UDMC &UzDMC to increase women representation in the local DMCs also on supporting community level resilience action plan implementation:

The project will provide support to conduct advocacy meeting with eight Union (UDMC) and two Upazila Disaster Management Committee(UzDMC) to increase more women in the DMCs for better gender responsive decisions are taken. The project will advocate to hold regular DMCs meetings with equal opportunity for the women members to participate and contribute. It will also create opportunities to supportcommunity level resilience action plan and implementation. It will also encourage representatives of women Members of DMC to share family duties so they can further engage and carry out their responsibilities.

7.Orientation on SoD for local DMCs members:

The project will also assist local DMCs through providing orientation on updated Standing Order on Disasterso that they can have better understandingon SOD specially their functions during emergencies, disaster onset, relief operation & coordination, The training will be organised in consultation of DMCs actors and local government direct supervision. Respective local administration actors will be invited as facilitators.

8.Early Warning and other climate change related information Dissemination session (UthanBoithak/Courtyard session with Community, especially women) –The volunteers of CSOs will conduct courtyard sessions twice in a week in their respective communities. A totalof 704courtyard awareness sessions on early warning, climate change will be facilitatedby maintaining Covid-19 protocols by the CSOs volunteers in their respective working unions.

Activities under Result-2: Capacitated women farmer with improved knowledge, skills, information and enabling the market network to practice climate-smart agriculture as part of resilience action plan implementation.

9.Internship to identify context specific climate smart livelihood options extensive field work (on-farm & off-farm)

Two interns who are studying in agricultural field from recognised universities will be engaged to identify context specific climate smart adaptative livelihood options including off-farm and on-farm. They will be selected based on the assessment of their research proposal and in consultation with their respective faculty. They will do extensive field work and will engage directly with the farmers and relevant stakeholders to identify these options. The Interns will also develop finding reports with recommendationson trails including demonstration techniques.

10.Capacity building of 72 women farmers and women Climate Actors on context specific smart livelihood options (on farm & off-farm) by Intern

8 CSOs will facilitate hands on training for 72 women farmers in their respective working areas with the support of local DAE/DLS/DoF officials and Intern. A total 72 participants including CSO leaders and key farmers will undertake the trainings to start climate smart livelihood options or trails.

11.Support women farmers to set up climate smart livelihood trial based on the findings of the study report by Intern, 72climate smart plot including off farm and on farm will be established as part of trails-basedfindings of the study report developed by Interns.

12. Inspirational Learning Visits: The project will facilitate onsite learning visits within CSOs interventions and to inspire and learn about outcomes as well as processes of good practices around climate resilience interventions and community led actions. Iconic personnel will be invited to visit and inspire Women led CSOs on impactful social building initiatives including DRR and climate resilience.

13.Documenting stories of change

Stories on Champions of Climate Actions should be five per CSO across project period (Two Stories on Alternative Livelihood (agriculture + skills), Two stories on Resilience Action Plan Implementation (success + extensive effort) and One story on early warning/advocacy/ representation focusing women led initiatives. The CSOs will be capacitated on developing case stories.

14.CSOs Asset Building Support: The project will facilitate healthy competitions among CSOs. Based on the overall performances includes developing resilience action planning, implementation of plan and sessions, the best two performing CSOs will be identified jointly from two districts and will be rewarded by providing assets building support.  

Partnership

Partnership Approach:

This intervention will be implemented by 08 key CSOs facilitated by Nowabenki Gonomukhi Foundation (NGF).Christian Aid will transfer funds to NGF to work with the CSOs directly. Christian Aid will provide backstopping support to CSOs through conducting and facilitating training sessions and transferring climate smart technologies by involving local Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and government departments including local disaster management committees to increase women representation in the DMCs. The following CSOs will work through collaboration.

Name of CSO

Address

District and Upazilla

Working Area

(Best Initiative National Development Unification) (BINDU)

Kaliganj Hospital Road, (near surgical clinic), Kaliganj

Satkhira: KaliganUpazilla

Atulia Union, Shyamnagor

Prerona Nari UnnayanSangothon

Sadar Road, Kaligonj

Kaligonj, Satkhira

Burigoani Union, Shyamnagor

DatinakhaliBonojibiNariUnnayanSangothon

Burigoalini, Shamnagor, Satkhira

Shamnagor, Satkhira

Gabura Union Parisad

Mission MohilaUnnayanSangstha (MMUS)

Kaliganj Government College Junction, Kaliganj, Satkhira.

