About shiree

The Economic Empowerment of the Poorest (EEP) programme is a partnership between UKaid from the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goal 1 of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. shiree, the Bangla word for 'steps', has been adopted by EEP to describe the programme approach: to support and enable households to climb out of extreme poverty. (shiree: stimulating household improvements resulting in economic empowerment.)

What we do

In partnership with NGOs, shiree helps the poorest 10% of the population achieve sustainable livelihoods. In addition, shiree assists extreme poor households to gain improved access to government services, develop better health and hygiene facilities, improve nutritional intake and enhance resilience to seasonal disasters and climate change. In order to break the vicious cycle of inter-generational poverty, shiree strives to eliminate all forms of social exclusion and is committed to women's empowerment.

How we do it

shiree is a ‘challenge fund’ that provides resources to national and international NGOs selected through a competitive three stage bidding process. The NGOs are assessed by an Independent Assessment Panel which forwards recommendations to a GoB-headed National Steering Committee for approval. shiree partners with the approved NGOs to monitor and support the implementation of extreme poverty reduction projects.

shiree provides two types of funds: a scale fund and an innovation fund. The former allows NGOs the opportunity to expand successful existing programmes and the latter to design new approaches to reduce extreme poverty in urban and rural areas.

shiree also creates learning and advocacy platforms to build and share knowledge with the government, the private sector, donors and NGOs to transform the way in which we approach extreme poverty.

Where we work

shiree currently supports 9 scale fund and 27 innovation fund projects, implemented in 92 upazilas of 24 districts in Bangladesh.

Who we are

Harewelle International Ltd and PMTC Bangladesh Ltd manage the EEP Challenge Fund/shiree in consultation with consortium partners, the Centre for Development Studies at Bath University, the British Council and Unnayan Shamannay.

House 5, Road 10, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212, BangladeshPhone : 880 2 8822758, 880 2 9892425, Email : info@shiree.org

economic empowerment of the poorest in Bangladesh

www.sh i ree.org

CARE Bangladesh nurtures skills for non-farm based income (such as honey, kathas, shoes) and employment, improves access to common resources and promotes asset building@ Rangpur, Nilfamari, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha

Dushtha Shasthya Kendra provides assets and cash stipends to start small businesses amongst women-headed households in slums @ Dhaka

Netz Bangladesh distributes productive assets to women-headed ethnic minority households, creates market linkages & improves access to safety nets @ Rajshahi, Naogaon, Dinajpur, Chapainawabganj

Practical Action Bangladesh uses sand-bars, under-utilised, barren lands and water resources to develop diversified farm (pumpkins) & non-farm (handicraft) skills & creates market linkages to generate income in Riverine areas @ Rangpur, Nilfamari, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat

Save the Children diversifies livelihood options through asset transfer, skills building, cash stipends & creates market linkages in disaster-prone areas & secures safety nets@ Khulna, Bagherhat

Uttaran transfers khas land to extreme poor households & helps them develop income generating opportunities through asset & skill transfers @ Satkhira, Khulna

Caritas supports agro-forestry income opportunities, improved food security & education outcomes @ Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachari

Concern Worldwide supports land-leasing & cultivation with flood-resistant cropping technologies & other non-farm income opportunities@ Sunamganj, Habiganj, Kishoreganj

Oxfam builds Community Based Organisations (CBO) to engage households in climate change-resilient livelihood initiatives @ Pirojpur, Borguna, Patuakhali

Aid Comilla provides artificially inseminated cows that produce more milk to extreme poor households & creates market linkages with dairy processors @ FeniCentre for Natural Resources Studies distributes agricultural inputs & khas kanda land in Haor districts & encourages savings @ SunamganjGreen Hill creates economic opportunities for ethnic minorities through conditional cash transfer & the development of community based savings, loan & insurance systems@ Bandarban, RangamatiHelen Keller International widens market access for women through training, tools for contour farming, low-cost post-harvest storage & processing technologies for fruits & spices @ KhagrachariHelvetas Swiss Intercooperation introduces different agricultural technologies for improving livelihoods of extreme poor in haor areas & combates seasonal hunger through cow rearing & bio gas technology @ Sunamganj, RangpurShushilan is introducing floating garden & crab fattening technology to reduce extreme poverty in climatically vulnerable areas@ Jessore, Saatkhira, BargunaActionAid leases land & provides extreme poor households with technical training for bio-diversity centres @ NilfamariMahideb Jubo Somaj Kallayan Somity reduces seasonal food insecurity through artificially inseminated, high yield dairy cows @ KurigramNational Development Programme improves nutritional intake of extreme poor households through diversified vegetable farming @ BograPanchbibi Upazila Adibashi Multipurpose Development Organisation reduces food insecurity by providing access to land & support for IGAs to ethnic minority women - headed households @ JoypurhatSKS Foundation promotes strawberry & high value fruit production on leased land to generate alternative livelihoods for the extreme poor @ GaibandhaAction for Disability and Development builds capacity of disabled people for employment in the private sector @ Dhaka

Organisation Project Goal

Concern Worldwide creates economic opportunities for street dwellers through mobile food shop development @ DhakaGono Unnayan Kendra provides vocational training so extreme poor can access garment sector jobs in cities @ Gaibandha Plan Bangladesh creates economic opportunities for street children through training @ DhakaSave the Children provides need & capacity- based livelihoods programmes, skill training, & vocational education to urban streetdwellers & adolescent girls @ Khulna, BarishalShidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha trains households on three-tier farming techniques using solar powered training boats to help landless people adapt to climate change induced flooding @ PabnaBangladesh Organisation for Social Services creates sustainable opportunities to help to build social and economic linkage between marginalised & mainstream communities @ PabnaEthnic Community Development Organisation promotes commercial cultivation of medicinal plants to provide livelihood security to indigenous beneficiaries @ BandarbanHandicap International improves the functional autonomy of persons with disabilities through access to community-based rehabilitation services & income-generating opportunities@ Chittagong, Cox’s BazarHelpAge International combines livelihood, market linkage & social inclusion approaches to provide elderly beneficiaries with ‘age-friendly’ income opportunities @ Lakshmipur, KurigramInternational Development Enterprises uses a conditional cash transfer approach to promote above-ground homestead production among extreme poor women & teenage girls @ BarisalPRIP Trust provides technical skills, equipment support & income opportunities to vulnerable female construction workers @ DhakaTARANGO provides stable income & sustainable livelihoods for indigenous communities through traditional handicraft business development @ Bandarban

SCALE FUNDOrganisation Project Goal

INNOVATION FUND Organisation Project Goal

INNOVATION FUND