Correspondents of three dailies of Dhaka, the Daily Star, Jugantar and Ittefaq, visited programs of Palashipara Samaj Kalyan Samity (PSKS) and Sandhani Sangstha at Gangni Upazila in Meherpur district on 22 September 2010. Starting as a reading club with 500 taka donation in early 1970s, PSKS is now a leading NGO of the area with an annual budget of Tk. 10 crore implementing multifaceted programs in Meherpur, Kushtia and Jhenidah districts. Its programs include Mother and Child Health, one static clinic with a number of satellites and three ambulances, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Arsenic Mitigation, HIV/AIDS, Women and Child Trafficking, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Legal Aid, and Microcredit. The media representatives saw, among other projects, a dispute resolution session and the well-equipped health centre.

Sandhani, another leading NGO of the district, started with basic medicare program in the upazila and later founded a community based hospital. Gradually expanding, it set up a high school and college to upgrade qualitative standard of education in the area with scholarships to poor and meritorious students. Sanitation and nutrition were later added to its activities. In a day-long program the correspondents visited the High School and College and the community based 22-bed hospital with 24-hour ambulance facility’s. Later they also saw a BRAC School in a remote village and a Library set up by the organization in association with and run by the community near Meherpur.

The visit is a part of the program entitled ‘Creating an Enabling Environment and Public Perception of the NGO Sector’ organized with the financial assistance of the Aga Khan Foundation.