|
-We are one of the largest non-governmental organizations in Bangladesh.
· Over the years we have reached over two million households through our development programmes.
· We have created over 12.33 million employment/self-employment opportunities for the poor.
· Over the years we have made over one million households poverty-free.
· We have made over one million people literate.
· We have planted nearly one billion trees towards the greening of our country.
Background
The development process of proshika, one of the largest NgOs of Bangladesh, started in a few villages of Dhaka and Comilla districts in 1975, although the organization formally took its first step in 1976. Much has changed since. From a very modest beginning, over the years, Proshika has created 12.33 million employment/self-employment opportunities for the poor and brought over one million households out of poverty while making over one million people literate and planting nearly one billion trees towards the greening of our country. The name ‘PROSHIKA’ is an acronym of three Bangla words, which stand for training, education, and work.
A constant analysis of the magnitude of poverty and its trends, the strategies effective for its reduction and eventual elimination, and their meticulous implementation has brought PROSHIKA where it is today. The central ethos have, however, all the while remained the same-human development and empowerment of the poor who gradually stand tall to achieve freedom from poverty by themselves. Empowerment means that the poor are united and organized, become aware of the real causes of their impoverishment, develop leadership among themselves, mobilize their material resources, increase income and employment, develop capacities to cope with natural disasters, become functionally literate, take better care of their health, become engaged in environmental protection and regeneration, get elected in local government bodies and community institutions, and have better access to public and common property resources.
Vision
PROSHIKA envisions a society, which is economically productive and equitable, socially just, environmentally sound, and genuinely democratic.
Mission
PROSHIKA’s mission is to conduct an extensive, intensive, and participatory process of sustainable development through the empowerment of the poor.
Objectives
Proshika’s objectives are: (i) structural poverty alleviation; (ii) environmental protection and regeneration; (iii) improvement in women’s status; (iv) increasing people’s participation in public institutions; and (v) enhancing people’s capacity to gain and exercise democratic and human rights.
What Proshika Does
These objectives are achieved through a broad range of programmes in organization building, education and training leading to income and employment generation, health education, health infrastructure building, as well as environmental protection and regeneration. The programmes are supported by policy advocacy and research activities linking the poorest of the poor.
Who Proshika Works with
Spread in 21,272 villages and 2,380 urban slums in 55 districts, PROSHIKA now works with nearly 1.36 million men and women members drawn from rural and urban poor households. They have been organized into 104,295 primary groups. As there are on an average 1.3 members from each household having 5.5 family members, this translates into over 5.77 million programme beneficiaries of Proshika.
People’s Organization Building
· 104,295 groups formed organizing the poor people living in rural and rural and urban areas.
· 18,775 group federations formed at village, union, and upazila levels building a broad organizational network.
Microciredit programme
· Tk. 45,039 million (4,504 crore) loans disbursed to 6.50 million (65.02 lakh) group members.
· 1.42 million (14.20 lakh) projects implemented by the group members.
· 12.33 million (1.23 crore) employments self-employments createds.
· 1.24 million (12.36 lakh) households made poverty-free.
Proshika Savings Scheme
· Tk. 54.71 million paid from the compensation fund of the PSS to the family members of 8,604 deceased group members.
· Tk. 17,69 million distributed to 9,411 group members badly affected by various natural disasters.
Economic and Social security Programme
· Tk. 1.67 million paid to 327 meritorious students from the group members’ families.
· Tk. 0.96 million paid to the poor group members for their treatment.
Universal Education Programme
· 53,839 Adult Literacy Centres set up so far.
· 1.14 million (11.43 lakh) poor people graduated with functional literacy skill.
· 23,502 Non-Formal Primary Schools established.
· 0.72 million (7.17 lakh) children from the poor households enrolled in non-formal primary schools.
Training Programme
· 20.58 million (2.06 crore) women and men received human development training from PROSHIKA.
· 1.16 million (11.55 lakh) women and men received skill develoment training from PROSHIKA.
Environmental Protection and Regeneration
· 93.80 million (9.38 core) trees planted under the social forestry programme in denuded forest areas and roadsides.
· 0.25 million (2.47 lakh) acres of land brought under the organic agriculture programme.
· 0.80 million (8.04 lakh) farmers practising organic agriculture using organic fertilizer and pesticide.
Health Programme
· 2,931 health camps organized.
· 167,858 patients received health services.
· 1,845 women received traditional birth attendant training.
· 1.57 million (15.74 lakh) people received health and nutrition and arsenic mitigation training.
· 10 community surface water treatment plants and 23 arsenic removal plants installed for safe drinking water.
· 825,647 low-cost sanitary latrines installed.
· 26,175 hand tube-wells installed.
· 6,647 differently able people integrated into Proshika’s development activities.
· 34,269 household filters distributed.
Housing Programme
· 31,757 houses constructed for homeless families.
· 1,251 low-cost houses built in resettlement villages.
People’s Cultural Programme
· 95,000 cultural events held on democracy, human rights, gender equality, good governance, awareness about environmental protection.
· 962 cultural troupes formed with group members
Development Support Communication Programme
· 282 documentaries/videos/TV spots made.
· 819 participatory video produced on democracy, human rights, gender equality, good governance, and awareness about environmental protection.
Programme on the Liberation War
· 2,390 members of the freedom fighters’ families brought under PROSHIKA’s development activities.
· 65 women freedom fighters conferred with the PROSHIKA Muktijoddha Award-2003.
· 25 women freedom fighters awarded a life-long pension amounting to Tk. 1,00 per month.
· Tk. 6,000 and Tk. 3,000 donated to 15 and 3 freedom fighters respectively for one time. |
