Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, BRAC

Introduction: BRAC, based in Bangladesh, is (as of May 2010) the world's largest non-governmental development organization. It was established by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed in 1972. BRAC is present in all 64 districts of Bangladesh, with over 7 million microfinance group members, 37,500 nonformal primary schools and more than 70,000 health volunteers. BRAC is the largest NGO by number of staff employing over 120,000 people. BRAC operates it programs also in nine countries like, Asia and Africa etc. Historical background: The Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee and then as the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, BRAC was initiated in 1972 by Fazle Hasan Abed at Sulla in the district of Sylhet as a small-scale relief and rehabilitation project to help returning war refugees after the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. Until the mid 1970s, BRAC concentrated on community development through village development programmers that included agriculture, fisheries, cooperatives, rural crafts, adult literacy, health and family planning, vocational training for women and construction of community centers. In 1986 BRAC started its Rural Development Programme that incorporated four major activities, and In 2001 BRAC established a university called BRAC University with the aim to create future leaders and the BRAC Bank was started to cater primarily to small and medium enterprises. Functional areas : BRACs Economic Development programme includes microcredit. Now it has about nearly 4 million borrowers. Due to extreme poverty, we cannot access the importance of microfinance. BRAC defines such people suffering from extreme poverty as the 'ultra poor', and has designed a programme customized for this group that combines subsidy with enterprise development training, healthcare, social development and asset transfer, eventually pulling the ultra poor into its mainstream microfinance programme. diagnostic laboratory, Feed Mill, Broiler Production and Marketing, Seed Production, Processing, Marketing and Soil Testing, BRAC Nursery, and Fish and Prawn Hatchery, vegetable Export programmers. It

also have include Aarong, a retail handicraft chain, BRAC Dairy and Food Project, and BRAC Salt. Contributions in Bangladesh economy: The BRAC has a great contribution in our economy these are,
Public health : BRAC started providing public healthcare in 1972 with an

initial focus on curative care through paramedics and a self-financing health insurance scheme. The programme went on to offer integrated health care services. BRAC currently provides a range of services that reach an estimated 31 million rural poor and include services for mothers in reproductive health care and infants.

Public health checkup Social development : Ain O Shalish Kendra (ASK) and Bangladesh

National Women Leaders Association (BNWLA) which was established by the BRAC since 1996 to protect them from social discrimination and exploitation of which dowry, rape, acid throwing, polygamy, domestic violence and oral divorce that is common in rural Bangladesh. Education: BRACs Non-Formal Primary Education programme provides
five-year primary education course in four years to poor, rural, disadvantaged children and drop-outs that cannot access formal schooling. These one-room schools are for children between eight and fourteen years of age. Each school typically consists of 33 students and one teacher. They also established a university.

School
Environment : Disaster relief : Environment and Climate Change programme is moving beyond relief and rehabilitation into institutionalized preparedness, in cyclone BRAC distributed emergency relief materials,

including food and clothing, to over 900,000 survivors, provided medical care to over 60,000 victims and secured safe supplies of drinking water. BRAC is now focusing on long-term rehabilitation.

Natural disaster Water, sanitation and hygiene : To provide communities with access to safe water, we undertake various activities, including development of a water safety plan, raise awareness on sanitation issues, which creates community demand for facilities such as sanitary latrines and programme has adopted a number of practical approaches to promote hygiene messages that are based on socio-economic and hydro-geological conditions.

Training

Economic growth:

in situations of

Mission of Bangladesh: Their mission is to empower people and communities

poverty, illiteracy, disease and social injustice.

Vision of Bangladesh: This world will be free from all forms of exploitation and
discrimination where everyone has the opportunity to realize their potential.