Research Reports (1999): Social Studies, Vol – XXIVhttp://hdl.handle.net/10361/134072024-03-29T15:05:45Z2024-03-29T15:05:45ZFood aid and sustainable livelihoods: BRAC's innovations against hungerSattar, M. GhulamChowdhury, Nusrat SabinaHossain, Md. Altafhttp://hdl.handle.net/10361/134162020-01-07T21:01:22Z1999-07-01T00:00:00ZFood aid and sustainable livelihoods: BRAC's innovations against hunger
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.
1999-07-01T00:00:00ZAn analytical assessment of GPL kit for field level detection of arsenic in waterHossain, Md. Zabedhttp://hdl.handle.net/10361/134152020-01-07T21:01:24Z1999-07-01T00:00:00ZAn analytical assessment of GPL kit for field level detection of arsenic in water
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.
1999-07-01T00:00:00ZChange in health knowledge of Bangladeshi children: five years experienceNath, Samir RanjanChowdhury, A Mushtaque R.http://hdl.handle.net/10361/134142020-01-07T21:01:11Z1999-11-01T00:00:00ZChange in health knowledge of Bangladeshi children: five years experience
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.
1999-11-01T00:00:00ZJomtien, EFA goals and lessons from the ground : the challenge for the Dakar ConferenceChowdhury, A Mushtaque R.Choudhury, Rasheda K.Nath, Samir Ranjanhttp://hdl.handle.net/10361/134132020-01-07T21:01:23Z1999-01-01T00:00:00ZJomtien, EFA goals and lessons from the ground : the challenge for the Dakar Conference
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.
1999-01-01T00:00:00Z