BACKDROP

Gobindagonj Debaloy Biggan Club (GDBC)is a non-government science and technology aspired organization has been working for the rural poor and disadvantaged people in Gaibandha District establishing in 2005. It obtained legal registration from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Communication of Bangladesh Government during 2009.

Now a day’s information and communication technology itself has been playing a vital role in development. Due to globalization and the government’s special encouragement people become interested to sink with science and technology for their own development.  Following the democratic government declaration GDBC welcome all type and class of people to implement the “Vision 2021” that ultimately way out the establishment of a resourceful and modern country by 2021 through effective use of information and communication technology. The Club believes modern philosophy of effective and useful use of information and technology in terms of implementing the promises in education, health, job opportunity, poverty reduction

etc. Therefore, the Club has been working with people with the major objectives includes changing people’s attitude, enabling environment and technical supports, profitable and innovative ideas for creation, production, preservation as well as marketing.

Science and technology sector within Gaibandha district are properly not in advance. People remain in ignorance and darkness from the usefulness of information and technologies. They neither know nor try to get the update what are going on. They only know to survive with the world by their hard labour. Due to inadequate literacy rate, superstition as well as religious beliefs and thoughts are the majors hinders in the way to development of science, information and technology in a whole. Women and girls in remote and tribal areas belonged fully illiterate and they are the victims of early marriage, polygamy, divorces, dowry, rapping and many other kinds of physical torture as well as domestic violence still now due to economical deprivation along with influence of religious bound and prejudice of the society more far from science, information and technology.

Under such circumstances, Gobindagonj Debaloy Biggan Club (GDBC), a non-government science based club comes close to the poor people with particular emphasis to bring out positive changes in their life and livelihoods through utilizing IT skills, information and technology for development. GDBC realized that proper supports incorporating technical education, training, campaign, skills exchange, sharing, massive awareness and especially women empowerment are very prior to develop the situation.

VISIONS, MISSION, GOAL AND OBJECTIVE

Vision

A happy world built together by the people.

Goal

To develop socio-economic status of the people of underprivileged and disadvantaged poor people living in Gaibandha district by education through science, information and technology.

Mission:

Bring student, teachers, youth and adult group, producers, CBOs and CSOs together for solidarity intermingling with timely and effective initiative and efforts by utilizing information, data, technology and science for overall development that ultimately serves the marginal, disadvantaged, underprivileged poor people. Besides, organization cooperates, negotiate and work together with different development committee, local government administrations. Integrated and comprehensive measurement with policy advocacy with special concern to deprived children, disabled and women.

Objectives

1. Increase literacy rate within the working areas through formal, informal and non-formal education courses
2. Ensure enrolment of drop out and poorest children in education and encourage adult people for education
3. Create massive awareness on different development issues through effective social mobilization
4. Campaign to stop early marriage, acid throwing, dowry, child trafficking, domestic violence etc
5. Efforts to establish human rights at family and society level through adequate family planning
6. Unite people and strengthened their united capacity
7. Support to access different level service delivery provision
8. Influence policy advocacy to increase responsiveness of service providers
9. Influence information, technology for policy advocacy to increase responsiveness of service providers
10. Ensure rights and entitlement for the poor people by advocacy and publications.
11. Increase literacy rate within the working areas through formal, informal and non-formal education courses utilizing available information and technology.
12. Create massive awareness on different development issues through effective social mobilization.
13. Campaign to stop early marriage, acid throwing, dowry, child trafficking, domestic violence etc
14. Undertake different Research, Action research and dissemination Programme to identify underlying causes of development drop off.
15. Advertisements through different Productions, Booklets, Bulletins and Publications
16. Skills Transfer and Exchange Programme on Information, advocacy and communication through establishing Training and Resource center.
17. Learning Center Establishment and Management Programme within the working areas.

LEGAL STATUS OF THE ORGANIZATION:

AREAS OF OPERATION

STRATEGY

1.             InstitutionBuilding

2.             Non Formal Primary Education (NFPE) and Learning Center establishment

3.             Mobilization and Socialization

4.             Message dissemination

5.             Information Communication 

6.             Promotion, Lobby and Advocacy

7.             Regular wise Meeting

8.             Training, Workshop and Orientation session

9.             Financial and Technical Supports

10.          Disaster Management Team

11.          Integrated efforts

12.          Networking and consortium

TARGET PEOPLE

Simple socio-economic survey including baseline information is being measured to select beneficiaries under the organization. Measuring the key indicators including income, land ownership and food deficiencies, target people are being categorized like as follows:

·         Poor & Hardcore Poor of disadvantaged area

·         Destitute women, divorced, widow family head women who are helpless

·         Poor youth, drop out children & poor adolescent

·         Disabled and Person with Disabilities

·         Community people like local elected bodies, civil society, social leaders and government officials, service delivery organization/institution etc.

·         Marginal farmer having an optional land

·         Aboriginal/Tribal people/Ethnic Community

·         Women like widows, divorced, abandoned and disadvantaged

·         Deprived and drop out Children

·         Land-less, asset-less and homeless

·         Marginal Farmers and Producer Group

·         Injecting Drug Users, trafficking offender

·         Street/Hotel/Station based Sex Workers

·         Minority groups including fisherman, Butcher, Potters, SANTAL and Non-Bengali

·          

CORE PROGRAMMES OF GDBC

A.                    Education Programme

B.                    CapacityBuildingProgramme

C.                    Gender, Justice and Governance Programme

D.                    Disaster, Environment and Climate Change Management Programme

Programme wise description and outputs are stated bellow:

A.   Education Programme

GDBC believes there is only way to increase awareness among the targeted people though education and learning. Childhood is the supreme period to learn. Consequently to increase the literacy rate within the working areas, GDBC attempt to establish different types of educational programmes for the children and adults at the grassroots level. It includes Poribar O Soisab Bikash Kendra (POSBP), Ananda School under ROSC project supported by Ministry of Primary and Mass Education through the World Bank. It has been operating 50 Ananda School in Gobindagonj Upazila while 170 POSBP centres. Seeing the results and impact, high officials and political representatives praised the initiatives undertaken by the organization. During 2009 Bangladesh government allowed to change the POSBP to Ananda School respectively. It is contributing to establish education centre ensuring equal participation of children and adults both for male and female group so that they can be able to gain knowledge and conception about their own rights and development.

Output:        

§  Increased the literacy rate within the working areas

§  50 Anonda Schools are ongoing where 4200 drop out students are imparting education

§  50 local teachers cum facilitators are engaged with those schools

§  120 POSBP centers also on going within the working areas

§  Local people and administration are interestingly cooperating with the education programme.

§  Innovated new approaches for quality education adopted

§  Extra curricular activities in the education session adopted for their learning

§  Education materials are also been distributed among the learning centres

§  Dress and others equipments are also provided to the learning centres

§  The rate of drop out and deprived poor children have been decreasing for effective enrolment of the organization.

§  170 SMC/CMC have been strengthened for school management.

§  170 teachers have been capacitated through different training, sessions and orientations.

§  Finally the relationship in-between teachers, guardians, local government structures, civil society have been developed.

B.   CapacityBuildingProgramme:

This programme is a unique program of GDBC through which the capacities of the targeted people have been increased. Different activities are being implemented under this programme like different types of training, workshop, orientation session, yard session, technical assistance, open consultation. Besides, organization ensures their individual participation in different development activities for social advancement. In addition, about 75% HHs are more or less depending on agriculture. Some of them are also engage in fish culture, livestock rearing, poultry farming etc; but which they are doing in traditional ways. As a result, they can harvest or produce targeted production.  Thus why GDBC has been providing different skill transfer training, workshop with practical demonstration to establish agriculture based enterprises.

Output:    

§  Increased capacity of organizational staffs, teachers and facilitators through  35 training, 23 workshops and 129 orientations

§  Increased capacity of 170 School Management Committee (SMC), Centre Management Committee, Guardians representatives through 14 training, and numbers of orientations

§  Yearly foundation training for the teachers cum facilitators successfully organized

§  Regular orientations on social development and mobilization for the youth groups were also organized

§  Couple training and sharing on family planning and development regularly organized for awareness creation

§  GHAT information and technology centres has been delivering its supports to the students, teachers, farmers and different professionals 

§  Training and orientation on office management, staff and resource management are also in high priority for the senior level staff.