Satkhira: KaliganjUpazilla

Krisnagor Union, Kaligonj

MorumeMohilaUnnayanSangothon

Government Colony, MunsiganjUpazilla

Satkhira: MunshiganjUpazilla

Munshigonj Union, Shyamnagor

Association for Social Development & Distressed Welfare (ASDDW)

Sadar Road, Dacope

Dacope, Khulna

DacopeSadar Union, Dacope

KamarkholaSutarkhaliDaridraUnnayanSangathon

Kamarkhola, Dacope

Dacope, Khulna

Kamarkhola Union, Dacope

Mohila O ShishuUnnyanSangothon

Sadar Road, Koyra

Koyra, Khulna

KoyraSadar Union, Koyra

 

Project Duration & Budget

Project Duration: December 2021 to October 2022

Project Name: Participatory Actions on Resilience (PAR) by Women Led CSOs      
Project Duration: Dec'21- Nov'22 (11 Months)          
Implementing Partner: Nowabenki Gonomukhi Foundation (NGF)        
Funded by: Christian Aid, Bangladesh          
                          113.46
Particulars  Unit Cost  Percentage/Number Month  BDT   GBP 
HR Cost:          
Training and Documentation Coordinator-NGF            30,000 100% 11                 330,000                    2,909
Field facilitator/Project Officer            20,000 100% 11                 220,000                    1,939
Volunteer Allowances- 8 CSOs volunteer,  10 months            10,000 100% 80                 800,000                    7,051
           
Total HR Cost                    1,350,000                 11,898
Activities          
ToT on climate resilience action planning and rapid need assessment (5 day)          400,000 1 1                 400,000                    3,525
Development of Union level Participatory Resilience Action Plan (UPRAP) and lobby meeting with UP for inclusion and implementation of UPRAP (3day exercise X Tk5,000 for planning)            10,000 1 8                    80,000                       705
Resilience Action Plan Implementation through mitigation/or adaptation intervention             20,000 16 1                 320,000                    2,820
Followup meeting on Implementation Status and planning update (5 monthly meetings x Tk1000)              1,000 5 8                    40,000                       353
Early Warning and other climate change related information Dissemination session (Uthan Boithak/ Courtyard session with Community, especially women) - Weekly 2 by the volunteers, No cost Monthly 8 x 8 volunteers x 6 month= 704 sessions. No Cost                     -   64 6                             -                             -  
Advocacy Meeting with Local DMCs to increase women representation in the DMCs also on supporting community level resilience action plan implementation            15,000 10 1                 150,000                    1,322
Orientation on SoD for local DMCs members            48,500 12 1                 582,000                    5,130
District Level Sharing and Lobby meeting with DDM and relevant actors on project learning (achievements and challenges of Climate Actors)             46,200 2 1                    92,400                       814
Internship to identify context specific climate smart livelihood options extensive field work (on-farm & off-farm) 4 students from relevant school of a reputed University             30,000 8 1                 240,000                    2,115
Inspirational Learning Visits            80,000 2 1                 160,000                    1,410
Capacity building  of 72 women farmers and women Climate Actors on context specefic smart livelihood options (on farm & off-farm) by Intern            50,000 1 1                    50,000                       441
Support women farmers to set up climate smart livelihood trial based on the findings of the study report by Intern          720,000 1 1                 720,000                    6,346
Stories on Champions of Climate Action should be 5 per CSO (focusing on women led initiatives)-No Cost
Two Stories on Alternative Livelihood (agriculture + skills)
Two story on Resilience Action Plan Implementation (success + extensive effort)
One story on early warning/advocacy/ representation ..... etc
                    -   0 0                             -                             -  
CSOs asset Building Support (Laptop/Camera/multimedia)            70,000 2 1                 140,000                    1,234
Total Activity Cost                    2,974,400                 26,215
General Operation Cost:          
Communication - Mobile talktime & internet - CSOs                  500                   10          10                    50,000                       441
Bi-monthly meeting with CSOs            18,000                     4            1                    72,000                       635
Travel cost            10,000                     1          10                 100,000                       881
Audit cost            30,000                     1            1                    30,000                       264
Total Operation Cost                       252,000                    2,221
           
Total                    4,576,400                 40,335
Total Budget          
Indirect Cost (NGF)@ 3.5%                       160,174                    1,412
Total Budget                    4,736,574                 41,747