PARTICIPATION OF DIPSHIKHA BENEFICIARIES IN SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to ascertain the extent of participation by the Dipshikha beneliciaries in different development activities. Attempts were also made to describe some of the selected characteristics of the respondents and to explore the relationships between selected characteristics of the respondents and their participation in overall Dipshikha activities. The study was conducted in three unions consisting eleven villages under Birganj upazila of Dinajpur district. Out of 479 beneficiary families, 120 member families of Dipshikha were selected randomly and proportionately. Data were collected by using interview schedule during 2nd October to 31 " October, 2007. Participation of the respondents in three major activities was ascertained through a four point rating scale. Then overall activities was measured by adding the obtained scores of three dimensions activities such as income generating activities, 'health, hygiene & sanitation activities' and women development activities. Coefficient of correlation (r) was computed in order to explore the relationships between selected characteristics of the respondents and their participation in overall Dipshikha activities. Participation Index (P1) was computed which ranged from 0 to 300. 'Use of tube well water' and 'Taking iodized salt' had the same rank as 1.5 and obtained P1 is 300, where 'Candle marketing' and Soap marketing' had the same rank as 33.5 and obtained P1 is 0. The possible participation score in overall activities ranged from 0 to 102. where the observed participation score was found 28-68 with an average 51.93 and standard deviation 8.69. It was observed that majority of the respondents (64.17 percent) had medium participation, 15.83 percent had low participation and 20 percent of them had high participation in overall Dipshikha activities. The findings revealed that level of education, farm size, annual income, training exposure, savings, credit availability, implementation of family development plan and attitude towards Dipshikha of the respondents had significant positive relationships with their participation in overall Dipshikha activities. Age, involvement with Dipshikha, family size and acceptance of loan received conditions by the respondents had no statistically significant relationships with their participation in overall Dipshikha activities.