Who we are?

In 1988, a group of concerned villagers in Krishnanagar UP, Southern Satkhira, came together to address the devastating impacts of a severe cyclone. With unshakeable commitment, this group eventually evolved through difficult times to become a registered NGO under the name Agrogoti Sangstha in 1998.

Over the past 20 years, AS has implemented projects on Human Trafficking, Water and Sanitation, Alternative Agricultural Practices, Acid Violence, Gender Equity, Health and Education, Transparency and Accountability in Local Governance, Local Arbitration, Gender Violence and others. Its central office in Satkhira is now complemented by five field offices in Satkhira and Khulna districts, in total employing more than 100 persons as well as around 300 volunteers. We have collaborated with National and International partners. An exchange project is currently running with AS as the coordinating partner and being implemented jointly in India (Right Track) and Nepal (Aawaaj).

The organization’s pride and joy is the ‘Adolescent Resource Centre’ at the organization’s birthplace in Krishnanagar. With its own executive committee and one full-time staff member, the ARC has become a club for some 472 adolescents who receive training on Reproductive Health, Adolescent’s rights and Livelihoods and above all enjoy having a place where they feel free and secure.

AS is also a member of a number of networks including Coastal Development Network, Satkhira Development Network, Men and Boys Network, Sundarban Day Observation. Self-help Promotion Khulna Divisional network, Bangladesh Research team for working with men and Boys, Assessment for strengthening boys and men (Save the children Sweden-Denmark), ATSEC – Bangladesh Chapter, South West Informatory Forum for Transformation (SWIFT), Election Working Group, NC4.

With a strong developmental philosophy, committed staff and a cooperative approach; AS has become a major leader in good governance and human rights protection in Satkhira District.

Development in Satkhira, however; has if anything become more complex in recent years. Environmental degradation, population growth, climate change, gender violence, religious fundamentalism, inequality, poor governance and unemployment all currently combine to increase the vulnerability of the district’s people and environment. Holding greater responsibility with its greater influence; AS must meet these challenges head-on and in order to do so, it must develop internally. Increased funding and staffs, longer-term projects and greater expectations all place greater demands on the organization’s internal capacity and require greater planning and cohesiveness, transparency and effectiveness.

Development Approach

 
» Accountability and Ownership
» Participation and Empowerment
» Specific focus on the rights of the most marginalized or vulnerable groups Root cause focus
» Non-discrimination on any grounds in programming or internally
» Indivisibility of Human Rights

Working Issues

Through the implementation of strategy plan, AS will simultaneously address these vulnerabilities focusing on organizational development and five major program areas:

• Good Governance  
• Human Rights  
• Promoting Child Rights   
• Climate Change and Adaption  
• Health and Rights       

Cross Cutting Issues

Cross cutting issues and equitable participation

• Gender Equity
• Minorities Priority
• Marginalized Community
• People with disabilities
• LGBTQ (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) Rights
• Responsibility towards Climate change and Environment

Organizational Achievement

Key achievements

1.   Agrogoti has acquired a reputation as the most skilled and effective organization working on Local Government issues in Satkhira District.

2.   The introduction of comprehensive and meaningful participation into budgetary preparation in 25 Union Parishad had led to greater respect for the role of the UP among the local community, a large increase in tax collection, and the implementation of community supported development activities such as early marriage prevention, road construction, and birth registration.

3.   Skilled community platforms, now active at Ward, Union and Upazilla level (totaling 118committees) have undertaken various successful initiatives including Tree Plantations, Water and Sanitation, Anti-Corruption Campaigns and advocacy on service delivery.

4.   Human Trafficking Prevention Committees, active in 4 Unions have intervened to save 4 potential trafficking victims in less than one year.

5.   All Acid survivors in Satkhira District have received peer support for social reintegration and Acid Survivors have income generation.

6.   25 trained up Adolescent girls provided peer training to other female adolescents on reproductive health reaching over 1642 people.

7.   Following the training of 550 Salishkar in 4 Upazilla by our Salishkar Master Trainer Network, 49 Union Parishad and 2 Municipality opened arbitration files to document Salish cases under 4Upazilla;

8.   Agrogoti selected as one of two NGO members of District Legal Aid Support Committee, the only civil society member of District Acid Control Council and a powerful advocate on District Trafficking Prevention Committee and District NGO-Coordination Committee.

Who we are?

In 2012, a group of concerned villager, came together to address the devastating impacts of a severe cyclone. With unshakeable commitment, this group eventually evolved through difficult times to become a registered NGO.

Over the past 20 years, AS has implemented projects on Human Trafficking, Water and Sanitation, Alternative Agricultural Practices, Acid Violence, Gender Equity, Health and Education, Transparency and Accountability in Local Governance, Local Arbitration, Gender Violence and others. Its central office in Satkhira is now complemented by five field offices in Satkhira and Khulna districts, in total employing more than 100 persons as well as around 300 volunteers. We have collaborated with National and International partners. An exchange project is currently running with AS as the coordinating partner and being implemented jointly in India (Right Track) and Nepal (Aawaaj).

