GARO BAPTIST CONVENTION PRIMARY HEALTH CARE PROJECT (GBC PHCP)

The Garo people live in a rural part of Northern Bangladesh along the Indian people. Through the Garo Baptist Convention Primary Health Care Project, World Renew is helping the Garo and other indigenous people improve their lives and overcome poverty through programs in:

• Health: With support from World Renew, the GBC PHCP carries out health promotion programs. This includes monitoring the growth of children under the age of 5, and providing them with vaccinations for common diseases. GNC PHCP also provides community members with training in family planning, sanitation, and safe drinking water.
• Income Generation: World Renew and GBC support men and women by helping them invest in their businesses. They encourage business people to meet in small groups, and then provide these groups with training on business skills, book keeping, and starting and maintaining a business.
• Justice: World Renew and GBC are helping communities seek justice. This past year, GBC staff received training on family laws, human rights, women’s rights, and child rights. These staff are now creating programs to educate their communities about these issues.
• Literacy: Through GBC, World Renew is helping Garo men and women learn to read and write. Programs are tailored to the needs and abilities of local community members. Newly learned skills are then practiced at regular weekly meetings.

 PARI DEVELOPMENT TRUST (PARI)

In the Jamalpur and Netrokona Districts of Bangladesh,World Renew works with Pari Development Trust to help poor communities improve their lives. This is done through programs in:

• Agriculture: With World Renew support, PARI teaches community members new agricultural practices to increase food production so that families can both eat of and earn from the food they grow. This past year, flood and other natural calamities made farming in outdoor crops impossible. World Renew and PARI implemented programs to show people how to grow plants such as tomatoes in kitchen gardens, and loaned money to some families so that they could start duck farms and fisheries.
• Health: World Renew and PARI have assisted community members in the past year by building a reservoir to harvest rain water, providing HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness classes, and giving general health promotion workshops to community participants.
• Income Generation & Small Business Development: Through PARI, World Renew provides community members with opportunities to create and grow income through small businesses. Group members are taught about savings and loans, and are given loans according to needs. For example, a participant may be given a small loan to start cultivating sugar cane. The progress is monitored and additional training in business development is given. Over time, the loan is repaid so that other community members can be assisted. Business men and women are also trained in ways to develop their small business. In the past year, this has included training in business management, starting a new business, and increasing selling capacities.
• Justice: World Renew and PARI provide training in justice issues to community members and leaders. This training focuses on topics like child labor, the importance of children staying in school, gender issues, and land rights.
• Literacy: With World Renew support, PARI provides adult literacy programs to poor communities. World Renew and PARI have also developed study circles, where learners can share their experiences and learning with each other.

 PROTTASHA

In Kishoreganj, World Renew works with Prottasha (which means “hope”) to come alongside poor communities to create change. This is being done through programs in:

• Adolescent Programs: World Renew assists Prottasha in adolescent program development working on life skills and HIV/Aids awareness and education.
• Justice: With World Renew support, Prottasha staff are currently providing training to community members in areas of basic human rights, gender sensitivity, and justice.

SUSTAINABLE ASSOCIATION FOR TAKING HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES (SATHI)

In the slums of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, World Renew works with poor communities through an organization called SATHI. World Renew and SATHI meet community needs through programs in:

• Health: World Renew and SATHI provide training on general health issues such as immunizations, family planning, and access to safe water.
• Income Generation & Small Business Development: World Renew and SATHI teach business skills to men and women to help them start and improve small businesses. This includes training in basic financial management, as well as training in specific skills like sewing, cutting, block printing, and ice cream making. SATHI also helps business people start business forums, so that group members can provide encouragement and support to each other.
• Justice: Through World Renew, SATHI is working to combat child labor, adolescent HIV/AIDS, and mistreatment of disabled teens in Bangladesh. SATHI works with parents and employers to help them understand the importance of education for children. They also provide life skills and literacy classes to children around their work schedules. SATHI and World Renew also work with adolescents to train them in leadership, and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. Lastly, SATHI works with communities to provide training on the rights, roles, and responsibilities of people with disabilities.
• Literacy: World Renew and SATHI work with men and women to help them read. Together, they provide 9-month sessions in reading, writing, and accounting stills. They also provide a “post-literacy” class for continued learning.

 SCHEME FOR UNDER-PRIVILEGED PEOPLE TO ORGANIZE THEMSELVES (SUPOTH)

World Renew works with Supoth to transform poor communities. This is done through programs in:

• Health: World Renew and Supoth are providing health education to five districts in Bangladesh. Participants are taught basic health principles, specifically: child growth monitoring, safe water drinking, and kitchen gardens for improved nutritional intake.
• Income Generation & Small Business Development: Through Supoth, groups of men and women are taught basics of savings-based credit. As a result, members are able to effectively invest in new types of income generation and are better equipped to handle the added income. In addition, World Renew and Supoth bring local business people together for training in marketing, business ethics, and different ways to grow their small businesses.
• Justice: World Renew and Supoth hold trainings for adults and adolescents on leadership development, gender and justice, and child rights. In addition, training is held for local leaders and employers on child labor issues.
• Literacy: Through World Renew , Supoth leads some six and nine-month classes in various communities to teach men and women basic reading, writing, and math skills.

 USAID CHILD SURVIVAL

World Renew received a grant from the United States Agency for International Development to work with its partners in Bangladesh to improve maternal and child health. These funds are being used in Netrokona, Panchagor and Dhaka through Pari, Supoth and Sathi for child growth monitoring, birth attendant and community health volunteer training, immunizations, linkages with referral centers, and health promotion education on health topics such as obtaining safe water, basic hygiene practices, and nutrition.

MUSKOKA INITIATIVE

World Renew, working together with its partner Supoth in Nilphamari District in Northwest Bangladesh, is implementing a health program funded by the Canadian International Development Agency.  The funds are being used to help improve the health of mothers and children under 2 years old.  Program activities include child growth monitoring, community health volunteer training, immunizations, linkages with referrals, good birth practices and nutrition.