Programs of ESDO

• Micro Finance Program
• Rural Micro Credit (RMC)
• Urban Micro Credit (UMC)
• Participatory Livestock Development Project (PLDP2)
• Micro Enterprise Lending (MEL)
• Financial Services for the poorest (FSP)
• Micro Credit for Ultra Poor Program (UPP)
• Micro Finance for Marginal and Small Farmers Projects (MFMSFP)
• Seasonal Loan
• Livelihood Restoration Project (LRP)
• Programmed Initiative for Monga Eradication (PRIME)
• Agriculture-Sector Microcredit Project (ASMP)
• Disaster Management and Climate Change Adaptation Programme
• Food Security Programme
• Agricultural Development Programme
• Education Programme
• Health and Nutrition Programme
• Rights and Governance Programme
• ESDO Enterprise
• Strengths of ESDO

Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO) continues its mended for holistic development of rural populations in the areas of livelihood, skill development, health, education, water and sanitation nutrition, mother and child health care service, kitchen gardening, growth monitoring, immunizations, arsenic mitigation and the developing needs of marginalized people of Bangladesh from its inception 1988. At the same time ESDO has been continuing micro credit, social development, food security, disaster management, agricultural development, livestock, fisheries, water resource management, hazardous child labour reduction, counter trafficking intervention, human rights, adult education, child education, skill development activities for ensuring equitable society free from poverty in ESDO’s working area. 

Programs of ESDO’s are given below in detail- 

Micro Finance Program: A successful strategy to fight poverty:

Micro-credit is the largest program of ESDO in respect of staffing, financial involvement and belongingness which was started since 1991 during the era of early beginning of journey and has now being winged with 12 sister project to supplementing and complementing income earning scope and opportunities lying at the different strata of business approaches both at the rural and urban community for eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and to foster dignity and quality of life of poor, vulnerable, down trodden especially women and men with the partnership of PKSF in the 12 district of Bangladesh. ESDO has got registration with the Micro Credit Regulatory Authority of Bangladesh. Following are the major components of ESDO’s micro credit program: 

Rural Micro Credit (RMC): 

It has started in 1991 specially designed for rural women and poor by organizing group and establishing savings scheme; including loan distribution for their income-earning activities like different agro-based enterprises small businesses. As of now the participants of this project are engaged with 77 trades with skill and practical knowledge. 

Urban Micro Credit (UMC):

The UMC project has been implemented in Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Rangpur and Lalmonirhat Pourashavas since 2001 covering a total of 8504 participants up to June, 2010 has received credit support for income generation activities. The project is being funded by PKSF in order to increase the income of urban poor through providing required microcredit support to the urban poor and vulnerable with skills, knowledge and regular follow up support. 

Participatory Livestock Development Project (PLDP2):

This project has been implemented since 1998 in Thakurgaon Sadar, Ranisankail, Baliadangi, Pirgonj and Haripur upazilas of Thakurgaon district and Boda, Debigonj and Tetulia of Panchagarh district with the financial support of PKSF and Asian Development Bank. The Prime objective of the project is to enable poor and vulnerable increasing productivity and income by receiving microcredit support and required skill training for cow and poultry rearing, beef fattening and breeding. 

Micro Enterprise Lending (MEL):

This project is developed and implemented with a view to providing knowledge, skill, information and requisite credit support to the small entrepreneurs for creation of self-employment and increase of their income through improving the quality of the products and developing functional linkage with the relevant market actors (buyers). The project is being implemented in 9 districts of Bangladesh with funding support from PKSF since 2001. 

Financial Services for the poorest (FSP):

This project has its specialty in supporting the poorest of the ultra core poor, destitute and extreme poor by providing minimum financial support with facilitative follow-up, training and package support for raising their income and improving the livelihoods. The project is being implemented in 11 unions of Thakurgaon Sadar upazila only with funding support from PKSF since December 2002. 

Micro Credit for Ultra Poor Program (UPP):

This is also a special project for the ultra poor to gaze how they are earning income financially and meliorating livelihoods. This project has been implemented at several districts with the financial support of PKSF. The Project was started in 2004. 

