PROJECT: ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS (PHRASE - 2)

Project Commenced: 2008 - 2010 (Ended)

Project Partner / Donor: Danida through MALAA

Project Description:

in Bangladesh, local governments are empowered to dispense justice through the Village Court (VC) under Village Court Act and Arbitration Council (AC) and the Muslim Family Law Ordinance 1961. The Village Court Act entrusts the Union Parishad with the power to constitute Village Court to resolve petty civil and criminal disputes. Accordingly Muslim Family Law Ordinance 1961 (MFLO) has also entrusted the UPs to deal with some family matters by constituting Arbitration Councils.
UPs are facing some difficulties to make the local judicial system functional and effective for the people, due to inadequate knowledge, resources and skills for strengthening and activating AC and VC. Local Elected Bodies of Local Government are not able to perform their responsibilities in the matter for the above reasons. The main target of the project will be the disadvantage people particularly women primarily and other stakeholders, such as UP representative, village elites, women leader’s, lawyers,, judicial officials, law enforcing agency, journalists, media people’s and NGO activists are the secondary stakeholders.

Project Objectives:

1.  Increased accountability of duty bearers at all level.
2. Empowered disadvantaged people (especially women) and local institutions for defending the rights violations
3. Effective local formal judiciary systems are well functioned

Project Activities/ Achieved:

• Gaps and limitations have been identified within the procedural complicacy on family law and dowry, AC/VC law and procedure.
• Advocacy strategy has been developed
• Initiatives has been taken to remove identified gaps on Family laws, AC/VC laws and procedure
• Capacity of the CBO members has been developed
• Mass people, UP, civil society organizations, local media has been Mobilized and sensitized on ADR, VC and AC
• Court case support has been provided to the clients.
• Pending and disposed cases have been followed up
• Required supports have been provided to Judicial and Law enforcing agencies, Panel lawyers, Advocates and clerks
• Institutional capacity of MLLA & BS has been strengthened

BS uses different tools to create awareness among the people and street drama is the tool to crate awareness. Through this activity, BS tries to provide information on the available assistances the Uion Parishad provides. Poster, leaflet and stickers are playing important role in creating public opinion.

PROJECT: EDUCATION FOR ALL
 

Project Commenced: 2009 - On going


Project Partner: IDEA Onlus- International Development and Education Action


Project Description: The Project was established in 2009, and the basic purpose of the Education for All is to eliminate illiteracy from among those who are poor and in the lowest castes in society, and to radiate education to them. 


Project Objectives:

• To places special emphasis on helping to provide children with the chance to go to school and learn.
  
• Creating equal education opportunities for people living in distance/remote areas and under development areas.
  
• To increase enrolment of students in the school.
  
• To help increase basic education competencies among vulnerable and excluded children.
  
• To motivate the guardians about health, hygiene & saving issues in order to make them awareness and self-reliance for the future.
  
• To contribute to government efforts to raise the national rate of literacy.

Project issue/opportunity:
To ensure the school attendance & scholastic development; each enrolled student receives the following supplies through the year;

• Nutrition Materials- for daily nutrition student receive Rice, Potato, Soybean Oil, Salt etc.
  
• Education Materials- for fulfilling the fundamental requirements of the study; student receive  Uniform, School Bag, Shoe, Umbrella, Copy Books, Lantern, Pencil, Pen, Sharpener, Eraser etc.
  
• Hygiene Materials- for cleanliness & hygiene student receive the Body Soap & Washing Soap.
  
• Tuition Support- to meet up the extra cost of the study.
  
• Medical Check-up- regular medical check-up support for healthy living and well being.
  Also, following activities are going on to involve the parents & community for the project betterment;
  
• Tuition Support: To develop the scholastic improvement tuition support are providing to students.
  
• Guardian’s Meeting: To follow-up student progress at home guardian’s meetings are regularly arranged. The guardians meetings are an effective and valuable way of changing the social status of the villagers. Also help to interact between the parents-children with the project.
  
• Awareness & Motivation Sessions: To aware and motivate the community people and children regarding the cleanliness, health & hygiene, kitchen/yard gardening, dangers of early marriage, malnutrition and other issues meetings are also conduct regular basis.
  
• School Visits: To follow-up the attendance in school and check the progress of the study; community motivator visiting the schools regularly.
  

 

“The Education for All” project is determined to show light to those who are in darkness, from ignorance.

PROJECT: DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR THE PHYSICALLY DISABLE CHILDREN

Project Commenced: 2003 - On going

Project Partner / Donor: Liliane Fond’s

Project Description:

The disables are the most vulnerable human beings of the society. For their survival and self-reliance, BS has undertaken a program of rehabilitation and skill development. The project provides residential rehabilitation and treatment in the form of physical therapy for the physically disabled girl children between the age group of 10 to 16 years.

The project also provides in-house skill development training, mainly handicrafts and fast-food makings for the disabled girls. Banchte Shekha provides marketing support for the goods produced by the beneficiaries, while they are in the BS center as well as after returning to their own families.

Project Objectives:

• Provide residential rehabilitation and treatment facility for physically disabled children

• Provide in-house skill development training, mainly handicrafts

• Provide market support

Project Activities/ Achieved:

• Treatment of the disabled patients

• Awareness

• Training

• Literacy

• Cultural activities

PROJECT: COMMUNITY BASED FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PHASE - II (CBFM)

Project Commenced:  2001 - On going

Project Partner / Donor:  World Fish Center

Project Description:  To conserve and enhance the natural fishery by ending the complete harvest of fish after the monsoon by enabling more fish to move in to the beel from the river, by reducing fishing pressures in the early monsoon, and by helping the households with supplementary income resources. To achieve this, BS mobilized and expanded its all-women groups in 1997 coordinating with all stakeholders.

Project Objectives: 

To involve the wider community for sustainable and equitable management of wetland ecosystems and bio-diversity for improved livelihood security of rural community. 

Greater awareness and understanding among policy makers, resources users community and implementing agencies i.e. PNGO. 

Project Activities:

    Conservation of fishes through building fish shelter/sanctuaries

    Provide training on aquaculture and associated issues

    Institutionalization of the community based organizations

PROJECT: SUPPORTING HOUSEHOLD FOR ASSETS, HYGIENE & REVENUE (SHAHAR) PROJECT

Project Commenced: 2000 - On going

Project Partner / Donor: Care-Bangladesh

Project Description:

In terms of agreement with CARE Bangladesh and Pourashava, Banchte Shekha (BS) started working from 2000 to improve overall household livelihood security among the vulnerable community specially in slums and low income dwellers through SHAHAR (Supporting Household Activities for Hygiene Assets and Revenue) Project in Jessore and Tongi Pourashava. The goal of the project is “To protect and promote food and livelihood security of urban poor and vulnerable households in high risk urban areas of Bangladesh.”

Project Objectives:

• To protect and promote household income and community resource and assets

• To improve hygiene and maternal child care practices of vulnerable groups

• To create effective and sustainable institutional support mechanism

Project Activities/ Achieved:

To achieve the above-mentioned objectives BS has been performing the activities through the following components.

(a)    Community Mobilization and Institutional Strengthening (CM & IS)

(b)    Health Hygiene and Nutrition (HHN)

(c)    Income Generating Actives (IGA)

(d)    Minor Infrastructure (MI) 

PROJECT: COMMUNITY INITIATIVES TO REDUCE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
 

Project Commenced: 2003 - On going

Project Partner / Donor: Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF)

Project Description:

Empowering women and community to claim their rights are helping sustain efforts to combat violence against women is the main intervention of the project, which is titled “Community Initiatives to Reduce Violence against Women”. Where an abused marginalized/ oppressed woman are coming to know that she is entitled to quality medical cares, counseling and legal services, as well as to employment and income to reintegrate her in the society. Cultural, social, economical and sometimes political factors contribute to violence against women; considering the all- project has given priority on empowerment of the community through right based approach has proved an effective strategy in addressing it.

This approach can be justified in terms of the costs and consequences of violence to women’s health, income, social acceptance, firm on decision, access to govt. resources, and increased dignity.

The 1^st phase of the project was started in August 2003 for three years; 2^nd phase from August 2006 for another 3 years with 242, 907, 44. 00 financial involvement for 4090 direct 40900 indirect development associates (benefited groups). Finally the 2 phases have ended on 31 July, 2009. Being a successful project, 3^rd phase has started from 1 October, 2009.

Project Objectives:

• Sustainable women headed community based organisations formed and made them functional

• Women harassment events by family conflict, dowry, early marriage, polygamy, trafficking, rape, acid violence, maintenance decreased

• Government and non-government service providers of the project area  made pro-active  for service delivery

Project Activities/ Achieved:

• Community Based Organizations (CBO) are trying successfully to identify and collect information about the incidents of violence against women and children happened in their area through Women Empowerment Committee and providing legal supports in terms of both informal and formal settings.

• With the initiatives of village committee, CBOs and projects the target participants have received 334 services from UP, educational institutions, health department, thana, district legal aid committee, women affairs department, social welfare department, media. 

PROJECT: COMMUNITY JUSTICE

Project Commenced: 2004 - On going

Project Partner / Donor: The Asia Foundation

Project Description:

“To create of a sense of joint responsibility and a joint capacity for addressing crime, service delivery, and safety and security amongst members of the community and the Police.”

Project Objectives:

To establish an active partnership between the police and the community through which crime, service delivery, and police-community relations can jointly be analyzed and appropriate solutions designed and implemented. This relationship required that police should consciously strive to create an atmosphere in which potential community partners are willing and able to cooperate with the police, while community partners are in turn willing to engage in good faith discussion with the police and to understand and take account of the challenges that they face.

Project Activities/ Achieved:

    House hold information collection

• Information collection format development.
• Orientation training on Information collection.
• Information collection.
• Prepare Database.

    Meeting

• CCPF  (Central Community Police Forum) meeting 02  (One meeting in every six Month)
• UCPF  (Union Community Police Forum) meeting 04  (One meeting every after three Month)
•       Monthly WCPF (Ward Community Police Forum) meeting.
• Monthly staff co ordination meeting.

    Education Activities:

• Motivational Workshop on conceptualization of project issue with different Stakeholders
• Joint Workshop with general people and local police
• School-based programs that introduce the concept of community policing to local
• Secondary schools and collages.
• Staff exposure visit

    Education Support Activities

• Two Leaflet for public education on community policing.
• Production and dissemination of poster and sticker (one +two) that highlight the Core Values of community policing.

• Hand out on WCPF guideline
• Street theater
• Community policing information both
• Sports Activities

    Training Activity:

• Training for WCPF members on community policing form management
• Training for Local Police   on community Oriented policing (COP)
• Training for community policing information both volunteers.

     Publicity:

• Bill board
• Media articles (Community policing columns in local and newspapers on program basis)
• Milking.

    Advocacy:

• Advocacy for relationship building with local administration and general people.

PROJECT: COMPUTER EDUCATION FOR DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE @ IINSTITUTE OF TRAINING, RESOURCE AND DEMONSTRATION (ITRAD)

Project Commenced: 2002 - On going

Project Partner / Donor: CIDA donates the project up to 2003. Now it is going on by BS own initiatives registered with vocational board

Project Description:

ITRAD was inaugurated in 1994 transforming the old Training Centre of Banchte Shekha in to a modern training facility with the assistance of the Royal Norwegian Embassy (NORAD).

From the very beginning, Banchte Shekha believed in using culturally based techniques for awareness building and training. As the illiteracy rates are high, Banchte Shekha feels it imperative to find creative and innovative ways to deliver the essential messages of the education programs. Group members are motivated and moved by the ideologies, which take shape and form in songs, poems, rhythms and drama.

Project Objectives:

• Make IT affordable to low income beneficiaries

• Introduce how IT can be an empowerment tool for women

• IT as and income generating activities

• Human resource development through IT education

• Future capacity building for a developing nation

• IT support for children who can’t afford to buy computers to practice what they learn at school

Project Activities/ Achieved:

    Present status of ITRAD’s facilities and services -

• Classrooms -    03
• Auditorium -    01
• Dormitory room (4 seated) -    18
• VIP room (with AC) -    04
• Dining room -    01
• Overhead Projector -    02
• Multimedia -    01
• Photocopier -    02
• Public Address System -    01 unit
• Computer -    01 unit
• Demonstration farm (poultry, livestock, hatchery) -    03