A 19-member Japanese ODA Monitoring Mission, including eight female members, visited Poshna VC in Narandia union on 24 July 2006. VC Chairman Md. Younis Ali, Secretary Md. Alauddin and other members conducted a vivid discussion session with the visitors. Particularly, women activities at Poshna VC attention gathered among the visitors. After the discussion, they observed a school and a section of para road repaired by VC schemes.
LDCP visits PRDP-2 Project Sites
Fourteen staff of LDCP (Local Development Coordination Project) of LGED, which is PRDP's sister project, and being implemented in five districts in the Greater Faridpur region, visited PRDP-2 project sites in Kalihati on 24-25 July 2006. They observed Khilgati VCM and Nagbari UCCM, and exchanged views of common concern on Link Model with PRDP staff at both LMTC and Kalihati office.
UDO/O's Skill up Training Held at Tangail LMTC
Link Model Training Center, Tangail conducted second skill-up training for our Union Development Officers and Organizers (UDO/Os). The 10-day long training was separated into two segments; from 9-13 July for UDOs and from 16-20 July for Os.
They reviewed VC scheme implementation procedures so far adopted in PRDP-2, and participated in a group discussion on sanitation schemes and its actual consequences with the guidance of LMTC instructors and LMC staff. Detailed account of VC scheme cost estimation was given by Mr. Anower Hossain, PIO Office of Kalihati upazila. Participants also enjoyed a brain-storming session on possible "soft VC schemes", which yielded some interesting ideas.
Following the VC scheme sessions, two-day course for brushing up facilitation skills and development goals setting was conducted by Mr. Bimol Kanti Kuri, Deputy Director of SSS, Tangail.
Arsenic and its Mitigation Training Held
"On 28 July 2006, PRDP-2 and Asian Arsenic Network (AAN) jointly organized one-day training for providing basic knowledge on arsenic and its mitigation in Titash upazila. Three trainers from AAN gave lecturers on a wide range of arsenic problems; what is arsenic, the mechanism of arsenic contamination, present state of arsenic contamination in Bangladesh, permissible level of arsenic, WHO guideline and Bangladesh standard, and methods of awareness raising. Possible consequences from continuously drinking polluted water were shown to the participants using charts, posters and slides depicting graphic accounts. The lectures were followed by field testing of arsenic concentration. Not only PRDP staff but also concerned JOCV and VC representatives attended the training. A DPHE mechanic was invited as an observer, too.
Notice Boards in Pirojpur and Kutubpur Union
To propagate PRDP-related news and development information in the villages, a total of 16 notice boards were set up in strategic points in Kutubpur & Pirojpur union. Not only PRDP's news and information release, but also notices and campaign posters of NBDs (Nation Building Departments) and NGOs are expected to be put up here. Should the PR effects be proven, more notice boards will be erected.
Cultural Program in Shuvrajpur
Following one of their VC meetings, Shuvrajpur VC in Kutubpur union organized a cultural program at UDO office (Ansar VDP club hall) on 19 July 2006. Renowned cultural group "ANGONA" in Shuvrajpur village entertained villagers with songs like Vateali, Vawaia and other local tunes. UDO of Pirojpur union Mr. Moniruzzaman Jarder rendered Nazrul's as well as modern songs. PRDP-2 Program Officer Mr. Hiroki Watanabe and his JOCV colleagues warmed up the festive mood by singing songs in their own language. Villagers noted "this type of cultural program gives good incentive for our young boys and girls to come to notice our traditional culture that once flourishing in this area. Hope this program continues from time to time".l.
New Officers Join
Mr. Aminur Rahman Khan (Freedom Fighter) joined PRDP-2 LMC office, Dhaka as a Deputy Director (DD) from 12 July 2006. He started his career with BRDB as a Thana Project Officer in 1982. He has got various award in recognition of his proactive activities, including a "Appreciation Letter" from DG of BRDB while working for Capital Formation Project.
Ms. Syeda Nasrin has been appointed to UDO of Shahadebpur union, Kalihati, Tangail as from 1 August 2006. She is already familiar with PRDP activities as she had been serving as an Organizer of BRDB Women Program in Bangra union, Kalihati, and attending a number of UCCM.
Mr. Akihiro Okubo, the 9th JOCV volunteer working at PRDP sites, has joined Meherpur on 18th July. He is in charge of Pirojpur Union for next two years. Welcome aboard!!
Link Model: Round the First Year (2005-06) Mr. Mahbubur Rahman, PD, PRDP-2
Why should I stay in village? It is dreary, dirty and dark. But I shall have to stay in the village. I have no choice and no scope to live in town. Hence, village requires improvement for better and comfortable living for me and for present and future generation. Link Model developed under PRDP has established a mechanism of improving the villagers' life-style by arranging better service delivery particularly by the Nation Building Departments and all other concerned institutions intermingled into a cocktail of concerted efforts.
