Review of the Social Development component of the Chars Livelihoods Programme
Abstract
This paper reviews the social development component of the Chars Livelihoods Programme, in the context of programme objectives. It analyses the CLP inputs with respect to its potential impacts on reduced vulnerability and increased empowerment of the targeted women participants. It also examines the sustainability of the inputs, especially in the light of the fact that many project objectives can be achieved with participation not only of the targeted extreme poor, but also of the whole village community. The paper points out that social and human development are critical to the success of a livelihoods programme. It advocates building relationships with the community, and creating three types of community based organisations to own and spearhead the change the programme seeks to bring. It advocates changes in programme processes to enable empowering processes to unfold. It discusses the issues related to people with disability and the aged and destitute, and finds that a livelihoods promotion programme such as the CLP can have short term protective impact, but long term social protection measures need to be provided by government, to address issues of these groups adequately. The paper points out that DFID needs to consider investing more time and resources in advocacy and pressure at Dhaka level to bring health and education services to the chars. CLP officials can approach local government with lists of such villages, to ensure that their correct status is entered in government records. This can be maintained by building and strengthening community based organizations, to demand and pressurize government to provide more and improved basic services, and better social protection, in the chars region.
Citation
Premchander, S. Review of the Social Development component of the Chars Livelihoods Programme. (2010) 68 pp.
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