Micro Finance for Marginal and Small Farmers Projects (MFMSFP):

This project is just to provide agricultural technical assistance and soft loan to the marginal farmers who can’t afford requisite expenditure during cultivation of agricultural crops with a view to enable them increasing their production. The project is being implemented in all five upazilas of Thakurgaon district with financial support from IFAD and PKSF since 2006. 

Seasonal Loan:

To provide technical and financial support to the farmers against their seasonal agricultural project like crops, vegetables, seasonal fruits, fisheries, beef fattening etc. ESDO started a seasonal loan project at Thakurgaon district since 2006 by PKSF. 

Livelihood Restoration Project (LRP):

The LRP has been implemented in Thakurgaon, Panchagarh district, Nilphamari Sadar, Domar and Dimla of Nilphamari district and Lalmonirhat sadar since 2007 with the financial support of PKSF. The project is working mostly with the poor people who have been affected by various natural disasters. 

Programmed Initiative for Monga Eradication (PRIME):

The PRIME is a specialized project designed and implemented to address the unique critical issue of Monga in the north-western districts. The project is being implemented in 19 upazilas under Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha districts with a target of 46,909 households. 

Agriculture-Sector Microcredit Project (ASMP):

With a view to help the poor and marginal farmers to increase the productivity of their land, ESDO with the financial support from PKSF started a project called ASMP in 2 upazilas of Panchagarh and Lalmonirhat districts as a pilot project. 

Disaster Management and Climate Change Adaptation Programme:

• Empowerment of Las and NSAs in Responding to Economic Development Opportunities and Climate Change and Disaster Vulnerabilities Project 
• Enhance Resilience (ER) Activity under Country Programme 
• Family Shelter Construction Project 
• Herbal Medicine 

Food Security Programme:

• Strengthening Household Ability to Respond to Development Opportunities (SHOUHARDO) 
• Strengthening Poorest and Vulnerable Households Capability to Improve Food Security in Northwest Bangladesh (SHIFT) Project 
• Emergency School Feeding Programme 
• Provision of Development Support Services to women under the Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) Program 
• Emergency Operation (EMOP-10788.0) NI, FCFW, CFW 
• Milling Fortification Unit (MFU) 
• Social and Economic Transformation of the Ultra Poor (SETU) 

Agricultural Development Programme:

1. Strawberry Cultivation 
2. Home Gardening for Improving the Nutrition as well as Livelihood Status of the targeted ultra-poor households 
3. Small Scale Water Resource Development Sector Project (SSWRDSP-II) 

Education Programme:

• Sustainable Education through Community Participation (SECP) 
• Post Literacy and Continuing Education for Human Development (PLCEHD-2) 
• Pre-School Program for Younger siblings of Adibashis/ DALITS Community. 
• Rural Information Center 

Health and Nutrition Programme:

• Development of Community Support Groups for Maternal and Neonatal Care and Services through Community Development Interventions (ComSS) 
• Community Managed Quality Health Services 
• Sanitation, Hygiene & Water Supply Project 
• Hygiene, Sanitation and Water Supply Project 
• Enhancing Environmental Health of Community Organization (EEHCO) 
• Community Nutrition Activities (CNA) 
• National Nutrition Programme (NNP) 

Rights and Governance Programme:

Promotion of Rights for Adibashis and DALITS Improvement Programme (PRADIP) 

Child Labour Elimination Action Network (CLEAN) 

Prevention and Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking in Bangladesh 

Urban Governance Infrastructure Improvement Project (UGIIP) 

Promotion of Women Rights 

Rural Infrastructure Improvement Project (RIIP-2) 

ESDO Enterprise:

1. Eco Pathshala 
2. Amader Bazar 
3. ESDO Community Hospital 
4. Lokayan 
5. Aroni 

Strengths of ESDO:

• ESDO is one of the well-established NGO in Bangladesh. 
• ESDO introduced the concept of School Feeding Program in Bangladesh from 2011. 
• The School Feeding Program is assisted by WFP. 
• ESDO continues it’s mended for holistic development of rural population. 
• ESDO work in Northern area of Bangladesh. 
• During this reporting year, ESDO has successfully entered into some new geographic areas with new projects. 

ESDO has established and reinforced strong network and collaboration with different relevant organizations and stakeholders.