The Chars Livelihoods Programme Improve the livelihoods, incomes and food security of at least one million extremely poor and vulnerable women, children and men living on remote isolated riverine char islands of north-western Bangladesh.

Why the chars? High concentrations of extreme poverty River sediment: low-lying; prone to erosion; flooding Hard-to-reach, especially in the dry season Few jobs; agricultural day labour = low-pay, seasonal Few services – Government or NGO. Little infrastructure Poor health, food security, nutrition, literacy

Who does CLP work with? The Extreme Poor CLP works with the adult female in the household CLP’s HH Selection Criteria No land or access to land Total HH assets worth <Tk5,000 (approx £43.50) No job / regular employment Resident on char for at least 6m Not part of micro-credit or another development project Willing & able to attend weekly meetings Main Characteristics of CLP’s Participant Households Savings Over 97% had savings less than Tk500 (£4.35). Avg Tk 82 Assets 96% with less than Tk5,000 (£43.50) in savings. Avg Tk 1,532. Food Insecurity 70% could not eat 3 meals a day in the last week Water, Hygiene 93% with unimproved water; nearly 80% had poor hygiene practices Latrines Only 11.5% of families could access a sanitary latrine Vulnerable All chars-based families faced regular erosion & floods

Where are they?

What does CLP do? CLP’s Approach – The Core Package Livelihoods – Asset Transfer Reducing vulnerability to floods and shocks Providing water, sanitation and hygiene Supporting health and nutrition Influencing social norms Enabling markets Benefitting the wider community Partnerships

CLP’s Sub-projects Infrastructure Markets and Livelihoods Human Development 1.Plinths (including GPS) 2.Infrastructure Employment Project (IEP); 3.Hygienic Latrines 4.Improved Water Supplies (TWs, platforms, upgrades, arsenic testing) 5.Mobile Money Stipend Transfer (bKash Project) 1.Social Development Groups and VDCs; 2.Social Protection: emergency Grants; monga / incapacity safety net grants; 3.Primary Health and Family Planning; Health clinics and Char Shasthya Karmas (CSKs); 4.Direct Nutrition Intervention (DNI) and Char Pushti Karmas (CPKs); 5.Hygiene Behaviour Change Intervention (HBCI – previously called WASH); 6.Village Savings and Loans Groups (VSL) 1.Asset Transfer Project (ATP) (assets, stipends, vouchers for livestock health, training) 2.Homestead Gardens; training and inputs 3.Backyard Poultry Rearing; training 4.Livestock Service Providers 5.Livestock Genetic Improvement: Artificial Insemination and Cross- breed Cattle Promotion; training and inputs 6.Markets, Meat and Fodder Development 7.Markets, Milk Development

CLP’s Sub-projects PartnershipsPartnerships Management and Other 1.Khas Land 2.Collaboration with M4C (sister project) 3.Health 4.Education 5.Outcome Sustainability (markets, RDA, CSR etc) 1.Emergency Response Fund 2.GoB Capacity Building (training of UP members; exposure visits, study tours, training tours, Masters) 3.Innovation, Monitoring, Learning and Communication (IMLC); monitoring and evaluation; communication 4.Finance and Admin; finance, admin, contracts, procurement, audit 5.Management, HR, Reporting etc.

Cohorts and HH Numbers Cohort Number Cohort Admin Start Date Cohort Assistance Start Date* Cohort End Date Admin Cohort Length Assistance Cohort Length Number of CPHHs , , , , , ,590 78,026 * All assistance projects do not start at the same time. Usually the group formation and weekly group meetings start first followed by livelihood orientation. Some activities (homestead gardening, asset purchase, IEP work, etc. ) start immediately after that, while some activities (VSL, market development, etc.) start after a couple of months or even later. Moreover, start date largely depends on the completion of baseline survey and therefore varies from IMO to IMO.

Summary Activity Schedule Activities Months Selection Verification Group formation and meetings Livelihoods - Training and Support (e.g. LSPs) Livelihoods - Asset Transfer Livelihoods - Stipend Vulnerability - Plinths Villages Savings & Loans Satellite Health Clinics Water and Sanitation activities Markets activities Homestead Gardening: establish and train Annual surveys, baselines, monitoring

CLP In Numbers

CLP Partner IMOs Solidarity POPI US