The National Council of YMCAs of Bangladesh (NCYB) has been implementing Community Organizing Program since 1988. The main focus of the Community Organizing Program is to empower the women especially who are underprivileged and poorest of the poor in the society. But reaching the poor with any development program in a country like Bangladesh is not easy task. Bangladesh YMCA attempted from the commencement to reach the poor women through this program and for the development of individual to community group approach is emphasized. The women gather together in regular weekly basis for discussing their problems, contemporary issues and sharing their experience with each other in order to gain some sense of leadership and their rights, not only that they elect their leaders in the decision making process. Thus the women makes themselves to become a part of wider leadership in the community. They consult on the health issues especially the issue of preventive health care for mother and children. They make themselves stronger in mind with their unity and knowledge to face the challenges of dowry, polygamy and the torture by men in their family and in also the community. YMCA facilitator cooperates them to advance in the right directions for social, Political and Cultural empowerment.

Bangladesh was a colony under the British Empire and under the Pakistani rule until 1971, when we achieved our independence from the Pakistani regime. During that period of subjugation, the people were subjected to a system of economic, cultural and political exploitation. Emerging as an independent People’s Republic of Bangladesh in 1971 the Government and Political Machinery had failed to maintain the political stability, democracy and good governance in the country. The Third Sector, the NGO Sector emerged with development efforts with a view to alleviate poverty from the country. The YMCA was no exception to this. Though the YMCA movement was formed in the pre independence period, however, it gained momentum in Bangladesh with its development efforts soon after the independence.

In the year 1988 an unprecedented flood inundated two third of entire area of the country. Several million of people lost everything in the floods. During that time Bangladesh YMCA involved in the emergency relief program and also in rehabilitation work in the distant and deprived areas of the country. After completion of the rehabilitation works, the YMCAs opted to continue their relationship with the program participants in the affected areas.

The YMCA realized that the so-called Traditional Development Projects were not enough to solve the problems related to poverty. Moreover, it had been found that the so-called development projects increased only dependencies amongst the impoverished sectors. Due to the ever widening gap between the powerful and powerless in the social structure, the poor are becoming weaker and weaker so that the people should be included in the "decision making process" to ensure their development.

Then the YMCA based on the thought of "People’s Participation" organized several training programs using expertise from other organizations in order to initiate the process of Community Organizing Program for the YMCAs. Thus, Bangladesh YMCA got directly involved itself with the impoverished people through the Community Organizing Program and which is still continuing.

Why women?

Economically, Socially and Politically women’s are deprived in our society very much. Women go through the worst part of poverty. If being poor is tough, being a poor woman is toughest.

To see the real face of our society, we have to look at it with the eyes of our women. Then there will be no way to hide its ugly scars. This is especially true if the experience is that of the impoverished women. All the devices of social oppression, in fact, are indiscriminately practiced on women who are poor. There is no fear of even the slightest protest against such practices. When, in addition to problems of poverty, poor women are subject to the worst forms of brutal treatment by a male dominated society, it exceeds the forms of any civilized community.

Being a poor woman, she is totally insecure. She is insecure in her husband’s house, because the husband can throw her out any time he wishes. She is insecure when she is in her parent’s house. The parents are just waiting to get her out, some way, because she is a burden. She must be married off some how. If she is divorced and come back to the parent’s house, again it becomes a disgrace to the parent’s house.

If a women married – sometimes abandoned by their husband in case of any famine and disaster situation – it is the women (mother) who takes care of their children until death.

She collects vegetables, green leaves of the trees to feed her children. When her husband go other place and marry another woman there. So, situation wise poor women are most deserving to get attention from any institution especially developing institution like Bangladesh YMCA.

When a women is given little opportunity, she struggles extra hard to get out of it. Money going through women in a household brings more benefits to the household than money entering the household through a man. A woman, when she brings in some income, the immediate beneficiary of the income is the children. Children get the top priority from the mother. But a man has different set of priorities, which do not give the family a top position; not immediately looking after the things that a woman does.

In order to ensure greater participation of women in this community Organizing Program, Bangladesh YMCA organizes workshops and training programs especially for them to increase their social mobility, their knowledge and skill and their participation in decision making through the participatory process.

The primary objectives of this program is to empower the powerless people especial women at the grass root level in the following three areas.

