2 0 15

ANNUAL REPORT
2 Annual Report 2015
 CHAIRPERSONS
FOREWORD

CONTENTS

01 Our Vision, Mission and Values 56 Investments

03 Chairpersons Foreword 58 Social Enterprises
The year 2015 has seen the culmination of the millennium development goals set by the United
04 Executive Directors Statement 62 Social Innovation Lab Nations in 2000. Bangladesh has notched up significant achievements against the eight goals,
06 BRAC five-year strategic plan especially in the areas of health and poverty reduction. There has been a substantial drop in
both child and maternal mortality, and poverty has been halved. Also noteworthy is the rise in
08 Headlines from the Year
64 Governance, Management and life expectancy; Bangladeshis can now expect to live to the age of 70.
10 Research from 2015 Capacity-building
Progress in education has been mixed. Getting 97 per cent of children into school is a
68 BRAC Management commendable achievement, but this means 3 per cent of primary-school-aged children are
16 Targeting the Ultra Poor 71 BRAC Organogram still not receiving an elementary education. In addition, around 20 per cent of those who enroll
72 BRAC Governing Body drop out before completing class 5. Equally worrisome is the lack of improvement in the quality
18 Microfinance of education. A skilled workforce is critically important for Bangladeshs future development;
22 Skills Development 74 Stichting BRAC International without it, the country will not be able to compete in the globalised economy. Providing young
Governing Body people with a quality education and, where needed, vocational training, is a top priority.
24 Disaster, Environment and Climate
Change 78 Development Partners
World leaders made an unwavering commitment in September to achieve 17 transformative
28 Gender Justice and Diversity 80 Financials sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030. The first of these goals is to end poverty in
84 BRAC Across the World all its forms everywhere. This is the first time in human history that the global community has
30 Community Empowerment made an unequivocal pledge to eliminate this scourge.
32 Advocacy for Social Change
I am pleased to report that BRACs work is already well-aligned with the SDGs. The 2030
34 Urban Development
Agenda for Sustainable Development provided the framework for the drafting of our new 2016-
36 Human Rights and Legal Aid Services 2020 strategy and will continue to shape our programmatic priorities over the next 15 years.
38 Health, Nutrition and Population
44 Education
48 Integrated Development
50 Agriculture and Food Security
52 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, KCMG
54 Migration Founder and Chairperson

Annual Report 2015 3

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
STATEMENT

I see Bangladesh at a crossroads, in a rapid transition that is gaining pace every day
- from one economy to another, one society to another, one culture to another and
one generation to another. 1.3 million people were lifted out of extreme poverty. 25,000 neonatal deaths were
averted, 35,000 child deaths were averted and 6.8M newborns were breastfed within one
We are on an exciting journey. Bangladesh was classified as a lower middle-income hour of birth. 16.7M eligible couples used modern contraceptive methods. 16.4M people
country in 2015 and we are on track to become a middle-income country. There is
a definite dynamism in the air. Economic activity is happening at every level, and gained access to hygienic toilets and 600,000 people gained access to safe drinking water.
opportunities are relatively well distributed because of the collective efforts of the 2M students finished pre-primary courses and 860,000 graduated from primary school.
government and development partners at the grassroots level. Rural villages feel
like economic fairs; farmers are harvesting crops, sowing new seeds, markets
9000 adolescent clubs were set up and welcomed 225,000 new members. USD8.4
are expanding, peoples choices are changing and, except for those living in ultra billion in loans was disbursed. 27,000 court cases were filed and 22,000 cases were
poverty, general incomes are rising. Everybody wants to educate their children, drink resolved. Grassroots community action groups initiated 498,000 new development projects
safe water and live in better quality houses, and people are increasingly engaging
directly with providers to access better quality basic services. and took collective action against 12,000 incidents of violence and social injustice. 89,000
group members secured leadership positions in local power structures.
Access to technology is catalysing massive changes. Initiatives such as bKash are
bringing a variety of services to the doorsteps of millions of people.

The country is experiencing a demographic dividend, leading to an increase in

the potential workforce. We are seeing a steep upward trend in urban migration, We will aim even higher over the next five years. We will We will focus on improving knowledge management
challenging us to increase our attention on urban poverty. continue to maximise opportunities and expand services within our workforce, to improve our own programme
for the unserved needs of the 120 million people we quality and to become a knowledge partner of choice.
already reach, while empowering 20 million of the most We will strengthen our policy advocacy work by using our
In parallel, global foreign aid architecture is changing, resulting in a significant underserved and disenfranchised women and men to gain learning from the field as empirical evidence to influence
reduction of aid flowing into countries such as Bangladesh. Bi-lateral donor- greater access to and control over resources, decisions governments and development partners to better
countries are increasingly focusing on conflict-affected areas and many are moving and actions for social transformation. In addition, we will serve people living in poverty and socially marginalized
towards trade as opposed to aid. This is a positive development for our country, on continue to work on the underlying structural causes of populations. This will allow us to scale our impact faster
our journey towards self-reliance. poverty and social inequality. and wider than ever before.

