Arua, in the West Nile region of Uganda was the host of this year's International Youth Day celebrations, which was presided over by His Excellency General Y.K. Museveni, President of of the Republic of Uganda. Youth groups and adults came from all over the country for the event, including members from BRAC Uganda who travelled to Arua to join in and see how lessons from BRAC could fit in with this year's theme, Accelerating Youth Empowerment through Skills Development.

The day commenced with cultural performances from youth across the country who filled the stadium with color, dancing, and singing. Youth delegations came from far and wide and were joined by fellow youth, politicians, senior civil servants, foreign diplomats, donors, NGO staff, and members of civil society. Participants also included local celebrities Dorcus Inzikuru (aka the "Golden Gazelle," Uganda's fastest runner) and Bobbi Wine (aka the "Ghetto President," a popular singer) to inspire the youth with their success.

Uganda has the world's youngest population and the highest prevalence of poverty among its youth. Over half of its population is under the age of 18, and 94 of its young people live on less than US$2 a day. Skills development was chosen by the government as this year's theme in Uganda to help address the youth unemployment problem in the country. Youth face large barriers to securing stable employment given limited job opportunities and for many, inadequate skills and education. Skills development, therefore, is critical to assist youth in in the transition to work, equip them with the skills to become job creators, rather than seekers, and to allow youth greater participation in the social and economic transformation of Uganda. One of the many questions asked on the day was what strategies and programs do we put in place to do this?

BRAC Uganda has been developing the skills of young men and women in Uganda since 2008, when it launched its Empowerment and Livelihoods for Adolescents (ELA) program, offering adolescents and young girls a safe space in which they can socialize and be provided with life skills training, financial literacy training, livelihoods training, vocational training, and access to microfinance. The clubs, launched in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation, reach nearly 28,500 adolescent girls through the 743 clubs in 26 districts of Uganda. More recently, BRAC has launched two additional programs for youth skills development and empowerment, making youth one of its key focal areas. In 2010, BRAC supported 278 young men and women to undergo vocational training at registered institutes under their vocational training program, offering them assistance afterward with job placement, tools to generate self-employment and formal certification of their course. In addition, 2011 marked the opening of 120 Youth Centers in partnership with UNICEF in the Karamoja Region of North Uganda. Through this initiative, nearly 3,000 young women will have access to skills training and some initial input supply for becoming self-employed in the trade they have learned. To celebrate International Youth Day, UNICEF has created a video to highlight how youth supported by BRAC's initiatives are overcoming various barriers.

BRAC's work with youth has led us to recognize the need for a deeper understanding of the complex challenges they face as they negotiate the transition to adulthood. In light of this, the Research and Evaluation Unit has undertaken a large nation-wide research study on youth, to be launched soon in November 2011. Combining a nationally-representative survey of 5,000 youth with in-depth qualitative research methodologies, the report will provide a dynamic understanding of the experiences and aspirations of youth, and identify the forms of support that have allowed youth in Uganda to overcome these challenges, providing important lessons on how to adopt policies and programs to the needs, preferences and priorities of youth.

11 August 2011, Dhaka. The pathways for the poor and marginalised to access property and other fixed assets as a significant human right, was widened when the second batch of HRLS Upgrade Sheboks successfully completed and graduated from a comprehensive government certified land measurement training course on the 7th of August 2011. This residential training course began on July 3rd 2011. It has already graduated 32 Upgrade Sheboks in the previous batch to this end.

The training module is a unique triple layered component of the Property Rights Initiative. This project is currently being piloted in Rangpur and Gaibandha districts under the corroborative direction of BRAC HRLS, Omidyar Network and BRAC USA. The project aims to actively realize the claims of vulnerable communities to property and other fixed/productive assets via legal education, community outreach efforts, and a land measurement model as highlighted above.

With their new skill set, the group of freshly trained land measurers, can more effectively provide specialized land measurement services and become community advisers who can impart free information and knowledge about property rights issues throughout the community.

Both the training and certificate distribution ceremony were held at Rangpur's BRAC Learning Center (BLC). Distinguished figures from the community such as Chief Trainer and Rangpur BLC in-charge, Md. Yaqub Ali, presented the graduates with their certificates, Chief Guest and president of Raja Ram Mohon Club, Rangpur, Md. Monwar Hussain, and Special Guests, Advocate Kamal Kumar Mojumder, and BRAC Microfinance Regional Manager, Md. Delowar Hossain all graced this event with their presence.
 

25 July 2011, Dhaka. Aarong Milk has now achieved the International benchmark of quality by getting the ISO 22000: 2005 certification for food safety management.

Aarong Milk was first marketed in 1998 by BRAC dairy - a dairy social enterprise of development organization BRAC, to help poor rural dairy farmers protect and grow their dairy enterprises and improve their family’s income by facilitating access to urban markets. Inspired by this purpose, Aarong Milk has worked to build a brand that is as true to its urban consumers as it is to rural suppliers, providing dairy products of impeccable quality that drive its vision of a healthy and strong Bangladesh. As a part of its’ quality commitment, Aarong Milk has ISO 22000 certification to strengthen the consumer’s confidence.

Mr. Muhammad A (Rumee) Ali, Managing Director, BRAC Enterprises & Investments received the ISO 22000: 2005 certificate on behalf of BRAC Dairy from Mr. Zulfiquar Rahman, Founder Chairman of Intertek, a leading provider of quality and safety solutions worldwide. Ms. Tamara Abed, Director- BRAC Dairy and Mr. Ronald Biswas, Country Manager- Intertek were also present along with other high officials of BRAC Dairy & Intertek.

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02 August 2011, New York. This June the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics released the preliminary report from its 2010 Household Income and Expenditure Survey. The report indicates that in the period from 2005 to 2010, 13 million people have been lifted out of poverty and that the overall poverty level has fallen by 8.5 percentage points.

"Bangladesh is truly an amazing story of human progress, despite the obstacles," said Dr. Lincoln Chen, Chair of the BRAC USA Board of Directors and President of the China Medical Board of New York. "Surely the large NGOs like BRAC deserve much credit."

Additional survey findings pointed to significant increases in a number of important poverty indicators. Individuals per capita, per day intake of food has increased by 5.5 percent, from 947.8 grams in 2005 at the national level, to 999.9 grams in 2010. Quality of life has improved as well. The survey found significant increases in access to safe drinking water and electricity. A phenomenal increase was observed in the use of mobile phones, with an increase from 11.29 percent in 2005, to 63.74 percent in 2010.

Average monthly household income has increased by 59.38 percent at the national level, 58.27 percent in rural areas, and 57.48 percent in urban areas. A large increase was also seen in average monthly household expenditures, with an increase of 82.59 percent at the national level, 80.71 percent in rural areas, and 82.01 percent in urban areas, compared to 2005.

The report also referenced significant improvements in education, with increases in the literacy rate of 7-year-olds increasing from 57.91 percent at national levels, compared to 51.9 percent in 2005. The proportion of people benefiting from at least one public safety net program has increased as well. In 2010, 24.57 percent of households reported having received a benefit during the past year from at least one type of program, compared to only 13.03 percent in 2005.

BBS Director General Shahjan Ali Molla said the survey was conducted in 12,240 households, including 4,400 in urban areas, and 7,840 in rural areas across the country from Feb. 1, 2010 to Jan. 31, 2011.