QUALITATIVE MOnITORING OF SHIREE INTERVENTIONS: CMS5 INTERVENTION TRACKING- ROI (1)

reflections on the intervention FOR MANU CHING marma

Shiree Q2 Research on Extreme Poverty in Bangladesh

Author

Nikhil Chakma

Institution

Green Hill

CMS1 Reference

203-14-31-5-0122

Interviewee name

Manu Ching Marma

Sex

Male

Age

42

Ethnicity/Religion

Marma Adivasi/ Buddhist

Union, Upazilla and Zilla

Before the Intervention:

2no. Kuhalong union, Bandarban sadar upazila of Bandarban Hill District

End of ROI (1)

2 no. Kuhalong union, Bandarban sadar upazila of Bandarban Hill District

Dates of Interview

April 30, 2013

Well-being Status

Working extreme poor (2)

Moderate poor (3)

Livelihoods before and after the intervention

1. Jum cultivation

2. Daily labour

Manu Ching

1. Plough ( plain) land and Jum cultivation

2. Daily labour

3. Selling wine

Husband

1. Jhum and Plough(plain land) cultivation,

2. Daily labour

Productive Asset or IGA owned working capital

None

1. 30 Chickens

2. Two Pigs

3. Leased in plain land for paddy

4. Working capital- 15000 taka cash in-hand

5. Turmeric seeds 80 kilograms

Marital status and household composition

Married Husband age 44

Daughter age 17

Daughter age age 12

Son age- age 7

Married - Husband - age 45

Daughter age 18 helping parents

Daughter age- 13, studying class 3

Son age- 8, studying at class 1

Keywords

Improved food security, expansion of agricultural crops, increased productive assets, economically empowered, and hired plain land.

Introduction

This is the first reflection on the intervention for Manu Ching Marma, a beneficiary of Green Hill PRASAKTI project. This paper attempts to draw out the reasons behind the changes in her livelihood during the first year of the intervention. More information on her life history is available on the Shiree website:

http://www.shiree.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Manu -Sang-Ching-Marma-LH1.pdf

Life history and recent past

From her life history, we discovered that Manu Ching spent her life between extreme and moderate poverty. Though she hailed from a working extreme poor status childhood, the death of her father had reduced the familys overall wellbeing as her mother became fully responsible for providing for the children. As the children grew older they were able to start contributing to household income and wellbeing improved, but her situation deteriorated again when her siblings started getting married and separating from the household. Her husband was from an extreme poor family. They had no productive assets and relied on Jhum cultivation as their main livelihood. When Manu and her husband started having children there was a strain on the households income and nutrition which was compounded by a number of shocks. Health problems forced the household to take loans, relying on neighbours and extended family. Two further shocks - her husbands arrest by forest officials, and the destruction of crops by wild animals further reduced the familys economic potential.

Their overall wellbeing and can be analyzed within a wider political context of government policy related to national resources and the impact of Bengali settlers.

NGO graduation design

Cash transfer for primary needs satisfaction

Development of IGAs using cash transfers and skill training

Access to improved inputs and markets offering a fair price for produce

Engagement with VSL activities guaranteeing resistance to shocks and access to financial services for further IGA development

Time

Household Status

Figure 1: Graduation Process of Green Hill BHHs

Figure 1 shows how the project aims to facilitate graduation of 1300 extremely poor families in two CHT districts (Bandarban and Rangamati) through a combination of cash transfer (to satisfy primary needs as well as providing cash for investment in income generating activities (IGAs)), access to community financial services, access to improved inputs and sales markets and also BHH standard of living through access to savings, loans, and community insurance.

Three conditional cash transfers (CCT)

In this project, BHHs will be able to claim three conditional cash transfers (CCT). The first CCT, BHHs will be able to claim three transfers in April (before rainy cropping season), and if conditions (they get cash transfers which they must invest in specific IGAs) are fulfilled, they can claim a second CCT again three months later. They can then claim a third CCT again three months after that (just before winter cropping season) as long as these conditions are fulfilled.

With primary needs guaranteed, BHHs will use their IGA transfers efficiently to develop sustainable income sources. Green Hill staff will assist BHHs in planning their IGAs and subsequent reinvestment to sustain the impact of cash transfer through VSL activities. VSL associations will be developed with beneficiary groups as soon as cash transfers have been completed.

