BDRCS

Bangladesh Red Crescent Society has recently started a new community based development program called Community-based Development Initiatives(CDI) in 15 villages of 4 districts: Natore, Kushtia, Magura and Nilphamari. The program is funded from the leftover fund of the cyclone Sidr emergency operation that was successfully completed at the end of 2009. Around 2,307 households (over 10,000 individuals) are covered by the CDI program.

Programme Goal
The overall goal of the CDI programme is to increase the communities' resilience to disasters and raise the income level and living condition of over 10,000 people in 8 impoverished communities in 4 districts of Bangladesh by 2012.

General Objective
Socio-economic vulnerability of the targeted households is reduced and their resilience to future disasters improved.

Basic health, education and economic status of the targeted vulnerable communities are improved.
Social ill practices or evils such as dowry, child marriage, domestic violence, etc. are eliminated from the targeted communities through effective awareness campaign on gender equality, women's rights, human rights and other social issues.
The capacity of BDRCS units and community based organisations is developed and timely/quality responses/services provided. Communities' awareness on DRR and preparedness for future disasters increased.
Dissemination of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement reached to the community/grass root level and communities' understanding and practice of humanitarian values and principles are increased.

Program activities are designed based on households’ needs and priorities identified through a detail household level baseline survey. Such activities/interventions address households' needs and community issues related to water supply, sanitation, household economic condition, shelter, education, disaster risk reduction/preparedness, information/communications, food security, public health, women and development, etc. The program is implemented with the active involvement of targeted communities in all stages of the project cycle.

The program has high level acceptance to communities and it is expected to bring a positive transformation in targeted households with a sustainable and reasonable standard of living within a period of two years. The program may be expanded in many other vulnerable communities of the country subject to availability of funds.