| With
a vision of "a just, enlightened, healthy and democratic Bangladesh
free from hunger, poverty, environmental degradation and all forms of exploitation
based on age, sex, religion and ethnicity," BRAC started as an almost
entirely donor funded, small-scale relief and rehabilitation projet to help
the country overcome the devastation and trauma of the Liberation War. Today,
BRAC has emerged as an independent, virtually self-financed paradigm in
sustainable human development. It is the largest in the world employing
97,192 people, with the twin objectives of poverty alleviation and empowerment
of the poor. Through experiential learning, BRAC today provides and protects
livelihoods of around 100 million people in Bangladesh. Diagnosing poverty
in human terms and recognising its multidimensional nature, BRAC approaches
poverty alleviation with a holistic approach. BRAC's outreach covers all
64 districts of the country and furthermore, has been called upon to assist
a number of countries including Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.
From the time of its modest inception in 1972, BRAC recognised women as the primary caregivers who would ensure the education of their children and the subsequent inter-generational sustainability of their families and households. Its comprehensive approach combines Microfinance under BRAC's Economic Development programme with Health, Education and other Social Development programmes, linking all the programmes strategically to counter poverty through livelihood generation and protection. |