This combination of interventions is expected to graduate the extreme poor and the outcomes will have helped Manu Chings family to become economically empowered, increasing food security and enabling her to keep her children in school.

Theory of Change community savings in spatially remote CHT

In the context of the CHT, there is no access to banks, or safe places to store cash. This means that extreme poor households struggle to save money, take out loans, or deal with shocks. The VSL officer of the project will develop community-led savings and insurance groups called VSL (Village Savings and Loans) associations. The methodology has been developed for use by illiterate people, and will enable savings to be developed (to be used for reinvestment or called upon in time of need), loans to be taken out, and insurance payments to be withdrawn in times of emergency.

What happened?The intervention sequence

The project was designed to supply inputs to the beneficiaries according to household needs and satisfaction. Before choosing the input support, an induction and training session called, Amar Shopno (my dream) was held at the village level in early May 2012. Beneficiaries were informed about project activities, including the conditional cash transfer, and made development plan during the training session. Each beneficiary then chose their IGA according to their capability and these were then distributed in late May 2012 according to the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) claim.

First CCT education support, latrine and turmeric

For the first CCT, Manu Ching claimed education support for her school-going children, establishment of a sanitary latrine and turmeric cultivation at the Jhum field. She selected turmeric so this could be cultivated on a large scale and expected to make a profit from its sale, while the education and sanitation inputs were to provide things she was unable to afford herself. Subsequently, she received training on water, health, sanitation, homestead space planning, education, immunization, malaria prevention and good parenting in June 2012. The main message of the trainings were the importance of fresh water and sanitation for good health and productive ability, how to design a model house and use proper land in the homestead, and the importance of education, immunization and using mosquito nets.

Second CCT mosquito nets and educational support

After fulfilling the first CCT claim she got two mosquito nets (based on family members) and 800 taka for education support of her two school going children as a second installment in July 2012. She also received training sessions on working together, gender, nutrition and introduction to enterprise. The main messages of the training were to support each other, paying women equally, building confidence in entrepreneurship, buying quality seeds, selling and promotion techniques (selling in market, in the community, middleman and negotiation).

Third installment 4000 for cultivation and educational support

She got her third installment for effectively fulfilling the first and second CCT claim in September 2012. According to the CCT claim she received 4000 taka for short term cultivation (potato, radish, cucumber) and 800 taka for education support for the school going children. Then she hired a plain land to cultivate the short term crops and planted potato, radish and cucumber in the plot. Before receiving the inputs she received skill development training according to the claims in September 2012. Afterward, she attended training sessions on seed collection and preservation, and quality inputs in October 2012.

The below table shows the intervention sequence of the project for Manu Ching:

Date

Assets/Inputs

Cash Received

Purchased By

December 2011

Identification of vulnerable groups

0

January 2012

Group formation

0

03 May 2012

Attended at project induction + Amar shopno

100

10 May 2012

Attended training session at skill development

100

21 May 2012

Establishment of sanitary latrine

500

21May 2012

Education support for school going children-2

800

21 May 2012

Turmeric cultivation at the field according to the claim and Review

4000

individual

12 June 2012

Attended at training session on water, Health and sanitation and homestead space planning

100

26 June 2012

Attended at training session on education, immunisation and malaria prevention, and good parenting

100

10 July 2012

Attended training session on working together, gender + Nutrition and Introduction to enterprise

100

29 July 2012

Education support for school going children-2 children

800

29 July 2012

Mosquito net -2 numbers

0

14 August 2012

Attended review session and claims

100

06 September 2012

Attended training session at claims and review

100

18 September 2012

Attended training session on skill development

100

25 September 2012

Short term crop cultivation (potato, cucumber, reddish, white guard)

4000

Individual

25 September 2012

Education support for school going children-two children

800

25 October 2012

Attended review session on reinvestment/future plan

100

30 October 2012

Attended training session on seed collection and preservation + quality inputs

100

Total

11,900

NARRATIVEEarly Stages

First installment

In February 2002, after Manu was included in the Green Hill project, her family selected 40 decimals of hilly land for Jhum cultivation. After that she received her first training on induction and Amar Shopno (my dream) held on May 2012 during which she drew her aspirations for coming year. In May she received a mosquito net, education support, and help with turmeric cultivation at the Jhum field from the facilitator (front line staff) based on her primary needs. Before receiving turmeric cultivation she also received training on skill development.