• Economical Empowerment- so that they overcome poverty and uplift their living standard.

• Social Empowerment - so that they become aware of the social realities, can tap local resources and  also equip themselves better to tackle the social problems including health issues.

• Political Empowerment - to adhere democratic principles & values, and to ensure participation at elections at all levels.

Bangladesh YMCA has extended this program through its member YMCAs in the different districts of Bangladesh. These are,

1. Barisal YMCA

2. Bogra YMCA

3. Birisiri YMCA

4. Chittagong YMCA

5. Dinajpur YMCA

6. Dhaka YMCA

7. Failjana YMCA

8. Gopalgonj YMCA

9. Kaligram YMCA

10. Savar YMCA

11. Edilpur YMCA

1. Survey

Survey is done in the initial stage to assess through the participatory method the needs of this program amongst the people of the certain area and to collect the necessary particulars of them to select the target area and people.

2. Select target area and target people

Sorting out the information target area and target people are selected. Target people are selected under the following criteria. Such as,

• People who are poorest of the poor

• People, who rely on selling their physical labour as their only income source like the landless farmers, fishermen, potters, carpenters, daily unskilled labours

• Female-headed households; widows and divorcees.

• Families whose monthly income is less than taka 1,500 (US$ 1 = 58.00) Taka)

• The marginal farmers who have less than half an acre of land for cultivation.

1. Motivational Activities/Participatory Consultation Meeting.

Motivational Activities/Participatory Consultation Meeting are organized to make the target people conscious and regular in different activities of the program.

2. Group formation

Groups are formed with 20 persons with same economic status who are dwelling in the same locality. Groups are the key and lowest unit of this Community Organizing Program. Each group has an elected Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer who are elected by the members of the group. The group members require to undergo an intensive training of 1-2 weeks by the facilitator on group management, group responsibility, savings and credit discipline, roles and procedures. The group members need to pass a test on their integrity, seriousness and understanding of principles and procedures of the program.

3. Education Program

The group members need to be able to read and write their names and to understand simple calculation before starting the savings program. Literacy program is operated at least six months in each group in order to remove illiteracy from the group as well as from the country.

4. Weekly Meetings & Savings program

The group leaders arrange weekly Meetings or Participatory Consultation Meeting once a week in a convenient place. They discuss on many important issues that are necessary for them. The YMCA Field Assistant attends the meeting and facilitates them if necessary. The Secretary of the group writes the major decisions in the resolution book. Democratic principles are practiced in the meeting while taking any decision. At the end of the meeting the Treasurer of the group collects the savings from each members and write it in their pass books. Each member saves an amount of at least Tk. 5.00 per week on compulsory basis as their decision. These savings fund are accumulated in the Group Savings Fund.

5. Discussion on different lessons and issues

To conscientize the group member in social and political empowerment different kind of lessons such as, women’s issues, protest against dowry, establishment of women’s rights, mobilization against arbitrary divorce, child care, voting rights, preventive health care, benefits of hygienic sanitation and safe drinking water, and many other contemporary social issues are discussed by the YMCA Field Assistants. The Field Assistant follows prescribed agenda with information at the meetings, provided by the National Council.

6. Training program

To encourage the leaders of the group Leadership Training and Managerial Training are organized for them at local YMCAs. The National Council of YMCAs of Bangladesh also arranges regular training for staff members of this project as well as the beneficiaries of this project. The beneficiaries of this project are especially trained to initiate new income generating activities, group dynamics and Capacity building.

7. Credit program

Loans are provided to the group members upon availability of adequate savings fund and YMCA revolving funds in the group. Usually the Loans are provided to the group after the six months of regular performance of the group. The group members jointly decide the borrower of the loan in their weekly meeting and keep the records in their resolution book. They jointly stand surety for the loan of an individual member. The group members ensure that loans are provided for productive or income generating purposes. Generally, the group members avail these loans for small income generating purposes or for self employment such as poultry raising, cattle rearing, goat raising, small trade, Crops farming and fish-culture. The size of the first loan is Taka. 1,000.00 and gradually it increases by Tk. 1,000.00 depending upon the previous loan repayment performances of the member. The refund of loan is made compulsorily by the members on weekly basis. But all the decision regarding loan comes from the Group Meetings through the participatory process.

