BRAC, founded by

Fazle Abed in 1972,

is a non-profit private
organization of
Bengalis whose rural
develop-ment plans
have served
hundreds of villages
throughout
Bangladesh. At the
heart of BRAC's
philosophy is
empowerment: the
expectation that the
female villagers will
achieve a level of
competence that will
later enable them to
carry our programs
without BRAC’s help.
The idea is to make
villages
economically.
independent, In
Jamalpur, the
women are
organizing
cooperatives,
education, and family
health programs - all
run by the village
women themselves.
Shadia Khatun Community Health Volunteer BRAC At the heart of BRAC’s health
program are community health volunteers – Shasthya Shebikas. This network of
70,000 volunteers visits more than 18 million homes every month offering primary
health care services. They are supervised by a second line of health workers
known as Shasthya Kormis. One health volunteer describes how she became a
health volunteer and the positive impact it has on her life and confidence levels.
There was a time when Shadia was afraid every time she left the house. "I would
always cover my head and stand in the corner,” she recalled. Shadia’s life is now
quite the opposite. Since becoming a BRAC Shasthya Shebika, community
health worker, Shadia says, "Things are different than they were before. I am
much more confident." Shadia’s transformation began eight years ago. Her
youngest daughter was suddenly struck blind and Shadia did not know how to
take care of her. “I didn’t know where to take her. I visited so many doctors and
no one could help.” In response to this situation, and despite the fact that she had
never received an education, Shadia dedicated herself becoming a Shasthya
Shebika. Today, Shadia is a highly competent health worker. “I am always busy,”
she remarked. “I visit fifteen homes every day. I find out who is pregnant, who is
taking pills, and who is getting injections. If I find someone who has been
coughing for 3 weeks, I tell them to get tested for TB. This is my work.” When
Shadia first established herself as the community health volunteer, people treated
her with respect and admiration for the first time in her life. Previously known as
one of the quieter members of her community, she had become accustomed to
being ignored by her neighbors. Now she is seen as one of the most important
people in her village. “Everyone in the village knows I am a Shasthya Shebika,"
she said. "If someone becomes sick, everyone tells them to come to my house.”
The respect Shadia receives from her peers motivates her to work harder. She
does not rest until she knows that every person has received the support they
need. Shadia sees it as her duty to do all she can to take care of the community
she loves. “I want to work for these people. I’m not very beautiful, I don’t have that
much money, but still people look for me. That’s why whenever they call for me, I
will always go.” Shadia is proud of how far she has come since starting her work
as a health volunteer. "Before, when a visitor would come, even if they were
BRAC officers, I would shake with nerves," she said. "Now I have become
courageous; now I stand confidently.”
Sultana Rural Civil Society Member BRAC Across Bangladesh, BRAC operates more than
280,000 village organizations, 12,000 community forums, and nearly 800 district level forums.
All these groups are dedicated to supporting poor women in their goal to improve their lives and
that of their communities. Every week 8.45 million women across Bangladesh attend their
BRAC meetings to receive loans, understand their rights, and claim their entitlements. One
woman describes how BRAC has enabled her to defend her own and other women’s rights and
become a leader for her community. Sultana has felt the frustrations of poverty, abandonment,
and inequity, and knows what it takes to overcome them. BRAC's social development program
allowed Sultana to act on a determination to transform herself and her community. Every day,
Sultana fights battles for those who cannot fight for themselves, continually inspired by her
recollections of injustice. As a twelve year old girl, having just started fifth grade, Sultana was
forced to drop out of school to marry a man she did not know. Throughout her marriage,
Sultana suffered mental and physical abuse. One day, when Sultana was seventeen, her
husband stopped coming home. "He just stopped paying my costs," Sultana recalls, "and then
he married another woman even though I was still here." Sultana was left to fend for herself
without money, education, or employment. Refusing to be a victim, Sultana approached
BRAC's Human Rights and Legal Services Program to file a lawsuit against her husband. "I
was very young and I didn't understand how the process was going to work," Sultana
remembers, "but I went to them and I told them my complaints." Sultana's assertiveness was
rewarded. She won the case, and now her former husband provides her with financial support.