After receiving 4000 taka in cash she bought four mounds (1 mound=-40kg) of turmeric seeds from the neighbors. Her husband helped her buy the seeds. She also borrowed two Mounds of turmeric seeds from her relatives to cultivate in the Jhum field for higher production. They cultivated these turmeric seeds along with other own Jhum crops such as rice, maize, chili, cucumber. Her elder daughter helped during the cultivation while her husband went to do day labouring to maintain family expenditures during the Jhum cultivation season. Apart from meeting the familys food needs, he also needed to ensure they could pay school tuition fees of 500 taka per month for their children.

Prior to harvesting of Jhum crops, her family had to borrow (at 5% interest per month) 2000 taka from their relatives without interest to maintain family consumption. They also had to go own Jhum field for weeding purposes.

In June 2012 she started to make rice wine in the house and sold rice wine to the neighbors. The profit from wine was about 300-400 taka per month and she saved some of this in the house.

Middle and later Stages

Second installment

In July 2012, she received second round input supports from the project as she had fulfilled the first CCT claim. This time she got 500 taka for establishing a sanitary latrine, 800 taka education support for her children and received several training sessions from the facilitator. After receiving support, her husband installed a sanitary latrine with a bamboo face near the house.

In late July 2012 their employer verbally agreed to give them two pigs (worth 2400 taka) on the condition that they would feed the owners pigs, and subsequently pay him back in cash. Manu paid the cash by day labouring. Now the market value of the two pigs is 9000 taka. When asked how money and pig food was maintained, she said that she deposited some income from rice wine profits and residual rice wine was given to the owners pigs.

In August 2012 she started to harvest crops from the Jhum field. Her husband and elder daughter also helped her with this, and they harvested chilies, white gourd, maize, and leafy vegetables. The leafy vegetables were mostly consumed but they sold the chilies, white gourd and maize at the market. A total of 40 kilograms of chilies, 50 white gourds and 150 pieces of maize were sold at the Bandarban sadar market 20 kilometers away for 160 Taka Per kg, 10 Taka per kg, and 2 taka per piece respectively. By selling those products they earned 6400, 500 and 300 taka respectively and also repaid 2000 taka of borrowed money.

From the money she got from the chilies, Manu bought two chickens from the neighbors worth 500 taka (per kilogram=250 Taka) for rearing. Since the chickens have laid eggs the number of chickens has increased and she now has 30 chickens in the household.

Third installment

In September 2012 she received 4000 taka for cultivation of short term crops and 800 taka for education support for her children as a third installment according to the CCT claim. After receiving the support her family cultivated potato, radish, maize and cucumber and leased in some 40 decimals of plain land to cultivate for 2000 taka. She spent a total of 6000 Taka for cultivation of short term crops.

In late September 2012, the family harvested rice and tuber crops from the Jhum fields and harvested 15 Haris of rice from the Jhum plot. After that, they were fully engaged in the maintenance of short-term cultivation and did day labouring during their off-time. In October 2012, Manu sold three larger chickens in the local market and received 1125 taka in order to pay accommodation cost of her school-going children so they could stay in their aunts house. She attended a review session and training session on seed collection and preservation in October 2012.

In December 2012, they harvested 50 Mounds of turmeric seeds from the Jhum land. Out of 50 Mounds of raw turmeric, they processed 25 Mounds of seeds for drying and got 4.5 Mounds of dried turmeric seeds. The dried turmeric seeds sold at the village to the local businessperson and earned 9000 taka. The rest of the turmeric preserved in the house for further processing to dry and pay back the turmeric seeds they had borrowed to their relative. They spent 3200 taka out of 9000 taka for purchasing the GI sheet with a view to repairing the house and bought 30 Haris (Hari =10kg) of rice (at 140 taka per Hari) worth 4200 taka to mitigate food insecurity. They also bought some clothes for the children and necessary household consumption and savings some amount of money.