The National Council of YMCAs have a ongoing built in system for monitoring the entire program being operated in different districts of Bangladesh through the local YMCAs. The Bangladesh YMCAs have evolved a uniform policy for operating this entire program operated through the local YMCAs in Bangladesh. The policies are reviewed and updated in a Participatory Consultation Meetings of the General Secretaries of local YMCAs, in consultation with experts in this field.

Evaluation:

The National YMCA is responsible to conduct the periodic evaluation of the program and sometimes it is done by the external evaluators who are expert in this field.

There are a lot of success stories as mentioned earlier which have been achieved by the people of the marginalized sectors through this participatory process oriented program.

1. Since 1988, Bangladesh YMCAs have managed to form 455 groups through the different local YMCAs in the different districts of Bangladesh. Out of these 455 groups there are 25 men’s group and 330 are women’s group.

2. The total numbers of group members who are the direct participants in this program are 8,460 as at December 2003.

3. The total amount of group savings is about Taka 7,902,658.00 till December 2003. ( US$ 1 = Taka 58 approximately)

4. The total amount of additional Revolving Loand Fund provided by the YMCA in the program is Taka 12,219,785.00 till December 2003.

5. The total amount of outstanding balance is about Taka 17,946,202.00 till December 2003.

6. More than 6,224 participants have been assisted with credit facilities through this program, a good majority of them are today self employed adding income to their own families.

7. A total 52 Staff members are involved in this program.

8. Participants of this program are inspiring to enhance their family income and they are proceeding to small ventures, small enterprises and entreprenureship from the activities of day labourer.

9. They are increasing their capacity and choice for healthy food, clean water, sanitary latrine and in building structural houses.

10. The community people are advancing towards education. They are very much conscious to send their children to primary school. After the primary level education, they are exploring the means to continue the education of their children in higher level.

11. The rate of child marriage, polygamy, tortures and divorces are decreasing. Also the awareness against dowry is increasing amongst these community people.

12. Women are increasing their senses in the health issue of Pregnant Mother and childcare purposes. They are learning the knowledge to prevent infectious diseases.

13. The knowledge of election, electors, vote and candidate is becoming clear to them. Most of these women are practicing their voting rights during election in the union council and National Level.

14. Amongst program participants some have competed for the election for the position of member of Union Council and a couple of them has been successful. Union Council of the elected local Government body.

The local YMCAs sometimes faces some difficulties to implement this program.

1. Sometimes the local leader and local moneylender misguide some participants. Often they play a negative role in the group and then it becomes difficult to deal with her in the group.

2. After formation of the groups the Field Assistants gives more emphasis on financial activities, as it is be directly monitored by her superiors, as a result tendencies developed amongst the Field Assistants to give less importance to the social and political awareness program.

3. The local YMCAs face another crucial problems and that is insufficient Revolving Credit Fund. The participants demand for loan, however, the YMCAs can not provide them the required loan for fund constraints. Sometimes this results the participants to resign from the group.

4. The natural calamities are sometimes risk for the total program. The credit holders migrate during the flood or river erosion or during crisis in search of a job business to the cities or other places of opportunities without informing the group, leading to bad loan.

5. As it is mentioned earlier that Credit Program is one of the important component for attaining the economic empowerment of the people, so when considering the target group for the program, the hard core poor is often left out. This is because when a Community Organizer forms the groups she looks for the members who has bit of economic capacity, to ensure that she can repayment the loan, often the hard core poor are left out from this program in this process. Floating people are also left out in this process, as there is a good change of loosing credit funds if loan extended to migratory people like the slum people.

6. It is found sometimes that after initiating the credit program again a gap is created between the powerless and powerful members within the group members.

7. As the present thrust of Bangladesh YMCA is to empower women, the men are being deprived to be organized from the marginalized sectors.

Finally, we would like to mention that the through this program the Bangladesh YMCA is trying with all its efforts to change the life of the downtrodden women folk. All our efforts in the regard are in conformity with the Paris Basis and the Challenge 21. We might feel comfort for the time being for what we have achieved, still a lot has to be done from our part to pave the way for the extension of His Kingdom. We seek your blessings and prayer for our journey with the oppressed for their total emancipation. May God bless our doing.

Duncan Chowdhury

National General Secretary

National Council of YMCAs of Bangladesh

E-mail : ncyb@agni.com

Tel : 88-02-9350413

Fax : 88-02-9350225