Emergency Support Grant to

Dalit Communities for Covid-19

Presented by: Zakir Hossain, Chief Executive, Nagorik Uddyog (Citizen’s Initiative)
Background:
• Nagorik Uddyog (NU) was established in 1995 by a group of renowned Bangladeshi
human rights activists and academics
• NU aims at promoting good governance, access to justice and institutionalization
of democracy at the local and national level.
• NU has expertise on the implementation of the programs on access to justice
through democratization of community mediation, legal education, referring cases
to village court, strengthening arbitration council at the union level and providing
legal aid at the court level.
• Traditionally, NU has been working across the country with a specific focus on
rights of marginalized people especially access to justice of the rural communities,
Dalit rights, rights of the informal sector workers, right to information and human
rights advocacy.
Nagorik Uddyog during Emergencies:
• Nagorik Uddyog has been working on climate change, awareness raising
regarding environmental changes and various disasters.
• NU has been effectively participated in disaster risk management through
conducting relief and rehabilitation activities among the victims of natural
calamities like floods, cyclones, cold wave etc.
• During 2004 and 2006, NU has distributed winter clothing to vulnerable people
during the cold wave in the northern parts of the country.
• In 2007, NU has conducted relief and rehabilitation activities in the southern
districts of the country for the people affected by the devastating cyclone Sidr.
• In 2008 and 2020, NU has distributed relief among the people affected by
cyclone Aila and cyclone Ampan.
COVID-19 in Bangladesh:
• The first case of COVID-19 patient was detected in Bangladesh on March 8, 2020.
• According to the Directorate General of Health Services of Government of
Bangladesh, in two months more than a thousand people in Bangladesh became
infected with the virus, 173 died and the rate was increasing in alarming rate.
• In Bangladesh, from 3 January 2020 to 8 June 2022, there have been 1,953,754
confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 29,131 deaths.
• According to the World Health Organization, densely populated areas are at
greater risk for coronavirus infection.
• Due to the high population density in the Dalit colonies of Dhaka city-the capital
city of the country, the infection rate was higher in Dhaka than in other cities of
Bangladesh.
Nagorik Uddyog’s COVID-19 Response:
• Nagorik Uddyog has stood by the victims of COVID-19 since the very beginning of the
outbreak.
• According to reports, Dalits live in 17 colonies in Dhaka city and in 10 colonies of
Narayanganj city.
• Among them, only 40% work as cleaners in city corporations so they have regular
income.
• The remaining 60% are working in informal sectors including supermarkets, shopping
malls, cobblers on daily wage basis.
• Around 1,651 people lost their jobs due to the movement restrictions and general
holidays.
• About 7,350 people (2,123 males, 2,267 females and 2,960 children) of the Dalit
population in Dhaka city are vulnerable due to lack of food and health care.
Continued…
• Nagorik Uddyog, supported by Foundation for Just Society (FJS) had
undertaken a project dedicated to COVID-19 response.
• Project title: Emergency Support Grant to Dalit Communities for Covid-
19
• Project duration: July 2021-June 2022
• Implemented by: Nagorik Uddyog and Dalit Women's Forum
• Supported by: Foundation for Just Society
• Under this project NU identified families living in 15 colonies of Dhaka
North and South City-Corporation and 10 colonies of Narayanganj City-
Corporation and provided emergency aid to them.
Major Components of the Project:
• Distribution of Food and Health Safety Materials
• Orientation of Volunteers on COVID-19
• Awareness Raising Campaigns on COVID-19
• Installation of Water Filters And Water Tanks
• Distribution of Leaflets and Posters
Direct Beneficiaries of the Project:
SL Activities Number of Beneficiaries Number of Beneficiaries
No. (Family) (Person)
1. Emergency food aid 1300 families 5450 people
2. Distribution of hygiene materials 1300 families 5450 people
3. Distribution of awareness rasising leaflets and - 22000 copies (2000 +
posters 20000)
4. Awareness Meeting - 1980 people
5. Hygiene practice (water purifier and water tank) 100 households 450 people
Total 2700 families 35330 people
Distribution of Food and Health Safety Materials:

• NU distributed emergency food aid among 1300 families of 28 dalit

colonies of Dhaka and Narayanganj.
• Before distribution, NU had prepared a list of the recipients based on
their job loss, employment opportunities, poverty etc.