§  Advanced training on reporting and documentation, presentation, speech delivery to develop professionalism for the organisational development

C.   Gender, Justice and Governance Programme:

Every human being is entitled to get some indispensable rights, which is equally applicable for all. Due to patriarchy, unequal power structure, influenced culture and tradition, lack of good governance and accountability, women fail to achieve their right and justice equally like men. As a result there prevails insecurity, corruption, and anarchy and gender inequality in our society. To address the situation, GDBC emphasise to empower local government by playing their role and responsibility and also influence different community service provider to increase their responsiveness towards the poor, disadvantaged, disabled, old aged people especially who are female. This programme enables an opportunity to abolish all kinds of discrimination, social deprivation social injustice from the society.

Output:

§  Lobby and advocacy to fulfil rights on behalf of poorest people, disadvantaged people, disabled, old aged and vulnerable people affected by disaster are on going in a regular basis

§  Backing to establish women rights through caring by the legal advisers of the organization

§  A total of 35 conflicts have been resolved locally to establish women rights

§  A total of 07 victims from domestic violence have been supported by the organization.

§  Influence to increase responsiveness and accountability of the local government, government and non-government institutions are also in place in a regular basis.

§  A total of 12 workshops, 05 seminars on gender, justice and governance organized successfully

§  Proper negotiation and cooperation with the local government representatives adopted to establish rights and entitlement of the poor people.

D.   Disaster, Environment and Climate Change Management Programme

Almost in every year people of Gaibandha district are affected by natural calamities like flood, draught, river erosion, cyclone, cold wave etc. Due to unplanned public encroachment, barrage, road and infrastructure, destruction of plantation, frequent use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the environment and bio-diversity is severely

affected. Every year hundreds of families loose their houses and cultivated lands. In such situation, GDBCputs special emphasis on Disaster and Environment Management Programme to ensure sustainable development for the neglected and marginal poor people. GDBCrealizes the importance of preparedness which definitely lessen the loss and sufferings of affected people.

Output:

§  A total of 13 orientations successfully organized to increase capacity to face disasters as well as to protect environmental degradation.

§  Information collection, reporting and dissemination in favour of flood affected people are also emphasised by the organization.

§  Together initiatives have been taken with the Upazila Administration during disasters.

§  Form and develop volunteer groups especially for disasters management

§  Form and develop Disaster Management Committee (DMC) for disasters management.

PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

GDBC ensures effective co-ordination and collaboration with different social actors, local government and Upazila and district level structures on behalf of the rural poor and under privileged men, women and children. It works with different committees like SMC, CMC, DMC, Youth Group, Volunteer Groups along with different social change agents for smooth implementation of projects. GDBC works with them enhancing their capacity to become self-reliant development partners. GDBC believes equal participation of male and female in the development as well as in decision making process by raising their collective voice for their own development. During implementation always maintains its core norms and values and set outs its approach which are selected strategically. GDBC also coordinates with Executive Committee and General Committee along with a management team within the organization which is the supreme authority to take programmatic and managerial decision.

PRESENT ACTIVITIES

1. Social mobilization, group formation
2. Literacy movement with the civil society to increase the level of literacy rate by moving door to door counseling and motivation.
3. Gender and development training to the development partners
4. Learning centre establishment for women beneficiaries through income promotion activities
5. Awareness and consciousness raising program
6. Providing legal aid supports for the women victims
7. Massive awareness about HIV/AIDS and STD
8. Formation of different committees like village development committee, disaster management committee, village WATSAN committee, School Management Committee etc
9. Family Planning, Health and Nutrition awareness program
10. Activities for the development of self-promotion
11. Activities to stop women and children trafficking
12. Water, sanitation and environment development programs
13. Social Forestry along nursery development and demonstration
14. Homestead Gardening and tree plantation
15. Drama, street  drama and folk song show
16. Occasional cultural programs
17. Disaster preparedness and management initiatives
18. Formation of village to upazila level Disaster Management Committee (DMC)
19. Land and reform schemes
20. Environment development programmes with civil society
21. Drug and Tobacco controlling through counseling and recreation
22. Relief and rehabilitation programmes for the disaster affected people.
23. Rehabilitee distressed abandoned women, children, sex workers, drug users
24. Financial as well as supports for small level enterprise holder, rural producer group, marginal farmers, skilled workers for undertaking respective initiatives

ACHIEVEMENTS OF GDBC

1.     GDBC refer to the success of returning of school dropouts, deprived and neglected children in education to increasing literacy rate comparatively ensuring quality education.

