Health Program

As a holistic approach to poverty reduction, ENRICH program looks after the health of its beneficiaries. It supports inclusive primary healthcare services to all Households in the preferred program area. A Health Visitor visits each household at least once a month to collect health related information and data about all its members. All collected information and data are checked by the ENRICH Health Officers (EHO). The records of various health related issues are maintained by the ENRICH officials in a bid to respond to health emergency swiftly and effectively. The ENRICH Health Officers (EHO) arrange satellite clinics every week where MBBS doctors treat patients. Specialized health camps on medicine, diabetes, orthopedic complications, ENT and pediatric problems are also arranged where treatment is given free of cost.

ENRICH Education Program

Lack of proper educational facilities forces many children out of schooling in Bangladesh. The ENRICH program has an effective educational intervention in place that serves as an antidote to the increasing number of dropouts in the mainstream educational system. Every village in the working area has an ‘afternoon education centre’ where primary students hailing from the disadvantaged sections of the society are taught by qualified teachers. Each centre operates with 30 students who belong to the classes up to two. Qualified as well as local teaching stuff in the ENRICH schools facilitate the pace of learning creating a conducive cultural ambience. Slow learners benefit a lot from the educational component of the ENRICH program as it helps students prepare their homework without going to a private tutor.

ENRICH afternoon education program

22 (Twenty-two) afternoon education centers have been functioning at Sahapur Union and each centre is headed by a teacher. Students are taken into the teaching-learning activities with utmost care and devotion in the ENRICH centers. At present, 602 students are receiving academic care at the ENRICH facilities in Sahapur union; the number of girls and boys is 308 and 294 respectively.

Sanitation Program:

Sanitation is closely related to the improvement of public health in a developing country like Bangladesh. Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) has initiated sanitation programs all over the ENRICH Unions to make sure cent percent safe sanitation. As a partner organization, the OSACA is working relentlessly through its ENRICH program to achieve cent percent sanitation coverage in the working area. Sahapur, the union where the ENRICH program is being implemented, is now blessed with a cent percent sanitation coverage. From 2015 to till 400 (four hundred) Family Sanitary latrines (FSL) have been installed in the poverty stricken households of Sahapur Union.

ENRICH Home Component:

The mainstay of Bangladesh’s economy is agriculture. In comparison to its land mass, Bangladesh has a huge population. The ENRICH program has taken the initiative of making the best use of the accessible resources of each family unit through a comprehensive plan. The idea is that a farmer will maximize proper utilization of existing resources in order to enhance sources of income.

An ENRICH home takes into account various aspects of human life such as health, nutrition, sanitation, education, training, income, employment and environment. There should be a sanitary latrine and a tube-well for drinking water in the ENRICH home. Livestock, poultry, and pigeon are also vital to it. Growing medicinal plants and vegetables is a mentionable component of the ENRICH home. Lemons are also cultivated in such an ideal home. Solar systems, biogas plants, eco-friendly cooking stoves and fertilizers like vermi-compost are integrated into the system of an ENRICH home. The ENRICH Program implemented by the OSACA has established 30 ENRICH homes up to June, 2021 at Sahapur Union.

Special Savings Component:

Poverty is a common phenomenon in Bangladesh. A family can lift itself out of poverty through using assets properly. Taking this into consideration, a special savings scheme has been initiated under the ENRICH program to facilitate capital formation in vulnerable households. This scheme is aimed at female-headed households and families with disabled members. ENRICH officials help the beneficiaries open bank accounts with a view to depositing at least BDT 100 per month over a two year period. The amount, which is deposited over two years, is doubled by the PKSF at the time of its maturity before handing it over to the beneficiaries. The doubled amount is then used for expanding an asset (i.e. Income Generating Activities, etc.) through consultation with PKSF and ENRICHES Officials. The creation of such an asset is likely to help the concerned households to move towards a better as well as sustainable socio-economic future.

 Community Development Program:

From the very beginning, OSACA has adopted community-based development activities in its area of operation. A good number of sanitary latrines and shallow tube-wells have been set up in public places such as madrashas, mosques and temples as a part of the ENRICH program’s community development scheme.

 Youth Development Program:

A video based training program has been launched under the ENRICH program in order to increase the employability of the youth. Training aimed at the youth for developing self-realization and leadership is organized by the ENRICH officials on a regular basis. Generally 30 trainees are selected per batch for taking part in two days long training sessions.  At least 390 young persons have received training on giving up committing violence against women, taking dowry, eve-teasing, smoking and coming out of drug addiction through the youth development program up to June, 2021.

 Formation of Ward Committees and ENRICH Center:

ENRICH ward committees are formed and centers are established in a bid to ensure the involvement of local people in accelerating sustainable development process in the working area. The OSACA ENRICH Program has established 9 centers and committees at Sahapur Union so far. The committee is formed with 11 members. The existing ward member of the Union Parishad is the president of this committee as per the PKSF guidelines. The activities of the committee are facilitated by the ENRICH officials. Ward centers serve as a bridge between the program and the society at large. ENRICH afternoon teaching sessions, primary community health services and other social activities keep ward centers busy all the time. Apart from this, Probin ward meeting, and Income Generating Activities (IGA) training are also organized here.

 Special Financial Assistance Component:

There are three types of special loan services in the ENRICH program: Income Generating Activities Loan (IGAL), Livelihood Improvement Loan (LIL), and Asset Creation Loan (ACL) .These three loans play a formative role in gearing up economic development at the ENRICH Union. These three special soft loans are given for generating incomes and increasing the standard of living at the family level. The loans are used for beef fattening, goat and poultry rearing, land purchasing, housing, petty business, small cottage, tube-well installation, farming, fish culture and so on. The amount ranges from BDT 10,000- 10,00000. Livelihood improvement and asset creation loans are sanctioned in the range of BDT 10,000 to 30,000 with a 8% interest rate.  As of June, 2021, BDT 13,92,89,000 was disbursed under these three credit schemes among 920 borrowers. Currently the outstanding loan of the ENRICH program is BDT 2,13,89,773. A lot of families have seen better days utilizing ENRICH special credit services available under the auspicious of the PKSF’s partner organization OSACA in Sahapur union.

 Employment and Income Generation Component:

Participants are trained under the ENRICH program with the purpose of increasing their income generating skills. A good number of people in Sahapur union have been trained for making them fit for being employable. The participants, mostly poor women, are given training on various Income Generating Activities (IGAs) like livestock rearing and farming. 25 beneficiaries participate in every training session. Already specialized training on income generating activities has been received by 475 female beneficiaries.