Working with the Government of Bangladesh in creating sustainable exit strategies Group Presentation Ovi Involve beneficiaries with longer term GoB programmes e.g Ekti Bari Ekti Khumar Diversify beneficiary IGAs Link beneficiaries with relevant training opportunities from GoB (DAE, DOF, DCS) Seek suitable financing options/loans from banks Seek marketing linkages from Local Gov’ marketing departments & DAE (Dept of Agriculture and Extension) Ensure access to family planning services and raise awareness of public services available Linking with local government for Khasland access Encourage savings behaviour / schemes Focus on root cause not response. Nutrition > education > income

Safety nets are not yet sufficient – very small amounts. Similarly school stipend also. These need to be re-visited. However, the government is unable to yet afford this. As economic conditions improve this will change. Abdul & Hasina Create specific policy to help slum dwellers and recognise problems of urban poverty Link with GoB programmes e.g – Feray Cholo, EBEK Encourage urban  rural migration with programmes like EBEK and also khasland transfer Ensure public health services Increase provision of vocational training for young women Provide youth development training to jobless youths and provide seed money for business development In urban environment real need for low cost housing (long term) and basic services GoB has policy to reduce rural to urban migration – need to defuse/de-centralise focus on Dhaka/Chittagong – therefore is it realistic to expect investment in slum services?

Rakhul Social safety net enrollment – old aged allowance, disability allowance Diversification of IGAs (livestock, rickshaw, van) Introduce savings plan for enrollment in Ekti Bari Ekti Khumar where government will contribute to savings. Linkages, particularly with livestock, fisheries, health, agriculture Sophia Involvement in Feary Cholo ‘Return to home’ and Ekti Bari Ekti Khumar Ensure IGAs are appropriate to context for sustainability Need for policy focus on reducing rural to urban migration and for development of rural locations Need for wide ranging government umbrella project covering slums including health etc Eviction policy must be fair and come with re-habilitation this is an issue that needs to followed up.

Themes Link and raise awareness with GoB on: – Development programmes (EBEK, FC) – Training opportunities (DAE, DOF) – Linkages from marketing departments of GoB departments – Family planning and public services Access to services: – Health – Low cost housing – Education & vocational training

If you implemented your ideas for this beneficiary what obstacles or problems do you think you would encounter? Are the ideas realistic in terms of resources needed (time, money, expertise?) Are they against the interest of others? Would you encounter resistance from some groups? How do you think these obstacles could be overcome? What measures do NGOs and the GoB need to take? For example do NGOs need to be better at communicating? For example do NGOs need to have more liaison with the government? Do we need more linkages between NGO and GoB programmes?

Comments on obstacles and viability of suggestions: Financing from banks difficult for extreme poor – they are not attractive prospect. A need exists for GoB to advocate / regulate banks to service the extreme poor Facilitating effective market linkages very difficult. The GoB are making efforts here with a plan for a farmers corner in every village cutting out the middle man. EBEK also has provision Improved marketing linkages is viable, especially if we utilise existing GoB assets – mobile network, local infrastructure (such as union information centres) A very significant challenge is in linking the extreme poor with services that already exist – is this a role that NGOs can play But on the other hand, do we need 55,000 NGOs in Bangladesh? Is this part of the problem? – Gov’ & NGO networks need to be more closely integrated