So what am I really doing here?
I have had several mails asking me to clarify what exactly it that I am upto in BRAC research; Here is my attempt at a clarification:
BRAC runs a program with some 300,000 ultra poor households across rural Bangladesh. They are termed Ultra poor as they are particulary vulnerable to poverty cycles and lack both the economic means and social capital to improve their situation. BRAC trains and hands over 1 of 9 different types of small scale income generating assets to these holds and while training subsidizes the operating costs of the enterprise for 18-24 months. I am undertaking research to assess the optimal asset mix for program graduates. I am also assessing the potential to develop micro pension and micro health insurance schemes to support BRAC’s development program.
Latest Update:
Spent the last ten days up in northern country near the Indian border. The rural economy, like most of south asia is still done mostly on a subsistence level here and most of the plots of land are cultivated to ensure food security in the lean labour season.
The per capita income in these areas is close 360 USD.
This is somewhat supplemented by non monetary contributions through barter like payments in grain,or land utilization contracts.
The focus of my research are TUP(Targeted Ultra Poor) program graduate that are widows and women headed households. Understanding their asset holding patterns and use of credit. Assessing the impact of economic, social and lifecycle issues on their ability to preserve and improve livlihoods. The research results are promising so far and we have been able to identify some great success stories patterns.
There is also a tremendous opportunity to contribute to the next phase of the CFPR-TUP program rollout that begins in early april and is targeted at 800,000 households across rural Bangladesh. So far I find that many of the concepts and criteria being used here would find good applicabilit and fit in other parts of South Asia as well-perhaps this is something we can look forward to.