For further improvement of food security, they leased in 60 decimals of plain land to cultivate the rice, the agreement was to pay back 25 Haris of rice to the landowner after harvesting.

In the meantime, they harvested short-term crops from the plain land. They produced radish, potato, maize and cucumber. After marketing they earned about 400-500 taka from the radish sales, 2000 taka from potato, 300 taka from maize and 350 taka from cucumber. They also consumed and preserved seeds for future cultivation.

In January 2013, Manu was included as a worker on the road maintenance project (RMP) for 30 days for which she got 150 taka per day.

She also started to save money (100 Taka per meeting) at the Village Savings Loan (VSL) association from January 2013. Each BHH can buy up to 5 shares in each meeting. Each share is 20 Taka. The meeting was held fortnightly.

In late February 2013 they were able to access three acres of hilly land for cultivation of Jhum for wellbeing of the family from the local leader. They prepared this land for cultivation of rice, banana, turmeric and other Jhum crops. During the festival of Sangrai she spent 3000 taka to celebrate the festival and bought new clothes for the family in April 2013.

QUALITATIVE MOnITORING OF SHIREE INTERVENTIONS: CMS5 INTERVENTION TRACKING Roi 1

Changes in the first year of the intervention are summarized in the life history and intervention map below.

5

Intervention map for MANU CHING Marma (42 years old) from Date of Intervention to April 2013

Child illness and cost 3,000 taka for treatment in 2012

August: Harvested chilies, white gourd, maize from the Jhum plot and received 6400, 500 and 300 Taka after selling the products. Bought 2 chickens with the income from selling the chilies.

Sept 2012: Received third installment of 4000 taka for short term crop cultivation and sold three chickens in the local market worth 1125 Taka in October 2012

2011 (December) Enlisted by Green Hill Shiree project but support was given in May 2012

2012 (May): Received training and 4000 Taka conditional cash transfer (CCT) to cultivate turmeric, and education support for children from the Green Hill-Shiree project. Bought 4 Mounds and borrowed 2 Mounds of turmeric to cultivate in the Jhum field.

July: Received second installment as fulfilled first CCT claim and made an oral agreements to a pig owner to provide a pair of pig.

June: Borrowed 2000 taka for family expenditure. Also got training from the facilitator and started to make rice wine

December 2012: Harvested turmeric seeds from the Jhum field. Produced 50 Mounds and marketed 4 Mounds of dried turmeric. Total income was 8000 taka. Rest of turmeric preserved for future cultivation.

Jan2013: Hired 60 decimals of plough land to cultivate rice. Has sufficient food stored in the house and is included on RMP for 30 day.

2013 (April) _ selected and prepared1.20 acres of land for cultivation of Jhum. At present her family had 30 chickens, 2 pigs, 20 Haris of rice, 13 Mounds of turmeric stored in the household.

Oct 2012: Sold three chickens in the local market worth 1125 Taka

Born in a poor family and had 2 sisters and 1 brother. Her father had died. Income level was reduced. Only productive assets were two hens.

Married a boy in 1991 who was parentless stayed with grandmother in a small house.

Wildlife destroyed Jhum crops and so forced to borrow 5, 15 and 10 Haris of rice in 2009, 2010 and 2011

Child illness and cost 3,000 taka for treatment in 2008

Three children were born from 1996 to 2006. Income was reduced.

1971 1991 2000 2005 2011 S May12 July Sept Nov Jan13 Mar May13

Destitute

Working Extreme poor

Moderate poor

Lower earning non-poor

Middle elite

Wealthy elite

3

4

Disaggregated analysisMaterial empowerment: changes in ability to command material well-being

The well-being status of the family improved to high moderate poverty (near the border of lower earning non-poor) from extreme working poor after the intervention.

One reason for their improvement was that the three cash installments went directly to productive activities, including cultivation (expansion in crop variety and leasing in further crops acreage) or livestock. The family deftly diversified these IGAs/asset sales over the crop year, using assets and savings to balance off asset purchases and consumption needs (such as selling 3 hens to fund educational costs of children).

