Food Security and Livelihood Development

Food Security and Livelihood Development

A household is considered food secure when it can reliably gain access to food in sufficient quantity and quality for all household members to enjoy a healthy and active life. A variety of factors contribute to the food insecurity experienced by the poor in Bangladesh, including large family size, old age (along with isolation from other family members), female household heads, and the disability of a prime income earner; ill health of a family member; work and wage-related factors have an important impact on food security, particularly seasonal unemployment and labor exploitation in the workplace. Key social, institutional, and environmental factors that contribute to food insecurity include lack of access to common property/resources, exclusion from social security factors, and the financial strain caused by loan repayment. Natural calamities often disrupt markets, causing the poor to lose their sources of income. In addition to damaging assets and resulting in immediate food shortages, such shocks force poor households to dispose of assets in order to secure food. The condition of food insecurity, poverty, vulnerability and unemployment are worse in rural areas. SUS has been trying to change the condition through following programs/projects.

Thematic Objective
To enhance livelihood condition of poor and marginalized people by ensuring food security.

Program/project
Micro Finance (MF) program
SUS started micro-finance (MF) program aims to increase income through creating employment opportunities as well as to raise awareness through meeting and training. District: 3, Upazila: 18, Union: 74 (Including municipality), Village: 498, Group: 1,256 and Member: 14,520.

Strengthening of Marginalized Families to overcome Structural Poverty in Areas with High Rates of Malnutrition (SOMMAN)
SUS has been running STEP-UP project for assisting the ultra poor to take direct prompt initiative against the effect of the high price of products on necessary nutritional demands and reduce extreme poverty and hunger. District: Netrakona and Mymensingh, Upazila: Haluaghat, Dhubaura and Durgapur, Family: 2450.

Community Led Extreme Poor Project (CLEPP)
SUS has been running the project as self-help organization since 2010 and it will continue up to 2015. District: Netrakona, Upazila: Mohongonj and Barhatta, Family: 656

Strengthening capacities of adolescent through handicrafts
SUS has been running handicrafts project since its inception. At present, the skilled producers are producing batik, embroidery, handloom, bamboo & cane products. The products are being sold through SUS own sales center along with order collected from local and foreign markets. Total producer: 50 (Batik: 15, Embroidery: 4, Bamboo and cane: 17, Handloom: 5 and Sewing: 9)

Adolescent Empowerment Project
SUS has been implementing the project with a view to developing adolescents as agents of social transformation. District: 2, Upazila: 2, Union: 10, Village: 16, Adolescent group: 16, Group member: 320, School: 12 (Class: vi, vii and ix), Peer group: 96, Member: 192.