BRAC
Basic Informations
Known formerly as the Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee, then as the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, and later as Building Resources Across Communities, BRAC was initiated in 1972 by Sir Fazlé Hasan Abed at Shallah Upazillah in the district of Sunamganj as a small-scale relief and rehabilitation project to help returning war refugees after the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. 14 thousand homes had to be rebuilt as part of the relief effort, as well as several hundred fishing boats; BRAC claims to have done this within nine months, as well as opening medical centres and providing other essential services.
Until the mid-1970s, BRAC concentrated on community development through village development programmes that included agriculture, fisheries, cooperatives, rural crafts, adult literacy, health and family planning, vocational training for women and construction of community centres. A Research and Evaluation Division (RED) was set up to evaluate its activities and decide direction, and in 1977, BRAC began taking a more targeted approach by creating Village Organisations (VO) to assist the landless, small farmers, artisans, and vulnerable women. That same year BRAC set up a commercial printing press to help finance its activities. The handicraft retail chain called Aarong, was established the following year.
In 1979, BRAC entered the health field by establishing a nationwide Oral Therapy Extension Programme (OTEP), a campaign to combat diarrhoea, the leading cause of the high child mortality rate in Bangladesh.Non Formal Primary Education was started by BRAC in 1985.
In 1986, BRAC started its Rural Development Programme that incorporated four major activities – institution building including functional education and training, credit operation, income and employment generation and support service programmes.
In 1991, the Women's Health Development program commenced. The following year BRAC established a Centre for Development Management (CDM) in Rajendrapur.
Its Social Development, Human Rights and Legal Services programme was launched in 1996.
In 1998, BRAC's Dairy and Food project was commissioned. BRAC launched an Information Technology Institute the following year. In 2001, BRAC established a university called BRAC University
Address
BRAC Regional Office
Uttar Katia, Mill Bazar
Satkhira-9400
Vision
A world free from all forms of exploitation and discrimination where everyone has the opportunity to realize their potential.
Mission
Our mission is to empower people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy, disease and social injustice. Our interventions aim to achieve large scale, positive changes through economic and social programmes that enable women and men to realize their potential.
Objectives
Our mission is to empower people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy, disease and social injustice. Our interventions aim to achieve large scale, positive changes through economic and social programmes that enable women and men to realize their potential.
Major Activities
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
1. Eliminating extreme poverty
2. Expanding financial choices
3. Humanitarian crisis management
4. Climate change and emergencies
5. Gender equality
6. Universal access to healthcare
7. Pro-poor urban development
8. Investing in the next generation
SOCIAL ENTERPRISES
1. Aarong
2. BRAC Dairy
3. BRAC Seed and Agro
4. BRAC Artificial Insemination
5. BRAC Nursery
6. BRAC Sericulture
7. BRAC Fisheries
8. BRAC Recycled Handmade Paper
9. BRAC Cild Storage
10. BRAC Printing Pack
INVESTMENTS
1. BRAC Bank
2. DELTA BRAC Housing
3. BRACNet
4. Guradian life Insuarance
5. IPDC Financial Limites
6. BRAC IT Services
7. BRAC Tea Estates
UNIVERSITY
1. BRAC University
Head Office
BRAC
BRAC Centre Inn , 75 Mokakhali, Dhaka-1212
Project Office
BRAC Regional Office
Uttar Katia, Mill Bazar
Satkhira-9400
List of Excutive Body
- Asif Saleh (Executive Director BRAC)
- Shameran Abed (Executive Director BRAC International)
- Tamara Hasan Abed (Managing Director Enterprises, BRAC)
- Jerome Oberreit (Executive Director BRAC Global)
- Tushar Bhowmik (Chief Financial Officer BRAC)
- Saif Md Imran Siddique (Director, Finance BRAC International)
- Divya Bajpai (Executive Director BRAC Europe)
- Julia Roberts (President and CEO BRAC USA)
Chief of NGO
Name: Asif Saleh
Designation: Executive Director
Phone & Mobile No. 88 02 2222 81265 (N/A)
Staff Strength
| Staff category | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level | 36 | 6 | 42 |
| Field Worker | 484 | 445 | 929 |
| Support Staff | 32 | 6 | 38 |
| Voluntaries | 1 | 70 | 71 |
Infrastructure facilities:
| Particulars | Total Number |
|---|---|
| Table | 435 |
| Chair | 553 |
| Motor Cycle | 167 |
| Computer | 47 |
| Laptop | 58 |
| Almery | 47 |
| Fan | 305 |
| Bicycle | 57 |
| Rack | 34 |
| Meeting Table | 43 |
Network / Forum
Micro credit related information Last three years: (If necessary)
| Financial year | Amount of Savings | Loan disbursement (Cumulative) | Amount of Total fund (Tk) |
|---|
Project List ( Total Project : 17 )
Project Name : Reading Glasses for Improved Livelihoods (RGIL) Phase-3
Doner : Vision Spring
Sector : Universal access to healthcare
Area : Satkhira Sadar, Kaligonj
Time Line : January 2022 to December 2025
Brief of activities :
VisionSpring and BRAC provided one million pairs of affordable eyeglasses to low-income customers, achieving major milestones both in scaling a social entrepreneurship model, and in expanding access to vision services in Bangladesh.
The Reading Glasses for Improved Livelihoods Programme, which began in 2006, has seen marked success, contributing to significant health and economic outcomes.
For low-income earners, eyeglasses are a simple, affordable tool that sustains productivity and earning power. Since the programme's start, it is estimated to have contributed to $110 million in increased income at the household level, based on an analysis of a study conducted by the University of Michigan. With a philanthropic investment of $3.50 per pair, the return on investment is significant.
Eyeglasses can prevent middle-aged workers from experiencing any drop in efficiency and productivity associated with the eye's natural aging. Without the ability to focus up close, mechanics, barbers, tailors, teachers, artisans, and many others whose work requires clear near vision, lose years of income earning potential.
BRAC and VisionSpring developed an innovative social entrepreneurship model to reach these low-wage earners, selling low-cost reading glasses through BRAC's network of community health workers (locally known as Shasthya Shebikas).
They offer free eye screenings, and have created a referral system for nearly 610,000 customers who need higher-level care for cataracts and other eye conditions.
Living in the communities where they work, the female health workers reach customers in the most remote areas of Bangladesh through vision camps and home visits, according to Marketwired.
Marketwired founded in 1993 and incorporated in the US in 1999, is a press release distribution service headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
For 90 per cent of customers, this is their first pair of glasses. The community health workers earn a modest commission from the sale of each pair of eyeglasses; since the programme's inception, they have earned a total of $450,000 in supplemental income.
"Partnerships are central to our success. Our collaboration with BRAC exemplifies the power of bringing together two organizations that share a common purpose and ethos and possess complementary core competencies. We feel honored and privileged to have found such a wonderful long term partner," Marketwired quoted VisionSpring Founder Jordan Kassalow in release on Sunday.
Meanwhile VisionSpring, BRAC, supporters, partners in the social enterprise, and global health community members gathered in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka on Sunday and celebrated the success of the partnership and honoured the health workers and programme organisers who had brought improved vision to people in 61 of 64 districts across Bangladesh.
Project Name : Rain for Life: Integrated Climate Adaptive Water and Agriculture Solutions for Community and Ecosystem Resilience in the Costal zone of Bangladesh
Doner : Royal Danish Embassy
Sector : Climate change and emergencies
Area : Assasuni
Time Line : January 2025- December 2027
Brief of activities :
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