2015 was a transformative year for BRAC, with three critical drivers of change. The In parallel, we will continue to work on strengthening These changes will require a significant transformation.
global sustainable development goals (SDGs) were introduced, which expanded on our organizational sustainability, including our financial We have a responsibility to the country, to continue to
the millennium development goals (MDGs). We finished the first phase and planned viability, and reducing donor dependence. We will do this find solutions to the social problems of a rapidly changing
the second phase of our Strategic Partnership Agreement with the UKs Department by adopting social enterprise models across almost all of Bangladesh. BRAC has always been there for the people
for International Development and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and our programmes, except for those specifically targeting of Bangladesh, working with government and other
Trade. In parallel with these two developments, our last five-year strategy ended and people living in hard-to-reach areas and in ultra poverty. development partners, to reach every last mile. Our new
we developed our strategy for the next five years. We expanded our reach to cover This will require us to upgrade the services that we offer five-year strategy will ensure that we stay at the forefront
twelve countries, starting operations in Nepal after the earthquake. We now touch and the ways in which we offer them. BRAC-supported of the countrys development journey. We look forward to
the lives of one in every 50 people across the world. Here is a small glimpse of what front-line service providers will bring an even wider range embarking on this exciting new path with you.
we, along with government and development partners, have achieved in just one of services to doorsteps, through higher-skilled staff
country Bangladesh over the last five years: equipped with cutting-edge digital tools and supported
by higher-level service centres. We will work differently, to Dr Muhammad Musa
make sure that we continue to create opportunities for the
people for whom we exist.

4 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 5

BRAC
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN
(2016-2020)
Bangladesh stands at interesting crossroads. In the 45 years 5 Gender equality: ORGANISATIONAL FOCUS
since it gained independence, the country has not only Reduce violence, increase mens engagement
emerged from war, but has made significant strides in both and increase gender parity within BRAC through 1 Develop management and business thinking BRAC has always been an
social and economic fields - poverty reduction, per capita integrated actions for womens empowerment across capacity:
income and gender parity in education and health. Bangladeshs programmes. Create a gender resource centre to Change leadership style to encourage risk taking, evolving organisation, and the
development trajectory is considered as a unique success provide technical support to programmes. promote innovation and ensure a continuous
story globally. Rising inequality is the most pressing social succession of leaders. Attract staff with business skills strategic plan 2016-2020
challenge for the country now, and it is an obstacle that could 6 Pro-poor urban development: who can implement social enterprise models. Introduce
halt, if not derail, any ambitions of an inclusive society. Against this Deliver customised, affordable and quality basic e-learning and strengthen staff capacity on technology
is a continuation of this trend.
backdrop, we have set the following overarching goal: services for people living in urban poverty. Mobilise and communication. Bangladesh graduated from
communities to be more aware of their rights. Advocate
In the next five years, we will empower 20 million of the most
for safe, affordable and quality transportation and pro- 2 Increase efficiency of structures and processes low income country status to
poor urban governance. and leverage greater use of data for decision
underserved and disenfranchised women and men to gain
making: lower middle income country
greater access to and have more control over resources,
7 Universal healthcare access and improved Incorporate more technology, particularly around data
decisions and actions, while continuing to maximise
nutrition: collection and management. Use more evidence in
status in 2015 and the countrys
opportunities and expand services for the unmet needs of
the 120 million people we already reach.
Address emerging health problems (such as non- management decision making to run a leaner and more economic progression shows
communicable diseases), increase the professionalism effective organisation.
of frontline services and introduce a wide range of fee- no signs of slowing. It is
To achieve this goal, we will make the following changes: based products and services. 3 Increase influence through knowledge and
evidence-driven advocacy and strategic essential that we take early
8 Invest in the next generation through early partnership:
PROGRAMMING
childhood and improved education quality: Increase our value as a knowledge partner of choice
steps to ensure that we will be
1 Eliminate extreme poverty in Bangladesh by 2020: Enhance quality of and access to education at all levels, of other humanitarian and development stakeholders. able to respond to changes
Reduce the cost of our targeting ultra poor programme with an added focus on early childhood development, Attract innovation, implementation and knowledge
and scale it up to graduate half a million households out and advocate for quality education nationally. dissemination partners. in funding patterns and
of extreme poverty.
FINANCING 4 Strengthen and align support programmes: development needs.
2 Financially empower people living in poverty: Increase accountability within support units through
Strengthen client protection mechanisms, expand Amid shifting global development aid priorities, we will streamlining processes and introducing feedback loops.
financial education services to all clients and introduce continue to diversify our funding sources. As a leading organisation
customised financial products for a wider range of 5 Develop mechanisms to strategically support
groups. Continue to look for market gaps and set up new 1 Our social development programmes will increasingly and leverage BRAC International and other BRAC in the field of social
institutions more systematically:
social enterprises to provide livelihood opportunities for
people living in poverty.
adopt social enterprise models. Five programmes
Bring the entire BRAC family together through one global development, we will become
will be the initial focus; health, education, skills and
employment, migration and human rights and legal strategy. even more relevant, efficient
3 Skills and decent work for underprivileged women services. More sophisticated targeting mechanisms
and men: will be introduced, with diversified financing options and effective, continuing to
Equip 500,000 young people (50 per cent women, 10 (free, subsidised, fee based, etc) available for different
per cent persons with disabilities and minority groups) economic groups. ensure that Bangladesh is a
with skills training and link them to decent jobs or country where everyone has
entrepreneurship. 2 A proactive fundraising strategy will be devised, with a
focus on new, diversified channels such as philanthropy the opportunity to realise their
4 Resilience to climate change and emergency and corporate social responsibility.
response capacity: potential.
Establish BRAC as a leading humanitarian response 3 Our microfinance programme will contribute a portion
entity, helping people adapt to (and mitigate, when of their surplus to support our other social development
applicable) climate change. Integrate climate change programmes.
adaptability in all programmes.

