Ambassador and Head of Delegation, European Commission (EC) Delegation to Bangladesh , Dr Stefan Frowein visited ActionAid's Food Security for Sustainable Household Livelihoods (FoSHoL) project on the 26 and 27 February 2007 . The main object of the visit was to find out how FoSHoL contributes to food security for households and the work of FoSHoL at the very grassroots level. He was accompanied by Mr. Klaus D Gautsch, First Secretary, EC Delegation to Bangladesh and Mr. Anthony Goodwin, Head of Operation Section, EC Delegation to Bangladesh . Dr. Ekramul Ahsan, Task Manager, FoSHoL, EC Delegation to Bangladesh and Ms. Laila Jasmin Banu, Program Officer, EC Delegation to Bangladesh , Mr. Syeed Naushad Ahmad, Acting Country Director, ActionAid Bangladesh , Mr. Masud Alam Khan , Manager FoSHoL Project, ActionAid Bangladesh were also present.

FoSHoL works with six partners of ActionAid Bangladesh in the districts of Kurigram, Patuakhali, Khulna , Shatkhira, Noakhali and Sunamganj in Bangladesh .

The Ambassador was accorded a reception by ActionAid Bangladesh and the FoSHoL team at the Rangpur Parjatan Hotel in Rangpur on the evening of the 26 February 2007 , where the they met the entire FoSHoL Project Coordination and Management team as well as AAB's implementing partners and their coordination team. Through intensive discussion with them they learnt about the chain of activities and management of the FoSHoL project. Ambassador also expressed his desire to see for himself in the grassroots level, the activities that were discussed in the meeting.

On 27 February 2007 the Ambassador and his team first visited a FoSHoL people's organization in Ulipur, interacted with the farmers and learnt about their various activities. He also made house hold to household visits and spoke to the people their about food security, rights, gender, access to govt. facilities etc issues. He then visited Kurigram where a “Farmer's Conference and Field day' was being held. Farmers came to attend this event from all the districts where FoSHoL was being implemented to discuss and display their learning and activities in the exhibition stalls through various types of models. The representatives from the District Administration, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Department, Govt. of Bangladesh, Chairman and members of the Union Council were also present at this event and all expressed their commitment towards the issue of food security of the farmer households.

At the end of his visit the Ambassador along with his team members stepped to the dais to share their thoughts on their entire visit. They all expressed a great deal of satisfaction of the work of the FoSHoL participants and were especially pleased to see the participation of so many women. Some of the highlights of the activities of the farmers that caught the appreciation of the EC Delegation were huge enthusiasm and mobilization amongst the farmers, active participation of women farmers, and presence of school children at the field day which proved that the next generation was also very interested in agricultural activities as well as demonstration models of what they had learnt in the project. They also specifically mentioned that they were very happy to see all that was discussed in meeting with FoShol Officials the day before, being actually implemented in the field.

The Ambassador mentioned in his speech that it was not possible for NGOs or donors to do anything for the people if they did not help themselves and the achievement of the farmers of FoSHoL proved his words entirely true.