BATB Changes Lives of Tobacco Farmers in Hill Districts

Source from:  Monday July 18 2005 07:46:47 AM BDT 07/18/2005

To demonstrate the strength of actions rather than words, British American Tobacco has undertaken a project titled "Community Development Initiative Promoting Biodiversity and Sustainable Development Best Practices" for its tobacco growers. Under the project, seeing beyond mere profit and business, BATB is providing different socio-economic and environmental supports to its tobacco farmers and their families to improve their lives and livelihood in Khagrachari, Bandarban and Cox's Bazar districts, said a company spokesman yesterday. There are more than 15 different tobacco companies operating in the hill districts, however, only BATB has come forward with such initiatives. "We initiated this programme because we believe that we can uplift the living condition of the farmers through which we can contribute to the development of the country," said Shuvashish Barua, development affairs manager of the BATB, adding, "this is an initiative of our corporate social responsibility." The farmer families are receiving three different sorts of development support: health, education, and environment-friendly economic opportunities. The company is providing primary health-care support to the farmer families throughout the year through reputed NGO network called the 'Smiling Sun'. The farmer families receive prescription, medication and some pathological tests at free of cost. This is a noteworthy effort as the Company is, through its sponsorship, helping the 'Smiling Sun' network to go to remote and secluded corners of the hill tracts to provide its satellite clinic services. BATB also provides sanitary latrines among the farmer families at free of cost. On the other hand, since malaria is a recurring health problem in the hill districts in absence permanent remedy, BATB is also distributing free mosquito nets and leaflets to combat malarial fever. While visiting Chokoria, a wife of a BATB tobacco farmer Fatema was found standing with her only child at the 'Smiling Sun' Clinic at Manikpur, Chokoria. "My only son was infected with Malaria three weeks back .. it's a deadly disease here. I was afraid like anything; my husband rushed to this clinic with our son," Fatema said and then added "doctors here took care of our son very well." This time, she was there just for a routine check-up, Fatema informed. Because of challenging terrain and limited infrastructure facilities in the hill districts, raising literacy rate remains a big concern. Keeping that in mind, British American Tobacco Bangladesh is giving financial assistance to the eligible children of its farmers to complete higher secondary education. On the other hand, to bring the remotest region of the country to the information highway, the company recently established a free basic IT education centre called 'Dishari' in Chokoria. For ages and for varying reasons, this region of the country did not manage to join the bandwagon of the mainstream economic development process of the country. Due to this reality, the people's lives have become cruel subject to the vicious cycle. To address this, British American Tobacco Bangladesh tried to come up with a year-round economic solution for these farmers. For instance, apart from tobacco growing, BATB encourages commercial afforestation by providing free saplings and 1-year maintenance cost to the interested farmers. On the other hand, free seeds of different varieties of vegetable are being provided along with training to the interested farmers. Mohammad Sherajul Haque, leaf officer of BATB in Chokoria informed that the company distributes free exportable vegetable seeds among their farmers to meet dual purpose - meeting the nutritional requirement and creating income opportunities. To assist in introducing various environment-friendly agricultural practices, British American Tobacco Bangladesh has undertaken a number of initiatives by providing full cost as well as technical know-how to produce green manure through Dhaincha (Sesbania rostrata) cultivation, compost by using household wastes in the homestead pits, and use bio-pesticide through neem decoction. Enditem