October 21, 2021
BLOG Financial inclusion
Extreme poverty has many faces and varies in different contexts. The “official” definition of extreme poverty is stated in terms of income – living on less than $1.90 per day. But extreme poverty is about more than a lack of income.
October 21, 2021
BLOG COVID-19
Eid-ul-Azha is one of the biggest religious festivals celebrated by millions across the globe. During this time, people living in affluence sacrifice various livestock and distribute the meat among people living in poverty. Cattle farmers and sellers in Bangladesh wait for this time to make their biggest sales of the year. Seasonal cattle markets, which have become an integral part of the celebrations, are set up all over the country. However, this year, maintaining social distancing in such large gatherings during the pandemic was challenging. Here’s what we learned in our efforts to keep people safe:
October 10, 2021
BLOG Health
As Bangladesh weathers the most challenging time of this generation - the COVID-19 pandemic - mental health and wellbeing has become more important than ever. BRAC is committed to enhancing community wellbeing through tackling stigma and increasing access to mental health services through culturally appropriate and compassionate approaches.
October 6, 2021
BLOG Learning
Schools have finally reopened in Bangladesh, after 18 long months. Many schools are reporting lower student numbers, particularly of girl students. A school in Kurigram reported that just one girl student had returned to her class - the rest had been married during school closures. BRAC’s schools, where students often have the least internet access and support at home, and where teachers stayed in constant communication through phones, home visits and home-based projects, paint a different picture.
EDITOR'S PICKS
July 29, 2021
BLOG History
A jamdani saree graced the French Riviera this month, as actress Azmeri Haque Badhon represented Bangladesh at the Cannes Film Festival. While jamdani is a symbol of sophistication, beauty and grace, and has always travelled across the world, the story behind the weaving technique is not well known - the art of weaving jamdani almost became extinct just decades ago.
April 21, 2021
BLOG Environment, Poverty
This #EarthDay, we explore the Climate Bridge Fund, a unique climate financing mechanism in Bangladesh that supports non-governmental organisations directly responding to people displaced by climate change.
March 2, 2020
BLOG Financial inclusion
For three days, I embarked on this journey with a dearth of knowledge on village etiquette, a language barrier (weak spoken Bengali), tainted with urban hues. Yet I was accepted into their homes with open arms and wide-eyed grins. And as we spoke to the families, our preconceived, textbook definitions of hardcore poverty came into question.
February 19, 2020
BLOG Financial inclusion
280 million adults in the private sector globally receive their wages in cash.This poses a risk of losing out on take-home wages for workers. Is wage digitisation the answer?
This year, BRAC’s Frugal Innovation Forum will bring together global practitioners, thinkers, researchers, policymakers and financial ecosystem partners to brainstorm solutions to challenges in financial inclusion, particularly for women, through digital services.
October 9, 2019
BLOG History
Women of all ages wear it with pride, and people from across the world come to Bangladesh to see it being woven and purchase a Dhakai sari of their own.
September 8, 2019
BLOG Human rights
At this year’s BRAC Frugal Innovation Forum, I had the opportunity to meet Mr Vashkar Bhattacharjee, National Consultant for Accessibility at a2i. Vashkar da sat right next to me at dinner and what happened right after was something that I will cherish forever.