NUK's Poverty Alleviation and Family Development Program has expanded micro-credit access to additional rural unions in Kishoreganj district, extending a model that pairs small-scale lending with health and education support.
Why expansion was needed
Demand for the program has consistently outpaced its reach in unions immediately surrounding NUK's existing health infrastructure. The expansion brings credit access, alongside linkage to NUK's community and eye hospitals, to households further from the hospital catchment area.
What participating households receive
- Modest loans sized for rural household economic realities, typically supporting small-scale income-generating activities such as poultry rearing or tailoring.
- Linkage to health services, reducing the risk that a medical expense erases economic progress made through the loan.
- Basic household budgeting and savings guidance suited to irregular rural income patterns.
NUK's approach reflects a broader institutional pattern: services that begin in response to a specific local need are increasingly designed for long-term sustainability rather than as one-off interventions.
Measuring success
NUK will track repayment rates and household health outcomes across the newly added unions before considering further expansion into neighbouring upazilas.