Friendship caring for a better life
87, Suhrawardi Avenue, Block- K, Baridhara, Dhaka 1212
Telephone:+88 02 881 4823, +88 02 881 4824,
Fax:+88 02 881 4851 Email: info@friendship-bd.org
Programme Activities of Friendship
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
1. HEALTH
- Floating Hospital
a)
Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital
MAIN ACTIVITIES
(Total Beneficiaries: 982,804 up to August 2009)
The Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital was initiated by Friendship in
2001 with an aim to provide essential, primary healthcare
services to the Char and riverbank based populations of northern
Bangladesh. The project was designed to reach Char based
population clusters that are isolated from mainstream habitation
and have minimal or no access to healthcare services due to lack
of transport and communication facilities.
Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital Services:
A. General Treatment:
 General Treatment of communicable diseases and
limited curative care
 Paediatric Care including immunization, ARI, diarrhea
and limited curative care
 Reproductive Health Care
 Orthopedic Health Care
 Eye, ENT and Dental Health Care
B. Pathology:
 Pathology and Lab Services including X-Ray, ECG,
etc.
C. Referral Services:
 Emergency Referral Services
Till October 2009 more than 360,123 registered beneficiaries
have received primary and secondary health care services.
b)
Emirates Friendship Hospital
Following the success of the Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital,
Friendship launched second floating hospital on November 22,
2008, the Emirates Friendship Floating Hospital (EFH). The new
floating hospital will provide medical services similar to that of the
Lifebuoy Friendship hospital and thus further strengthen
Friendship’s health initiatives in hard to reach Char areas of
Kurigram district. EFH, since its inauguration, has been providing
health services near Dhaka but was recently moved to Tongipara,
Gopalganj.
In addition to doctor chambers, medicine dispensary and
the presence of two full time doctors, EFH is equipped with
the following:
 Two operating theatres,
 Two eight-bed wards,
 Paediatric and gynaecology units,
 A dental room,
 A pathological laboratory, an X-ray room and an
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
MAIN ACTIVITIES
ophthalmic room
In the near future, the Emirates Friendship Hospital will
provide health services to 200+ Nomad Islands / Chars and
remote areas in Kurigram and Northern Gaibandha district
having a population of approximately 5,000,000 people.
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Specialized Health Care
Secondary Health Services
c)
There is an acute need of secondary healthcare services in these
areas, but no facilities for providing such services. To address
this need Friendship provides secondary healthcare services
though the Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital and also through
specialized health camps. These health camps are arranged
regularly with specialist European doctors and provide different
types secondary healthcare services including eye, dental and
ENT clinic and surgery, pediatric, orthopedic, plasticreconstructive surgery, post operative care, specialist
consultation, referral service etc with the support of Humanitera,
BNHS & various private donors.
Friendship Secondary Healthcare Services:
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Eye care and surgery through Eye Clinic and Eye
Surgery Camp
Dental care and surgery through Dental Clinic and
Dental Surgery Camp
Plastic-Reconstructive Surgery Camp
Cleft-lip Surgery Camp
Pediatric Surgery Camp
Orthopedic Surgery Camp
Physiotherapy Camp
ENT Health Camp
General Health and Surgery Camp
Specialist Consultation
Referral Service
Till October 2009 a total of 118,189 patients have received
advanced secondary health care services from on board
secondary care and various health camps.
d)
Satellite Clinic
Satellite Clinics (in different remote
chars)
Friendship operates 232 Satellite Clinics every month in 94
different Nomad Islands/chars of Gaibandha and Kurigram
districts which reach the remotest and most inaccessible islands
and provide basic services to the women, children and men. The
Satellite Clinics’ services are as follows:
Another 60 Satellite clinics are operating in Patuakhali, Barguna,
Bagerhat and Pirojpur district.
