Community Cohesion in Cox’s Bazar.

Background/Project Description:
UNDP and UN Women, with assistance from the Global Affairs Canada, have undertaken a project titled Community Cohesion in Cox’s Bazar (2018-2021). The main objectives of Community Cohesion in Cox’s Bazar (3C) project are to ‘improve economic stability, women’s empowerment, and local capacity to address and defuse conflicts as they arise’. The Project has two outputs:

(a) Improve Economic Resilience: Addressing economic tensions at their source, UNDP and UN Women will provide skills development, comprehensive employment support, and sustainable economic opportunities to vulnerable communities;

(b) Build Social Cohesion: To dispel narrative myths which perpetuate perceptions of inequality and misinformation between groups, UNDP and UN Women will work with social activists, local media (radio), interfaith leadership and women’s groups to implement a series of quick-impact confidence and social cohesion activities in Cox’s Bazar. These activities will have both a Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) and a peace building focus.

Working Area:
The implementing partner will implement project activities in 5 Unions of 2 Upazillas of Cox’s Bazar
as described in below table:

Name of Upazila Number of
Unions		 Total number
Beneficiaries
Teknaf 3 1260
Ukhia 2 840
Total 5 2100

 

Skills training and Entrepreneurship development information

SL Name of the trade Graduate learners

 

 Ongoing learners Ethnic people Entrepreneurs status
Male Female Male Female
01 Candle Making 9 111 0 0 22 79
02 Poultry rearing 66 243 0 16 12 170
03 Cap Making 0 100 0 0 1 81
04 Fishing Net Making 0 80 0 0 0 64
05 Street food production and service 8 112 4 26 2 0
06 Handicrafts (Bamboo and Cane) 3 102 0 30 35 0
07 Dry Fish Processing and packaging 4 11 5 10 0 0
08 Driving 208 2 0 0 8 0
09 Block batik and screen printing 4 86 1 13 0 52
10 Handloom (Komortat) 0 100 0 80 180 0
11 Tiles fitting 91 0 15 0 0 0
12 Plumbing 40 0 0 0 0 0
13 Beauty Care 0 60 0 0 0 38
14 Electric house wiring and Solar system 60 0 17 0 0 36
15 Electronics and Mobile Phone servicing 37 0 0 0 0 29
16 Industrial Sewing Machine operation and Tailoring 1 71 4 13 2 33
17 Refrigeration and Air Conditioning 20 0 0 0 0 13
18 Petrol and Diesel Engine Mechanic (Motor cycle servicing) 20 0 0 0 0 13
19 Food and Beverage Service 16 3 0 0 2 0
20 House Keeping and Laundry 17 0 0 0 5 0
21 Food and Beverage Production 21 0 0 0 0 0
22 Computer & ICT Skills 48 12 19 21 0 0
23 Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (six months)) 0 0 15 0 0 0
24 Petrol and Diesel Engine Mechanic(Motor cycle servicing six months) 0 0 15 0 0 0
25 Electric house wiring and Solar system (six months) 0 0 30 0 0
Total 673 1093 125 209 269 608

 

Case Studies

“I will make our traditional clothes and sell them to tourists and other people. This way, I can earn money as well as keep our unique culture alive’’ – Chingma declares.

Chingma Chakma is one of the participants of our Community Cohesion program. She lives in Harikhola village at palongkhali union under Ukhiya upazila. Under this project she is currently receiving training on handloom. Chingma never got any formal education and had never felt confident about her own capabilities. Now that she is almost towards the end of her training she feels confident and motivated about changing her fortune. Due to poor literacy rate, language barriers, remoteness and the lack of formal employment many indigenous women lag behind in the society. We hope that in the future more women like Chingma will be mainstreamed in the society and bring about a positive change. Their participation will make our country stronger and more vibrant.

– Support from UNDP, Bangladesh

Arafat is doing what he loves

“I never thought I would have to work at such a young age. My father is too old to work anymore. Besides, my brother couldn’t run our family of 7 alone, so I had to step up to help my brother in managing the family.But the beginning of the story was not so easy for me, I did not know how to earn, but I knew I had to earn. Amidst such difficulties I found the Uttaran Technical Training Center from where I  learned electrical house wiring and solar system with the support of UNDP. I was always fascinated with this subject and wanted to learn it professionally. That is why I chose this particular subject. I then completed three months of training and then two months of apprenticeship. During my apprenticeship, I was also fortunate enough to get a job.With financial support from Uttaran I bought nessary tools after I finished my training. I got a new job a few days ago where most of my coworkers are my friends from the training centre. It feels great to know that all of us are now skilled enough to be working in different sectors. – Md Arafat, Satghoriapara, Whykong, Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar.

Bobita’s Dream

‘’ I want to be able to afford medicines for my husband and I want my son to have a bright future. This is what I tell myself to stay motivated and keep moving forward’’ – Bobita

Bobita and her husband Jishu lives in a quaint little place called Kashiar bill in Cox’s Bazar. Her husband had a small shop and his income was just enough for the sustenance of their family of three. But things were about to change forever for this happy family. Jishu met with a serious road accident which left him permanently paralyzed. Bobita found herself financially dependent on her father and brother again. Being a strong person, Bobita realized that it is her time to take care of her own family. Initially she could not find any job but her determination was unwavering. She then joined Uttaran’s Community Cohesion Program and started a 3 month long course on sewing. Bobita is currently on her second month of training and she has already chalked out a business plan and is working towards making her dream a reality.

– with support from United Nations Development Programme – UNDP