Project Name: Community Empowerment Project (CEP)

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

Total Budget: Tk. 227,33,966.00

Staff: 27

Duration: From April 2005

Working Area: 165 villages of Khagrachari Sadar Upazila
Through CEP, we 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: 45,326 (23,111 male, 22,215 female).

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 165 ‘Para Development Committees’ (PDCs), village-based organisations responsible for leading development activities in their communities. In 55 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. Since 2009, through the ‘Economic Development Activities’ component of CEP, TUS has also provided trainings to disadvantaged individuals, helping them to find ways of increasing their incomes and better support themselves and their families.

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. Projects are based on communities’ decisions, and include income-generation activities such as cow-rearing, and the installation of hygienic latrines to improve access to sanitation facilities.

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. Training topics include financial management; participatory monitoring and evaluation; consensus-building, and gender development, helping to encourage the equal participation of men and women in community decision-making and development activities.

TUS also organises skills-development trainings, helping to ensure communities have the skills needed to effectively run their income-generation activities. Facilitated by government line department officials, topics include livestock-rearing, horticulture, and agriculture.

Through the ‘Economic Development Activities’ component, TUS supports individuals who have low incomes, particularly youth, women and day labourers. TUS provides training and follow-up support on honey bee-keeping; mushroom, ginger, and medicinal plants cultivation; bio-briquette creation; and entrepreneurship. For participants, many of whom have previously struggled to find regular employment, working with TUS has given them new opportunities to earn incomes, and be successful in their lives.

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 basic education, health, and hygiene. This can help to bring real changes to communities’ lives. For example, in 2008, following TUS-led motivational activities, hygienic latrines were installed in every household in Khagrachari Union leading it to be declared as having ‘100% sanitation coverage’.

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