Shomoshti– Prosperity for the Poor and Disadvantaged

Project completed

200,000 poor and disadvantaged households will improve their well-being through increased income and the use of public and private social services. The households will benefit from using improved public and private agri-business services. Their voice and participation in public services, and their access to the emerging private and social entrepreneur services in education, nutrition, health and sanitation will be enhanced.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Bangladesh
Employment & economic development
Industrial policy
Tradepolicy & market system
Business support & economic inclusion
15.03.2016 - 31.07.2017
CHF  1’200’000
Background

In Bangladesh, 25% of the population are poor. Many of them are living in hard-to-reach areas where social inequalities are often limiting their access to basic information and social services. One of the reasons is poor governance. The Shomoshti project is built on a multidimensional understanding of poverty by combining economic with social aspects. The project builds on the lessons learnt from the completed Samriddhi project that household income generation and employment creation often do neither translate into social wellbeing nor sustained economic wellbeing. Increased incomes must also result in more and effective access to social services in order to result in improved livelihoods.

Objectives

Rural households, particularly the poor and disadvantaged, benefit from a better wellbeing due to higher incomes, better nutrition, improved health and more education. This improved wellbeing includes increased capacities to sustain and further improve the gains in income and social aspects.

Target groups

200,000 rural households (30% women, 70% poor, out of whom 40% disadvantaged).
To facilitate economic and social change for the beneficiaries, the project will engage with local government institutions (like Union Parishad, Upazila Standing Committees on Agriculture, Women Affairs, Livestock, Fisheries, Health and Education) and work with the local offices of line ministries (particularly agricultural extension, WASH, health and nutrition services). For facilitating market change, the project will engage with private, public and civil society service providers (like local service providers, collectors, wholesalers, input companies, service providers in transport sector, social enterprises in social service delivery).

Medium-term outcomes

Outcome 1. 200,000 rural households (30% women; 70% poor, out of whom 40% disadvantaged) use improved technical and available social services.

Outcome 2. Private and public providers offer improved services to rural households engaged in agriculture and cottage industries which are affordable and relevant to the poor and disadvantaged.

Outcome 3. Issues of equitable access to markets and social services raised by rural households and private service providers have been addressed by local government institutions and in government policies, rules and regulations.

Results

Expected results:  

The project will be initiated through a one year inception phase with the following outputs

  • Sectors and market systems analysis and identification of sub-sectors and interventions ;
  • Strategy and approaches for pillar 2 and its linkage to pillar 1
  • Gender strategy
  • Project Document for Phase 1


Results from previous phases:  

n/a


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Development cooperation
Project partners Contract partner
International or foreign NGO
  • Care International


Coordination with other projects and actors

The project will work mainly through existing market actors such as local service providers and service provider associations of Samriddhi and other projects, producer and savings groups of previous CARE projects and NGO-led community clinics. Interventions will be coordinated with the SDC-funded SanMarkS, M4C; Katalyst, BADIP and Sharique projects as well as CARE projects.

Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    1’200’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    1’164’993
Project phases Phase 2 01.04.2017 - 31.05.2021   (Completed)

Phase 1 15.03.2016 - 31.07.2017   (Completed)