KURIGRAM District in northern Bangladesh is acknowl edged to be one of the poorest in the country. Regular flood damage and river erosion, combined with overpopulation and land fragmentation means the District Is a chronic food deficit area.

This year, a pathbreaking project designed to reverse the cycle of increasing poverty in Kurigram reached its

rural poor are unable to gain access to the credit of these banks. Thirdly, the project links many partners — Governments Department of Agricultural Extension, international agencies such as GTZ and IFAD. Bangladesh Banks and commercial banks. Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and major NGO, Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS).

Bazlur Rahman (photo) is

The project Is intended as a pathbreaking pilot. After a slow start, the clear progress shown . by over 2.000 groups assisted by the projects demonstrates the potential of this novel and multi-Agency approach thro-" tighout the country. Kurigram may lag behind in some areas but leads in - the task of-reversing the marginalisation of the rural poor, and power tiller.

halfway stage. The project is innovative in several respects. Firstly, and unusually for poverty alleviations efforts, it focuses on small farmers (owning up to 2.5 acres) as well as marginal farmers seeking to prevent and reverse their steady slide into poverty.

Second, the project s main purpose Is to link these groups to credit provided by commercial banks. 'Traditionally the

one of 16 members of Katalbari small farmer, west of Kurigram town. Thfc group has been’ operating for three years now. organised by DAE Block Supervisors and trained by RDRS. Their living standards have improved markedly. Bank credit has helped improve matters. The group have succeeded in obtaining three loans so far totalling Tk 170.000 for crops, bullocks

Matching this economic Improvement has been a growth in social awareness. The group members now re alise the value of sending their children to school, and. thanks to an awareness course organised by RDRS. understand better what affects their health, their family and their community The strength of the. group means they can act to change things for the better.