People living in the surrounding areas of forests in Cox’s Bazar are forced to extract forest resources from their nearby forestland for survival which creates forest degradation.
Due to family hardship, Josna AKter used to collect fuelwood from the forest and sell it in the local market for daily needs. To discourage her from engaging in forest-destroying activities, NACOM gave Josna Akter a modest grant (BDT 10,000.00) and livelihood skill development training under USAID’s ECO LIFE Activity.
Josna Akter and her husband established a small grocery business with this money and have been making roughly BDT 10,000.00 every month since. With this money, she is supporting her family, and she no longer needs to go to the forest to collect forest resources for a living. It seems all her awe has started to disappear finally.
I am very happy to have the support from USAID’s ECO LIFE Activity, which showed us the way to earn a decent living. Now I am living happily with my family. She can maintain her family with this money, and she no longer has to go to the forest to collect forest resources for a living. It appears like all of her awe has finally disappeared.
Josna Akter said, “I am grateful for the assistance provided by USAID’s ECO LIFE Activity, which showed us how to make a good livelihood. I am now living happily with my family.”