PRDP-2 by now goes round one year since officially started in July 2005. First six months were the grooming stage of office setup, arranging logistics and obtaining required governmental approval. Recruitment of staff was completed in early October and after training the staff were deployed in the field in early December. Fifteen unions have been adopted under the project; 11 unions in Kalihati, two in Titash and two more in Meherpur Sadar.
It is appreciably noted that under the Model, at the village level a Village Committee (VC) comprising of 15 to 20 members is formed on consensus of majority of villagers, and at the union level, headed by Union Parishad chairman, Union Coordination Committee (UCC) is formed comprising all members of the Union Parishad, NBDs' union level functionaries, selected local NGOs and VC representatives. Both the VC and UCC meet once a month regularly with various agenda. Main focus of discussions revolves and evolves improvement of services provided by the different stakeholders. Through the mechanism of the Village Committee Meeting (VCM) and Union Coordination Committee Meeting (UCCM) vertical and horizontal linkages have been established among the stakeholders. Officials particularly of NBDs are constantly requested to pay visits to the VC meetings so as to disseminate expertise knowledge to the villagers.
VC implements minor schemes like para (sub village) road, small culvert, school repair, village-wide sanitation, etc. with 20 percent cost shared by the villagers, 10 percent by the Union Parishad and 70 percent by PRDP-2 on condition that 100% UP tax is cleared. The schemes are of the type of "felt-need" and such that no organization has ever been undertaking. Notice Boards were erected in prominent locations in the village to disseminate necessary information to the villagers. In each union, a pair of Union Development Officer (UDO) and Organizer (O), who are project employees, work as link pins in the whole Link Model mechanism. VCM is a unique platform and UCCM is like a mini parliament to be utilized by all concerned working for rural development and local governance.
In all the adopted unions, UCCs have been established and UCCMs are held regularly. So far 107 VCs have been formed and VCMs are held more or less regularly. By June 2006, 46 VC schemes have been implemented. Against these minor schemes villagers contributed Tk. 4,96,014 (23%), Union Parishads contributed Tk. 93,932 (4%) and PRDP-2 grant was Tk. 15,99,827 (73%).
The project has organized training for villagers in different subjects effecting manifold impacts on their life-style. During the time BRDB has handed over its Women Training Institute (WTI), Tangail to the project. The project has renovated the old decaying building of the institute established by GTZ back in 1984 under BRDB's Tangail Agricultural Development Project turning it into Link Model Training Center LMTC). The LMTC has been entrusted to conduct training programs/courses of the project. The project has provided competent trainers of long field experiences on Link Model vis a vis rural development. Further the project has earmarked the Kalihati upazila as a laboratory Link Model School where every body is a student cum teacher so as to learn and develop best suited practices to follow.
On our dancing horizon the dream and demand are that Link Model is sustained and replicated in all the unions of the country so as to augment rural development, improve local government and governance and thereby streamlining government service delivery to the villagers effecting overall socio-economic development of the country.
Link Model Training Center, Tangail conducted second skill-up training for our Union Development Officers and Organizers (UDO/Os). The 10-day long training was separated into two segments; from 9-13 July for UDOs and from 16-20 July for Os.
"On 28 July 2006, PRDP-2 and Asian Arsenic Network (AAN) jointly organized one-day training for providing basic knowledge on arsenic and its mitigation in Titash upazila. Three trainers from AAN gave lecturers on a wide range of arsenic problems; what is arsenic, the mechanism of arsenic contamination, present state of arsenic contamination in Bangladesh, permissible level of arsenic, WHO guideline and Bangladesh standard, and methods of awareness raising. Possible consequences from continuously drinking polluted water were shown to the participants using charts, posters and slides depicting graphic accounts. The lectures were followed by field testing of arsenic concentration. Not only PRDP staff but also concerned JOCV and VC representatives attended the training. A DPHE mechanic was invited as an observer, too.
Following one of their VC meetings, Shuvrajpur VC in Kutubpur union organized a cultural program at UDO office (Ansar VDP club hall) on 19 July 2006. Renowned cultural group "ANGONA" in Shuvrajpur village entertained villagers with songs like Vateali, Vawaia and other local tunes. UDO of Pirojpur union Mr. Moniruzzaman Jarder rendered Nazrul's as well as modern songs. PRDP-2 Program Officer Mr. Hiroki Watanabe and his JOCV colleagues warmed up the festive mood by singing songs in their own language. Villagers noted "this type of cultural program gives good incentive for our young boys and girls to come to notice our traditional culture that once flourishing in this area. Hope this program continues from time to time".l.
