Speakers at a function here emphasized finding alternative income sources for ethnic minority people to free them from poverty as they don’t have job after finishing three months work in their agriculture fields due to geographical pattern every year, reports BSS.
The views came in a consultation workshop in Tanore Upazila Parishad Hall Room in the district on Monday.
Agriculture Sustainable and Socio-economic Development Organization (ASSEDO) organized the workshop in association with ‘Fighting Forced Labour with Adivasi and Dalit Communities in South Asia (MUKTEE) Project’.
Upazila Social Service Officer Motinur Rahman, Consultant of the MUKTEE project Dr Golam Sarwar Talukder and ASSEDO Executive Director Rabiul Alam addressed the meeting as focal persons with Principal of Dr Abu Bakar High School and College Prof Mukhlesur Rahman in the chair.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Samimul Islam, Youth Development Officer Sadiquzzaman, Livestock Officer Dr Billal Hossain and Women Affairs Officer Fatema Khatun also spoke.
The meeting was told that the three-year project is being implemented in 30 villages under Tanore Upazila in Rajshahi and Nachole Upazila in Chapainawabganj districts aimed to address the systemic and structural vulnerabilities of marginalized agricultural communities for eliminating the menace of child labour.
The ASSEDO has been implementing the project with financial and technical support of European Union and Traidcraft Exchange.
Around 4,000 ethnic minority people including 2,000 women have been engaged in various income-generating activities in 50 villages of Tanore in Rajshahi and Nachole in Chapainawabganj districts.
A total of 1000 people from 2000 households have, so far, brought under need-based training on various trades and vocations like electrics, mobile, mechanic, sewing, tailoring, computer operating, beautification, driving, carpentry and building construction in phases.
Rabiul Alam said the trained youths were given different income-generating inputs including cash taka aimed at boosting their level of confidence through making them self-reliant.
Of them, 145 got building construction instruments, 80 electrical and house wearing, 68 Mobile servicing equipment, 60 beef fattening, 50 tailoring, 55 tiles fitting materials and 40 goat rearing inputs.
At least 20 of the beneficiaries have got jobs in different private sectors and are doing their work successfully.