Friendship Satellite Clinic Services:
A. General Treatment:
 General Treatment of communicable diseases and
limited curative care
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
MAIN ACTIVITIES
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Paediatric Care including immunization, ARI, diarrhea
and limited curative care
 Reproductive Health Care including ANC, PNC,
family planning and STI/RTI
B. Health Education/BCC:
 Group Meeting/Health Education session and
Individual Personal Contact
C. Referral Services:
 From Satellite Clinics to Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital,
GOB facility or any available NGO/private clinic or
hospital
At present, each month 292 Satellite Clinics are providing
healthcare support in most remote and inaccessible Chars and
cyclone affected coastal areas of Bangladesh.
Till October 2009, 675,010 beneficiaries have received
satellite clinics health services.
e)
Nutrition
Majority of the Char children are malnourished. This is not only
due to their poverty, lack of awareness also plays a major role.
The children takes far less calorie than what is required by their
body for healthy growth. This creates long term effect in the
health scenario of the Char population. In order to provide
balanced, nutrient food to the Char children as well as to increase
Char people’s (especially women’s) awareness on nutrient food
and food value Friendship is implementing a Nutrition program in
the Char areas. The program is aimed at children under 6 years
as well as ANC/PNC mothers.
The Nutrition Program of Friendship covers:
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Health education/counselling
Demonstration of nutrient food cooking
Feeding children under 6 years of age
Growth monitoring
Motivation to personal hygiene.
Every month a total of 292 Satellite Clinics are arranged in
Friendship working area and under each Satellite Clinic
approximately 100-120 children received the benefits of
nutrition programme per year.
f)
Child Immunization (EPI)
In order to reduce women’s and young children’s mortality rates
among Char and riverbank based populations, Friendship
organizations child immunization sessions at regular intervals.
Friendship’s Child Immunization (EPI) program aims at reaching
the children as well as women living in remote and inaccessible
Chars under immunization program. Friendship organizes EPI
sessions both through organizations own funding and also in
collaboration with the GOB. Under the immunization program
children aged between 0 to 1 years and women aged between 15
to 49 years are given vaccine for prevention of life threatening
diseases. This programme has been supported by Government of
Bangladesh.
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
Family planning
g)
MAIN ACTIVITIES
Due to a number of reasons including lack of family planning
services and non-availability of family planning methods as well
lack of awareness and illiteracy, birth rate is very high in the
Chars and riverbank areas. Considering the importance of the
issue Friendship is working on family planning among eligible
couples in the Char areas. With an aim to increase adoption of
family planning methods, with special focus on long term
methods.
Friendship’s Family Planning program includes:
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Motivation and counselling of eligible couples
Contraseptive distribution (oral pills and condoms)
NSV, Tubectomy, Injectables
Inserting Norplant & IUD.
Till October 2009, a total of 22,662 beneficiaries have
received family planning services from Friendship with the
support of GOB.
h)
Friendship Community Medics
Friendship Community Medics
In 2008, Friendship introduced yet another innovative way of
delivering primary care to the char dwellers. The program selects
women of the community and trains them with the purpose of
creating a ‘self-sustaining, primary health service providing’
mechanism on the chars. FCMs undergo intensive training to
address disease prevention, maternal and child health, nutrition
and family planning issues. FCMs have proved to be an effective
and efficient means of improving community health by serving as
a vital link between communities and health care systems. Each
FCM monitors the health status of 250 households. The program
also empowers women with an income source and self
confidence.
Friendship Community Medic Services:
A. Family Planning and Care of Pregnant Women:
 Identifying, registering and educating eligible couples
for family planning
 Identifying, registering and educating pregnant
women on safe pregnancy, safe delivery, nutrition,
ANC and PNC
 Referring couples seeking long term family planning
method and pregnant women to satellite clinics
B.
Health Education/BCC:
 Group meetings and health education session and
individual personal contact to address issues such as
nutrition, hygiene and primary prevention
C.
Child Health and Immunization:
 Identify all children<1 year and ensure immunization.
 Educate parents on new born and child care
D.
Referral Services:
 Refer complicated cases to satellite clinics and
LFH/EFH
Currently, Friendship has trained and deployed 222 FCMs
in the north and south of Bangladesh.