1. 50 Ananda Schools are ongoing where 4000 drop out students are imparting education
2. 50 local teachers cum facilitators are engaged with those schools
3. 120 POSBP centres also on going within the working areas
4. Local people and administration are interestingly cooperating with the education programme.
5. Extra curricular activities in the education session adopted for their learning
6. Education materials are also been distributed among the learning centres for the drop out children.
7. About 55 thousands children got a total of 28 sets materials including books.
8. Dress and others equipments are also provided to the learning centres
9. 170 SMC/CMC have been strengthened for school management.
10. 170 teachers have been capacitated through different training, sessions and orientations.
11. Finally the relationship in-between teachers, guardians, local government structures, civil society have been developed.

13.  At the same time significant level of awareness about different development issues has increased. The tendency of exploitation, suppression, early marriage and divorce has also been decreasing within the working areas of SBUS. 

14.  GDBC has helped 63 deprived students to get admission in secondary schools for their higher education.

15.  The rate of early marriage is declining and child labour is also showing downward trend.

16.  To raise awareness GDBC has been organizing different types of orientation session, gathering, workshop, meeting, opinion sharing meeting, seminar in order to increase the level of awareness.

17.  Most of the people are practicing their gained knowledge and education at their family and community level.

18.  Organization has mobilized to utilize local resources along with their small contributions.

19.  Organization always assists to get appropriate services from the perspective sectors. Advocacy for the landless and disabled people is a continuous effort of the organization.

20.  GDBC has successfully organized 53 couple groups who are taking initiatives to identify problems and their solution through their united efforts.

21.  Through effective awareness raising initiatives about 40% people in the working areas use sanitary latrine and also using safe drinking water.

22.  About 25% people become conscious about personal hygiene and cleanliness. All those statistics are taken from a baseline survey by the organization among 200 HHs.

23.  It has established GHAT-information and technology centre at the organization has been playing very effective role in favour of poor people.

24.  It has another special scheme to carryout research activities to address different development issue.

25.  It already published different useful learning booklets for the children

26.  It produced a total of 75 volumes of Digital’er

MOTTO OF THE CLUB

If you become technology

You would be able to free from jobless

Together journey towards Science and Technology,

Happy World Built by the people.

CORE VALUES

1. Establish believes and full of confidence on liberation war and freedom
2. Respectfulness to every level of men and women
3. Promote open thinking and liberty 
4. Present equal attitude to all mankind's and religion 
5. Hold especial attention to severe victims, handicapped, neglected women and children
6. Honesty, liability and polite    
7. Accountability and transparency

MANAGEMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION

The club generally governed by Executive Committee consists of 05 members headed by Chair person including male 03 and female 02. Another committee is Advisory that consists of 10 member including 08 male and female 02. Most of the members of Advisory Committee are related with science and technology. The Executive Committee regularly seats 4 time in a year. Besides, it has a management team, within the organization consists of 03 members headed by the Chair Person is the higher authority to make decision, event management, projects management. The management team meets once a week where they review all situations and take decision necessary by participatory approach. The Management Team is responsible for various programme & project implementation and is accountable to Chief Executive Committee.

PROJECT PERTICIPANTS/BENEFICIARIES

SOURCES OF FUNDING

FUTURE PLAN

GDBC like to undertake the following projects to bring intensified benefit for the mankind by developing the utilization of science and technology in the northern part of Bangladesh.

1. Central information and Knowledge Management Theatre
2. Science and Technology based Human Resource Development Complex
3. Full Equipped Learning and Experiment Center
4. OffsetPublication Center
5. Science and Technology based Agro-based projects

CANTRACT PERSON

(Professor Tapash Dev)

Chair Person

Mobile No: 01813639267, 01745469498

Email:devtapash132@gmail.com

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