Number of beneficiaries in the chart

Food and Health Safety Materials Distribution in Dalit Colonies
Orientation of Volunteers on COVID-19:

• On March 7, 2022, an orientation on COVID-19 was held at the Nagorik

Uddyog Conference Hall under this project.
• The orientation was attended by 20 people including community mobilizers,
DHRD and NU employees.
• The orientation covered topics related to global pandemics, infectious
diseases, how it spreads and control measures. Especially, what is
coronavirus, symptoms of infection, safety and precaution also how to take
care of the infected patients.
• The purpose of the orientation meeting was to enable the volunteers with
the capacity of awareness raising among the residents of the colonies
through regular visits.
Awareness Raising Campaigns on COVID-
19:
• One of the major components of this project was conducting
awareness raising campaigns on COVID-19 at dalit colonies.
• 90 awareness raisings sessions were conducted in different dalit
colonies of Dhaka and Narayanganj City Corporations.
• In these sessions the importance of maintaining social distance, hand
sanitization, wearing masks and other Covid safety instructions were
discussed.
• 22 participants were present in each session.
Awareness Raising Sessions were Conducted in Dalit Colonies with Community People
Installation of Water Filters And Water Tanks:
• Another breakthrough of this project was to provide clean water to
the Dalit colonies.
• Most of the Dalit colonies have the scarcity of clean drinking water
and suffer from waterborne illness which became acute during the
outbreak of COVID-19.
• Based on the needs assessment in dalit communities living in 20
colonies water purifiers were installed in 17 colonies and water tanks
were installed in other 3 colonies.
• MoUs were signed with the dalit community leaders of each colonies
regarding the maintenance and supply of water.
Installation of Water Purifiers in Dalit Colonies
Distribution of Leaflets and Posters:

• To raise awareness about COVID-19 among dalit communities, 2000

posters and 20,000 leaflets were printed under this project.
• Leaflets were distributed in the colonies by NU staffs and volunteers.
• Posters have been put up at the important public spaces of the
colonies.
Leaflets on practices to prevent COVID-19 and health safety guidelines
Achievements of the project:
• There were large number of participation from Dalit women’s in the awareness
meetings;
• Due to proper management of the distribution of the relief materials there were
undisrupted delivery system;
• Community people voluntarily engaged in the project activities;
• As the size of the relief package was substantial, the local representatives and
beneficiaries were satisfied.
• The beneficiaries had easy access to the relief materials as the distribution places
were inside the colonies;
• The local dalit community leaders wholeheartedly supported the project activities;
• The locally elected representatives applauded the project activities.
Challenges of the Project:
• Due to the limited budget allocation, it was not possible to provide assistance to all
the people of Dalit colonies.
• To comply with the procurement process of purchasing relief materials was another
challenge. As the local suppliers did not have the capacity to supply adequate
quantities of goods it took time to find the suitable supplier.
• In a few places local representatives (ward councilors) were not supportive.
• In some colonies there were internal clashes among the community leaders which
hampered our activities;
• It was difficult to maintain social distance among the beneficiaries in some places.
• Food packaging was quite difficult due to the lack of enough space;
• In some places it was difficult to communicate with the local representatives.
Learning from the Project:
• More people from the dalit communities should have been brought
under the aid activities;
• Careful consideration must be taken while preparing and verifying the
list of the beneficiaries;
• There was a need of approval from the Ward Councilor about the list of
the eligible recipients of the relief materials;
• Local representative must be informed about the aid distribution
activities;
• It is important to have a clear estimation of all possible costs involved in
distributing aid.
THANK YOU!!!