Project Name: Community Empowerment Project (CEP)

Donor: United Nations Development Program – Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility

Total Budget: Tk. 4,303,000.00

Staff: 25

Duration: July 2010 to June 2011

Working Area: 144 villages in three Unions of Laxmichari Upazila
Through CEP, we work with villages most in need of our support: those that receive few services from the government or NGOs, regularly experience food shortages, and have many families with women as the sole providers.

Participants: 21,099

Project Purpose: ‘To empower communities so they can manage their own development and welfare’

Project Summary: Through CEP, TUS supports the formation and running of 144 ‘Para Development Committees’ (PDCs), village-based organisations responsible for leading development activities in their communities. In 33 villages, TUS also works with ‘Para Nari Development Groups’, development committees run by and for women (PNDGs).

Together with UNDP-CHTDF, and Union and Upazilla-based project support and advisory committees, TUS provides capacity-building, technical and financial assistance to the PDCs and PNDGs. PDCs and PNDGs meet every month, providing space for villages to discuss their current development activities and make decisions for their future. TUS supports PDCs and PNDGs to develop and carry out village-based projects, bringing much-needed new income and facilities to their communities.

TUS provides trainings to PDC members, helping them to build the skills and knowledge they need to run their organisations, manage their resources, and lead local develop activities. It supports them to develop guidelines for running their groups, their meetings, their projects, and managing their funds. So far in 2010, TUS has provided nine trainings to 216 PDC members on gender, helping to increase women’s participation in decision-making and the development of their villages.

TUS also organises skills-development trainings, helping to ensure communities have the skills needed to effectively run their income-generation activities. In 2010, TUS has so far provided training to 24 PDC and PNDG members on entrepreneurship, helping them to develop skills to increase their incomes. It also provided training to 40 PDC members on rice banks, helping them to implement their PDC’s projects, and ensure the year-round availability of food in their villages. In addition, TUS has organised trainings from government line departments for 328 PDC and PNDG members. The trainings have focused on livestock-rearing and agricultural techniques, helping PDCs to ensure their communities’ projects are successful.

TUS also works to build links between communities and local government, so villages are able to access the facilities they are entitled to, and to raise communities awareness of a range of social issues, including through regular programmes on basic education, health, and hygiene.

With motivational and capacity-building support from TUS, PDCs also act as community savings groups. These allow villagers to save without individual bank accounts, and borrow money at low interest. Funds can be used for community activities, or individual emergencies.

Reference Contact Details:

Patrick Sweeting
Project Director
Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility
United Nations Development Programme
Rajbari Road, Rangamati
Phone:+8802-8118600