Their productive assets have also increased significantly in their households from the months of June 2012 to April 2013. At present, they have thirty chickens (small and large size) in their household compared to none before the intervention. They also have two pigs and have stored turmeric seeds for future cultivation

The increase in productive assets and income generating activities was further supported by good labour endowments (both husband and wife work) and good health (no health shocks in this period) and having a husband and wife who are both active working members not merely with livestock, but also in their jhum fields and in day labour. At present, Manu is engaged with Jhum and ploughs the land for cultivation, does day laboring, sells rice wine, and rears chickens and pigs.

Receiving appropriate training, including skill development training, may have empowered her to manage her assets properly. What is perhaps interesting is that Greenhill staggers their CCTs and their payments and training advice rather than frontloading it in the beginning, this may give beneficiaries like Manu both set of achievement incentives and constant support/advice throughout the year. This is very different from the just give them cash perspective on cash transfers.

As a result of these improvements, her family is able to afford three meals per day even in the lean period due to food stocks in the household, with fish/eggs/meat once fortnightly. They bought clothes during the festival celebration of Sangrai. With the income they have made the family has been able to repair their house. Manu has also improved economically sufficiently in order to lease in some plough (plains) land for cultivating rice and potatoes.

QUALITATIVE MOnITORING OF SHIREE INTERVENTIONS: CMS5 INTERVENTION TRACKING- ROI (1)

They have a good understanding with their landlord from whom the lease 60 decimals of plain land for cultivation of rice. The rent is 25 Haris of rice after harvesting the crops. Manu said that though the condition was high but they accepted it because they expected to get high production from the plain land.

9

Seasonal livelihood map - diversification

JAN

FEB

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUG.

SEPT.

OCT.

NOV.

DEC.

Available labour opportunities through work on crops in region

Harvesting Turmeric from Jhum field.

Harvesting of Turmeric from Jhum field. Slashed the forest for cultivation of Jhum

Day labouring

Land preparation for cultivation of Jhum

Sowing the Jhum crops

Weeding at the Jhum field

Weeding at the Jhum field

Harvesting of chilies, maize, leafy vegetable, cucumber from the Jhum field

Harvesting of rice

Harvesting Aman paddy

sowing wheat

Day labouring and harvesting of vegetables from Jhum

Harvesting ginger and turmeric

Shiree PE agricultural production

Banana harvesting

Harvesting of chilies, maize, leafy vegetable, cucumber from the Jhum field

Harvesting of Jhum paddy

Harvesting ginger and turmeric

Shiree PE non-agricultural income cycles from selling products

Medium

Selling of rice wine

High Gathering forest products

Medium

Selling of rice wine

QUALITATIVE MOnITORING OF SHIREE INTERVENTIONS: CMS5 INTERVENTION TRACKING- ROI (1)

18

Household expenditure: what did she spend her savings on?

As Manu and her family had a large increase in income, they made a considerable amount of purchases and investments. These are documented in the following table.

Purpose of expenditure

Amount

How financed

Who is the primary decider?

1. Household consumption (shrimp paste, salt, fuel, dried fish, oil and spices)

6180

Income from day labour and marketing of agricultural products

Manu Ching

2. Food (Rice) amount

4200

Income from day labour and marketing of agricultural products

Manu Ching

3. House roof maintenance

3200

Income from turmeric seed

Manu Chings husband

4. Festival and cloths

3,000

Income from agricultural product and day labour

Manu Ching

5. Repay borrowed Money

3000

Income from agricultural labour and day labour

Manu Ching

6. Investment in pigs

2000

Income from day labour and selling of rice wine

Manu Ching

7. Lodging fee for children

1500

Income from day labour and agricultural product

Manu Ching and her husband

8. Treatment

1200

Income from day labour and agricultural product

Manu Ching and her husband

9. Travel purposes

1000

Income from day labour and agricultural product

Manu Ching

10. VSL Savings

600

Income from agricultural product

Manu Ching

11. Investment in chickens

500

Income from chilies

Manu Ching

12. Tuition fee per Month

500

Income from day labour

Manu Ching

13. Religious purposes

500

Income from day labour and agricultural product

Manu Ching

Total

26780

Who is responsible

Manu is responsible for maintaining the household assets.

Husbands earnings

Her husband income mostly devoted to their household consumption and childrens educational purposes. They worked together in the crop field. Her husband also went to day labour on average ten times per month and got 250 taka per day.

Key asset sales

Item Sold

Amount

To whom

Why?

Who was the key owner

Who was the primary decision maker in deciding how the profits are spent?

Three chickens

1125

Local market buyer

The number of chicken was increased in order to pay children tuition fee and accommodation cost

She owned the chickens but her husband sold them.

Manu, and her husband was secondary

Dried turmeric seeds

9000

Local businessman

For family expenditure and student lodging cost

Both husband and wife

Manu, and her husband was secondary

Jhum crops (chilies, guard and maize)

7200

At Bandarban sadar, local buyers and businessman

For family expenditure and student lodging cost

Both husband and wife

Both

Plain land agricultural crops

3150

At local businessman

For family expenditure and to pay student lodging cost

Both husband and wife

Both

Total

20475

Key purchases

Item purchased

Amount

How Financed?

Why?

Who is the key owner?

Who is the key decision maker on how income from sales are spent?

Rice

4200

Income from agricultural product

Food security

Both husband and wife

Both husband and wife

Pigs

2000

Income from day labour and selling of rice wine

To earn economic return

Manu

Manu

Chickens

500

Income from agricultural product

Increased productive asset

Manu

Manu

GI sheet

3200

Income from turmeric

To repair the roof

Manu

Manu

Bill hook (blunt knife)

250

Income from agricultural products

To improve Jhum cultivation

Husband

Husband and wife

Spade

300

Income from agricultural products

To improve Jhum cultivation

Husband

Husband and wife

Total

10450

Relational empowerment: change in power in social, economic and political relations

Although her family size has remained constant, there are now more working members as Manus eldest daughter is helping with agricultural cultivation, harvesting and processing. Manu said the relationship with her husband is good, they make many decisions cooperatively, and as a result, they have been able to produce a high yield through Jhum cultivation.

Their relationship with the other ethnic community in the village, the Kiang adivasi, was also good. She also made good relationship with the person who employs her and her husband for labour, and he has given her a pair of pigs based in return for labour payments. They feel the rent they pay for leased in land is high but feel that the land itself should be productive. Moreover, they have a good relationship with the political leaders, which enabled her to be involved on a road maintenance project for 30 days in January 2013.

Community Groups Empowerment

According to the project design, the project staff developed community-led savings and insurance groups known as VSL (Village Savings and Loans) associations among the beneficiaries after giving all inputs support. Now VSL is fully functioning and the beneficiaries have started to deposit money there from 20 Taka up to 100 taka fortnightly. Manu Ching enlisted in the VSL association in January 2013 and started to save 20 taka fortnightly. She said, It was a good initiative for the extreme poor for saving the income from the IGA. We can take loans during the lean period and pay them back after receiving money from our production. Further, she said previously she took loans from moneylenders/landlords with interest but now she is able to receive loans from the VSL association at a low interest rate.

Programme implications

The VSl system is innovative in CHT and farmers have accepted it enthusiastically. Though VLS system is effective, there was no long term savings system in the VSL. The duration of the present savings system is only one year. After completion of one year VSL, group members distributed money to each member evenly based on individual savings. Then group members again reformed the VSL group structure. So it should be effective to engage the VSL group in any government institutions for long term savings system such as cooperative society. The project might be encouraged beneficiary to deposit the money get from the VSL group into the formal bank institution such as Bangladesh Krishi Bank and Grameen Bank ltd.

Integrating ethnicities

In the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Adibasi people most live with people of their own ethnicity. In the last few decades, however, they have been living in association with other ethnic communities, as in Manu Chings village. Previously the Khiyan community dominated the village. After Manu Chings family settled (Marmas) there, they built strong relationships with the Khiyan community and exchanged various agricultural products. The Green Hill project also selected both Khiyan and Marma community people as extreme poor and made VSL association among them. Both community people save money at the VSL group. Previously they did not save money in any groups.

Normally each of the community members have to abide norms and rules designated by customary traditional institutions. Karbari (village leader) is the main focal person in each village and mitigates social disputes and violence within villages. It is noteworthy that some people expressed hostile attitudes if they were not selected as a beneficiary.

