62,000 Urban Volunteers for Massive Disaster: 05 June 2012
BRAC is working to build a team of 62,000 urban volunteers to be stationed in different wards to undertake emergency relief operation in the event of a massive disaster situation in the country. This was disclosed at the launching of the organization’s 40th Anniversary Report on 05 June 2012.
The largest NGO in the world plans to become 100% self-reliant when Bangladesh emerges as a middle-income country in the near future. The 100% donor reliance of the organization at the initial stage has been reduced to 30% at present with an annual budget of over Tk 5000 crore (US$ 600 million). According to the Report, BRAC’s service now reaches 113 million people through a huge workforce of 90,000 men and women. Over 92 lac 8 thousand disadvantaged children have graduated from its 37,452 pre-primary and primary schools. Over 91,000 Shasthya Shebikas (Health Workers) are providing services to millions of women and children. BRAC’s innovations include, among others, Village Organizations, credit plus approach in microcredit preparation of oral saline, education for dropout children, training for capacity development, treatment of tuberculosis through DOTS methods, special program for ultra- poor and loan for tenant farmers.
The Report points out that social responsibility is the main driving force of the organization’s commercial enterprises.
Draft Foreign Donations Act: Recommendations Submitted: 18 March 2012
Recommendations with comments on the draft of “The Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Act” have been submitted to the Director-General of the NGO Affairs Bureau on March 18. It was preceded by collection of views/comments and series of consultations at various levels with the participation of a number of organizations and sector networks. The participants included BRAC, CAMPE, BELA, BLAST, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, DORP, Manusher Jonno, Nijera Kori, Padakkhep, RIC, Odhikar, ALRD, CDF, INAFI, etc.
There will be a number of discussions with NGO Bureau followed by a workshop.