| 4. In which ways is the initiative creative and innovative?
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The strategy was fixed and implemented considering the socioeconomic condition, climatic condition, nature and habit of common people etc.
a) Series of meetings were arranged with politicians. Local elites, businessmen, peoples representatives Government officials, cultural societies, club members, teachers, journalists and others. The strategy were fixed with their help and it was revised where necessary.
b) In order to give support to the people in ban period UNO with the help of Upazila chairman (People’s representative of Upazila) prepared a list of amounts of running and possible Governments aids and helps.
c) The union chairman (union is a unit comprised of a number of villages) made a list of fishermen & vulnerable peoples.
d) The total Upazila was divided in different zones.
e) Chairman and local influential people gathered the people in a common and popular place. UNO with his Government officers went there and delivered speech to convince them for the initiative. It started four months before the breeding season starts. He made them unified, dedicated and patriotic. The program ran continuously in every night because the poor people work in the day time.
f) The Administration involved the NGOs and other bodies to ensure the program in field level specially among their own beneficiaries.
g) IN social programs, class rooms, mosques everywhere it became an important issue to consult and share.
h) In the same time Co-operatives were formed with around 100 people in each and everybody started saving a day an amount of a cup of tea per day 100 taka a month.
i) Government aids which usually delivered to people regularly were distributed this time to those who are giving something to the nation.
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| 5. Who implemented the initiative and what is the size of the population affected by this initiative?
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The whole population of the Upazila were the stakeholders. The program were designed with about 400 thousands of people including 35 thousands fishermen families of 163 villages at Mohanganj Upazila of Netrokona district of Bangladesh. When planty of fishes reproduced within ban period, the whole nation brought under the service of the attempt. The UNO Kazi Abed Hussain designed and fixed the steps to achieve the goal. The senior Upazila Fisheries Officer contributed in the program. Ultimately civil servants of all departments of the Government, Organizations of home and abroad, NGO’s, school & colleges and private bodies became the part of this nation building work.
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| 6. How was the strategy implemented and what resources were mobilized?
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There was no fund for implementing the initiative. It was just a plan to bring the people on the same platform mentally. To make them interested following attempts were taken.
a) Everybody of the co-operative saved a money of a cup of tea each day and the money was collected in a systemic way and was deposited in a desired bank.
b) They are taking decision to use and invest their money in local resources collectively or in individual business.
c) The profit earned is being used simultaneously for raising the fund.
d) The fishermen were given importance in all Government offices. e.g. land office, social welfare office.
e) They were given importance in services like hospital, school etc.
f) As the fishermen were given priority, the Government regular aids under social safety net program acted like fund. The Government aids include Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF), Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) etc.
g) By observing the initiative for continuous four years Government has allocated 232 Metric Tons of rice as Gratuitous Relief (GR) on the 5th observing year for the fishermen who were not catching fish in breeding time.
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| 7. Who were the stakeholders involved in the design of the initiative and in its implementation?
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The program brought success and hope to the people of locality and to the nation. The major points are outlined below:
a) In the climatic condition of Bangladesh, an indigenous fish gives birth of nearly 300 thousands of brood fishes at a time. Some fishes give birth to maximum three times in a breeding season of four months.
b) It became possible that the production increased at least 4 to 5 times.
In Everyday it was counted at Mohanganj that 50 to 70 tracks or lorries were transporting fish to Dhaka and other parts of the country for 5 months.
c) Different media had telecast that 20 species of extinct fishes returned back to the nature. Other creatures increased in natural harmony as they got standard aquatic environment.
d) As the number and quantity of fishes increased the daily income of near about 35,000 fishermen families increased up to 800-1000 taka from 200-250 taka as the marginal farmers are marginal fishermen in Bangladesh. Thousands of family were becoming self dependent economically.
e) A new concept developed- i) Creation of fund by the beneficiaries own, ii)Interest free micro credit system and iii) invest in local resources sustainably to be self employed.
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| 8. What were the most successful outputs and why was the initiative effective?
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It was a bit important to monitor regularly as the total population was spontaneously maintaining that. There was a body of young generation in each Hoar village. Officers of different departments were engaged to monitor the program forming some individual teams. Chairman’s of different unions also formed body of young generations taking members from some youth clubs to monitor in their locality. local and national news papers and different electronic media evaluated the program by printing and telecasting. A body was formed comprising of officers, Journalists and members of civil society to observe the fish market, transports. A body was formed with officers from Government, non- Government and teachers to observe the spontaneity of the people.
The progress was monitored by taking some steps with the people of the locality. The team was waiting in small ports on the bank of the haors, rivers, The monitored the monitored the mobility and availability of fishes.
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| 9. What were the main obstacles encountered and how were they overcome?
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The problem and solutions were likely as follows:
a) In Haor areas the marginal fishermen are marginal farmers. Many of them live hand to month. So the main obstacle relates with their survival in ban period.
The Administration had to try for the assurance of food and commodities for the poor fishermen during ban period as they had no alternative work to lead their life.
b) The Haor has no boundary. the rivers running through also have the flow in different Upazilas. When the ban proposal was offered, people raised the problem that they are maintaining but people of other Upazilas are catching as the fishes are moving with a freedom. It was a hard reality to make them understand that fishes love to live in undisturbed zone and Mohonganj Upazila became a sanctuary for them.
c) Because of illiteracy some fishermen beleived that some small fishes die within 15-20 days. they had to campaign and show document to face the problem.
d) The journalists were not mentally really to receive at initial stage. The UNO had to show the news and views published in newspapers prior relating to protect indignenous mother and brood fishes.
e) He had to do a hard job of convincing the businessman working in fish market, net makers and civil society. ultimately they understood the benefit of reproduction considering a few days.
f) It was a challenge to convince them to take fish from pond and bay of Bengal in the ban period.
In order to face the problems commonly these attempts were also taken
i) The vulnerable people were given priority in getting government regular help and aids.
ii) Forming Co-operatives and offering loan free from interest to start an alternative sustainable business.
iii) Before dry season the total area was submerged. After ban period the common fishermen were allowed to catch fish in many areas which are leased out.
iv) They were given service with importance in government office e.g. land office, Hospital, School etc.
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