Psychological empowerment

Previously Manu and her husband always felt depressed and anxious about how to get money for their childrens tuition and lodging fees for their education. Now they are able to manage money by selling agricultural products and chickens, and pigs they are feeling more positive. In addition, they have a good relationship with the local shopkeeper and are able to buy household items on credit. This acts as a buffer for the family while they wait for more money to come in.

Interviewing Manu, she says that without support from the project they never could have produced such new products. They hope that their children will be able to stay on at school and get a good education because their elder daughter never went to school due to a lack of money.

Gender empowerment

In the Chittagong Hill tracts, women play a significant role in maintaining the wellbeing of the family but also in the CHT economy. It is only very arduous physical work that women are not involved in, like cutting big trees, ploughing land and hauling bamboo and trees. Women do tend to engage cultivation tasks like sowing, weeding, harvesting, hauling and drying and storing the crops. They are also usually responsible for gathering forest products and selling them in the market. This relatively greater involvement in income generation means that they tend to be more empowered than their Bengali counter-parts.

Manu Ching attended all the training sessions provided by Green Hill, notably skill development, homestead space management, and enterprises. After receiving the training, she felt able to handle the managing the assets and IGAs such as chicken and pig rearing, and selling rice wine. In the household agricultural production, both husband and wife work together and participate equally, but Manu rears the pigs and chickens herself. She says that her husband would never sell them without informing her.

In terms of mobility of CHT women, adult women can move anywhere for marketing, gathering, and travelling. Adolescents girls, however, have some restrictions against going long distances to collect forest products or in going to the market alone. The main reason for this is because many places are so remote. Manu also goes to the market to sell products and buy household necessities.

Individuals Economic empowerment: other family members experience of the intervention

Her husband, Ushei Prue Marma, said, this support has helped me to do more diversified work like leasing in plain cultivation, expanding my Jhum cultivation and performing my own work effectively.

He also said that now they had sufficient food stored in the house which allows us to work more in their own Jhum field without going for day labour as they do not need as much daily income. He also said that they had 15000 taka working capital in hand and thought this would help them get through the crisis season.

It is clear from the key informant interview below that the family now always have cash to pay at the local shop, which is important because the shopkeeper no longer gives food on credit.

Subjective beneficiary understanding of what constitutes graduation

Manu Ching said this project helped her to graduate from extreme poverty by improving her food security and increasing her productive assets.

Summary and ConclusionsSummary

In the first reflection on the intervention ROI (1) from June 2012 to April 2013, we find that Manu has been able to manage her IGA successfully and improved her wellbeing status. She now has sufficient food stored in the household and has built a stock of productive assets such as chickens and pigs. She has also been able to hire some plain land for plough cultivation to improve her food security and is sending her children to school regularly. Overall, her wellbeing status has improved and she has managed to pull herself out of extreme poverty.

Though Manu Ching moved into moderate poverty, the key challenges of her families are marketing turmeric due to price fluctuation and availability of land for cultivation of Jhum and plain land. Survival of chickens and pigs were the major concern of her productive assets because of disease.

The positive impact of the intervention on Manu Ching Marmas wellbeing and livelihood are clear. Now, she is economically empowered and successful generated her productive assets for the well-being of the family. The key reflection is that their household has been able to improve food security and have purchased additional food to store for the lean season prior to harvesting of crops. Not only do they have sufficient food stored in the house, but they have also been capable of paying tuition and lodging cost for their school-going children.

After receiving skills training on IGA, she has been able to apply the knowledge and bought chickens and pigs with a view to increase her productive assets through selling agricultural products.

Greater land access

She has also been able to negotiate with the landlord to get access to some plain land for the cultivation of rice, though the terms are high (see above). Their bargaining power vis a vis local leaders has increased such that her husband can negotiate with the local leaders to use more land for cultivation in the Jhum fields.

What happened with reference to the graduation plan?

The graduation process of Green Hill project has three major steps which are;

1. cash transfer to guarantee the satisfaction of primary needs,

2. development of IGA with access to improved inputs and,

3. sales markets and the sustainability of IGAs and the beneficiarys standard of living through access to savings, loans, and community insurance.