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
i)
MAIN ACTIVITIES
River Ambulance
River Ambulance
Friendship has launched the First catamaran River Ambulance in
Bangladesh for the service of the Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital
and the upcoming Emirates Floating Hospital serving the
population of the chars and riverbanks of the Jamuna. It is the
way to answer the medical emergencies and disasters faced by
the communities living in the area. The ambulances are linked
by mobile phones to the Friendship Community Teams in
health, education and income generation, in over 100 islands
of the Jumna.
The Ambulance has been conceived in order to be able to ferry at
a time, two patients accompanied by two paramedics and
members of their family. It is also able to ferry 15 medical staff at
a time to a site in case of major accident or epidemic. The boat
has specially been designed and visualized, by the world famous
naval architect Mr. Marc Van Peteghem, to match the specific
needs to Bangladesh.
2. EDUCATION
- Primary Education
a)
Friendship Education Programme
In July 2005 Friendship commenced an education programme
with an aim to provide essential education services to the poor
children living in the chars. The key objective of the programme is
to increase literacy among the children of the char dwellers as
well as to increase literacy awareness among the char people.
Ultimately, the project aims to develop an appropriate model of
primary and vocational education for the poorest of the poor in
hard to reach areas which is sustainable and replicable.
Friendship Education Program Achievements:
A.
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Student Enrolment and Retention
Satisfactory student enrollment in all the schools
100% student retention with no cases of drop out
Attendance
Throughout the year student attendance has been
very satisfactory. In the first year the total average
attendance was found to be as high as 98%
Learning Outcome
At the end of the first year 89% students (267 out of
300 students) received grade A in all subjects in the
final examination
Only 3 students received grade F
Additional Support
Providing educational materials free of cost
Warm clothes distribution during the winter session
School plinth raising for flood protection
Emergency school dismantling training to the School
Management Committee
Presently the 16 schools are providing formal primary
education to 1361 students, (815 are girls and 546 are boys).
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
Satellite School Project
b)
MAIN ACTIVITIES
Friendship has 16 satellite schools in remote chars. The
organization has designed and developed the “Friendship
Satellite School Project” which aims to bring the children of
new Chars under its education program through an innovative
model of cooperative managed satellite schools funded by both
the community and the organization. The curriculum is simpler
and easier. Target is to equip them for basic reading, writing,
mathematical, environmental skills with strong emphasis on moral
and ethical developments.
As of August 2009, 480 children are learning in these satellite
schools
Non-formal Primary School
c)
Friendship has 25 schools in remote Chars. But these schools
cannot provide education to children of other totally school less
islands. There is a strong demand for schools in such islands.
Every year this demand is increasing. There are more and more
children and parents with such demands. With an aim to address
the needs to the best of the organization’s responsibility and
capacity, Friendship started running its community based schools
through cooperatives in the char areas without any external
funds.
As of August 2009, 745 students are getting primary
education in non-formal primary schools.
Teach a Friend Project
d)
The “Teach a Friend” project involves the drop out and
unaddressed children living in remote Chars of Gaibandha and
Kurigram districts under the coverage of Friendship’s existing
education programme through Friend’s Peer education.
The model is an Innovation of Friendship. This is a Child to
Child Education Programme with a strong framework of teacher
intervention and motivation.
The key aim of the project is to develop a system of non-formal
education through which every student will share their daily
learning from the school with a friend (who is to be registered at
the school a “friend” at the beginning of the year). Every day, they
will teach their friends what they have learned at the school. This
way, through peer education in the Char, the school going
children will disseminate their learning to their special friends who
are deprived and have no access to education.
This program already provided primary education to 200
children so far.
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Adult and Adolescent Functional Literacy
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
e)
Adult Education Project
MAIN ACTIVITIES
Majority of the char dwellers are illiterate and cannot read and
write at a functional level. As a result these people cannot
improve their incomes. They have little awareness of the
importance of education and often find it difficult to understand
many of the messages delivered to them.
