A NGO programme to tackle Monga

(Monga = Seasonal Poverty)

Background

Monga, a famine like situation is a local term used to indicate acute deprivation caused due to the erosion of purchasing power from lack of gainful employment opportunities. A major recurring crisis each year strikes the rural poor in Northern part of Bangladesh, especially greater Rangpur – Dinajpur districts. Twice each year (in the month of September to November and April to May), they regularly suffer severe seasonal hardship, when household food availability and farm employment dries up. The March – April lean season also brings hardship but this is less severe or lengthy due to recent crop diversification helping in the northern region, where a number of crops like maize, potato, winter vegetables, wheat etc. now cultivating by the farmers of which, poor farm families are some how relieved from Chaitra – Baisakh (Mid March to Mid May) lean period.

Now, the most serious lean season occurs in September – November (Ashwin – Kartik) each year, when many are affected by Monga. By the time, the Monga period arrives, the food stocks of the poor people have been heavily depleted, while opportunities for farm laboring work have dried up before the next peak, which is the main rice harvest in December.

Division wise poverty indication

Division	1991-92	2000
All Division (Average)	58.8	49.8
Rajshahi Division	71.9	60.0
Chittagong Division	46.6	47.7
Khulna Division	59.6	47.0
Dhaka Division	59.3	44.8

Source: NSP, 2001

Hence, the rural poor living in Monga affected areas can pass weeks and even months with very little work and therefore income. These families may have to survive an extended period without proper meals and sometimes with no food at all.

Causes of Monga

A number of different studies have been conducted by a number of different organizations including A NGO in order to assess the reasons for the dire distress experienced during last couple of years. Following factors have been identified those are responsible for the severity of the hardship of Monga in last 2-3 years.

1. Joblessness:

Monga is seasonal scarcity of employment and hence incomes leading to lack of access to food amongst mainly day labourer and rural hard-core poor families. The root of this food insecurity lies in the lack of employment opportunities for the rural wage labourers during a particular period of time, September to November. The immediate impact of Monga is increased unemployment rates, and consequently reduced family incomes, food security and nutrition levels.

Normally in Northern Bangladesh, almost hundred percent of farmers are cultivating amon rice crop. Most of the farmers are cultivating long duration variety (150-170 days) of amon rice like BR 11, Shwarna where they prepare the seed bed and sow the seeds in the month of June and transplanting the rice seedlings in their main field and then intercultural operations, top-dressing, etc. during July and August. After that, there is little farming field operations required from September to November in rice field and this is the main causes of Monga.

As most of the farmers (sometimes it is 100%) are cultivating amon rice as well as more than 70% of the day labourers and hard core poor households are fully dependent on rice field, so there has no other way to become them joblessness in September to November.

Table: Existing 6 different cropping patterns are practicing in

Northern Bangladesh

Sl. No.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Boro

Amon

Tobacco

Amon

Maize

Amon

Potato

Maize

Amon

Wheat

Amon

Potato

/W. Veg

Jute

Amon

Above 6 cropping patterns are very much practicing in Northern Bangladesh. It is our observations that farmers are now following diversified crops in boro season, but without ignoring amon rice crop. They are cultivating other crops including boro rice (irrigated rice in the same season but no compromise about their amon rice. This causes joblessness in agricultural field in the month of September, October and November.

Year	Average daily wages in Bangladesh	Average daily wage in Rangpur	Highest daily wages in Bangladesh	Difference between Avr. of Bd. & Rangpur
June 1997	51.5	36	76	-15.5
June 1998	57	41	80	-16
June 1999	60	46	83	-14
June 2000	64	45	88	-19
June 2001	66	46	90	-20
June 2002	69	46	100	-23
2003	76	53	107	-23

2. Lack of employment opportunity in non-agricultural sector:

In northern Bangladesh, most of the rural poor households are depending on agricultural sectorl as day labourer. Around 71% of rural poor household in northern Bangladesh are depending on agricultural field as day labourer as compare with average 52% are dependent on agricultural field in other part of Bangladesh.

