Migrant Labour Became Poultry Farmer Entrepreneur in Sadar Tangail
There have been observing serious economic loss in the areas of remiteance sectors as like as other sectors in Bangladesh for sudden pandemic outbreaks started from March 2020 to date . Migrant workers have been the hardest hit who came to the country before and during the pandemic period could no longer return to their work abroad as well there is no opportunity to create alternate work scope for huge returnee migrants. As a result, they have been staying at the home and became unemployed for a long time with passing very financial and social crisis specially during country wide lockdown situation in first wave of COVID-19. As UCC member in FS working areas have worked closely within the community to provide emergency assistance declared from different government and local CSOs where they have known to understand the real crisis of migrant workers. Migrant workers in Tangail Sadar who have lost their abroad job opportunity were meet with UCC members along with BBF staff and expressed their interst to involve with the FS project and want to engaze themselves in the areas of poultry sectors as new journey of income generation.
Accordingly UCC listed 73 migrant workers in Tangail Sadar upazilla and about 25-30 listed person have been attending various orientation meetings on poultry farm management organized by DLS as well as BBF under PROKAS FS interventions. After their participation in 5 – 7 community poultry farmers meetings the migrant labors became interested for establishment of poultry farm with poultry rearing as their livelihood options. Some of them have visited DLS office for getting practical with technical ideas regarding poultry farming. Through orientation meetings migrants workers were encouraged to involve them on poultry farm business for their livelihood integration. In collaboration with local DLS officials by BBF, UCC through regular lobby 14 migrant youth and poor have established poultry farm in sadar Tangail areas. The food safety project have been supporting these group of faremrs for developing relationship with DLS, LDDP and NATP to get technical assistant : extension service ,vaccinations, medicine support their livelihood improvement and entrepreneurship development. Out of 14 migrant labors 10 of them age range betwenn 23 to 40 years and rest of 4 have 41 to 45 years. Seven of them were employed in Malaysia, four of them were in Saudi Arabia, each of one was in Kwite, Iraq and Singapore. Their education range between class five to SSC. They have returned from end of 2019 to 2020 year to enjoy leave with their family members where COVID 19 pandemic situation were not able to gone back . The migrant labors were encouraged by above stakeholders along with poultry farmers for establishment of poultry farm as their alternative livelihood options. Now they have been passing their time with poultry farming and the generated income from the poultry farming have been helping them for their livelihood improvement. Socially they are also trying to acknowledge themselves as poultry entrepreneur.
Following this practical achievement with learning FS partners have listed no of migrant workers who lost their aborad market and want to shift their employment to run their livelihood and have planned to provide inclusive orientation on livestock rearing system jointly with local DLS offcials .