F2F-Supported Organization Receives Award in Bangladesh

In September 2012, Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, waste management and compost expert, worked with a Bangladeshi organization, Rural Unfortunates Safety Talisman Illumination Cottage (RUSTIC), to improve and expand its compost production.

RUSTIC has supported solid waste management since 1997. The organization employs women –most of whom did not have any previous job prospects– to work at compost plants in two of the fastest growing cities in Bangladesh, with 1.5 million people and 450 tons of new municipal solid waste per day. RUSTIC’s work achieves multiple benefits: improved environmental protection plus the use of waste for compost. The women collect, sort, and prepare waste as compost, to be sold to local farmers as organic fertilizer. The compost is more affordable and better for the soil than synthetic chemical fertilizers, and enables farmers to increase productivity and yields.

After receiving training from Dr. Rahman, RUSTIC was able to make great strides in improving its production, quality, and overall efficiency, and within a year, it achieved a 60% increase in sales per month.

Executive Director Mr. Moral Noor Mohammad states, “Dr. Shafiqur Rahman’s technical knowledge and inspiration made us confident!”

RUSTIC’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. This month, the organization received a prestigious HSBC-The Daily Star Climate Award honoring its role in community engagement in environmental protection. Check out the article from The Daily Star here.

We’re proud to work with such a committed organization!