Modelling a multidimensional approach to change the livelihood process of ethnic minorities living in the plain land of Magura district: Magura Model
Introduction:
Ethnic minorities living in the hilly areas (south-east, north-west) of Bangladesh often get national and international attention for their issues and rights; however, ethnic minorities living in the plain lands of the country are often socially and politically marginalized and receive less public attention. They are often socially and culturally detached, reside mostly in impoverished areas and are highly vulnerable to climate change due to their substandard livelihood pattern. Furthermore, due to their stereotyped position (mostly illiterate, unemployed, undernourished) in the households, women and children in these families are extremely susceptible to any kind of natural disasters. From generations these people are maintaining the same socio-economic patterns of their tribes clutching forefathers’ rituals, values and even professions. Moreover, being in the nadir tire of the caste system downtrodden their potentials and dwindles human dignity.
Interventions are made, initiatives are taken often and then, however, the end result seems unsatisfactory. The main drawback of the initiatives lies in the angle of viewfinder through which a part of a big problem is identified and a piecemeal solution is sought to address that particular problem. But, the problem of the ethnic people is multidimensional, and multifaceted and therefore a holistic approach, a multi-dimensional change initiative is necessary to upgrade the livelihood pattern of the ethnic minorities.
Therefore, I am proposing a change initiative which is multidimensional and makes use of SDG indicators as intervention tools to develop a model to bring change to the livelihood patterns of the ethnic minorities living in the plain lands of Magura Sader.
Ethnic Minorities living in Magura Sadar:
In accordance with a circular Of Cultural ministry there are fifty five ethnic minorities living in the country. Among them, mainly four groups of ethnic minority people living in Magura Sadar. They are:
Union-wise list
Union wise list of the Ethnic minority people is available in the government web portal. http://magurasadar.magura.gov.bd/. Moreover, more specified data is available in the link below: http://unomagurasadar.pollitechs.com/
Magura Model:
“The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity”. The goals and objectives fundamentally cover every facet of a pleasant and dignified human life. However, in countries like Bangladesh, the most crucial component of implementing SDGs is prioritizing sectors and incorporating them with local resources and means in order to achieve maximum output with minimal inputs. Effective strategies and action plans, as well as a monitoring mechanism to link the strategies to the desired outcome, should be in place.
People from ethnic minorities living in Magura'spalin area are usually poor, illiterate, undernourished, and socially isolated, and these factors are interwoven and trajected in a vicious circle. A more holistic and comprehensive approach is highly advised to solve the issues they are facing and to raise their standard, and the SDGs provide a thorough guideline in this regard. For this reason, here, in this action plan, we have modeled upon the goals and targets of the SDGs and the strategies/ plans have been sought accordingly taking into account the local context and available resources and means.
Goal 1: Eradicating Poverty (extreme hunger)
Targets:
1. Ensuring 100% SSNP
2. Eradicating Beggars
3. Access to Banking/ Mobile banking (100%)
4. Alternative Income generation means
5. Access to land (giving landless khas land, if necessary)
Goal 2: Fulfilling Nutritional Needs
Targets:
1.Nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women
2. Small scale food/ livestock production
3. Channeling finance/ financial agencies (Go,Ngo)
4. Safe farming
Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing
Targets:
1. Maternal mortality health 100% coverage
2. Immunization coverage 100%
3. Family planning coverage 100%
4. Reproductive health care/ adolescence care
5. Covid 19 vaccine 100%
6. Awareness on hygiene and safety
7. Blood grouping for all 100%
8. recreation for child wellbeing
Goal 4: Education for all
Targets:
1. Primary enrolment 100%
2. Adult literacy
3. Encouraging female education
4. Creation vocational training
Goal 5: Gender Equality
Targets:
1. Safe transport for girls
2. Awareness on gender discrimination
3. Child marriage ban
4. Encouraging Women leadership
Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Targets:
1. Access to clean drinking water 100% (arsenic test)
2. Equitable sanitation 100%
Goal 7 : productive employment
Goal 8 : Community Wellbeing and institutional Capacity building
Action Plan: The whole programme can be reorganized and elaborated into targets.
