Employment in public works maintenance programmes is one of the key contributing factors for empowering women. SWAPNO’s graduation approach stands on this cash-for-work policy and other supportive interventions like forced savings, digital payment, training, etc., that facilitates employment creation of ultra-poor rural women through the development and maintenance of local infrastructure. By embedding the most successful features of public works programmes globally with a broader development approach, SWAPNO has designed a new form of Public works programme to achieve the following objectives:
So far, SWAPNO beneficiaries have repaired and maintained 14,567 public works schemes. These schemes were identified by community members along with the Union Council representatives at grassroots (ward) level meetings. These schemes are broadly categorized in three groups: Earthen road maintenance, Field raising and Herringbone Road Maintenance. The project has also facilitated for conducting tree plantation. For example, the project beneficiaries have planted 1500 Basak trees in Kurigram district. They have also adorned 1.5 kilometers of road with bashok trees at Singimari Union at Hatibandha Upazila in Lalmonirhat district. As a result, community people in 223 Unions have benefitted from rural infrastructure development activities. The public asset model applied in SWAPNO achieved efficiency through directly supporting livelihoods of participating households and created pro-poor public goods (assets) that benefitted the larger community and contributed to inclusive economic growth. This yields multiplier benefits that improve the efficiency of the investment.
Through this intervention, every beneficiary has received BDT 150 as daily wage and BDT 50 as mandatory savings which they received after the employment period. They invested this amount in several income-generating activities like cattle farming, small business, vegetable cultivation, poultry rearing, tailoring, etc.
written by- Kashfia Sharmin
