Welcome to the world of BASUG-Bangladesh Support Group, a world which is small in size but big in success. BASUG is one of theactive migrant organisations in the Netherlands working together with different stakeholders including the Dutch goernment, European Union, UNDP, Oxfam Novib and other mainstream development organisations.
BASUG started its journey mainly with focusing on the two most vulnerable groups of the society- the women and the children- in Bangladesh. But with the span of time, the area of BASUG’s activities extended to other burning issues of the day, such as migration and development, remittance, microcredit, health, gender, violence against women, human rights etc. BASUG with its separate Chapters in Bangladesh, the U.K. and Belgium has now been working both at national and global level. It has been playing an active role in advocacy and lobbying at national, European and international level on these issues. BASUG is engaged with a number of international organisations and working to improve the condition of the migrants, ensure their rights at the host countries and their family members at home.
Vision: - a gender balanced society where women can enjoy equal rights with men
- where migrants are empowered, visible, heard and counted
- children enjoys a healthy society with all basic needs including education, health
- where human rights are respected
Mission:
- socio-economic emancipation of the marginal poor-mainly the women and the children;
- making women aware of their own dignity and their rights both at home and in the society;
- empowerment of women through participatory approach for improving the quality of life in order to achieve an optimal and sustainable development;
- providing education to the poor children and women having no or minimum access to the conventional education system;
- strengthen the Diaspora advocacy movement in order to bring forward the migrant agenda both nationally and globally.
Objectives:
-assist marginal poor women with no basic education in identifying their problems and work to mitigate their poverty; education and provide support to the poor children
-empowerment of women with special focus on gender equality
-innovate different modes and mechanism of development and awareness messages on issues including Violence Against Women
-build strategic partnership and alliances with different stakeholders, development agencies and diaspora organisations and platforms active in the Netherlands and outside on issues such as migration, remittance and development
BANGLADESH
Bangladesh, stretching over an area of 143.999 square kilometres is located in the broad, fertile delta of the rivers Ganges and the Brahmaputra. With a total population of 141 million (July 2004) Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Density of population (above 982 persons per square km / survey 2004) is one of the key problems Bangladesh has been facing. 90% of its land is less than 10 m above the sea level. Frequent natural disasters such as floods and cyclones combined with country's internal political strife, corruption at most levels and poor infrastructures have seriously been affecting the people's struggle to rise above the poverty line.
Like many other poor countries in the South Asia, the status of women in Bangladesh society remains inferior compared to that of men with no or negligible access to the male-dominated society. Most women have no or very limited access to education, health care, local government and other basic needs of life. In most cases, they even don't have any 'say' in their own families. Women are also not aware of their own rights; they lack self-confidence and enjoy no respect in the society. All these result in utter frustration and malnourishment among women which ultimately affect their children.
On the other hand, half of the Bangladeshi children under 5 years of age suffer from chronic malnutrition. This is one of the main reasons why 20% of the children die in their first 5 years. Nearly 600 children die every day in Bangladesh which is 219.000 a year. The picture of children's education is of no difference. According to a recent Unicef report on the "state of the World's Children 2005" primary school enrolment rate in Bangladesh decreased by 6 points to 83 in 2003 from 89 in 2002.
This situation needs to be changed. And we need your support to help change the situation.