The organization’s pride and joy is the ‘Adolescent Resource Centre’ at the organization’s birthplace in Krishnanagar. With its own executive committee and one full-time staff member, the ARC has become a club for some 472 adolescents who receive training on Reproductive Health, Adolescent’s rights and Livelihoods and above all enjoy having a place where they feel free and secure.

AS is also a member of a number of networks including Coastal Development Network, Satkhira Development Network, Men and Boys Network, Sundarban Day Observation. Self-help Promotion Khulna Divisional network, Bangladesh Research team for working with men and Boys, Assessment for strengthening boys and men (Save the children Sweden-Denmark), ATSEC – Bangladesh Chapter, South West Informatory Forum for Transformation (SWIFT), Election Working Group, NC4.

With a strong developmental philosophy, committed staff and a cooperative approach; AS has become a major leader in good governance and human rights protection in Satkhira District.

Development in , however; has if anything become more complex in recent years. Environmental degradation, population growth, climate change, gender violence, religious fundamentalism, inequality, poor governance and unemployment all currently combine to increase the vulnerability of the district’s people and environment. Holding greater responsibility with its greater influence; AS must meet these challenges head-on and in order to do so, it must develop internally. Increased funding and staffs, longer-term projects and greater expectations all place greater demands on the organization’s internal capacity and require greater planning and cohesiveness, transparency and effectiveness.

Development Approach

 
» Accountability and Ownership
» Participation and Empowerment
» Specific focus on the rights of the most marginalized or vulnerable groups Root cause focus
» Non-discrimination on any grounds in programming or internally
» Indivisibility of Human Rights

Working Issues

Through the implementation of strategy plan, AS will simultaneously address these vulnerabilities focusing on organizational development and five major program areas:

• Good Governance  
• Human Rights  
• Promoting Child Rights   
• Climate Change and Adaption  
• Health and Rights       

Cross Cutting Issues

Cross cutting issues and equitable participation

• Gender Equity
• Minorities Priority
• Marginalized Community
• People with disabilities
• LGBTQ (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) Rights
• Responsibility towards Climate change and Environment

Organizational Achievement

Key achievements

1.   Agrogoti has acquired a reputation as the most skilled and effective organization working on Local Government issues in Satkhira District.

2.   The introduction of comprehensive and meaningful participation into budgetary preparation in 25 Union Parishad had led to greater respect for the role of the UP among the local community, a large increase in tax collection, and the implementation of community supported development activities such as early marriage prevention, road construction, and birth registration.

3.   Skilled community platforms, now active at Ward, Union and Upazilla level (totaling 118committees) have undertaken various successful initiatives including Tree Plantations, Water and Sanitation, Anti-Corruption Campaigns and advocacy on service delivery.

4.   Human Trafficking Prevention Committees, active in 4 Unions have intervened to save 4 potential trafficking victims in less than one year.

5.   All Acid survivors in Satkhira District have received peer support for social reintegration and Acid Survivors have income generation.

6.   25 trained up Adolescent girls provided peer training to other female adolescents on reproductive health reaching over 1642 people.

7.   Following the training of 550 Salishkar in 4 Upazilla by our Salishkar Master Trainer Network, 49 Union Parishad and 2 Municipality opened arbitration files to document Salish cases under 4Upazilla;

8.   Agrogoti selected as one of two NGO members of District Legal Aid Support Committee, the only civil society member of District Acid Control Council and a powerful advocate on District Trafficking Prevention Committee and District NGO-Coordination Committee.

Kazi TAijul Islam

Chairman, CARA

With a vision of “aiming to serve the poorest community” by spreading the light of education to the underprivileged population, providing them basic healthcare facilities and to support the disadvantaged freedom fighters A B Foundation started its journey.

CARA Foundation works with people whose lives are dominated by extreme poverty, illiteracy, disease and other handicaps – with a view to build up multifaceted development interventions. The foundation strives to bring about positive changes in the quality of life in the society despite constraints of resource.
CARA Foundation approaches poverty alleviation with a holistic approach. To empower the poor it started a residential school at Chirir Bander in Chittagong district – one of the most disadvantaged parts of the country. The project is very successful and the students of the school are doing very well proving that they can come forward beyond their imagination.

Working as a Health Advisor of the Freedom Fighters Welfare Trust for long time, I have observed the miseries of deprived freedom fighters, who fought for the country at the cost of their lives. In return they are now wrecked ones lacking even the basic healthcare facilities. The foundation supports this neglected valuable persons in various ways.

The Orthopedic Care, Research and Rehab Centre, a project of the foundation at Mohammadpur in the capital is working to support the poor and disabled people by providing medical care, physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

I am happy that through its ongoing and upcoming projects, the foundation is emerging as an independent, sustainable human development organization. Although it started at a small scale, CARA Foundation endeavors to bring about change in lives of poor population at national level by its multidisciplinary programs. Now the foundation plans to expand its facilities and launch new projects.

As the foundation is running by limited financial resource at personal level, it is quite difficult to meet all the needs and materialize the dreams. So in order to achieve its goal, wherever necessary, CARA Foundation welcomes partnerships with the community, like-minded organizations, governmental institutions, the private sector and development partners both at home and abroad.

Engr. Md. Abdul Malek Suman

Management Director

CARA