Goal 1: Eradicating Poverty (extreme hunger)
Targets |
Actions |
Timeline Start..End |
Concerned office/ officer |
Resources |
|
Ensuring 100% SSNP |
Identifying worthy candidate and including in suitable SSNP |
Jan 22 |
Mar 22 |
USSO |
Gov. |
Eradicating Begging |
Listing beggars from the community and soughting proper rehabilitation means |
Jan 22 |
Dec 22 |
USSO |
gov/ NGO/ Local fund |
Alternative Income generation |
Creating alternative income sources for young men and womenfolks |
Jan 22 |
—- |
All concerned dept. |
gov/ NGO/ |
Providing land to the landless |
Listing the landless (below .05 acre) |
Feb 22 |
– |
AC (Land) |
Go |
Goal 2 : Fulfilling Nutritional Needs
Targets |
Actions |
Timeline Start..End |
Concerned office/ officer |
Resources |
|
Establishing Vegetable garden |
Identifying worthy candidates and establishing vegetable gardens. |
Jan 22 |
,,,, |
UAO |
Gov. |
Fruit tree plantation |
Giving every household at least 2 fruit trees |
Jan 22 |
Jun 23 |
UAO/ UNO |
gov/ NGO/ Local fund |
Small Farming |
Listing framers and train them |
Jan 22 |
Jun 23 |
UAO/ ULAO |
gov/ NGO/ |
Fish cultivation |
Listing potentials and training them. |
Feb 22 |
– |
UFO |
Go/Ngo |
Goal 3 : Good Health and Wellbeing
Targets |
Actions |
Timeline Start..End |
Concerned office/ officer |
Resources |
|
Blood Grouping 100% |
All people will be tested to identify blood groups. |
Jan 22 |
Mar 23 |
UHFPO |
Gov./ NGO |
Vaccination 100% |
Covid 19 vaccine and all other essential vaccines will be provided to all. |
Jan 22 |
Jun 23 |
UHFPO |
gov/ NGO/ |
Family planning coverage 100% |
Family planning services should be provided to all |
Jan 22 |
…. |
UFPO |
gov/ NGO/ |
Incurable Disease |
Listing potentials and training them. |
Feb 22 |
– |
UFO/ USSO |
Go/Ngo |
Goal 4 : Education for all
Targets |
Actions |
Timeline Start..End |
Concerned office/ officer |
Resources |
|
100% primary enrollment |
Ensuring primary enrollment and preventing dropout |
Jan 22 |
,,,, |
TEO |
Gov. |
Educational accessories distribution |
Distributing Educational accessories |
Jan 22 |
… |
TEO/ UNO |
gov/ NGO/ Local fund |
Providing Stipend |
Providing stipend to students |
Jan 22 |
…. |
UNO/ UZC |
gov/ NGO/ |
Providing Bicycle |
Providing bicycle to poor girls |
Feb 22 |
– |
UNO |
Go/Ngo |
Goal 5 : Gender equality
Targets |
Actions |
Timeline Start..End |
Concerned office/ officer |
Resources |
|
Bicycle distribution among girls |
Bicycle distribution among girls |
Jan 22 |
,,,, |
UNO/ Union chairmen |
Gov. |
Sanitary Napkin Distribution |
Distributing sanitary napkin to all girls |
Jan 22 |
… |
UNO |
gov/ NGO/ Local fund |
Women empowerment |
Including women in the union committee |
Jan 22 |
…. |
UNO |
gov/ NGO/ |
Early marriage prevention and awareness |
Regular awareness programme and necessary actions |
Feb 22 |
– |
UNO |
Go/Ngo |
Goal 6 : Edible drinking water and sanitation.
Targets |
Actions |
Timeline Start..End |
Concerned office/ officer |
Resources |
|
Drinking water sources |
Establishing tubewells to all households |
Jan 22 |
,,,, |
UNO/ Union chairmen. |
Gov. |
Sanitation coverage 100% |
Ensuring 100% sanitation coverage |
Jan 22 |
… |
UNO |
gov/ NGO/ Local fund |
Goal 7 : productive employment
Targets |
Actions |
Timeline Start..End |
Concerned office/ officer |
Resources |
|
Small scale farming |
Giving funds and logistics for entrepreneurs. |
Jan 22 |
,,,, |
UNO/ Union chairmen/ Jubo/ UWAO |
Gov. |
Technical professionals |
Providing training and support to produce mayson, plumbers, tailoring, food processing drivers etc. |
Jan 22 |
… |
UNO |
gov/ NGO/ Local fund |
Mushroom cultivation. |
Supporting entrepreneurs to produce mushrooms and making business out of it. |
Jan 22 |
… |
UNO/ Jubo/ |
Go/ Ngo |
Goal 8 : Community Wellbeing and institutional Capacity building
Targets |
Actions |
Timeline Start..End |
Concerned office/ officer |
Resources |
|
Forming committee to all the union |
Forming committee and cooperative union to all union |
Jan 22 |
,,,, |
UNO/ Union chairman/ cooperative officer. |
Gov. |
Community hall and recreation |
Establishing community halls in every Para and providing recreational facilities. |
Jan 22 |
… |
UNO |
gov/ NGO/ Local fund |
Conclusion : This plan will be executed under the close supervision of Deputy Commissioner, Magura and all the local available resources will be reallocated and reappropriated along with the government funds.
Planning and Implementation: Cabinet Division, A2I, BCC, DoICT and BASIS