Friendship initiated the Adult Education Project in 20 schools in
20 islands. The aim of the project is to increase literacy among
the adult char dwellers. The classes are held in the evenings so
that the regular income generating activities of the beneficiaries
are not hampered. After completion of their studies these
students will be enrolled in the Vocational Training programme,
The Adult Education Project will increase char people’s literacy
awareness which will encourage them to send more children to
schools. Moreover with vocational training they will be able to
improve their income and reduce their poverty. This programme is
running by Friendship’s own fund.
At present a total of 620 adults and adolescents are getting
functional literacy and social education, where 516 are
female and 78 are male. 320 adults and adolescents already
completed the functional literacy programme.
f)
Vocational Training School (age
group: 12-18 years children)
The Vocational Training Project focuses on increasing livelihood
skills of the adolescents (aged between 12 to 18 years) through
vocational training. In selected chars, adolescent boys and girls
will be given training on different areas according to their
capability and needs assessment. The project was scheduled to
start from August 2007 as a pilot project but delayed due to the
devastating floods. It has been re-scheduled to be launched
during the post-flood rehabilitation of the char dwellers.
As part of the project Friendship will provide vocational training in
the following areas:
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Light Engineering and Mechanical
Sewing/Tailoring
Plumbing
Electrical
Livestock
Fisheries
Carpentry
Painting
This program provided social education to 400 adolescents
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
g)
Accessing a Better Life
MAIN ACTIVITIES
This is the second phase of a previously introduced project,
“Rural Social Education”, undertaken by Friendship to provide
civil rights based awareness and uplifting their capacities by
addressing certain key issues to improve their livelihood status.
Issues addressed by Rural Social Education were:
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Awareness Building Program on different issues to
get the services from existing facilities of
Government and NGOs
Health and Family Planning
Education
Water and Sanitation
Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock
Govt. Legal Support Program
Women and Children Affairs, and Social Welfare
In this new phase, the char communities will form long term
strategies through the char development committee (CDC),
members of which are selected exclusively from their respective
chars, to influence the basic services provided to them. Strategies
will be developed based on knowledge and awareness of their
human and civil rights. Training will be provided to the CDC to
better equip them to demand and evaluate the fulfilment of their
basic needs from government and non government sources.
Finally, this program aims to promote greater economic
viability of the marginalized community through skill
development activities.
3.
a)
RELIEF, RECONSTRUCTION AND REHABILITATION
- Flood and Cyclone Relief, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation
Flooding
During the devastating flood in 2004 and 2007, Friendship initiated
a massive flood relief programme.
In the first phase of this programme Friendship has delivered
emergency relief by providing 1,100,000 rations of food and
essentials over 125 Chars in 7 districts in northern
Bangladesh. In the second phase of the relief programme
Friendship is in the process of delivering another 1,800,000 man
days of food relief
Agriculture support is also being given. This consists of
distributing 8 - 10 kg of seeds/farmer for Boro and other cash and
food crops. Fertilisers are being based on need and availability.
Direct agricultural assistance is being made to the lives of
120,000 people (i.e.20, 000 farmers and their 6 member families).
In total Friendship has already distributed/in the process of
distributing a total of 3,020,000 rations of food relief and
cultivation support for the flood victims in 2007.
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
MAIN ACTIVITIES
Moreover, Friendship has also started providing houses, water
and sanitation to 1300 families over 7 districts on the River
Jamuna and Brahmaputra. 35-40 community shelters are also
in the process of being constructed.
Previously, during the flood 0f 2004 Friendship, delivered
emergency relief by providing 600,000 rations of food and
essentials over 125 Chars in the remote and inaccessible chars of
northern Bangladesh. During that time Friendship provided 600
houses for the poorest of the poor char dwellers.
b)
Cyclone SIDR
On Nov 16, 2007, a category four cyclone ‘SIDR’ hit the coastal
regions of southern Bangladesh. The cyclone caused massive
destruction in these areas – thousands of lives were lost and
unaccountable damages to the property, infrastructure and
communication have been reported.
Immediately after the catastrophe Friendship initiated a relief and
rehabilitation programme for the SIDR victims. 5 assessment
teams were sent to survey the damages and the needs of the
cyclone victims. This programme consists of the following
components:
Phase 1: Delivering emergency food relief and medical support:
Food relief distribution started almost immediately. Up to now a
total of 900,000 man days of food (25,000 food relief packets
containing 6 days of food for a family of 6) has been distributed in
5 most affected districts. In many areas Friendship’s food
packages have been acknowledged as being the first to reach the
people.
On the 3rd day of the cyclone, Friendship sent 5 medical teams
from Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital to the affected areas. A
team of 6 foreign doctors and nurses were also flown in as
volunteers from France. They have provided emergency medical
support to the victims for one month.
Phase 2: Reconstruction of houses/shelters, water & sanitation:
Reconstruction of houses for the most affected poorest of the poor
cyclone victims has been initiated. Construction of a total of
2,000 houses has been targeted in 3 upazillas. A household
survey has been already completed for identification and selection
of the beneficiaries. Not only that Friendship also reconstructed one
rd orphanage and 40 shops which were demolished at the time of
cyclone Sidr. One boat Jetty (Ghat) also reconstructed by
Friendship.
Phase 3: Rehabilitation through income generation:
Friendship has started post cyclone rehabilitation to help the victims
to get back to their normal life. Friendship Livelihood project,
which includes boats, solar panels, beef fattening, agriculture (seeds
and fertilizer), fisheries and poultry, etc., has been introduced to the
victims. The present status of this project is Friendship has already
distributed seed (winter crops), Fertilizer. power tillers, fuel, deep
tube-wells, solar panels, boats, nets for fishing, fish fauna, Duck &
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
MAIN ACTIVITIES
Chicken, Milking cow, irrigation pumps through cooperatives among
selected beneficiaries of 3 severely affected districts named
Bagerhat, Barguna and Patuakhali.
For strengthening this programme Friendship also conducted
different training programme for the beneficiaries at the sidr
affected areas. Friendship already completed agricultural training
for the farmers. Training for the school teacher, FCM training also
been conducted by Friendship.
Friendship implemented the whole relief, reconstruction and
rehabilitation programme in close coordination with local
government bodies such as UNO, DC, Bangladesh Army, Navy
and other local NGOs in the affected areas.
Cyclone Aila
c)
On Nov 25, 2009, another cyclone ‘AILA’ hit the coastal regions
of southern Bangladesh resulting in widespread destruction in
these areas and killing many. Although, not as devastating as
Sidr, Aila’s huge tidal waves salinated fresh water causing a
severe shortage of drinking water.
Friendship responded on the response of cyclone Aila affected
victims’ assistance by providing some emergency like –
 Emergency Food Relief
 Pond Clearing
 Health and Medicine Support
 School Repair
Friendship’s Emergency Food Relief packets have distributed
among families from the three southern costal districts of
Bagerhat, Borguna and Potuakhali, ensuring total 7 days food
security for each 6 member family.
d)
Rehabilitation for Victims of Garments Tragedy
Rehabilitation Programme for
Garments Workers (Victims of the
Spectrum Tragedy)
The “Garments Rehabilitation Project” was initiated by Friendship
to provide support for sustainable rehabilitation of the victims of
Spectrum garments tragedy at Savar. The project consisted of
the following steps:
 Identification of the actual victims and their families
 Assessing the current situations and the needs of the
victims and their families
 Exploring the opportunities of establishing income
generation project for the victims and their families
 Disbursement of cheques to the victims and their
families for establishing the income generation project
 Providing medical support to injured, ailing victims and
their families
 Monitoring and follow up the rehabilitation project
Support was given for the following type of income generating
activities:
 Land mortgage
 Land purchase
 Milk Cow
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
MAIN ACTIVITIES
 Small business/trade (grocery shop, tailoring)
 Farming (poultry, fisheries)
Training was provided on the following topics:
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Sewing/dress making
Poultry
Fisheries
Dairy
Agriculture
Computer applications
As part of the programme 116 victims (including dead
victims’ families and injured victims) have been successfully
rehabilitated through integration into mainstream income
generation activities.
e)
Climate and Environment
Disaster management
Friendship’s greatest challenge is the environment. All of
Friendships activities are designed to work with the natural
environment and also to prepare the communities it serves
to remain resilient in the face of a natural calamity.
Regular natural disasters such as floods and river erosion pose
a serious obstacle to the char dwellers for in development.
Because of the floods and heavy river erosion the char people
suffer heavily, lose all their assets and live a migratory life
moving from one char to another. Disaster management is an
integrated part of Friendships development activities. To reduce
the effect of natural disasters Friendship is implementing
different kinds of activities for disaster management and
preparedness which includes:
 Community Medic Training (to serve in the absence of
formal care givers) Refer to 1 (f)
 Plinth raising
 Orientation on disaster management
 Training of FCDC members
 Boat building training
 Medical camps
 Local resource management.
 Relief Rehabilitation program management
 Networking
f)
WATSAN
The char people are largely unaware of the importance of safe
water and sanitation. Hence, they regularly suffer from carious
water borne disease. Since 2004 Friendship has been working to
increase the awareness on safe water and sanitation as well as to
provide better Watsan facilities such as sanitary latrines and tube
wells. The activities are as follows:
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Motivation to use safe water
Motivation to use sanitary latrine
Motivation to personal hygiene
Behavior change communication
Setting up tube well
Setting up latrine
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
MAIN ACTIVITIES
 Health education
Water, Sanitation, Hygiene
promotion and irrigation support
program.
g)
In June 2009, Friendship has started its new program targeting to
provide water and sanitation support to different hard to reach
areas where Watsan situation is worst then other areas in
Bangladesh. In addition, Friendship will provide agricultural pump
to the beneficiaries for upgrading their cultivation system.
The project is currently in progress in two Chars in Haluaghat,
Mymensingha and one in Kurigam where sanitary latrines, tube
wells for drinking water and deep tube wells for irrigation will be
provided.
National organizations like BADC declared Huluaghat a dark
zone and were not willing to erect a deep tube well over there.
However, Friendship had undertaken the challenge to install the
pump with an optimistic view and found sufficient ground water
Bio gas for cooking and bio fertilizers for farming will also be
introduced from the sanitary latrines.
4. INCOME GENERATION
a)
Risk Sharing, Micro-Insurance and Saving
Sustainable Income Generating
Project
(Developing a mechanism of
sustainable income generation
through Friendship’s Risk Sharing
Micro-Insurance and Savings
Scheme)
An integrated system for the people living in Chars and riverine
areas of Brahmaputra and Jamuna, for stabilizing their livelihood,
is an essential component of their rehabilitation and poverty
reduction. Friendship has identified and successfully piloted an
integrated system for rehabilitating of the Char dwellers (Nomad
Islanders) through a sustainable livelihood/income generation
programme so as to help them to partially meet the hazards of
recurring floods and improve their overall poverty situation. The
program activities are as follows:
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Formation of Friendship Char Development Committee
Capacity building through training
Awareness building through communication
Building up the savings and understanding its importance
Building up the unity to work together and monitor
Providing livelihood support to the community such asa. Boat
b. Mobile Phone
c. Shallow machine
d. Power Tiller/Plough
e. Solar panel
f. Agricultural aid
g. Livestock
h. Fisheries
At present this project is being implemented in 40 chars,
located in the districts of Gaibandha and Kurigram, through 20
managed cooperatives. A total of 20,000 beneficiaries
including women and the most vulnerable people of the
project area will be directly benefited from the immediate
outcome of the program through their engagement in
sustainable income generation activities. After completion the
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
MAIN ACTIVITIES
project is expected to indirectly benefit approximately 52,500
people.
Target being to raise their income by 100% in 4 years and
leave them with a savings so that they have an option of
decision for taking loans.
b)
Vocational Training for Women
Weaving, Dyeing and Printing
A training and production centre has been established in remote
char areas of Gaibandha districts where different development
activities of Friendship are going on.
More than 300 hundred women and adolescents have been
targeted in the beginning. This group of vulnerable women are be
given by weaving, dyeing & printing training. These groups will
have employment and self-employment opportunity. Group of
women, adolescents and their family members will be directly
benefited by this project.
Currently this program providing training support to 50
vulnerable women and adolescent.
5. CULTURAL PRESERVATION
a)
Cultural Project
(Preservation of the Ancient Boat
Heritage of Bengal)
Traditional boat building technology and its crafts of Bengal is the
oldest cultural living heritage. Friendship is establishing a Living
Boat Museum in which the memory of these crafts will remain for
the next generations.
 Building boat models/replica to preserve the technology
of ancient boats heritage of Bangladesh
 Establishing a Traditional Boat Museum of Bangladesh
 Creating awareness among the people regarding the
instinct of ancient and traditional boat building of
Bangladesh
At present models of 48 different types of boats have been
identified and rebuilt and an exhibition of these models have
been displayed in the Marine Museum in Paris from Dec
2007.
b)
Travelling Exhibition
Friendship promotes its work of cultural preservation throughout
the world by the creation of a travelling exposition. This exhibition
focuses on the built model boats, but also contains materials
traditionally transported by the life scale boats. Jute, rope,
bamboo and tea boxes give a feeling of the daily life on the boats.
Films and descriptive panels complete the visual material.
Since now, the exhibition has been held in:
 Bengal Gallery in Dhaka, 2004,
 Dhaka National Museum, 2005
 National Museum of the Marine in Paris, 2008
 Museum of the Marine in Brest, 2008
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
MAIN ACTIVITIES
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c)
Model Boats
“Salon Nautique” at Porte de Versailles in Paris, 2008
Bangladesh’s thousands of years old boatbuilding technologies
have always been transmitted orally. Hence they will be lost with
the demise of their last masters. In order to prevent their loss
Friendship tries to record the ancient technologies by employing
them to build miniature wooden sailing boats, with the same
craftsmanship as they built the live scale vessels.
This way, more than 100 different models have been
manufactured over the last years and the thousands of years old
traditions have been preserved.
d)
Living Museum
The ‘Living Museum’, which already exists in an embryonic state,
constitutes of wooden life scale boats. They are being restored
and reconstructed on site, by craftsman, such as carpenters,
blacksmiths, rope makers, sail makers, located by Friendship.
The Living Museum will be expanded and include an open air
display of boatbuilding technology, the traditional lifestyle of the
boat builders and the restored and reconstructed live scale boats.
e)
Research and Development
In addition to Friendship’s work on cultural preservation, we also
created a ‘Research and Development Section’, which will be
addressing innovations in the naval sector, as for example the
construction of fibre glass boats.
New methods and skills will be taught to the traditional craftsman,
so that they can face the future and have a secure and stable
income.
6. NEW PROJECTS
a)
Friendship Summit energy project
(FSEP)
FSEP has been launched in November 2009 as a pilot project for
providing solar energy for electrification to the ultra poor,
Nomadic Islands i.e. the char dwellers in Gaibandha and
Kurigram district. Most of the population in this area live on
subsistence farming or daily labouring and do not currently have
and will not receive access to reliable electricity in the next 10-15
years.
FSEP project provides services through Solar Home System
(SHS) to the targeted char households, schools, library,
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
MAIN ACTIVITIES
community centre, shops/markets etc.
b)
Integrated Development Project
Friendship has started an integrated development programme for
6 islands of Kurigram district where all development activities of
Friendship will be done to create model Islands.