In northern Bangladesh, industrialization is still neglected. None of any government agencies, or any private sectors comes up to establish any big industries or enterprises in this area of which, people of this area are bound to dependent on agricultural sector.

Table: Comparison study of percentage of Households in Distress of different areas.

Divisions	% of Households in distress: (one 1 meal day for 1-3 days a week in October	% of households in Extreme District (One 1 meal a day for 4-7 days a week in October
Chittagong	6	x
Khulna	1	x
Dhaka	3	x
Rajshahi	18	13
Affected Districts
Greater Rangpur	25	26
Greater Dinajpur	11	x
Greater Bogra	28	x
Greater Rajshahi	12	2
Greater Jamalpur	12	x

Source: Hossain Zillur Rahman, “Mora Kartik: Seasonal Deficits vulnerability of the Rural poor.”

3. Lack of soft loan is NGO culture

A significant number of national and local NGOs are working in northern part of Bangladesh. Most of these NGOs having very limited activities on Monga mitigation and just have only activities to support relief during Monga.

In order to survive monga affected hard core poor people special micro credit program in terms of soft loan is inadequate. Most of the NGOs are very much afraid to provide any loan to the hard core poor during Monga.

4. Inadequate research on Monga mitigation at National and local level.

Monga is now a one of the most important burning issue for the nation. Now of any organization either government or private has given much more attention in this area to eliminate this burning issue. No research programme particularly on Monga mitigation has been conducting at regional or national level, resulted no suitable technology has been innovated or released from national level to overcome Monga particularly.

5. Lack of proper and adequate linkages of GO/NGO sectors

A hundred members of government, NGOs and private sectors are working in the northern region, where a significant number of organizations having Monga mitigation programme individually. No coordination and linkages are available among the such organizations, resulted overlapping at beneficiaries level, maximize the overhead and follow-up costs and non-sustaining the programme. Hence, Monga keeping himself herself still alive, and waiting to come in next season.

A NGO STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN FOR 2006

TO OVERCOME MONGA IN NORTHWEST BANGLADESH

A. Background: Monga

A major recurring crisis each year strikes the rural poor in Northwest Bangladesh, especially greater Rangpur Dinajpur District. Twice each year, they regularly suffer severe seasonal hardship when household food availability and farm employment dries up.

The most serious lean season occurs in September–November each year when many are affected by Monga (a famine-like situation). By the time the Monga period arrives, the food stocks of the poor people have been heavily depleted while opportunities for farm labouring work have dried up before the next peak which is the main rice harvest in December. The March-April lean season also brings hardship but this is less severe or lengthy. The rural poor living in Monga-affected areas can pass weeks and even month with very little work and therefore income. These families may have to survive an extended period without proper meals and sometimes with no food at all.

To address this major problem, various actors including Government, NGOs, other social organizations and individuals often take worthwhile charity initiatives to support Monga-affected people with relief food and cash distribution to help alleviate their immediate suffering. However, the focus of these efforts has generally been to assist their survival and immediate recovery. Despite growing concern and media coverage of Monga, few sustainable solutions to the problem have been advanced let alone implemented.

A NGO Bangladesh, a large and respected NGO working in northwest Bangladesh since 1972 has, in previous decades, been engaged in major seasonal employment-creation programmes to provide earning for this vulnerable group – for instance, major earthwork schemes, road construction, flood shelter development. However funding for these labour-intensive schemes and thus assistance to affected families has not been available for the past decade.

A NGO has however continued to work to promote other ways to reduce the intensity of Monga, primarily by promoting a livelihoods approach which may enable poor families more sustainable solutions

B. Programme Approach

The main approach for introducing livelihood initiatives is through the model of Farmer Field Schools in most interventions, which A NGO has promoted for several years:

§ This programme will be implemented through group based development and extension to improve the livelihoods of poor households.

§ Each group will be established as a Farmer Field School (FFS) and each FFS meets twice per month in their village for around 2-3 hours in order and share and discuss their livelihood development. They identify their existing problems and also identify their own resources in order to select the most suitable income generating activities based on their available resources.

