BEES has also been implementing another project, titled “Smallholder Agricultural Improvement Project (SAIP)” in Jhinaigathi and Nakla upazilas of Sherpur district incorporating the tribal people and the inhabitants of char with the financial support from International Fund for Agricultural Fund (IFAD). The project has been started in May 2001 with a view to improve the socio-economic status of the target beneficiaries by promoting food security, nutritional status and agricultural diversification of the landless, marginal and small farmers within the project intervention areas. Disadvantaged tribal (adivasi) people are also focused in this project and quite a good number of groups are formed consisting tribal people.

Objectives

To improve the socio-economic status of the target beneficiaries by promoting food security, nutritional status and agricultural diversification of the landless, marginal and small farmers within the project intervention areas.

Achievement

Under “Smallholder Agricultural Improvement Project (SAIP)”, so far BEES organized a total of 4,647 members in 267 groups. Among the formed groups, 81 groups are of landless people, 67 groups are of marginal farmers, 88 groups are of small farmers, 6 groups are of landless member of char and rest 34 groups are of adivasi (tribal) people.

During the reference period, a total 6 new groups has been formed of which 2 groups are of landless people, 1 group is of marginal farmers and 2 groups are constituted by small farmers while 1 group is formed comprising landless people of char.

Again among the members, 3,059 are women, while the rest of the members are male. During the reporting year a total of 728 new members are enrolled to form new groups as well as to fill-in gaps of different groups. The group members have deposited over Tk. 7 lacs as savings during the period. On the other hand, 4.31 millions taka have been disbursed among the group members as loan for undertaking different types of income generating activities during July 2002-June 2003 and recovery rate is 100%.

To enhance the occupational skills of the group members and proper utilization of loan money, various training courses were arranged. The training courses were held on ‘Duck-poultry rearing’, ‘Milk cow-rearing’, ‘Calf rearing’, ‘Pisciculture farming’, ‘Homestead gardening’, ‘Vegetable production’ and ‘Nursery management of timbers, fruits and medicinal trees’ etc.

It needs to be mentioned here that, a total of 3,000 seedlings/saplings were distributed among the group members. Besides, to aware the group members, messages on basic health care, nutrition, personal hygiene practice, sanitation, women’s rights, social forestry, environment and so on were disseminated during group meetings.