Acronyms

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

ISDCM has been implementing Community Development project in 8 Upazilas with its 8 Branch Offices. The project covers wide range of activities like i) development of Organizations for the rural poor women ii) income generation activities through micro-finance activities iii) accumulation of thrift deposits iv) build up awareness on education, health nutrition, water sanitation child rights vi) leadership development of poor women.

Micro-Credit Operation

The objective of the micro-finance activities was to empower the poor women through creation of social awareness and development of their own organization for poverty reduction.

1. The awareness creation meetings in the Micro-credit Operation

The Weekly meeting is an important activity of the project and it has been institutionalized. The Meetings are being held group wise. This is an essential part for growth of any such Organization. The meetings are held regularly. Each Field Worker has been given responsibility to work with 18-20 groups. The groups regularly maintained minutes of the meetings. This is mandatory for the members to attend in the meeting regularly. The issues discussed in the meetings to disseminate the information’s to the members how to manage the micro-credit operation in a systematic manner and diligently which are as follows:

• Group Savings;
• Credit requirements;
• Repayment of credit;
• Attendance in group meetings;
• Income-generation activities;
• Health: EPI, Nutritional Blindness Prevention(NBP); diarrhea Diseases, Maternal and Mortality of pregnant mothers; Family Planning and Safe-Motherhood etc.;
• Nutrition: Vegetables like all-star, cache shack, Misty kumara and other seasonal vegetables, prefer small and low cost fish in the daily life;
• Education: Enroll 6+ age group children in the primary school and send them regularly;
• Water and Sanitation: Drink safe water, use tube-well water for drinking washing and all other purposes, use hygienic latrines, wash hands with soap or ashes before eating and after defecation etc.;
• Protect Child Rights: Prevent worst form of child Labor, Child trafficking
  

Table-6
Accumulation of savings of group members
January – December 2008

Sl. no	Name of Branch	Opening Balance	Savings: 2007	Withdrawal & return	Closing Balance
					Member	Amount
1	Natore Sadar	133,219	1,037,091	579,575	1117	995,950
2	Singra	17,322	1,721,429	1,505,750	1267	1,613,687
3	Kaliganj	247,400	1,034,324	985,850	1151	963,645
4	Tamaltala	271,096	1,005,618	1,016,520	1294	953,503
5	Bonpara	91,768	290,040	80,050	506	274,535
6	Atrai	-	86,541	600	265	85,941
7	Dhamrai	361,104	268,083	203,632	489	425,555
8	Manikganj	461,759	495,441	336,395	657	620,805

2. Group Savings

Under the poor economic condition of rural poor women, savings is very difficult for them. In spite of that ISDCM has played an important role and encourage the members to grow habit of savings. ISDCM made it mandatory that savings is pre-requisite for membership of the organization. The uniqueness of group savings is that members can withdraw their savings deposit on demand. There is a provision of withdrawal of savings. The group members receive dividends annually out of their income. The members deposited the savings weekly to their credit in the organizations account. The amount of savings varies from Tk.10-20. For each member a pass book is being given to maintain record of the saving account. In all the Branches the number of members has largely increased over the last year.

Table-7
Loan Disbursement and Recovery status
January – December 2008

Sl. no	Name of Branch	Opening Balance	Amount of loan disbursed with service charge	Loan Outstanding	Up to date rate of realization
1	Natore Sadar	1156	6,324,750	5,116,647	91%
2	Singra	1301	12,403,125	6,423,383	95%
3	Kaliganj	1112	10,267,875	5,473,150	97%
4	Tamaltala	1364	7,975,125	5,237,990	96%
5	Bonpara	164	3,795,750	2,276,600	100%
6	Atrai	22	1,859,625	1,392,025	100%
7	Dhamrai	333	3,736,125	2,023,650	97%
8	Manikganj	528	3,322,425	2,127,404	97%

3. Important trade and business

Some of the trades are mentioned below through which members utilized the loan:

• Fishing;
• Cattle farming;
• Goat raising;
• Rice husking;
• Jute chord;
• Rickshaw Pulling and Van;
• Vegetables sale
• Tailoring;
• Bamboo Château;
• Handicrafts;
• Shop Keeping;
• Arotdari;(Stock business)
• Duck feather collection and sale;
• Poultry
• Garments and cloth Ferry;
• Paddy cultivation;
• Achar;
• Dry cell battery winding etc;
• Engine boat etc;
• Sanitation activities

Table-8
Group Meetings
January – December 2008

Sl. no	Name of Branch	No of Groups	No. Of Members	Weekly group meeting targetes	Achievement	Up to date rate of realization
1	Natore Sadar	63	1129	756	756	100%
2	Singra	71	1299	852	852	100%
3	Kaliganj	48	1177	576	576	100%
4	Tamaltala	68	1323	816	816	100%
5	Bonpara	31	514	372	372	100%
6	Atrai	18	265	216	216	100%
7	Dhamrai	34	714	408	408	100%
8	Manikganj	31	651	372	372	100%