Rokkhagola Village Based Sustainable Food Security program for the Ethnic Community in Rajshahi.

CCBVO is implementing Rokkhagola Village Based Sustainable Food Security Programme for the Ethnic Community in the Barind region, North-West part of Bangladesh with the support of Bread for the World (BftW) since 2013. Currently the program covering 50 Ethnic villages. During the inception the program was started only with 5 villages then Bangladesh Freedom Foundation (BFF) supported the program from 2005 to 2012. From inception the program gives priority to re-construct their village based social organization; enhancing sustainable food security of the ethnic people by innovating and developing Rokkhagola Food Bank and also forming Community Capital; enhancing access to local resources and government services along with preserving their ethnic knowledge, culture, beliefs and practices., However, CCBVO works to facilitate for enabling capacity of the ethnic people to work men and women together to develop Gender Equity, Hunger free, Poverty free, Rights on Health, Education, along with Conflict Analysis & Peace Building, Environment/Climate Change and Emergency Response with a view of achieving basic needs as well as creating peaceful atmosphere to establish rights and confidence. Now the program is running of 1st October, 2022 to June, 2025.

Working Area:
The project is covering 50 villages of ethnic communities out of 110 ethnic villages under Godagari Upazila of Rajshahi district. Description of project area under below:

Beneficiaries of the project:
All family members irrespective to female, male and children of the ethnic villages linked with Rakkhagola social organisations are the beneficiaries of the project.

Overall goal:
Socio-economic, Cultural conditions improved towards sustainable development of the ethnic communities in Rajshahi district.

Specific goal: “An equal society where Ethnic people are living dignified life.”

 Major Components of the project:
A) Building and strengthening Rokkhagola organization & Networking

1. Building and strengthening Rokkhagola village based community organization.
2. Co-ordination forum of all Rokkhagola will help to achieve unity among the different community and village organization as well.
3. Formation of village based committee, meeting, workshop and training.
4. Develop traditional ethnic forums (Digori, Baishi, Pargana),
5. Regular meeting of general and management committees of village organisation.
6. Training on capacity building (Leadership Development, Gender sensitive organizational practice, women ownership, access to wealth, and networking with Rokkhagola, accounts maintenance, graduation and coordination)
7. Youth Leadership Development training
8. Maintaining records of the organization.
9. Building network among the village organizations.
10. Annual gathering and general meeting.
11. Networking dialogue sharing meeting between Rokkhagola organizations and different ethnic right based organizations, civil society, Journalist.

B) Sustainable Food Security, Agro-ecology and Climate Change & Adaptation (awareness and technical knowledge building)

1. Awareness meeting & training on Food Security, Food Rights, safe food production and nutritious food consumption.
2. Training on preparing and using low-cost organic fertilizer, soil health, soil fertility and bio vegetation preservation.
3. Training on precautions and safe procedure before using chemical fertilizer, pesticides and Eco-friendly technique for preventing insects and diseases of crops,
4. Training on capacity building Homestead gardening, tree plantation, seed preservation, grafting, duck poultry & Livestock rearing.
5. Transaction of food and money according to needs of villagers.
6. Keeping records of savings and transactions.
7. Awareness meeting & training on Climate Change Effect and Possible Adaptation measures
8. Sharing meeting on mitigate water crisis in Barind region.

C) Economic Sustainability

1. Collection of handful rice, seasonal crops and necessary fund.
2. Training on commercial farming and its opportunities respect to local context for the members of Rokkhagola.
3. Workshop on use of Rokkhaola savings and social capital management, agri-product marketing and building business centre and management.
4. Sharing meeting between local market management committee and Rokkhagola leaders regarding enhance accessibility of ethnic people in local business and reduce discriminative practice in market place.

D) Conflicts Sensitivity, Conflicts management & Social Harmony

1. Workshop & Training on Conflict Sensitivity & Social Conflict Management.
2. Sharing meeting with govt. administrative (UNO, Women Officer, Land Officer, Legal Service cell and law enforcing forces) in order to reduce different social conflict

E) Rights of the Ethnic Communities  (Information , Land, Health, Education and Cultural rights)

1.      Workshop on identification of local resources and Govt. service delivery agencies.

2.      Building capacity of resources utilization.

3.      Sharing meeting between Govt. Officials, Local government representatives and leaders of the Rokkhagola organizations.

4.      Fostering legal land documents of the ethnic property.

5.      Training -Workshop on capacity building (primary-reproductive-child & mother- health, hygiene).

6.      Awareness meeting & Gender counseling on gender equality, strengthening women position and reducing domestic violence.

7.      Rokkhagola Shishu Pathshala (preprimary school) and capacity building of preprimary teachers.

8.      Training & campaign on Communal Harmony, Climate Change, Gender Equality and against Child Marriag.

9.      Identification and formation of village based cultural group’s Local heritage, knowledge and skills (food, herbal-medicine, arts and cultural fair).

10.  Practicing ethnic song and dance through the cultural team

11.  Social festivals and days observation Cultural competition.