The intervention support sequence was very regular and input supports were distributed on time to the beneficiaries. Appropriate training was also provided before the assets were distributed to aid the farmers in their agricultural production.

Storage and Markets

One problem, however, is that in order to market the products, farmers often rely on buyers willingness, but had no proper storage system for their products. During interview with Manu, other beneficiaries came and discussed with the project. They said that it would be good to establish a para based store house to avoid rotting of the commercial products.

External threats and Analysis of households sustainability

Land access key threat

The sustainability of the household is dependent on their working capacity, their livestock health, and availability of productive land for cultivation of Jhum. In recent years they have been able to access Jhum land for cultivation through negotiations with the forester and local leaders, but after 10 -15 years accessing productive Jhum land will become much less predictable. The availability of plain lands for leasing in is also under threat. In Manus life history it was found that there were disputes over the land with foresters and Jhum cultivators. A new law has banned people from cultivating Jhum in the government forests. However, as extreme poor Jhumiya people do not have any registered land to cultivate long term crops production. This means it is difficult for them to produce. Farmers always feel anxious about finding Jhum land after harvesting from one season. Manu has land to cultivate on now, but this may become a problem for her in the future.

Commercial crops and disease and price fluctuations

Another major problem is the production of commercial products like ginger and turmeric. Recently farmers reported diseases in ginger and turmeric that had reduced production. At the same time, crop price fluctuations means that commercial production can be risky. Further difficulties are caused by the remoteness of most beneficiaries, which can make it difficult for them to get a high price for their commercial products. It was observed that due to continuous hartals, farmers were not able to sell their products at the right time and had to store them in the house. As they did not have adequate storage facilities, this reduced the price of the product.

Livestock disease

Though Manu Ching has been successful in rearing chickens and pigs, it has been reported that chickens are prone to Ranikhet diseases. When they are infected with this disease, all the chickens die off. Although she has been fortunate so far, many other Shiree beneficiaries in the CHT have lost large numbers of poultry as a result. It was also observed that there was no sty built for the pigs which left them vulnerable to infectious disease. On the other hand they did not vaccinate many of their poultry and pigs. Her house is situated 20 kilometers away from the government livestock department.

Elder daughter will marry off and household will lose her labour

In terms of her childrens sustainability, her eldest daughter has been helping them with agricultural production. However she is illiterate although she is 18 years old, and after few years she will have to get married. The other children go to school regularly.

Key Informant Interview

Name: Jony, 43 years old

Occupation: Shopkeeper

Date of interview: April 30, 2013

Place of interview: Kuhalong Union, Bandarban sadar Upazila

Key reason for interviewing this person

Jony, a shopkeeper at the Kuhalong union sells various kinds of household commodities. Before becoming a shopkeeper, he maintained his family expenditures through day labouring. The main reason he established his shop was due to the unavailability of primary household items in this village because their village was situated a long distance from the nearest shop.

Jony said that he invested some money in order to establish the shop. His initial investment was 10000 taka. Now in his shop the total value of products is about 30,000 taka. He sells various kinds of commodities notably rice, fuel, dal, biscuits, chips, spices, salt, cook oil, cigarette, and bitter leaf. He was selected as the key informant as during the lean period he sells commodities on credit to the people, including Manu, without interest.

FINDINGS

Jony (Male) said that most of the people living in the village are Jhum cultivators and day labourers. Previously farmers extracted trees and bamboo from the forests and sold them to the local businessperson. As a result, they earned more money from the forest. Now there are no significant tree species in the forests and so people have to rely on day labouring.

Manu Ching is Jonys neighbour.

He said that before the intervention, she often took household commodities such as fuel, salt and soap from his shop in advance (without paying) during the lean period. After harvesting of the agricultural crops, Manu then paid him back the amount.

Jony added that, as a result, we have a good understanding and I provided her whatever she wants. However, I never take any extra money from the people.

Most of extreme poor are unable to pay him back and so he has 40000 taka of credit items that remain unpaid. As a result, Jony decided not to give any products to those who cannot pay back on time. However, Jony said, In the case of Manu Ching I have observed that after the project intervention brought cash in hand and also pays back on time when she buys things in advance.

5