Intent on establishing her independence, Sultana joined a village organization and started a
tailoring business with a loan from BRAC. Though her life was now stable, she knew deep
within herself that more needed to be done: "I still felt the pain from when my husband tortured
me, and I realized that there must be many other women who still feel that same pain." This
realization opened an important chapter in Sultana's life. She discovered a frightening pattern
of violence and suppression affecting women throughout her community. "I went through the
village and started speaking to many women, I learned about their pain and frustration."
Sultana had fought her own battle, now she was going to start fighting for her community.
Sultana helped BRAC start a Polli Shomaj, a committee to defend the rights of the poor, in her
village. With a burning desire to help the abused women of her community, Sultana took
advantage of this opportunity: "I made sure that we started the Polli Shomaj so that no other
women could be tortured like this". The Polli Shomaj proved its value to the village by exposing
and solving cases of domestic violence. “[At first] people in the village didn't understand the
work that we were doing, they didn't like it that we were bringing women out of the house,” she
says. “But now people listen to us and talk to us," Sultana says, "people search for us to speak
of their problems." Another recurrent issue that Sultana fights is the lack of transparency within
the local government. Although challenging government corruption is a complicated and difficult
task, Sultana uses the power of the Polli Shomaj to mobilize groups of women to fight for their
government entitlements. Sultana has also joined the district level community group, the Union
Shomaj, which connects women leaders in the same area so they have greater influence in
local politics. "They were selling away our opportunities," Sultana said. "We now have formed a
group to make sure we know about these opportunities...the chairman can ignore one voice;
ten voices make the chairman listen." Sultana is proud to pave the way for many rural
Bangladeshi women who are claiming their rights for the first time. Firmly focused on the future,
Sultana is confident that her Union Shomaj has the dedication and the support that it needs to
continue to build momentum. "Alone, we don't have any weapons to fight our battle, but with
BRAC we can. They are our arms," she says. Sultana fights for her community every day: "We
can definitely win this war. We are trying everything to win this war... We will try forever.
Robia Khatun Village Organization Member BRAC At the centre of BRAC’s approach are village
organizations (VOs) – each with 30-40 members. These village organizations meet weekly to
distribute loans, collect repayments and savings contributions, and raise awareness on many
social, legal and personal issues affecting the everyday lives of poor women. New member, Robia
Khatun, describes how the microfinance and human rights education she received helped her to
leave poverty behind and assist others in the community. In the last twelve months, Robia Khatun
has built a vegetable garden, taught her community about legal rights, and purchased her first pair
of shoes. Twelve months ago, these were distant dreams when Robia was struggling every day to
provide for her nine children. Robia's participation in BRAC's programs allowed her to move
beyond that past. She has taken advantage of new opportunities to turn life around for her family
and to invest in a brighter future for her village. A year ago, Robia could not gain access to
financial credit. “Other organizations rejected me. They told that I was too poor and that I would
not be able to repay the loans,” she said. “But BRAC didn’t do that. They gave me a loan and
trained me on how to plant potatoes, chilies, and other vegetables.” Robia took advantage of her
training and invested her 6,000 taka (USD 90) loan to cultivate vegetables and sell them at the
local market, and has used her profits to dramatically raise her family's standard of living. "There
were times when I didn’t even have enough rice to cook one full meal a day," she said. "Now that I
am a part of BRAC, I can cook three meals or more a day for me and my nine children. That is
why I am happy now.” Having found happiness in providing for her family, Robia pushed to further
life enhancement by graduating from BRAC’s human rights and legal education course. She
gained the knowledge and confidence to fight traditional pressures such as paying dowry and
marrying children at a very early age. “I can now work to stop these problems," she said, "I’ll let my
sons and daughters marry when they are of proper age and I will not pay a single penny on
dowries.” Robia is realizing the extent to which her education on human rights and legal services
has given her the power to help her community in the same way in which she is helping her family.
