Research Reports (1999): Social Studies, Vol – XXIV

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10361/13407

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Now showing 1 - 9 of 9

Food aid and sustainable livelihoods: BRAC's innovations against hunger
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1999-07) Sattar, M. Ghulam; Chowdhury, Nusrat Sabina; Hossain, Md. Altaf
The study aims to examine the situation of the poor in Bangladesh and analyse the experiences of BRAC in ensuring food security for the extreme poor through its two specially designed programmes: (a) Income Generation for Vulnerable Groups Development (IGVGD), and (b) Agroforestry. The programmes are the outcome of an urgent search for innovations against hunger. Both the programmes stemmed from food-aid initiatives. Both the programmes stemmed from food-aid initiatives and are targeted to vulnerable women. The fmdings are based on the perceptions of the programme participants who are members of organised groups of food insecure women, and other stakeholders of the food-aid programmes, i.e. elected chairmen of Union Parishad, officials of related government departments, and local representatives of international development partners. Programme records and reports of some empirical studies related to IGVGDP were also consulted. Focus group discussion (FGD) was used as a method of capturing the perceptions of the women participating in the two programmes. 97 women of IGVGD programme and 30 women members associated with the Agroforestry took part in different FGD sessions. Information from others were gathered through in-depth interviews.
An analytical assessment of GPL kit for field level detection of arsenic in water
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1999-07) Hossain, Md. Zabed
An attempt was taken to evaluate the suitability of GPL kit for field level detection of arsenic in water. The sources of variation in results of tests for arsenic determined by GPL kit seemed to be use of different sets of apparatus, reagents and person to person handling of the apparatus. Variation in results of tests due to use of different sets of the GPL kit was more prominent (Standard deviation 76.524) than that of the reagents used and person to person handling (Standard deviation 40). Among the three sources of variation person to person handling of the kits bad the least effect on the test results. Results given by GPL and NIPSOM kits did not differ qualitatively although differed quantitatively.
Change in health knowledge of Bangladeshi children: five years experience
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1999-11) Nath, Samir Ranjan; Chowdhury, A Mushtaque R.
This article explores the improvement in the level of health knowledge of Bangladeshi children over a five year period 1993-1998. Data were generated from two nationally representative sample surveys covering respectively 2,520 and 3,360 children aged 11-12 years. Six health knowledge items, relevant to life in Bangladesh, were considered. Analyses revealed a significant improvement in the knowledge over the period. However, significant socio-economic variations also persisted in the performance. Rural children improved much faster compared to their urban counterparts. In both the surveys, children's performance varied significantly by items. To equip children with necessary health knowledge this study suggested strengthening health education at primary level in Bangladesh.
Jomtien, EFA goals and lessons from the ground : the challenge for the Dakar Conference
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1999) Chowdhury, A Mushtaque R.; Choudhury, Rasheda K.; Nath, Samir Ranjan
It is now almost ten years since the last World Conference on Education for All (WCEFA), held in Jomtien, Thailand, had called for ensuring basic education to at least 80% of the children. This paper, with latest field level data, argues that the dream of 'education for all' (EFA) has still remains a distant dream for an impoverished country like Bangladesh. There are, of course, hopes. The enrollment has increased (particularly for girls), the completion rate has risen, and the poor and less educated parents are sending their daughters in larger numbers to school than before. But the progress in terms of net enrollment has been rather slow and the children are not learning much in school. With a net enrollment of 73%, 70% completing the primary cycle, and 57% of those completing grade 5 achieving' basic education', not even 30% are receiving any meaningful education. The analysis shows that the rate of progress in terms of achieving a minimum level of basic education has been slow-- less than one percentage point per year. The Bangladesh picture has great implications for the countries meeting for the next decennial WCEFA in Dakar, Senegal. The challenge for the world is how to achieve EFA at the shortest possible time. In this, investment in education in general and its distribution, pluralism in delivery system, appropriate curriculum, positive discrimination in favor of disadvantaged groups, and a supportive supervision and monitoring system will be important ingredients.
Protest of pro-Islamists against NGO operations: a study of Brahmanbaria in Bangladesh
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1999) Aziz, K M A
Taking research to non-researchers: the case of a research compendium of BRAC
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1999-11) Ahmed, Hasan Shareef; Ullah, AKM Ahsan; Chowdhury, AMR