§ Based on the prioritized needs-opportunities identified, programme participants then receive practical training and soft credit on selected income-generating activities.

§ A Farmer promoter in each FFS monitors progress and facilitates the development programmers, guided by A NGO staff.

C. A NGO Special Programme Activities to minimize the impact of Monga in 2006

1. Implementation of direct seeding technology for rice cultivation using a `drum seeder’ to harvest rice in early October instead of December.

Normally in northern Bangladesh, farmers harvest their transplanted amon rice crop in the month of December, following planting in June/July. Consequently, there is little farming field operations required from late September to November in rice field, and this is the main cause of Monga.

Based on experience from a research project conducted by A NGO & BRRI(Bangladesh Rice Research Institutes) over the past two years located at the A NGO Rangpur campus as well as in farmers’ fields, a major breakthrough has been achieved. Results of these trials indicate clearly that it is now possible to cultivate one rice variety (namely BRRI Dhan 33) in late June or early July through the use of direct seeding technology, which also enables the harvesting of that crop to take place between 96-100 days of seeding. Using other rice varieties and customary methods usually means the time required between planting and harvesting is much longer. Using this new approach, farmers can now harvest rice in early October instead of December. This provides for food supply as well as employment at a time when none is available. Early harvesting allows farmers to cultivate winter (rabi) season crops such as potato, wheat, winter vegetables, mustard, immediately (that is, in November) which ensure a high yield and also a good market price.

As the next stage in the expansion of this component, A NGO plans to implement this technology covering 10,000 acres of land involving thirty thousand farmers. The total implementation cost required is estimated at Taka 1.5 core. (Tk 1,50,00000).

2. Integrated Homestead Farming Technology:

Particularly for marginal and landless, intensive year-round use of their very small plots needs to be maximized to ensure this asset is full and sustainably managed to support the family’s livelihood and especially to yield at time of economic hardship such as Monga. A NGO has pioneered (and received international awards) for its integrated homestead farming approach over the past decade, which is now proven technology. This IHF technology is a very useful technology for poor households having no cultivable land but only their immediate homestead.

In this model, low-cost improved technologies have been adapted to suit the small farm units of the landless or small farmers with a homestead, home-yard and/ or ditch. Crops appropriate to the local climate and soil conditions and able to provide the minerals and nutrients necessary for good health are promoted. What the family does not eat, they will sell and so receive a small but regular income from the land throughout the year.

To address Monga, A NGO plans to promote a model among vulnerable households that comprises seven components aimed at ensuring year-round income (and supplementary food supply) and building assets. All family members especially women can intensify their homestead production using this approach. In 2006, A NGO will promote this approach among 300 women-headed households, on the basis of recovering the capital cost from those households within two years. The components and costs involved are as follows:

Sl No.	Components	Amount (Tk.)
1	One cow/ 4 goat/ 4 sheep	5,000
2	10 poultry birds	1,000
3	One 10’X12’ pond	2,000
4	Home gardening	1,000
5	Small business (rice husking)	1,000
	Total (for one homestead)	10,000

3. Fish culture in Rice Fields

Farmers cultivate amon rice from June–July in medium high and medium low land. It is possible to incorporate a fish culture programme on the same plots of land at the same time in order to generate extra yield, and profit, from the same plot of land during the Monga period (October-November). Farmers can earn an additional Tk 500/- per bigha (30 decimal of land) through using fish culture in rice fields. It is possible for them to earn Taka 2,000/- over 3-4 months especially the lean season, as extra income.

In 2006, A NGO will establish 100 demonstration plots in Monga-affected areas, where farmers will cultivate fish in amon rice fields. For this purpose, A NGO will utilize Tk 50,000/- for training and input supply in order to establish the programme effectively.

