ELDP is one of the core programs of VARD. Mainly it has been introduced to alleviate the poverty through formation of grass-root level people’s organization, their fund generation, creation of income and employment opportunities and microfinance support. ELDP assists land-less, hardcore poor and under privileged community people to organize them under Village Organization (VO) and to utilize available local resources and human potentiality to uplift their socio-economic status. Another component of ELDP is entrepreneurship development interventions which deliver services to entrepreneurs in helping them to unleash and develop their entrepreneurial qualities and potential to establish and operate business in a completive market economy.

The overall goal of education program is to contribute in the national goal, “Education For All (EFA)” by 2015. VARD intends to introduce and provide support and access to life oriented non-formal education programs, responding to the needs of economically underprivileged people. The focus is on the provision of qualitative, formal, non-formal and adult (mass literacy) education through the collaboration with Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Government of Bangladesh and other available resources from NGO sectors. Another objective of the program is to promote good governance through community mobilization, advocacy and networking on social justice.

The major portions of VARD working areas are in low-lying, haor-basin, mushy and beneath -hill which are commonly affected by floods & flashes while there are heavy rainfalls. Considering the situation, VARD is providing services to the community people for disaster risk reduction through awareness buildup, relief and rehabilitation to the victims of natural calamities such as floods, cyclone, heavy rains, earthquake and draughts. Therefore the ultimate goal of the DRRP is to reduce disaster risks and compensate the victims to restart their livelihoods again.

Traditionally, agriculture production in Bangladesh is oriented towards paddy cultivation, to the extent that signs of monoculture have appeared during recent years, with partly decreasing yields. VARD intends in this sector to promote sustainable agriculture technology and practices of land use for making economically profitable, socially just and ecologically sound towards the improvement of environment. VARD also intends to focus on the alternative utilize of available land, particularly for social forestry and homestead gardening. Attention is given to the best use of the alternative land in a profitable agriculture sector so that it could lead to the improvement of the local resources base and employment scopes of small and marginal farmers and entrepreneurs especially women and poor people.