The study assessed the readership of Nirjash, a vernacular research compendium of BRAC. Since its inception in 1995, five issues have been produced. In 1998 we conducted a readership survey on its usefulness, accessibility, awareness, and readability. Data were collected from 1,698 field staff of 103 BRAC area offices in 18 districts. Of the respondents, 497 were interviewed directly with a questionnaire, but for the rests (1,201) it was self-administered. Findings revealed that 45% of the respondents were aware of Nirjash, and of them 79% had read it. Field managers were more aware of Nirjash (87%) than their junior colleagues (40%) . Among those who have read it, 48% found it easy to read, 7% found it difficult, and 93% reported that they benefited from reading Nirjash. Only four respondents did not like Nirjash at all. Over the first three years, readership increased by 26%. No field office had collection of all the issues of Nirjash reflecting problem in distribution system.
Effectiveness of field methods for detecting Arsenic between 0 and 100 ppb in Bangladesh ground water
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1999-11) Nickson, Ross T.; Hossain, Md. Zabed; Jakariya, Md.; Khandakar, Nadim; Chowdhury, AMR
Interim report community based arsenic mitigation program: successes and constraints June - October 1999
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1999) Jakariya, Md.; Haque, Salma R.; Hossain, Md. Zabed; Nickson, Ross T.; Chowdhury, AMR
The severity of the problem of arsenic in ground water in Bangladesh is now well recognized. 97% of the population relies on ground water for drinking and cooking purposes and it is estimated that one third of the country may arsenic in the subsurface. This amount to many millions of people potentially at risk. The source of the arsenic is geological and due to the sedimentary processes which lead to accumulation of arsenic and release to groundwater the level found in tubewell water are spatially variable-one wen may be highly contaminated whereas nearby another is not The severity of arsenic poising. or arsenicosis, also varies dependent on the length of exposure, the level of arsenic being ingested and the socio-economic status of the individual concern. BRAC, a non-governmental organisation, in conjunction with DPHE/UNICEF have begun efforts to assess and mitigate the arsenic problem in two thanas of Bangladesh - Sonargaon and Jhikorgacha. Testing has SO far been carried out in two unions- Boiderbazar union of Sonargaon Thana and Godkhali union of Jhikorgacha Thana - 61% and 35% of these wells respectively were contaminated with arsenic above the Bangladesh standard of 0.05 mL Installation and assessment of safe water options has begun. The options being advocated are: treatment of ground water with home based candle filters, treatment of surface water with Pond Sand Filter (PSF) : connection of Rain Water Harvesters (RWH) and use of shallow groundwater through Dug wells. These options are being assessed on several criteria: initial and running costs; ease of implementation and maintenance; continuity of supply; susceptibility of bacteriological contamination and acceptability to the community. All of these options haw their limitations and none are as easy as obtaining tubewell water directly, however, at present home based filter are proving most popular due to low cost, ease of use and acceptability. Continued manufacturing quality of these home based filter must be ensured and the lifetime of the candle assessed.
BRAC/DPHE/UNICEF collaboration on community-based Arsenic response
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1999) Jakariya, Md.; Haque, Salma R.; Nickson, Ross T.; Hossain, Md. Zabed; Chowdhury, AMR
The severity of the problem of arsenic in ground water in Bangladesh is now well recognized. 97% of the population relics on ground water for drinking and cooking purposes and it is estimated that half of the country may have arsenic in the subsurface. The source of the arsenic is geological and due to the sedimentary processes which lead to accumulation of arsenic and release to groundwater the level found in tubewell water are spatially variable-one well may be highly contaminated whereas nearby another is not The severity of arsenic poising, or arsenicosis, also varies dependent on the length of exposure, the level of arsenic being ingested and the socio-economic (or nutritional) status of the individual concern. BRAC, a non-governmental organisation, in conjunction with DPHE and UNICEF have begun efforts to assess and mitigate the arsenic problem in two thanas of Bangladesh - Sonargaon and Jhikorgacha. Testing has so far been carried out in one union, Boiderbazar union of Sonargaon Thana. 61 % wells of this union were contaminated with arsenic above the Bangladesb standard of 0.05 mgIl. Instantiation and assessment of safe water options has begun. The options being advocated are: treatment of ground water with home based candle filters, treatment of surface water with Pond Sand Filter (PSF), Rain Water Harvesting (RWH). These options are being assessed on several criteria: initial and operating costs; ease of implementation, operation and maintenance; continuity of supply; susceptibility of bacteriological contamination and acceptability to the community. AD of these options have their limitations and none are as easy as obtaining tubewell water directly, however, at present home based filter are proving most popular due to low cost, ease of use and acceptability. Continued manufacturing quality of these home based filter must be ensured and the lifetime of the candle assessed.

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