Livelihood and Food Security

FIVDB’s livelihoods program originally focused on agricultural extension services and health education emphasizing primary health care, particularly for women and infants, immunization, and water-sanitation, gradually developing capacity in livestock, poultry, fisheries and cottage based crafts production. FIVDB became one of Bangladesh’s pioneer organizations in developing rural entrepreneurship by incorporating relevant contents into the functional literacy and continuing education curricula and by offering customized ‘Enterprise Development Training’ for beneficiaries as well development workers at grassroots and mid-management levels. FIVDB was a partner in piloting the rice and duck integrated farming system the along with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), and Bangladesh Development Society. 70 organizations across the country have taken FIVDB’s training on Enterprise Development, Chinese Rice Husk Duck Incubation for their staff members who have gone on to apply the skills in their work with the beneficiaries. More than 1200 Ansar-VDP (village defense force of the Bangladesh Government) members had received Duck hatching training from FIVDB in an arrangement with the Government. In 2006, FIVDB started working with the Social Welfare Department of the Government of Bangladesh to provide crafts production training to women who had been prostitutes to rehabilitate them both economically and socially. FIVDB has over the years worked in promoting organic regenerative agriculture practices. Some of the innovations and adaptations are in the area of developing organic bio-fertilizer, bio-control of pests. The technologies promoted are listed below: