Gram Bikash Kendra (GBK) is a local-level, non-profit development organization working in the Northwest Region of Bangladesh. Since 1992, GBK has worked as an enabling force for vulnerable section of the community. In particular, GBK's work focuses on women, children and indigenous people. We have strong links with National and international organizations, including HEKS - Switzerland, ICCO - Netherlands, PKSF - Bangladesh, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), Nayantara Communications-Bangladesh and Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).
GBK’s Strategic Focus
Promotion of Human Rights – Indigenous and Marginalized Communities, Women and Children:
GBK believes on equal rights of all people irrespective of age, sex, race or religion. Under this strategy, the organization has been mobilizing Adivasi (indigenous) people to campaign for their rights. Alongside this work, GBK has been networking with the local government and neighboring greater community to improve the indigenous and marginalized people’s access to services and raising awareness of the issues faced by them.
GBK is initiating a project for Dalit (horizon) community to enable to fulfill their human potential, live with dignity and are treated with respect through developing alternative life skills.
GBK is fully committed to women’s empowerment and particularly concerned about the issues and barriers to development that women face in rural Bangladesh. GBK feels that as men are a contributing factor in some of the issues which the women are facing, men need to be included in awareness raising and advocacy work in order to stimulate the change that are needed.
Promotion of Quality Education and Life Skills:
Objective of education will be achieved through ensuring quality of education. Any type of education should have the appropriate quality, otherwise it will fail to attain its objective. GBK tried to ensure the quality education through its development activities and always prefer quality education of the rural children alongside their enrollment in the school. GBK also facilitates access to primary level education for the 5-11 years children amongst hardcore poor participating families not reached by primary schools.
GBK’s one of the major objectives under this strategy ids to provide skills, education and support to eanbale disabled participants to earn their own income or perform their household tasks effectively. Proejects/Interventions under this strategy are;
1. Provision of Skills Training
2. Parents Awareness Raising for Children’s Education and Nurturing through Training Support – PARENTS
3. Indigenous Learning and Cultural Centre –ILCC
4. Pre-Primary Schooling (PPS) Activities
Accelerate Economic Empowerment:
A large number of population in Bangladesh are living under poverty line and significant sections among them are considered as hardcore poor. Although many families have successfully used micro-credit and small income generation initiatives to improve their economic situation, a huge number of them are yet far away from those services.
In Northwest Bangladesh, most families are still heavily reliant on agriculture. Adverse weather condition, low crop yield, and agriculture lean period hits these poor families often leading to food crisis. Considering the situation, GBK is trying to accelerate their family income through alternative way together with agriculture.
Programme/projects under this strategy are:
1. Socio-economic Development Activities by Income Generating Project with Rural, Urban, Ultra Poor and Micro-Enterprise Credit Support
2. Participatory Livestock Development Project – PLDP
3. Seasonal Loan Support
Promotion of Health and Environment Activities:
GBK has another strategic focus area about health and environmental development.
Programme Implementation Strategy:
GBK implement the development programmes directly as well as through partnership with the local NGO’s that are working very intensively with the community. Currently GBK is implementing a project with 5 local partner NGO’s.