The World Bank has awarded the state-run Social Development Foundation (SDF) for its successful anti-poverty campaign with an extra focus on women through its Nuton Jibon Livelihood Improvement Project, officials said.
A spokesperson of the World Bank's Dhaka office said the Nuton Jibon Livelihood Improvement Project of the non-profit company under the Finance Ministry received the Bank's South Asia Regional Vice Presidency Award last week.In comments to the media World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal Qimiao Fan said the SDF was given the award "in recognition of its innovative efforts to support the vulnerable families, particularly women in poor and disaster prone regions in Bangladesh".
"The (SDF) project has helped 94 percent of about 659,000 extreme poor beneficiary households to come out of poverty . . . We are proud that the Project received the World Bank's South Asia Regional Vice Presidency Award," he said.
Qimiao also appreciated Bangladesh's "tremendous progress" in reducing poverty over the past decades, but noted that it still remained pervasive in rural areas where the Nuton Jibon was empowering and mobilizing the "poorest rural households".
He particularly praised the project specially for enabling women access to finance, markets, and services in 21 districts.
The WB country chief simultaneously lauded the "innovative project design" that enabled the poor in adopting better nutritional practices in working areas .
"We are spearheading our mission with direct supports of the honourable Prime Minister . . . the (WB) award will encourage us to intensify our anti-poverty campaign with an extra focus on vulnerable women," SDF Chairman MI Chowdhury told.