What We Do/Our Services
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What we do/Our Services Humanitarian Foundation was born not to be served, but to serve
Since inception, we deliver needs-based services to the communities living in hard to reach areas with a participative and inclusive approach.
Currently, we deliver services on education (Primary, Secondary, child sponsorship, and Tertiary education), skill development training, and DRR/disaster response programs based on the local needs, and thematic areas of intervention of the organization below:
Education - Empowering Minds, Transforming Lives
In the context of Bandarban hill district, one has to acquire a high academic qualification preferably MA to get job/services in public and private sectors. The young people in Thanchi upazila, especially in Tindu and Remakree union, cannot compete in the job interview of the job competition due to lack of that academic qualification. Because of this, they fall behind the young people of the city/town, and they become jobless. To acquire them academic qualification, an “Education Program” was established by Humanitarian Foundation in Thanchi upazila in 2004 with funding support from Xaverian Society, Italy (2004 – 2008), and CO:OPERAID, Switzerland (2009 – till now). In the education program, there are a total of 35 primary schools running in the village level in Thanchi upazila, 2 hostels (boys & girls) in Bandarban main town (the capital city of Bandarban district), and a scholarship program for tertiary education. The goal of the education program is to build the academic competence of the young people of Thanchi upazila through schooling opportunities.
Skill Development Training - Building Career through Learning
Lion’s share of employment in the job markets (public and private sectors) in Bandarban hill district are in the occupation/in the hands of skilled workers. Because of this, unskilled workers do not get job/employment due to lack of skill and technical know-how. Taking the matter into consideration, a “Skill Development Training Program” was established by Humanitarian Foundation through building a training center in Thanchi upazila in 2011/2012 with funding support from CO:OPERAID (an NGO based in Switzerland) for building careers, especially women and youth through vocational education/learning.
Disaster Response Programs - Helping Communities Recover
Bandarban is a disaster prone area in Bangladesh. Landslides, heavy rain, incessant rain, flood, flash flood, lightning, storm, rodent/mice/rats flood, and elephant attack are common natural disasters in the district. On the other hand, burning of houses, burning of villages, and burning of markets are also common man-made disasters. Humanitarian Foundation is implementing a Disaster Response Program in Bandarban district covering total 81,762 (40,918 female; 40,844 male) [Direct 16,611 (female 8,313; 8,298 male) and Indirect 65,151 (32,605 female; male 32,546)] population in sadar upazila in partnership with Caritas Bangladesh.
ONGOING PROJECTS Humanitarian Foundation was born not to be served, but to serve
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Education (primary, secondary, and tertiary)
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Vocational/Skill Development Training
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Disaster Risk Reduction/Disaster Response Programs - Helping Communities Recover
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Child Sponsorship/Community Development Program
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Food Security/Livelihood/Agriculture Project
Rowa Kyang Project
Rowa Kyang (a Marma language) meaning ‘village school, is a primary education project of HF which commenced in January 2020 with funding support from CO:OPERAID, Switzerland. There are a total of 35 primary schools at the village level in Thanchi, Ruma, Bandarban Sadar and Lama upazila. Project deploys 2 teachers in each school, 4 school supervisors, accountant, and project director for smoothly implementing the planned activities. Teachers’ salary, project staff’s salary, teaching and learning materials, teachers’ training, pedagogy training, school sanitation/school toilet, mosquito nets, school meal/lunch, rice bank, and school IGAs are supported by the Rowa Kyang Project. In addition, the project supports forest conservation, community forest/village common forest, and roadside/riverside tree planting. Apart from the government curriculum, environmental lessons/topics, moral education, health & hygiene education, humanity, and social cohesion topics are taught in the schools. A total of 1,433 children are studying in 35 primary schools. Children and parents are happy for the opportunity to study.
Alusama Froi Project
Alusama Froi (Marma language) meaning ‘learn profession, be professional’ is a vocational/skill development training project of Humanitarian Foundation which commenced in 2011 with funding support from CO:OPERAID, Switzerland. In the beginning, a training center was established by the project in Thanchi in 2011. Unemployed women, and youths are provided training in the training center on tailoring, weaving, sewing, handloom, carpentry, basic computer skills, driving, block batik and electricity. Training graduates are supported with a startup capital fund for small and medium enterprises. Since inception, a total of 1,300 women and youth have completed training. Of them, 1,100 graduates have already been employed and self-employed. The remaining graduates are trying to be employed and self-employed. A joint production unit was established by the project. The products of each trade are sold through the joint production unit. The income of the products sold is used for the project. Project facilitates market linkages, and the job placement officer facilitates the graduates in getting jobs in public and private sectors. In addition, a resort (2 storied building) was built near to the training center for income generation for the sustainability of the project.