This project will be integrated with healthcare education and
livelihood programme. Combined intervention of healthcare,
education and livelihood programs will enhance beneficiaries’
capacity, savings and opportunity; reduce their continuous
sufferings. This project will ensure food security of the target
people within 2 to 3 years and financial sustainability will come up
within 3 to 4 years. The project would include all of Friendships
programs:
 Health (FCM training and satellite clinics) Refer to 1(c) –
1 (f)
 Education (primary, adolescent training and Adult
education) Refer to 2 (a) – 2 (d)
 Income generation (training, risk sharing, micro savings)
Refer to 4 (a) – 4 (b)
c)
Friendship Taratari Research and
Development Centre
The Friendship Taratari Research and Development Centre
(2007- 2008) is being established for training ship and boat
builders in new and different technologies for safe boats.
It is involved in research and development addressing
economically sustainable innovations in the naval sector such as
the inclusion of jute fibre in the materials used to build boats. New
methods and skills will be taught to the traditional craftsmen for a
more secure and stable income.
Currently, Taratari is building fiber glass boats for a project called
“Boats for tomorrow” which is building 200 boats for 200
fishermen as part of the rehabilitation program for Sidr. These
boats will be included in the income generation scheme for the
fisherman who lost their boats during Sidr.
7. FRIENDSHIP INTERNATIONAL
- Pakistan
a)
Mobile Dispensary for the
Earthquake Victims in Pakistan
Friendship International, sister organization of Friendship, is
registered in Luxembourg.
t started a fixed dispensary and a fully equipped mobile health
clinic in the earthquake hit areas of Azad Jammu Kashmir in
2006. As part of the program 1 covered van have been converted
in to Mobile Clinic which operates in remote and hard to reach
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
MAIN ACTIVITIES
parts of earthquake struck areas. This Mobile Clinic provides
emergency healthcare services to the most marginalized
communities. The Friendship Clinic in Muzaffarabad also services
the people of the area who are otherwise at a distance from the
main hospital.
Clinic and ambulance services in Abbottabad, NWFP of
Pakistan:
This project provides health care services through clinic and also
ensures ambulance services to the vulnerable people in remotest
region.
8. PROPOSED PROJECTS
a)
Floating Clinic
“Floating eye-hospital delivering affordable, quality, eye care
to the poor and remote peoples”
This project targets cataract patients in haor areas of Kishorgonj,
Sunamgonj and Brahmondbaria district, features are:
 A fully equipped eye-hospital housed in an innovative
glass-fibre boat able to reach difficult locations
 Primary health care and eye surgery services for
vulnerable groups
 Senior surgical staffs are on a retainer or volunteer basis
 Self-sustaining hospital within three years
 Follows the successful model of the Friendship floating
hospitals and is able to visit remote sites
Friendship will achieve a monthly throughput of 200 patients
regaining their sight and earning capacity and also 1000
people for primary health
b)
Nadi Foundation –
Agricultural product sales –
Cattle Sales –
Sweater Project –
Tailoring Projects -
c)
MUSHTI
For income generation for the organisation with stake
holders as share holders.
Friendship is presently working actively in 75 islands, the
population covering approx 40,000 families. Friendship has
identified a potential area of intervention by introducing training
on traditional and mechanized sewing techniques for the poor
and vulnerable women and adolescent girls which can be a
source of substantial earning for them.
A micro-finance organization will provide micro-savings, microinsurance and risk sharing interest free loan services to the
poorest of the poor char dwellers.
PROJECTS/PROGRAMMES
d)
Telemedicine
MAIN ACTIVITIES
Telemedicine is the delivery of health care and sharing of medical
knowledge over a distance using telecommunication means.
Telemedicine at Friendship would enable medical information
exchange through a mobile phone at a distance with the ultimate
goal of facilitating the health services in the communities.
It will also be for reaching dependable quality care which is
economically sustainable for the communities when the NGOs
and donors are not there for subsidizing the heath care costs.
Telemedicine and mobile based software, which can be used by
FCMs to collect and send data, has already been proved as an
effective and efficient tool for delivering health services to widely
dispersed and medically underserved populations such as those
in the Chars.