Helen Keller International (HKI) 

Resilience to health shocks through improved agricultural production and market access

 

 

NGO:                          Helen Keller International (HKI)

 Project title:               “Making Markets Work for Women (M2W2)”

 Project Area:                  Laksmichhari, Upazila, Khagrachhari

 Target:                             450 Beneficiary Households (BHH)

 Years to Graduate:      3 years

 Budget (BDT):              Total budget 31,165,286; Cost per BHH 69,256; direct delivery cost per BHH 25,399 

  Key Aspects

  • This project addresses the critical issues of participating in markets and accessing services while simultaneously building human, social, and physical capital to allow the extreme-poor greater resilience to livelihood shocks and more equitable participation in household and community decisions;
  • Transfers training and tools for contour farming to beneficiaries with a general orientation on contour farming,erosion control and resource management techniques for the entire community;
  • Develop contour farming demonstration plots by introducing a few high-value crop varieties, such as long grain sticky rice, sesame, olives, blackberries, orange trees, pineapples, grapes, and intercropped maize;
  • Formation of Marketing Committees (MC) for group training and distribution of contour farming, improved agriculture production, post-harvest processing, as well as business skills(numeracy, business management, pricing, negotiation, and book-keeping skills);
  • Technical advice to improve yield through raised bed technology, intercropping, trough irrigation, integrated pest management, and use of organic fertiliser;
  • Introduction of simple, low-cost post-harvest storage and processing technologiesand set up demonstration sites for solar driers, spice grinders, canning, and packaging;
  • Each MC will be provided with a group-managed transportation asset for transporting bulk produce to local markets;
  • Strengthening long-term income and livelihood security by improving household nutrition and access to health services.

 Outputs

  • Information and assets for ecologically appropriate land management systems disseminated to 30 remote tribal communities;
  • Inputs, equipment, and training on market-oriented food production;
  • Inputs, training, and equipment on post-harvest storage, processing, and packaging;
  • MCs formed and provided transportation assets, business skills, and marketing information;
  • Education on nutrition, gender awareness for men, and improved access to health services.

For information on other activities of Helen Keller International, click here