InvESt: Investment for Economic Empowerment of Street-dwellers

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2 InvESt: Investment for Economic Empowerment of Street-dwellers Around 300, ,000 new migrants are settling in Dhaka city every year (World Bank, 2007). A large portion of this group is forced to live on the streets. They are the most marginalized and vulnerable groups among the extreme poor with few assets to cope with life and a social-political and economic context that virtually ignores them. It is estimated that there are between 20,000-25,000 street-dwellers in Dhaka city alone. Street-dwellers are those who sleep on the street under mosquito nets, plastic sheeting, or just under a shawl/lungi-putting down their shelters early in the morning in some safe place to set-up again in the evening. Concern Worldwide baseline studies (2009) reported more than 80% of the respondents has been staying at the same location for at-least five years or more. Some were even born on the streets and the only life they now is street-life. The street-dwellers concentrated in several parts of Dhaka city are engaged in very low-paid jobs. Nominal and irregular earning barely helps them to fulfil their basic needs and more than 60% earn less than Tk. 100 per day. This group is distinct from the floating population who either lives in temporary residences or remains connected with the city only for work. Rather this group often lives with families or alone as shelter-less permanent residents in different pockets of the city. There are people who are living on the streets for second and third generations and the daily income of the street-dwellers decreases with age. Their expectation and motivation for better life is lower that other groups of poor such as the slum dwellers- who are also better prepared for the city. C Shehab, Drik/Concern Worldwide

3 C Shehab, Drik/Concern Worldwide Why InvESt? Street-dwellers do not have the opportunity to secure a regular and steady income. They also operate with very low level of knowledge, planning and technical skills in the market that makes them vulnerable to wage exploitation and sudden risks of income and asset erosion. The InvEST Project creates an opportunity to access regular income source and address gaps in capacity. Increase in income coupled with savings will help them to protect their assets and gradually increase their asset base to move out of the streets. Supporting activities also contributes to increasing social and physical security of the street-dwellers. Street-dwellers expend a large portion of their very limited income on food and disease related expenses. Their susceptibility to diseases increase with consumption of low-quality food at high prices as many do not have a place or time to cook. In studies conducted during project design, 95% of the mentioned about the scarcity of safe drinking water and lack of food choices. Therefore, access to sources of quality food substantially reduces their expenditure on health and food which can be invested to improve other aspects of livelihood.

4 InvESt at a Glimpse This innovation project will support 700 street-dwellers households in all zones of Dhaka city to establish a brand of a food business chain to increase their income and expand asset base to graduate from extreme poverty. The idea of developing a brand of the mobile kitchens by the street-dwellers was not tried before though road-side eateries are primary source of food for the urban poor and extreme poor. The visible and quality elements of the brand will help in attracting customers from other socio-economic strata and accelerate graduation out of poverty of the street-dwellers involved with the venture. The process of organizing street-dwellers around the business will also instil a level of confidence among them. It will develop a sense of ownership that motivates them to aspire for a better life. The project outputs are: 88 mobile kitchens and 2 central kitchens involving 116 street-dwellers will put in operations of Mojar Khabar business; 164 street-dweller householders will be supported with other food business; 420 street-dweller households will be engaged in food based IGA (Income Generating Activities). In total 700 street-dweller households capacitated to independently run business under the project. The brand of mobile kitchens promoted. The innovation creates opportunities for street-dwellers to come together under a brand identity for enhancing income and provides a practical solution to ensure access to healthy food at affordable prices. This will provide a pathway for economically empowering the street-dwellers by helping them to expand their asset base (which includes social and human capitals as well) and reducing asset erosion through enhanced income, reduced income erosion and minimized risks associated with income generation. This three years (January 2011 to December 2014) project will be implemented by Concern Worldwide in partnership with Nari Maitree. The project is funded by Shiree project of UKaid. C Shehab, Drik/Concern Worldwide

5 This is an innovation project that will provide a pathway for economically empowering the street-dwellers by helping them to expand their asset base including social and human capitals and reducing asset erosion through enhanced income, reduced income erosion and minimized risks associated with income generation. Business opportunity under this initiative will gradually increase the investment for business and mitigate future shocks. Through this project it will enable a large section of street-dwellers to access quality food at affordable prices which in turn will help them to accumulate savings and increase their productivity to move out of extreme poverty.

6 C Shehab, Drik/Concern Worldwide How InvESt Plans to Do It? The project will be implemented in partnership with a local NGO, Nari Maitree. Technical expertise will be sought from specialised agencies for developing business plan and making strategies. Since the business of the streets is susceptible to eviction and threats, actors such as Dhaka City Corporation, law enforcement agencies and community leaders will be engaged with the project. It will support the targeted street-dwellers to develop a brand of food kitchens of different categories of quality food at low cost. Around 88 food kitchens will be operated in different locations chosen based on concentration of pavement dwellers and the potential to attract other clients. The project will provide low cost manually operated equipped food kitchens and establish central kitchens. The ownership of these mobile kitchens will eventually be transferred to the street-dwellers. For safety of the food kitchens a temporary secured place will be provided. The start-up capital for business will be given in instalments for buying food from the central kitchens. A percentage of profit will have to be deposited every-day. Initial target clients of the brand are street-dwellers and other poor groups (e.g. slum dwellers). It is expected that around 60% of the street-dwellers will be buying food and will be benefited by low cost hygienic and quality food. Besides some of the food kitchen will be operated at locations such as universities and colleges considered as busy places with snack to attract other groups of clients. If the brand becomes popular it would consider expanding its client base targeting different offers to supply lunch. Reputed business companies will be linked with the brand from the beginning to supply food items such as spices, water, rice, wheat powder etc on wholesale price special price negotiation will also be attempted with selected companies who are willing to advertise their product through the mobile outlets and willing to support to establish this brand as part of their corporate social responsibilities. 164 medium sized three wheeler and four wheeler vans will be provided to 164 street dwellers households to do business of raw vegetables, fruits and other locally made popular seasonal foods. Other than this, 420 street dweller households will get cash capital and asset to do food related business depending on their requirement and experience.

7 C Shehab, Drik/Concern Worldwide Our Vision Concern believes in a world where people no longer live in extreme poverty, fear or oppression; a world where every person has access to a decent standard of living and the opportunities and choices basic to enjoying a ling, healthy and creative life; a world where every person is treated with dignity and respect; a world where there is peace and solidarity among people. Our Mission Our aim is to enable extremely poor people to bring about positive changes in their lives which are sustainable without ongoing support from Concern. To achieve this, we work with poor people themselves, and with local and international partners who share our vision to create just and peaceful societies where all people can exercise their fundamental rights. Concern Worldwide in Bangladesh Concern Worldwide, Bangladesh started working in Bangladesh from November 1970 in response to the devastating cyclone in the southern region of the country. Recognising the need for ongoing support to the new and independent nation that followed the liberation war, Concern Worldwide later on initiated a much needed relief programmes for the poor communities living in urban slums. Gradually Concern programmes expanded across the country, using volunteers and local staff to develop national capacity to tackle poverty. In recent years, and as new generations of NGOs emerged, Concern Worldwide moved away from directly implementing projects to build alliances with local development organizations that bring wider and deeper benefits for the poor people of the country.

8 C Implementing Organization Partner organisation Concern Worlwide Bangladesh Country Office House - 15 SW (D), Road - 7 Gulshan-1, Dhak Phone: , Fax: bangladesh.info@concern.net Web: Narri Maitree 77/B, Malibagh Chowdhurypara (2nd floor) Khilgoan, Dhaka Telephone: +880-(0) / Fax: nmhq@bracnet.net Implementing Organization shiree stimulating household improvements resulting in economic empowerment Funded by UKaid from the Department for International Development House 5, Road 10, Baridhara, Dhaka Phone: info@shiree.org, Web: Shehab, Drik/Concern Worldwide C Shehab, Drik/Concern Worldwide Design & Print by : Hammingbird Ltd.