Having reached this juncture, where Bangladesh is poised to make an even greater leap towards economic prosperity, some have argued whether NGOs have anything more to do in this country.
We have now reached the point in history when it is crucial to reflect on where we are, and where we want to go, while defining the right path to get there. Most of our economy is based on fossil fuels, like coal, oil or natural gas. Explorations of newer sources are underway, but at the expense of the planet itself.
You’d be forgiven for thinking microfinance has gone wildly out of fashion. The “development caravan”—defined as the wagon train of poverty interventions that excite donors—has pulled away from micro-lending, drawn to more powerful things like BRAC-style graduation programmes (which aim to “graduate” people from extreme poverty into a sustainable livelihood) and bKash-like mobile money, according to recent coverage in The Economist.
Over the past decade Bangladesh has been experiencing urbanisation at an unprecedented speed and scale. For Bangladesh, urbanisation has been identified as a leading engine of growth with the urban sector already contributing to more than 60 per cent of the GDP. On the downside, like in many other developing countries, this rapid urbanisation is also accompanied by increasing urban poverty and inequality.
In the coming years, countries and communities will bear the brunt of climate change. Future projections of the rise in temperature and sea level along with increase in natural disasters are feared. However, we tend to forget that it is the future generation who will have to live through these consequences. It is widely asserted that the poor, in particular children, will be most affected – greater physical exposure to natural hazards and increased risks of health being two of the main reasons.
Jannat is not your typical microfinance client. Like an increasing number of BRAC’s microfinance clients, she is not a member of a women-only savings and borrowing group, and did not take a loan to set up a micro-enterprise. Instead, her and her husband are part of new sphere of microfinance clients that is starting to catch on – migrant workers.
We do a great deal to raise awareness and warn future generations that our planet’s natural resources cannot be replenished. Climate change is a daunting reality and we have to be conscious of our carbon footprint… the list of issues to reckon with is exhaustive.
As the world moves rapidly towards a new policy agenda for the post-Millennium Development Goal (MDG) era, emerging priority themes include universal health coverage, sustainable cities, and the demand for human rights and accountability. It’s a fact that the world is rapidly urbanising with significant changes in our living standards, lifestyles, social behaviour and health. Thirty years ago, four out of every 10 people were living in cities, but by 2050 the UN predicts this number will grow to seven out of 10.
reflects that its development was far more consistent compared to the development of neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Nepal. Although Bangladesh has progressed significantly in adverting maternal and neonatal deaths, reducing transmission of communicable diseases, ensuring food security for all, but poverty still remains as a frontline concern for the country.
On July 22, David Lewis wrote a blog post on “Is Innovation Essential for Development Work?” Maria May, from BRAC’s Social Innovation Lab, reflects on where development practitioners should start.Last week I visited a few families that have taken microfinance loans from BRAC in Sri Lanka.
On October 19, the BRAC Social Innovation Lab was formally launched in an informal gathering called “Social Innovation Forum.” The event focused on a theme of “How does BRAC do social innovation—past, present, and future?”
On the occasion of the launch of its book Making Tuberculosis History: Community-Based Solutions for Millions, Bangladesh-based BRAC is sharing stories about those taking part in its successful approach to combating TB. The following is the third in a series; previously we featured the stories of Shanta and Shahida.