Sufia Khatun received Global Winner of the Livelihoods Awards 2022 from Bangladesh on Thursday from VSO UK.
On behalf of VSO Chief Executive officer, Phillip Godwin, Khabirul Haque Kamal, Acting Country Director, VSO Bangladesh, VSO ex-volunteers, Volunteers from IDMVS, Dhaka University, Volunteer Opportunity, and VSO staff jointly handed over Certificate, crest, and a gift to Sufia Khatun.
The global event from Bangladesh was facilitated by Md Shafiqur Rahman, Projects Manager, VSO Bangladesh.
Sufia Khatun said, “I feel proud, VSO selected me. My fellow youth members support collecting vegetables from farmers' fields, and I am sending them every day to the sales center. I collect vermicompost from farmer's houses, packing and selling in the market. This is an additional income for women farmers."
"Shyamnagar upazila Agriculture department provided on-the-spot training on skill building of women farmers and I received an earthworm separator machine from the upazila agriculture department. I received training from VSO International Volunteers and national experts, she added.
She said, "I am confident in the production and marketing of safe agriculture products. So many youths are with me. I believe youth in another part of Bangladesh will be engaged in their time to promote agroecology technologies that increase production, profit, and safe biodiversity."
Sufia Khatunfounder of Shankarkati Prochesta Mohila Club said it is not possible to strengthen awareness and transfer skills of Agroecology without youth engagement. Shyamnagar, Satkhira is the place of natural disasters that increase salinity in water and soil. The extremely high level of salinity changes the life and livelihoods of my area.
Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) has been supporting from 2014 to 1000 women farmers in promoting climate-vulnerable livelihood opportunities, especially agroecology technology in safe vegetable production.Through my club, I organized women farmers in skill-building training on agroecology tools and technologies where youth work as change agents for transfer technology like connecting women farmers with good quality seeds, organic manure (vermicompost),organic pesticides preparation, water savings technology use, ensure marketing of safe vegetables.