Supporting end-to-end Landslide Early Warning and Anticipatory Action in Bangladesh
Bandarban hill district is one of the disaster prone areas in Bangladesh. Landslides, heavy rain, incessant rain, flood, flash flood, storm, lightning, rodent/mice/rats flood, and elephant attack are common natural disasters in this district. Humanitarian Foundation and Caritas Bangladesh are jointly implementing ‘Supporting end-to-end Landslide Early Warning and Anticipatory Action in Bangladesh’ project in Bandarban hill district covering 3 unions (Sualok, Kuhalong, Bandarban sadar union) from February 2024. The project aims to raise awareness regarding landslides, DRR and other natural disasters for the peoples living in the hilltop, under the hill land/slope land and riverside/streamside. The project organizes simulation exercises at the village level and strengthens District/Upazila/Union Disaster Management Committees through training.
Upasshak Project
Upasshak (a Bengali word) meaning ‘Devotee’ is a secondary education project of Humanitarian Foundation which commenced in 2009 with funding support from CO:OPERAID, Switzerland. Two hostels (boys & girls) were built by the project in Bandarban main town (Balaghata, Bandarban) on the land of the organization. Land purchase and construction were supported by Cobra & Mongoose Charity, a charity organization based in Australia, before commencing Upasshak. A total of 70/80 students (boys & girls) are studying in public and private secondary schools in Bandarban town staying in Upasshak hostel. As of December 2023, a total of 70 students (37 boys & 33 girls) have passed Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination from the hostels and by now are studying in colleges and universities in Bandarban, Chittagong and Dhaka. Since its inception, the project has been supporting food, teachers’ salary, project staff’s salary, teaching & learning materials, kitchen materials, bedding materials, school dresses, furniture, computers, tuition fees, musical instruments, sport materials, local transport, health materials, library, and IGAs. In addition to these, promotion of girls, life skills lessons, social works, moral education, students reward, computer lessons, and virtual exchange program between the students of Upasshak hostel and Hofwil school of Switzerland are included in the project. The children and parents are very happy for the opportunity to study in the hostel
Talents Project
The talents project is a stipend/scholarship program of Humanitarian Foundation for the financially poor talented students studying in higher education in public and private colleges and universities in Bandarban, Chittagong, Dhaka and other cities in Bangladesh which commenced in 2015 with funding support from CO:OPERAID, Switzerland. Since its inception, a total of 32 talented poor students have been provided/supported with scholarships to pursue higher education. Among them, 10 students have completed their studies and by now some are doing jobs in the public and private sectors. Major expenses of the students covered by the stipend are accommodation, food, tuition fee and books. A student named Rose Merry Bawm is studying for a Master of Science (MSc) in ICT at the University of Padua, Province of Padua, Italy. Students and parents are happy for the opportunity to study.
Rowangchari Area Program
A holistic child development/child sponsorship program titled ‘Rowangchari Area Proram’ covering 4 unions, 75 villages, 300 households and 1,200 population commenced in Rowangchari upazila in October 2022 with funding support from World Vision Bangladesh. It is a child development centered project by Humanitarian Foundation. By now, 807 children have been selected for sponsorship. Education materials (writing pad/khata, writing pen, pencil, school bag etc.) and school tuition fees are supported by the project for schooling of the selected poor children. In addition, water is supplied in the villages where there is scarcity of water. WASH/hygiene sessions are conducted in the project villages to raise awareness about personal hygiene. Child protection topic is discussed in the project villages and local level involving communities, policy makers, government representatives and NGO activists to raise public concern of child rights. Moreover, nutrition improvement sessions are conducted at the local level involving children and members of mother groups. Families are also supported with livelihood for food security and schooling of children. Period of the project is 3 years (October 2022 – September 2025).
Talents Project
The project titled ‘Promotion of agro-ecology practices (PAEP)’ is a livelihood project commenced in January 2018 (1/1/2018) covering 60 villages (Thanchi-10, Lama-25, Alikadom-25), 1,848 households (Thanchi-543, Lama-552, Alikadom-753), 8 unions (sub-upazila) (Thanchi-2, Lama-3, Alikadom-3) and 182,000 population (Thanchi-23,600, Lama-109,000, Alikadom-49,400) in Thanchi, Lama and Alikadom upazila (sub-district) of Bandarban hill district with funding support from Caritas Bangladesh. The project aims to improve food security and resilience to climate change of the vulnerable populations. The first phase of PAEP was successfully implemented. Currently, PAEP-II is continuing with the same goal, objectives and activities. The project input support includes livestock and poultry distribution (goat & pig), organic farming practice, fruit garden, medicinal tree planting, bamboo cultivation, vermicompost, fish culture, support for land settlement, bee keeping, mushroom cultivation, community forest and vaccination and treatment facility for livestock & poultry. In addition to these, national & international day observation, agriculture fair/tree fair, seminar on gender & land rights, meeting of forum for agro-ecology were organized in the project areas.