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Aparajeyo (Lead Agency- Bangladesh)

Background: 
Aparajeyo-Bangladesh (AB) is a national child rights organisation. It was founded in 1996 when Terre des hommes Foundation, Lausanne, Switzerland (Tdh) sought to devolve their Dhaka child rights programmes to a local organisation. The organisation commenced activities in 1976, working with children living in and around the slums of Dhaka City. Its goal was to reduce their unbearable poverty, distress and vulnerability caused by the harshness of slum life. In 1989, another programme commenced to provide services to children who live on the city's streets or amongst its public buildings. Over the years, Aparajeyo has expanded its support to promote and protect the Rights of other socially excluded children.

Philosophy: 
To provide assistance to children in distress and to ensure that everything possible is done to safeguard for them a fair and secure life. The children of today are the future and it is our responsibility to invest in them. AB is free from political, religious and ethnic bias.

Values: AB has taken sides - we are on the side of disadvantaged children - those opposed by violence, poverty, abuse and exploitation. AB's values are to:

• Respect a child's inherent abilities

• Believe in every child's ability to achieve, succeed and contribute.

• Enable children to take control and positively change the direction of their lives.

• Work in ways that demonstrate respect for the individual. For children who have lost their own hope and self-respect AB offers a real option for change.

• Develop a wide range of 'partnerships' - encourage funders, supporters and other development agencies to join us on the side of disadvantaged children.

Mission Statement: 
To support the most vulnerable children who are socially and economically disadvantaged, living in urban cities of Bangladesh. Provide a range of rights-based services designed to improve their quality of life. These services are principally, protection, rescue, education, healthcare, skills training, socio-economic development and participation. They are provided in ways that reinforce the culture, faith and value of the children and are also offered fairly, relevantly and without discrimination.

The organization is presently addressing:

• Children in a street Situation

• Children & their Mothers from Slum Community

• Children working in small factories/workshop

• Children victim of Sexual abuse & exploitation

• Children of Women in Prostitution

• Children in Conflict/Contact with the Law

• Children at risk of HIV/AIDS/STI

• Children in abusive & exploitative situation, including Trafficking

Geographical working areas:

• Dhaka Metropolitan City

• Chittagong Metropolitan City

• Khulna Metropolitan City

• Barisal Divisional City

• Jamalpur District Town

Beneficiary coverage:

• 4,500 children enroll everyday at AB's centres

• 60,000 children get support annually

• 3,000 mothers get support annually

• 500,000 community people are sensitized annually

Programmes are implemented through:

• 22 Open Air Street Schools (railway station, boat terminal, parks, market place, etc.

• 5 Drop In Centres (doorstep of children)

• 6 Shelter programmes - 24-hours service

• 2 Residential Hostels

• 16 Learning Centres

• 22 ECD Centre / Day Care Centres

• 4 Slum Based Education Centres

• 2 Transition Centres

• 1 Clinic - 30 bed indoor and outdoor

• 1 Skills Development Training Centre

• 1 Computer Vocational Training Centre

Interventions with children include:

• Protection and Rescue

• Non-formal and Formal Education

• Recreation

• Children's Participation

• Psycho-social interventions including counseling & Case management

• Life skills development

• Vocational/Skills development Training

• Healthcare (curative, preventive and promotive)

• Job placement, and/or self-employment

• Family re-integration

• Collective living/Social integration

• Community Mobilization

• Lobbying and Advocacy with GoB, Donors

• Networking at the National, Regional and International level

Human resources: 
525 staff (47% female and 53% male)

Annual budget: 
1.55 million USD

Funding partners:

• Terre des homes Foundation, Milano, Italy and The European Commission - for children and mother of slum communities, street children and children involved in hazardous labour in Dhaka city.

• Terre des homes Foundation, Milano, Italy and The European Commission - for children of women in prostitution and their mothers in Jamalpur district town.

• Norwegian Embassy - for street children in Dhaka city.

• Terre des homes Foundation, Lausanne, Switzerland - for street children in Chittagong city.

• Shapla Neer, Japan- for street children of Sayedabad and Jatrabari areas of Dhaka city.

• UNDP through Department of Social Services, Ministry of Social Welfare, GoB - for street children under 4 Thanas of Dhaka city - ARISE (Appropriate Resources for Improving Street Children's Environment).

• ChildHope-UK and Community Fund-UK- for Children who are victims of Sexual abuse & exploitation.

• UNDP through National STD Programme, Ministry of Health, Government of Bangladesh - for HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention among street children of Dhaka city.

• UNICEF - for life skills development and HIV/AIDS prevention for disadvantaged children in Dhaka and Chittagong cities

• UNICEF - Mitigate the Hazards of Child Labour in Small Factories using non-formal education and Early Child Care to the child labourers siblings

• Groupe Developpement-France and The European Commission - Children in abusive & exploitative situation, including Trafficking

• ChildHope-UK, DFID, CIDA & World Bank - Children in Conflict/Contact with the Law
  · Butterflies, New Delhi - Children's Development Bank

Contact Address :-

Aparajeyo-Bangladesh
2/5, Humayun Road
Block , Mohamadpur
Dhaka- 1207, Bangladesh
Contact person : Ms. Wahida Banu Shapna
Email -wahida@aparajeyo.org
aprjbd@bol_online.com