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Md. Feroz Kabir |
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My Research Work
EFFECT OF PALLI DARIDRO BIMOCHON FOUNDATION (PDBF) ON REDUCING THE
LEVEL OF POVERTY OF LANDLESS PEOPLE
Thesis Summary
Summary of Findings:
The present study was undertaken to determine PDBF beneficiaries
living condition change towards PDBF activities at the village
level. Apart from determining the selected characteristics of the
respondents, the study further focused on relationship between these
selected characteristics of the respondents and their living
condition changes towards activities of PDBF. However, the most
significant findings follow hereafter.
Individual characteristics of the respondents:
The characteristics were age, family size, education, family income,
home-cum-farm size, training experience, credit availability, scope
of work, contact with PDBF personnel, problem confrontation,
cosmopolite ness and attitude towards PDBF activities. Findings in
respect of these 12 characteristics of the farmers in the study area
are summarized below:
Age of the respondents ranged from 19 to 69 and more than four-fifth
(84.1%) of the respondents were under young to middle aged and their
Family ranged from 2 to 11. More than fifty six percent (56%)
beneficiaries had 2 to 4 family members. The Educational
qualifications of the respondents were 0-14 and majority of the
respondents had primary level (up to class five) of the education.
The annual income of the respondents were from 04 to 58.90 thousand
taka with an average of 29.11, and majority of the beneficiaries (80
percent) belongs to medium to high income group.
Farm size of the respondents ranged from 0.0 to 4.0 ha, the average
being 0.24 ha. Highest proportion of the beneficiaries was under low
farm size (65%) category. More than thirty-five present (35%)
beneficiaries were under medium and high farm size category.
Fifty-two percent respondents received 2 to 5 days training on
various aspects of agriculture, livestock, fisheries and other
income generating activities. The duration of training was 0 to 6
days. Above half of the beneficiaries (58%) received up to 19
thousand taka as credit from PDBF. Credit receiving scores of the
beneficiaries varied from 4 to 25 thousand taka. Beneficiary’s scope
of work scored from 19 to 30, while 45 percent beneficiaries got
medium scope of work. About twenty percent (20%) beneficiaries had
good communicational contact with PDBF personnel and compared to
above, thirty five percent had low and forty five percent had medium
contact and about forty four percent (44%) of the beneficiaries
faced high problem whether thirty one percent (31%) faced moderate
problem and the rest 25% faced problem. Above half (54%) of the
beneficiaries had medium cosmopoliteness compared to above 16
percent under high and 30 percent under low cosmopoliteness category
where as Eighty seven percent (87%) of the beneficiaries had
moderate favourable attitude towards PDBF activities.
Change in living condition towards PDBF activities:
PDBF project has direct impact in improving the living conditions of
the beneficiaries of Dinajpur Sadar upazila under Dinajpur
districts. There are several items considered to measure this type
of change. The highest changes have occurred in respect of goat
rearing (3140%), followed by cow rearing (1131%), use of separate
kitchen (1067%) & poultry rearing (833%). The facilities in case of
all items under the study have increased to a considerable extent
after joining the PDBF project.
Relationships of selected characteristics of beneficiaries with
their change in living condition:
The findings show that lifestyle change towards improving livelihood
status of PDBF beneficiaries had significant positive relationships
with their family income, farm size and training experience. Age,
education, family size, credit received, scope of work, contact with
PDBF personnel, problems, cosmopoliteness and attitude towards PDBF
personnel had not significant correlations with their lifestyle
change after joining with PDBF activities.
Conclusion:
Based on the above findings the following conclusions were drawn
1. PDBF project activities have been in operation in Dinajpur Sadar
Upazila of Dinajpur district in Bangladesh since November 1999. It
aims at improving the living conditions of the landless and marginal
beneficiaries through increased daily income of the poor by reducing
their level of poverty by themselves. The rationale to undertake
this project stems from the fact that the area is one of the poorest
areas of Bangladesh and there is a predominance of functionally
landless and marginal beneficiaries in the area. So, it may be
concluded that by increasing the IGA project of PDBF, the lifestyle
of the people of the corresponding area may be increased.
2. Poor people have very little option to change their lifestyle. In
most cases they are deprived of their own rights and are exploited
in getting proper share and justice. They usually accept all these
exploitations as their bad luck and do not revolt against in-built
social system and social structure. However, among the poorest of
the poor who have relatively high family income try to find
alternative avenues to increase their income. May be due to this
changes of the PDBF beneficiaries of Dinajpur district have a
significant positive relationship with their lifestyle change. Of
course, it is obvious that relatively high farm size and annual
family income and significant training helps an individual (i) to
broaden his or her outlook, (ii) to contact with more individuals
and (iii) to change his/her occupation in order to get desired
benefit. Considering the above facts it may be concluded that any
arrangement made by PDBF authority to increase literacy rate among
the beneficiaries would be helpful to change their occupation with a
view to increase their income as well as to improve their quality of
life.
3. PDBF provides credit for different income generating activities
including small business, cow and goat rearing, poultry rearing,
handicraft making, and establishment of fish pond. Through their
involvement in different income generating activities many PDBF
beneficiaries had been able to increase their income. This is
evident from the findings that two-thirds of the beneficiaries under
study have medium to very high income. Persons having high income
also have higher chances to change their occupation. Perhaps this
led to have significant positive relationship between annual income
of the beneficiaries and their changes in living condition. Above
fact leads to the conclusion that more and more income generating
activities may be incorporated at the PDBF so that beneficiaries can
have more option to increase their income and change lifestyle.
4. There is no substitute of an individual’s training in changing
his occupation for better management of family. The significant
relationship between training of the PDBF beneficiaries with their
change of lifestyle confirms this. This leads to the conclusion that
any attempt made to increase the income of the beneficiaries by the
PDBF authorities would be helpful for the beneficiaries to diversify
their occupation for better life.
5. Lifestyle change of the beneficiaries had significant
relationship with their satisfaction with the project planning and
implementation of project activities. Unless the beneficiaries are
satisfied with project planning and implementation of project
activities, it cannot be expected better performances from them.
Therefore, it is concluded that any arrangement made to make the
beneficiaries satisfied on the participation of identification,
planning and implementation of project activities would act as
change forces among the beneficiaries to work whole-heartedly for
their own welfare and development.
6. The findings reveal that before-after mean differences of 16
selected aspects of changes in living condition of the beneficiaries
were statistically significant. The mean values after joining in the
PDBF project were remarkably higher compared to mean values before
joining in the project. This was possible due to deliberate, planned
and intensive supervision and care of the PDBF staff at the
grass-root level. Considering the above findings it may be concluded
that the role played by the PDBF in changing the living conditions
of the PDBF beneficiaries is praiseworthy and commendable.
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