Robia is especially proud that she no longer feels hopeless when she hears about cases of
domestic violence. "Before, I would see these problems, but I couldn’t do anything because I didn’t
know about legal rights,” she explained. “Now I know much more and I can help others in my
community.” Robia has used her human rights education and access to BRAC's microfinance
program to transform life for her family. She is now inspired to share her knowledge and provide
help to the families that still do not understand their rights and opportunities. "I have more courage
"I feel I have been given a light
and I feel even my heart is stronger," she says.
which I can use to do good for other people.”
Futiker Ma Ultra Poor Program Member BRAC Futiker spent many years isolated and in despair
after she was abandoned by her family and ignored by her community. Today, she is working her
way out of extreme poverty after joining BRAC’s ground breaking ultra poor program. This two
year program provides her with free assets – such as cows and goats for livestock rearing – free
health care, business training, a small living allowance, and access to flexible small loans to
expand her business. She is one of more than 800,000 ultra poor households that will benefit from
the program over the next five years. All the women on the ultra poor program are widowed,
abandoned or have husbands who are unable to work. In Futiker’s case, she was abandoned by
her husband when he became mentally ill and disappeared, her son was only ten years old but
they managed to cope together. After her son married, she was finally reduced to begging to
survive. “My son and I used to stay and eat together," she says, "but after he married he couldn’t
give me food and I had to eat by begging from door to door.” In July 2008, BRAC field staff visited
her village and invited the whole community to attend their local Participatory Rural Appraisal
meeting, which is designed to map out a village and identify extremely poor households in dire
need of assistance. BRAC has developed a set of five criteria to determine whether an individual
qualifies as being ultra poor. If a woman fulfills at least three of these, she is eligible for the
program. Futiker fulfilled four criteria, as her household did not have an active male member, had
no productive assets, owned less than ten decimals of land, and was dependent on begging as the
only source of income. She joined the program and was given a weekly living allowance that
allowed her to stop begging and start rebuilding her life. She also had the choice of which type of
productive assets she received so she could start earning a stable income. “It was my choice to
have a cow and two goats because I expect that they will give me a lot of money," she said. "I will
be able to eat and maybe save some money too.” To make sure that Futiker will be able to use her
assets to their full potential, BRAC provides technical assistance and training on how to
successfully rear livestock. As she says, “the BRAC man comes to my house every Tuesday and
teaches me about my cow and goats”. Futiker will be supported and advised over the next two
years to make sure that she is making progress and becoming self-reliant. She has embraced the
chance to improve her life, relishing the opportunity to forge a way out of the poverty and misery
she had experienced. “I’m able to feed my goats and my cow in the morning, afternoon, and at
night," she says, with a firm sense of pride. "I bought this food."
Ahki WASH Teenager BRAC BRAC is working to improve water supplies and
sanitation facilities in schools and communities, and promote safe hygiene practices
across Bangladesh. Promoting safe hygienic behavior helps break the
contamination cycle of unsanitary latrines, contaminated water, and water borne
communicable diseases. One determined BRAC teenager explains why she is so
committed to helping the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Program (WASH) achieve
its goals. Though only fourteen years old, Ahki is already a leader in her community.
Education has helped define Akhi’s vision for the future and instilled in her a sense
of responsibility. Through involvement in BRAC programs, Ahki gained the
opportunity to improve life for herself and people in her village. She now teaches
people in her community how to live safer and healthier lives. When Ahki was five
years old, her village had no school and she wondered if she would ever receive an
education. Since then, she has been able to take advantage of the opportunities
BRAC has given her to become a well-rounded, educated young person. She
attended a primary school that BRAC built in her village until she was ten. After
finishing primary school, she joined BRAC's adolescent development program,
where twice a week she joins other girls to study, share stories, and learn from one
another in a safe place. She is also currently attending a public secondary school
where BRAC runs a WASH program to encourage hygienic behavior. BRAC
teaches students healthy habits and provides the school with resources to
encourage a healthier way of life. When Ahki first went to the school, students had
to use a dirty, broken toilet, but this changed when BRAC started the WASH
program. “Because of WASH," says Ahki, "there is a new toilet in our common room
and the toilet and hand pump are kept clean.” WASH has ensured a sanitary
environment at her school and this has inspired Ahki to use her knowledge to create
a lasting impact within the community. She encourages her classmates to reduce
their personal risk of contracting diseases by implementing WASH habits at home
and in their daily lives. “My parents are now much more aware of sanitation issues
and I have also talked with my neighbors,” she says, speaking of her success in
spreading the message of WASH. “I explain the benefits of keeping clean.” BRAC
has been a part of Akhi’s life for more than eight years and promises to support her
as she continues to pursue her dreams. She thanks BRAC for giving her
opportunities to help others and increase her knowledge and empower herself. “If I
ever get the chance to work for BRAC in the future, I will definitely do that,” she said.
“It is important to make the people of our country more aware about cleanliness.”
Shamima Community Health Worker BRAC BRAC’s award winning national
health program covers a target population of 98 million people with essential
health care services, maternal, neonatal and child health initiatives, tuberculosis
and malaria control, and water, sanitation and hygiene implementation. The
extensiveness of BRAC’s reach is possible through its network of 74,000 all
women community health volunteers and 6,300 community health workers who
make 18 million home visits every month. One community health worker explains
why she decided to join BRAC and help improve the health of Bangladesh’s rural
villagers. Four years ago, Shamima chose to give her life a new purpose. She
had a supportive husband and a growing son, but she spent all of her time in the
home. She craved more responsibility and wanted an opportunity to become a
leader in the community. She also wanted to spend time helping local women and
their families. Then she heard about BRAC. She was inspired by their mission to
bring healthcare to rural families and applied to become a Shasthya Kormi - a
community health worker. What began as a personal goal of empowerment and
life improvement has now transformed her community and improved the health of
families throughout the region. Shamima feels highly respected whenever she
walks into a village. “I love how people come running to talk with me and ask how
I am,” she shares. She meets with groups of village women everyday and helps
them with their immediate health concerns. She also makes sure to take the time
to build personal relationships with the women. As she empowers others with
knowledge and selfesteem, Shamima gains their trust and friendship in return.
“Everyone has accepted me very well,” she says, “The women of the communities
praise me for my work.” Shamima also visits 25 individual households each day
to provide families with primary healthcare. By teaching women to promote good
health practices and delivering services and medical supplies, she ensures the
wellbeing of the entire community. “It is our practice to talk with women so much
that now whenever we talk, we become very connected,” Shamima says.
“Women can share their problems with other women so they open up to us and
accept us willingly.” Without Shamima’s work, the medical options for community
members are limited. The government hospitals are often inaccessible and
overcrowded, and the private clinics are too expensive. Shamima goes straight to
the patient. From within a patient’s home she monitors health, provides treatment,
and contacts BRAC clinics for more severe health concerns – especially
complications in pregnancy. “People rely on BRAC because we can take
medicine to their door,” Shamima explains. “We ensure that they get services.”
Shamima has changed her own life by changing the lives of others. She is
thankful for her ability to impact the community and for the purpose that it gives
her in return. “As long as I am alive,” she shares, “if I can continue with my work
as a Shasthya Kormi, I will be happy.”
Chameli Rema Secondary School Head Teacher BRAC In Bangladesh, only
54% of secondary school teachers are properly trained. Since 2002, BRAC has
been running a secondary school teacher training program with 2,000
participating schools. The program has trained 18,000 teachers and head
teachers. The head teacher of one of the best rural secondary schools in the
country explains how BRAC has helped her improve the quality of teaching and
learning at her school. Chameli Rema has been head teacher of Rangrapara
Secondary School for twenty years. During this period, she has helped make it
the second highest ranking academic institution in the region. To maintain a high
standard, Chameli has diligently ensured an environment in which her students
get the level of education they need to develop as thinkers and leaders. By
working closely with BRAC, Chameli has ensured that teachers and students
never run out of opportunities to improve themselves. To guarantee that the
quality of instruction is constantly being enhanced, Chameli encourages her
teachers to take advantage of teacher training courses offered by BRAC. She
demonstrates her belief in the value of these courses by volunteering for them
herself. “I was the first to receive training” she says, “and I have completed
several BRAC training courses since then.” Following their head teacher’s
example, the teachers enthusiastically attended BRAC's training courses. They
were excited about the techniques that they learned and quickly applied them in
the classroom. Having instilled an ambition of constant self-improvement in her
teachers, Chameli observed improvement in the standard of education at her
school. "After every BRAC training," she explains, "the teachers are more
focused and dedicated to educating the students." Chameli is intent on giving
the students the same opportunities at developing themselves as the teachers.
She encourages students of all ages to participate in BRAC’s leadership training
programs, which have had an impressive impact on her student body. “Before
my students went to BRAC training, I was often unsuccessful when I tried to
form groups for studying or organizing cultural events,” Chameli explains. “Now,
whenever I instruct them to arrange activities for the school, they form groups
themselves and they work together.” While Chameli has created a positive
learning environment, it remains a challenge for her to open it to all students. “It
is very hard for many of our students to pay the school fees, and a few are
unable to pay at all." Dedicated to giving all children education opportunities,
Chameli has developed alternate payment methods for families with financial
issues. "The admissions fee of 300 taka (USD 7) should normally be paid in
January," she said, "but I let poor families pay in six monthly installments.”
Because of Chameli’s ability to overcome obstacles, she feels confident about
facing challenges in the future. “My school will continue to improve,” Chameli
insists. “I hope that in the next generation, everyone will be able to receive a
proper education.
Anita Rani Dash Ultra Poor Program Graduate BRAC BRAC’s Ultra Poor Program
has been established worldwide as one of the most innovative and successful
approaches to reducing extreme poverty. It builds the livelihoods of ultra poor
households through free assets, enterprise training, special health services, social
development, subsistence allowances, and microfinance loans. One successful
graduate of the Ultra Poor Program describes how she is using her experience to
help other extremely poor women through active community participation and
leadership. It was not possible for Anita Rani Dash to support her family. She was
an unemployed mother of three with a husband that refused to work. Anita tried to
sell handicrafts, but was forced to beg for money when she could no longer even
provide one meal a day for her family. It was then that she was identified by BRAC
as being eligible for their Ultra Poor Program. They tailored assistance specifically
for her situation and provided an opportunity that significantly impacted her life.
Support from BRAC, combined with her personal determination, enabled Anita to
secure financial stability for her family, gain respect from people in her village, and
reach out to support the poor around her. BRAC gave Anita six goats and full
training on how to rear them. From that point on, Anita gained control over the
direction of her life. While BRAC provided the original assets, Anita determines
exactly how to generate the most income from them. After expanding her business,
she decided to sell most of her goats to launch a more profitable business and to
provide vital services for her family: “I sold ten goats to buy a cow and two more to
repair my house.” Beyond giving her family a new life, Anita's economic success has
improved her social standing within the community. “Before, if I was visiting
someone’s house, they would immediately assume that I was there to borrow
something," she says, "now people know that I have the ability to give them
something, so they are much friendlier.” Not only are they much friendlier, they also
hold her in higher esteem, as she says, “Wherever I go now, people pay attention to
me and take what I have to say seriously.” Anita understands the suffering
experienced by the poor. As a member of the programs Village Poverty Alleviation
Committee, Anita is able to advocate for the issues concerning the extreme poor.
While this committee is mostly comprised of men, she feels that the committee
members respect her views and treat her as an equal. In many cases, the
committee recognizes her experience and defers projects to her. “There are jobs
that the men in the committee cannot do. The committee chooses me to do this
work.” BRAC created an environment in which Anita could succeed, and Anita took
advantage of the opportunity and accomplished great things for her family and for
her community. She has yet to realize her biggest desire, which is to make sure that
her children never experience the degrading hardships that she experienced in the
past. "I just want my kids to learn to work. If they learn to work, they will be able to
run their own businesses" she said. "I was not able to send them to formal school,
but I will do everything to give them the education they need to be able to rely on
themselves in the future
Mohammed Baset Legal Aid Lawyer BRAC BRAC’s human rights and legal services
department has to date provided legal education to 3.5 million poor women in Bangladesh and
operates the largest NGO legal aid service in the world. The legal aid clinics help BRAC
members as well as poor non-members of the community resolve their conflicts through either
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) or the formal legal system. BRAC staff lawyers take
action when court procedures are required. One such lawyer, Mohammad Baset, explains his
role and success in seeking justice for vulnerable women and children. “Guilty.” Upon hearing
the judge’s ruling, Mohammad Baset smiled with joy and relief. He had worked towards this
verdict for three years and with a single word his effort was validated. For Mohammad and his
fellow lawyers at BRAC’s Legal Aid Clinic, there is no better feeling than helping the powerless
and voiceless claim their rights. Today they had done just that, gaining justice for a seven-year
old girl who was raped three years ago. Originally a trial lawyer in the criminal courts,
Mohammad left his high-paying job to work for BRAC and speak for those who had no voice. “I
wanted to work for people who were unable to defend themselves,” he remembers. Now he
assists local poor citizens in cases of divorce, alimony, and child support. “I like arranging
settlements by helping people talk to each other,” he says. In the past decade, his team has
assisted in 4,238 cases winning 9.3 million taka (USD 135,000) in alimony and financial support
for poor women who once thought they would not receive anything. “The biggest reward of my
job is seeing the huge smiles on the women’s faces when they finally receive their due.”
Mohammad says that BRAC has developed a strong reputation among communities, lawyers,
and state officials. BRAC independently evaluates all complaints it receives, confirming that
victims’ claims are valid and that their evidence is compelling. “Judges are confident in our
arguments,” and as a result,” Mohammad notes, “We usually receive a good verdict.” In
addition to domestic cases, Mohammad is currently representing 36 victims of human rights
violations, victims who would otherwise never receive justice. He tells of two girls who were
attacked by a rich villager’s son. When the parents of the girls looked to the village council for
help, their claims were ridiculed and dismissed. In another case, Mohammad represented a
young girl who was raped by her two cousins on the way home from a meeting with her tutor.
Doctors eventually needed to remove her uterus, rendering her incapable of ever having
children. Mohammad explains that the difficult nature of these cases not only creates a great
emotional burden for the victims and their loved ones, but that these cases are also a financial
strain on families. Cases can take three or four years to resolve, and victims are often socially
stigmatized, and struggle to regain a normal life. BRAC provides comprehensive services
including medical treatment, psychological rehabilitation, financial opportunity, and social
support to the victims and their families, while also dedicating a team of researchers, trial
lawyers, and community workers to ensure that the trial is handled fairly. Mohammad is
humbled by the support his team has received from the people and communities they help.
BRAC’s legal aid focuses exclusively on serving those in need and does not take any money
from their clients. Mohammad says money is not a motivating issue because the lawyers are
constantly encouraged by the tremendous local praise and encouragement that they receive.
“BRAC is highly regarded and esteemed in the community,” he says. “We feel like we can take
on anything.” The hard work of Mohammad and his team has had a tremendous impact. 78 of
the 82 rape cases his district has handled have received favorable verdicts, which make him
optimistic for the future. “The cases are hard,” he says, “but we now have the confidence and
the mental strength to take any case and fight for it.” Mohammad loves his job because he
knows he is making a positive impact daily, both for individuals and for Bangladesh as a whole.
“I’ve seen way too many unfair cases, and something needs to be done about it,” Mohammad
states. “We provide a platform and a voice for the people. I want to leave Bangladesh in a
Rabeya Microfinance Member BRAC BRAC is one of the largest global providers of
financial services for the poor. So far, it has distributed over USD 5.3 billion in loans,
and achieves a 99% recovery rate. Each microfinance borrower joins one of the
284,000 village organizations to make her weekly repayments and receive various
forms of assistance such as skills training, help with marketing, and access to BRAC’s
other services in health, education, legal aid, and human rights. One member,
Rabeya, describes her business and how she progressed up the credit ladder and out
of poverty. Rabeya held out the dried fish she was selling in her hands—a
representation of how far she has come. When asked about her past, she confidently
said, “I have overcome those days and do not want to talk about them.” Rabeya
defines herself not by her previous hardships, but by her recent successes, present
happiness, and hopes for the future. The change in Rabeya's life began five years ago
with her first small loan from BRAC. She invested 4,000 taka (USD 60) in her
husband’s fruit vending business and also constructed a roof for their modest home.
Before having a roof, Rabeya was dependent on others to provide cover when it
rained. Speaking of the impact of this first loan, she remarks, “BRAC gave me shelter.”
After repaying her first loan, Rabeya decided to take out a second loan of 6,000 taka
(USD 90) to begin her own market business. She now buys dried fish and fruit from
the city to sell to her neighbors at the local village market. This business generates
enough income to give her family extra benefits. “With the extra income I earned, I had
enough money to install a water pump right outside my house. It has made my family’s
health much better,” she explained. Because of the independence that BRAC has
given her to run her own business, Rabeya is confident in her ability to provide for her
family. “I am able to control my own money. I run my own business and I have built up
some savings," she said, "this is my security for the future.” She also acknowledges
that running her own business allows her to work close to home. “Before I could only
find work in the city and I didn’t want to leave my children," she recalled. "With my loan
I can work in my village. I can stay close to my children and take care of my home.”
Rabeya's independence has also influenced her entire way of life, beyond running her
business. Before taking loans from BRAC, neighbors and even close friends expected
that she wanted something from them every time she visited. “I used to rely on others
for things like water or money so that my kids would have proper health care”. Now
that she can provide those things for herself, she is finally seen as an equal.
Remarking on this great achievement for herself and her family, she said: “I have a
house, I can feed my children, and my husband and I run our businesses together. We
are no longer dependent on anyone.” Looking towards the future, Rabeya sees
nothing but great things for her family. With support from BRAC, she knows that she
will never have to face difficulties alone. She explained, “If my husband hurts me, I can
get legal help. If my child is sick, I can visit the Shebika (community health worker) and
she can give him medicine. If there is any problem, BRAC can solve it.” With that
comfort, she is now able to live her life without fear for her family’s financial condition.
“In the future, I hope that I can take more loans. It is my wish to continue to develop
my life.”
2017 book on brac DRIVING DEVELOPMENT
1. Introduction> Mahabub Hossain> Background / Development Challenges of Bangladesh / Vision and Mission of
BRAC / BRAC’s Development Interventions: An Overview / BRAC Enterprises / BRAC International 2. Education:
Facilitating Human Resource Development> Samir Ranjan Nath and Safiqul Islam> Introduction / Progress in
the Education Sector in Bangladesh / BRAC Education Programme / Studies on BRAC Education
Programme / Concluding Remarks.
3. Reaching Healthcare to Grassroots> Syed Masud Ahmed, Kaosar Afsana, Akramul Islam and Faruque
Ahmed> Introduction: Bangladesh Health Scenario / BRAC Health Programme (BHP) / Role of Research in Shaping
BHP / Impact of BRAC Health Interventions / Conclusions.
4. Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health> Hashima-E-Nasreen and Kaosar Afsana> Introduction / BRAC Maternal
and Child Health Programme / Achievements of the Programme / Lessons Learnt / Conclusions.
5. Nutrition Interventions for Improved Child Health> Barnali Chakraborty and M Raisul
Haque> Introduction / Nutrition Situation: The Bangladesh Context / Evolution of BRAC Nutrition
Interventions / Research Support to Nutrition Programme / Conclusions.
6. Microfinance: Financial Inclusion for Employment Generation> Mahabub Hossain and SN
Kairy> Introduction / The Microfinance Landscape in Bangladesh / BRAC Microfinance Programme / Review of
Progress / Future Outlook / Impact of Microfinance: A Review of Studies / Concluding Remarks.
7. Challenging the Frontier of Poverty Reduction: Targeting the Ultra Poor> Mahabub Hossain, Anindita
Bhattacharjee and Narayan C Das> Poverty: The Bangladesh Context / BRAC’s Targeted Poverty Reduction
Programme / CFPR-TUP Programme’s Achievements / Conclusions.
8. Agriculture for Food Security> Mahabub Hossain, M Sirajul Islam, SC Nath, MA Saleque and Mokarram
Hossain> Introduction / Agricultural Growth in Bangladesh / BRAC Interventions in Agriculture / Conclusions.
9. Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Disaster Management> Nepal C Dey, Tahera Akter, Sifat E Rabbi and Babar
Kabir> Introduction / The Bangladesh Situation / BRAC Development Interventions / BRAC Studies on
Environmental Issues / Impact Assessment Research / Concluding Remarks.
10. Community Empowerment and Local Governance> Mohammad Rafi, Kazi Nazrul Fattah, Sharin
Shahajahan Naomi and Anna Minj> Introduction / Community Empowerment Programme / Community Institution
Building / Strengthening Local Governance / Reaching Information to Marginalised People / Community Radio: The
Radio Pallikantha / Special Projects / Citizen Engagement for Effective Governance / Accessing Benefits of Right to
Information Act / Enhancing Social Capital of Village Organisation Members / Studies on the Relevance and
Effectiveness of the Programme / On Power Structure and Community Based Institutions / On Active Citizenry / On
Strengthening Village Organisation / On Violence against Women / Concluding Remarks.
11. Human Rights and Legal Aid Services> Mohammad Rafi, Sharin Shajahan Naomi and Faustina
Pereira> Introduction / Features of HRLS Programme / Community Services / Legal Service Providers / Legal
Education for Raising Awareness / Legal Support Services / Alternative Dispute Resolution / Panel
Lawyer / Community Mobilisation / Human Rights Implementation Committee / Legal Rights Implementation
Committee / Recent Initiatives / Public Interest Litigation / Introspection of HRLS through Research / Developing
Pedagogy and HRLE Curriculum / Conclusions.
12. Gender Justice and Women’s Empowerment> Sheepa Hafiza, Rumana Ali and Mohammad
Rafi> Introduction / Gender Equality in Bangladesh / BRAC Interventions for Women’s Empowerment / Gender
Justice and Diversity Division / Studies on Gender Issues / Conclusions.
13. Trajectory for Institutional Development> Abu Ahsan, Mohammad Rafi and Andrew
Jenkins> Introduction / Early Developments: From Poverty to Power / Conscientisation’ and Mobilisation of the
Oppressed / Successes and Challenges in the 1980s / Institutional Scope
/ Conclusions.
14. Evolution of Development Management in BRAC> Sukhendra Kumar Sarkar> Introduction / Management of
Integrated Development Projects in the 1970s / Scaling up for Impact: Lessons from OTEP / Drivers of Success of
OTEP / Other Drivers of Sustaining Efficiency and Effectiveness with Growth / Chronology of Development
Interventions / BRAC International Operations.
15.Governance, Transparency, Enterprises and Financial Sustainability> SN Kairy> Introduction / Governance
and Transparency in BRAC / Finance and Accounts / Financial Growth / Towards Financial Sustainability / Growth of
Assets / Conclusions.
16. Reflections on Drivers of BRAC’s Success> SalehuddinAhmed> Introduction / Drivers of
Success / Organisational Culture: Scope of Improvement / Conclusion.
17.Research Driving Development> Ahmed Mushtaque Raza Chowdhury and Andrew Jenkins
18.Conclusion> Mahabub Hossain