4. Rice seed production and marketing

A NGO has taken initiatives to produce a short-duration variety of rice seed such as BRRI Dhan33. A NGO will select 300 poor households possessing fields suitable for rice production to grow early variety rice seed. Through this programme, farmers will receive training on early variety rice seed production as well as inputs to produce seed. A NGO will purchase these seeds in the Monga period.

For this component, A NGO will allocate Taka 3 lakh for training and input support.

5. Rice seed, potato seed and wheat seed distribution

A NGO will provide seeds to 3,000 poor farmers to permit them to cultivate rabi crops at the appropriate time. Each farmer will receive sufficient for 30 decimals of land. The price of seeds will be recovered after harvesting of their crops. A NGO also extend its support to producers for marketing the products through an agreement with several private companies. A NGO also provide technical information and guidance to the farmers to ensure quality production.

A NGO will allocate Taka 15 lakhs for this component in recoverable funds to the 3,000 poor households.

6. Goat Rearing

A NGO plans to promote goat rearing through selecting 100 women headed poor households and provide training and provide 2 goats for each selected household. A NGO plans a total of Taka 2.5 lakhs to implement this component.

7. Stock Business by Federation/ Group members

A NGO has promoted the emergence and developed the capacity of local community-based organisations of the rural poor, known as Union Federations. There are 260 Federations active in A NGO working area (across 6 Districts), of which 86 Federations possess reasonable quality grainstores (which A NGO has developed). A NGO will encourage Federations to utilize these facilities to purchase and store food grain in the peak period for sale in the market in the lean period, when prices are higher.

A NGO will provide credit at low interest to enable Federations to purchase food grains and provide technology to keep ensure this is well-stored to ensure better selling prices.

8. Provide training and soft credit for demand-led income generating activities

Using PKSF support, A NGO will provide demand-led practical training and soft loans (9% interest rate) to 20,000 poor households to enable them to establish and run micro-enterprises and thereby enhance their income in ways which be sustainable. A NGO will spend Taka 7 core to implement this programme.

9. Mat Preparation and marketing:

Using local raw materials, simple mats are a popular traditional product of Rangpur and commands a good market both locally and nationally. Poor women households in Monga-affected areas can acquire the modest skills necessary to engage in mat-making. A NGO has already developed same women mat produce groups and experienced good result in local employment through out the year. Their skills can be developed through a 2-months practical training programme conducted closer to their homes (using local community/Federation centres). Taka 50 will be paid per day to each trainees with in the training period. After end of this training, A NGO will provide raw materials to each participant to produce mats at home, and to facilitate their marketing.

In this connection, 330 women beneficiaries will be selected from 6 Upazilas of Monga-affected areas under this programme. A NGO will utilize Taka 2.8 lakhs for this purpose accordingly.

10. Health services to pregnant mothers

The effects of Monga at family level can be damaging to expectant mothers, and unborn and very young children. To address these concerns A NGO will provide a full package of ante-natal services to 100,000 pregnant mothers through its 266 ant-natal clinics across 6 northwestern Districts. This service included supply necessary medicines - iron-folate tablets, vitamin-B complex tablets and calcium lactate to each mother free of cost. A NGO is allocating Taka 30 lakh to implement this component.

11. Motivation programme to establish and utilize sanitary latrines at household level

A NGO will organize a campaign to motivate 5,000 households to establish and utilize sanitary latrines at household level. They will also receive training on handmade ORS (saline) preparation, which they can prepare at home.

12. Other initiatives including emergency response, labour-intensive community work

As in previous years, A NGO is also ready to extend its support on an emergency basis when any disaster strikes, mobilizing relief and rehabilitation support as necessary. Since A NGO continues an active disaster-preparedness programme it works with community structures to assess needs, identify the most vulnerable and distribute support.

If any resources become available, A NGO will also seek to launch labour-intensive earthwork programmes providing dally casual work to vulnerable households and communities in the worst Monga-affected areas. A NGO has vast experience in developing fishponds, flood shelters raised grounds fro schools, mosques, clinics and roads.

Programme to tackle Monga: Seasonal Poverty

Division wise poverty indication

Causes of Monga

Divisions