SOCIAL SAFETY NET PROGRAMS IN BANGLADESH: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON THE EMPLOYMENT GENERATION PROGRAM FOR THE POOREST (EGPP) PROJECT

Abstract

This research work aim to accomplish an empirical study on the Employment Generation Program for the Poorest (EGPP) scheme of Bangladesh. The objective of this study is to find out whether the EGPP program is promoting the livelihood of the poor people or it remains the same as before. A quantitative approach is applied here as research methods, where data is collected from the primary sources through interview technique and KII. The findings reveal that the purchase power of EGPP beneficiaries has significantly changed and food intake frequency has been increased. It is found that before involvement in EGPP 67.5% of interviewees could manage to have meal twice in a day and 25% could have once in a day. After participation in EGPP the scenario has changed; the percentage of people those could manage to have meal once in a day has gone off and people who could have meal twice in a day reduced to 7.5% but sudden change due to increase of purchase capability above 92.5% people are able to have meal three times in a day. A significant improvement is also found in the case of items of food intake, diversification in food items, quality of food intake, quantity of food intake. Besides, it revealed that social status or social acceptance of the poor peoples of the EGPP recipients elevated. Most of the respondents opined positively regarding the improvement of employment scope in the lean season through EGPP program. Article visualizations: