Brac
'Funds hardly reach climate-vulnerable people'
Money allocated for the climate-vulnerable people hardly ends up reaching them due to the absence of capable institutions and proper distribution, speakers said at an event hosted by Brac at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) Saturday.
Three big failures are seriously undermining the efforts to tackle the negative impacts of climate change, said Dr Professor Saleemul Huq, director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development in Dhaka, and one of the world's foremost experts on the climate crisis.
The first failure is on the part of the developed countries in releasing the $100 billion they promised in 2009, to channel to vulnerable countries.
The second failure, according to Dr Huq, is that they are giving 20 percent of the money for adaptation and 50 percent for mitigation, when the ratio should be 50/50.
The third and final failure is that the funds reach only 2 percent of the vulnerable people.
Saleemul was addressing the panel discussion "Climate Bridge Fund: An innovative CSO-led financing to build the resilience of climate migrants in Bangladesh" held at the Bangladesh Pavilion at the COP26 in Glasgow, UK.
"We are yet to get the $100 billion a year promised to less wealthy nations by 2020 to help them adapt to climate change and mitigate further rises in temperature. The issue has not been resolved up to now. We want the developed countries to start disbursing these funds, and they should start right now," said Md Mostafa Kamal, secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, while addressing the discussion as chief guest.
Brac, the world's largest NGO that fights poverty across the global South from its Bangladeshi base, established the Climate Bridge Fund (CBF) as a trust fund in November 2019, with the support of the German government through KfW, the country's state-owned investment and development bank.
The aim of the fund is to support adaptation and risk-reduction measures of people who are displaced or at the risk of being displaced due to the impacts of climate change in Bangladesh.
Legally it operates as an endowment fund. CBF invested about €10 million (Euros) in treasury bonds. Proceeds are being used to support local organisations to implement adaptation projects.
Barbara Schnell, director of KfW, said: "Bangladesh's climate migrants have a very uncertain future. We think the CBF initiatives have four success factors, including capacity building. It has bridged the gaps for vulnerable people."
Asif Saleh, executive director of Brac, said: "The CBF model of Brac-KfW can be a unique model to address problems of climate migrants and vulnerable people in the urban areas."
"We do not have any master plan to address the climate change issue in the cities. CBF wants to promote locally-led adaptation to avoid climatic risks not only in Bangladesh, but also the other countries in the world."
Govt ‘eyes partnership’ with non-formal education sector
Director General of the Bureau of Non-Formal Education (BNFE) Md Ataur Rahman has said the government is eager to work in the non-formal education sector on the basis of a long-term partnership with BRAC, an international development organization.
BRAC's long-term activities for Rohingyas and the host community are positive, praiseworthy and realistic, and the government wants to utilize those experiences of BRAC, he said.
Rahman made the remarks while addressing a discussion at a hotel in Cox’s Bazar town on Saturday evening, said a media release on Sunday.
The Education Sector of BRAC under Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) organized the discussion titled ‘Education Activities under HCMP’.
The BNFE DG visited the district to inspect the education activities, taken up by BRAC, at Rohingya camps.
Md Ripon Kabir Laskar, Deputy Director (Admin) of BNFE; Safi Rahman Khan, Director of Education Programme of BRAC; Md Mahamud Hasan, Chief of Party of the same programme; Khan Mohammad Ferdous, Lead of Education Sector under HCMP; and others were present.
The BNFE DG stressed the importance of innovating new ideas by utilizing the experiences of field level BRAC employees regarding the non-formal education for Rohingyas and the host community.
BRAC brought 69,423 children (aged between 3-14) under non-formal education at Rohingya camps. Besides, the organization is working for 3,759 children of the host community, he said, adding that the government and BRAC can work jointly on innovation by utilizing BRAC’s experiences.
He said the government will provide necessary support regarding the innovation and enhancing capacity of education employees.
Earlier, the DG visited the BRAC Learning Centre at No. 15 and 16 Rohingya camps where he talked to Rohingya children, studying from level 1-4, their parents, guardians and teachers.
BRAC takes initiative for protection of children of Rohingya, host communities
BRAC, a development organization, has taken an initiative for the protection as well as the mental growth of children of the Rohingya and host communities through play amid Covid-19.
Speakers disclosed this at a workshop at a hotel in Cox’s Bazar district town.
Child Protection Sector under Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) of BRAC organized the event titled ‘Lesson Learn Workshop’ on recently, Brac said on Wednesday.
The workshop was held for evaluating the achievement of child protection and chalking out future steps for achieving the objective in the next year (2022).
READ: Let Rohingya children live as full members of society: Unicef
Hasina Akhter Huq, Area Director of HCMP of BRAC; Roberts Sila Muthini, Programme Head of HCMP; Syeda Sazia Zaman, Programme Head of BRAC IED; Riffat Jahan Nahreen, Team Lead of Child Protection Sector under HCMP; and others spoke at the event.
BRAC to hold advocacy on protection of Rohingyas, host community
Development organization BRAC has taken up a plan by giving maximum priority to the protection issue of Rohingyas as well as the host community (local community).
Speakers disclosed this at a camp-based Shurokkha Bondhus’ orientation on Safeguarding and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA).
Safeguarding Unit under Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) of BRAC arranged the two-day event which concluded at a hotel in Cox’s Bazar district town on Tuesday.
Advocacy activities on the matter aimed at creating awareness among BRAC employees will be strengthened further in the days to come.
Read: Brac for increasing partner NGOs' capacity to better serve people
A total of 45 officials from senior management of BRAC attended the event on the concluding day.
A total of 34 employees from 34 Rohingya camps of HCMP of BRAC attended the first day programme.
SK Jenefa K Jabbar, Director of Human Rights and Legal Aid Services, Social Compliance and Safeguarding unit of BRAC, attended as a facilitator from an online platform on the last day.
Farjana Siddiqua, Manager of Training and Safeguarding Unit under Human Resources Division of HCMP, moderated the first day’s event.
Tahmina Yesmin, Team Lead of Safeguarding Unit of HR Division of BRAC Head Office, acted as the facilitator, while Tilon Andrews, Manager of Safeguarding Unit of BRAC Head Office, attended as trainer on the first day.
Read: Rana Plaza victims get support from Brac amid Covid-19
The training was organized for ensuring safe work atmosphere for Rohingyas and the host community, and raising awareness among all the employees of BRAC on protection from exploitation and discrimination.
Hasina Akhter Huq, Area Director of HCMP of BRAC, hoped that ‘Shurokkha Bondhus’, who took training from field level, will strengthen advocacy activities to raise awareness about the matter at Rohingya as well as the host communities.
30 more Bangladeshis rescued from the Mediterranean return from Tunisia: BRAC
Thirty more Bangladeshis, rescued in the Mediterranean Sea on their way to Italy, returned to Dhaka Thursday from Tunisia.
All of them, who were victims of human trafficking, arrived home on a Turkish Airlines flight at around 12:00 pm, Brac Migration Programme head Shariful Hasan said.
They are now under the care of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport authority and being provided with emergency support, including food and water.
Of them, 7 are from Shariatpur,6 from Madaripur, 4 from Gopalganj, 3 from Tangail, 2 each from Faridpur, Kishoreganj and Sylhet and 1 each from Cumilla, Dhaka, Noakhali and Munshiganj.
Earlier this year they went to Dubai with visit visas and then moved to Libya and finally to Tunisia. Next, they crossed the Mediterranean through Tunisia and headed towards Italy.
Read: 13 Bangladeshis rescued in Mediterranean return home
Similarly, 13 Bangladeshi victims returned from Tunisia on August 19, 17 on July 1 and 7 more on March 24.
According to information provided by BRAC, around 5,278 Bangladeshis entered Europe this year in similar ways.
As many as 65,000 people entered Europe illegally from Bangladesh in the past 12 years among which 40,000 crossed the Mediterranean Sea in risky voyages.
Most of them belong to the age group 25-50, added BRAC sources.
Read: 49 Bangladeshi migrants rescued from Mediterranean
Many of them have become victims of either trafficking or smuggling into several countries – Libya, Tunisia, Malta, Bosnia and Herzegovina even amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Untold numbers have perished of course.
Bangladesh now tops the list of source countries whose nationals have tried to cross into Europe through the dangerous voyage across the Mediterranean Sea.
UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, recorded 937 deaths in just the first six months of this year in the Mediterranean, many of them Bangladeshis.
Also, Covid-19-induced worsening poverty situation can be linked with people's desperation to take risky journeys, crossing the Mediterranean Sea and land routes to reach Europe.
Meanwhile, Covid-19 has increased the risk of trafficking not only for potential migrants who are looking for better opportunities in Europe. Recent trends also suggest that traffickers are using social media platforms to lure potential victims of human trafficking.
Around 4,510 irregular Bangladeshi nationals entered Italy, Malta, Spain or Greece in 2020 through sea and by land, according to the International Organization for Migration Displacement Tracking Matrix.
At least 17 Bangladeshi migrants drowned in a shipwreck off Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe, the Tunisian Red Crescent said in July.
On July 3, at least 43 migrants, including Bangladeshis, went missing while 84 were rescued after a boat heading towards Europe drowned off the coast of Tunisia.
Several migrant boats sank recently while trying to reach Europe as more people are now trying to make the dangerous voyage across the Mediterranean to the continent amid warmer summer weather.
Between May 18 and June 24 this year, Tunisian naval authorities rescued over 700 Bangladeshis, shipwrecked in the Mediterranean on their way to Europe from Libya.
They were part of at least 3,332 Bangladeshis who have so far been either rescued or detained on their way to the continent this year.
Rana Plaza victims get support from Brac amid Covid-19
Brac has stepped forward to support the Rana Plaza victims amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
A total of 23 people, hit hardest in the Rana Plaza incident, received cheques worth Tk27.90 lakh at a ceremony at the upazila nirbahi officer's (UNO) conference room in Savar Wednesday.
Savar UNO Md Mazharul Islam handed over the cheques provided by the Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) of Brac.
Read: HSBC, BEZA, Brac team up to make Mirsarai Economic Zone greener
With this, a total of 70 survivors of the Rana Plaza incident got financial assistance from the HCMP during the pandemic.
The HCMP has so far provided livelihood support to 785 families in 33 districts since the Rana Plaza accident in 2013. Of the affected, 160 people got long-term medical services, while 733 others were given psycho-social counselling.
About 1,100 people died and over 2,000 injured as Rana Plaza collapsed in Savar on April 14, 2013.
BRAC to strengthen advocacy to ensure gender equality at workplaces
Development organization BRAC has taken up a plan to give maximum importance to issue of equal facility and partnership of women at all humanitarian activities, including work places, alongside men in the days to come.
BRAC will strengthen advocacy campaign in future for further raising awareness among its employees in this regard.
It was shared at a training programme titled ‘Gender Mainstreaming in Humanitarian Activities’ at two seperate hotels in Cox’s Bazar district town on Wednesday.
With the financial support of the Australian government, Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) of BRAC organized the two -day programme for raising awareness aimed at ensuring equal scope and participation of males and females at work places.
The two-day training will conclude Thursday.
Senior and field level employees of six partner NGOs of BRAC are taking part at the programme.
BRAC’s six partner NGOs are: SHED, PULSE, JNUS, AKLAB, NONGOR and Help Cox’s Bazar.
Read: HSBC, BEZA, Brac team up to make Mirsarai Economic Zone greener
Md. Hamidul Huq, Area Manager of Gender, Justice and Diversity (GJD) Programme under HCMP of BRAC; Malobika Sarker Choitei; Mohammad Nahiduzzaman; and Nilufa Yesmin; under the same programme conducted the training.
Tanjima Zaman, Programme Manager of GJD Programme at BRAC Head Office; Subrata Kumar Sharma, Technical Manager of same programme at Cox’s Bazar Regional Office; were present as associates at the training.
Speaking at the event, Hasina Akhter Huq, Area Director of HCMP of BRAC, said the matter of equality of both men and women at work places is important at the present perspective.
She told that BRAC will hold more advocacy programmes in the days to come for further raising awareness among the employees about the issue.
Grameenphone, Brac team up to support Covid-hit families
Over 33,300 families received financial support from Grameenphone as part of "Dakche Abar Desh," a Covid response initiative of Brac.
The initiative is part of a series of Grameenphone's "Covid-19 responses," which plans to tackle the impact of the pandemic and help societies, namely support the families who have been hit hardest by lockdowns.
Read: GP pays another Tk 1000 crore to BTRC
"Dakche Abar Desh" (Bangladesh Calls Again) has been one such activity designed to help the vulnerable families living in poverty and surviving on daily wages since the inception of the outbreak.
On July 16, Grameenphone announced it would team up with Brac. So far, 33,333 families have received financial aid through mobile financial services.
Read Grameenphone sued for showing caged indigenous bird in ad
The disbursements have been completed using Grameenphone's contribution to the cause.
The telecommunications service provider's employees also came forward to respond to the nation's call and joined the cause.
Read Grameenphone contributes Tk 31.4 crore to Labour Fund
Also, Grameenphone and Brac responded to the crisis last year by providing financial support to over 100,000 families.
Canada joins hands with Brac to support vulnerable people
Canadian Minister of International Development Karina Gould on Thursday announced CAD 45 million, over the next five years, to support increasing services to Bangladesh’s most vulnerable populations, including the hard-to-reach ones.
Canada is committed to investing in partnerships to support the most marginalized, including women and girls in Bangladesh.
Read: Dhaka seeks preferential trade facilities from Canada till 2030
“Our local, experienced partners know all too well the disproportionate impact the Covid-19 crisis has had on the world’s most vulnerable. Together, we must continue to push forward and seek out those hardest to reach, including marginalized women and children," said the Canadian Minister.
Canada remains committed to supporting Bangladesh in addressing the impacts of the pandemic and helping vulnerable populations respond and recover as fast as possible, she said.
Canada’s support will fund Brac-led multi-sector initiatives, including programming in skills and vocational training and public health outreach tailored to reach children and families that are unable to access the services they need.
It will also strengthen Brac’s interventions related to human rights, sexual and reproductive health and rights, nutrition and ending gender-based violence against women and children, said a joint media release.
Programming will also focus on, and support, Bangladesh’s Covid-19 response and inclusive economic recovery.
With this contribution, Canada joins the Strategic Partnership Agreement, a long-term tripartite partnership with Brac and the government of Australia.
Read: Bangladesh seeks Covid jabs from Canada
Canada’s contributions to the partnership will expand Brac’s integrated healthcare, education, legal services, skills development and livelihood service delivery to hard-to-reach areas and the most marginalised populations.
This partnership is closely aligned with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy and is built on Brac’s longstanding women-centred development approach which prioritises the empowerment of women and girls.
The announcement was made during Minister Gould’s virtual visit to Bangladesh.
Gould visited Bhashantek slum in Dhaka to see firsthand the impacts of Brac’s urban development programming, which will receive continued support through the partnership.
She also met young women engaged in skills training, health care workers supporting soon-to-be-mothers, and witnessed the Brac-led Covid-19 prevention and response activities in action.
Brac Executive Director Asif Saleh accompanied the minister on the visit, with both acknowledging the courageous frontline workers who continue to deliver key services in the face of ongoing challenges during the pandemic.
Read: BRAC partners with govt’s Covid-19 vaccination drive
"We’re delighted to welcome Global Affairs Canada as one of our strategic partners. This partnership couldn't come at a more critical time, as the Covid-19 pandemic has further aggregated inequalities in Bangladesh," said Asif Saleh.
He said Bangladesh needs resources to combat the impact of this pandemic and sustain the momentum of socio-economic growth. "This partnership will help us keep the country on the growth trajectory and continue our efforts in the pandemic response and the recovery process.”
BRAC partners with govt’s Covid-19 vaccination drive
BRAC, a development organisation, has joined as a partner of the government's Covid-19 vaccination drive to accelerate resilience against the pandemic.
BRAC started managing vaccine administration in nine centres of Dhaka from Saturday with the help of midwives from BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health. It is also assisting the government in 3,214 centres at the union level across Bangladesh.
Read: BRAC gets regulatory nod to issue zero-coupon bonds
People aged from 25 years and above can get the jab by showing their national identity card (NID) between 9am and 3pm every day from BRAC-managed centres, said a press release by the organization.
The service will remain open till August 12.
The eligible must bring a photocopy of NID card or the vaccine registration card registered with the Shurokkha App to receive the vaccine.
The centres are offering vaccine doses only for those who have registered with the Shurokkha App but have yet to receive a short message service confirming the date of vaccination.
Read:One-third of female employed youths jobless as impact of Covid-19: BRAC
Only the first dose of the vaccine is offered from these centres and will mention the date of the second dose in the vaccine card.
Each of these BRAC-managed centres in Dhaka city can administer 350 doses per day.
Women, elderly people (over 50 years) and people with disabilities are prioritized in vaccination from these centres.
Dr Morseda Chowdhury, director of Health, Nutrition and Population Programme (HNPP) at BRAC, said, “We aim to ensure vaccine administration management in a disciplined way everywhere, including hard-to-reach areas. We believe a combined effort by everyone is essential in the fight against the pandemic.”
Read:Nine banks to collaborate with BRAC in Covid awareness and support
The nine centres BRAC is operating in the two city corporations in Dhaka city are: Nurer Chala Government School and Shaheed Turjo Primary School in Badda under the Dhaka North City Corporation, and councillor office in Paltan Community Centre, Dingi in Dhanmondi 8/A, councillor office in Dhanmondi Community Centre at Bhuter Goli on Dhanmondi Circular Road, councillor office in Hatirpool Kacha Bazar, councillor office in Shegunbagicha multipurpose complex, Fakir Chan Sarder Community Centre in Narinda, and MA Sattar High School in Demra under Dhaka South City Corporation.