6 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 7

HEADLINES FROM THE YEAR
JANUARY 2015 Development. The seminar presented SEPTEMBER 2015 launched a nationwide dialogue
a new study that revealed a direct with local government leaders on
Young Ebola survivors become relationship between a childs learning how microfinance is contributing to
skills in Bangla, English and math, to Relief for flood victims alleviating poverty in the country.
entrepreneurs factors like parents income, availability We reached out to 1,200 families with 1.4
Survivors received cash grants from of electricity and child labour. A number tonnes of food supplies and cash support
BRAC and the Ministry of Social Welfare of possible solutions for ensuring quality worth USD 9,758 (BDT 764,000) during the
Gender and Children Affairs of Sierra education were identified, through severe floods in Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat,
Leone to start their own small businesses. research, consultation with experts, Kurigram and Sirajganj. We also arranged
support meritorious students from
Learning continued when schools were and discussions with students, parents makeshift sheds on hospital premises,
1.2 million people call for financially-disadvantaged families to
closed, through radio sets, textbooks, and teachers. Education activists raised supplied intravenous fluid and created child-
exercise books, and stationery, provided childrens rights to education pursue post-secondary level studies.
concerns for political parties to commit to friendly spaces in Gaibandha.
by our empowerment and livelihood of Over 1.2 million people called on world isolating the education sector from political
adolescents project. Survivors started leaders to keep their promises to secure and non-political violence.
to reintegrate into their communities every childs right to education by the end
with psychosocial and psychological of 2015. The Up For School petition is an
counselling support provided by trained initiative by the global campaign A World
staff and mentors. at School, to bring attention to the more JULY 2015 DECEMBER 2015
than 58 million children around the world
who remain out of school. The campaign Wall Street Journal praises 120 innovators, 36 hours, 7
looks at the reasons why children are not BRAC winning solutions
in school, such as discrimination against
girls and child marriage. We were selected as a finalist in the BRACathon, our first ever in-house
Wall Street Journals Financial Inclusion hackathon, attracted more than 120
MAY 2015
Challenge, in the category of operational budding app developers and students
effectiveness. The Financial Inclusion OCTOBER 2015 to develop mobile applications for
USD 15m for Nepals Challenge looks for innovative and social challenges. The 36-hour-long
earthquake survivors impactful models that address barriers to World Food Prize development marathon took place
We pledged to spend USD 15 million in financial inclusion. Our health loans have in BRAC University. Participants
been issued to nearly 3,000 households Our founder and chairperson, Sir Fazle
the next two years to help earthquake tackled a wide range of issues, such
as of April 2015. Financial Inclusion Hasan Abed received the 41st annual
survivors in Nepal. The two-year-long as tuberculosis prevention, micro
Challenge judge Chetna Sinha praised World Food Prize at an international
support programme in Nuwakot village learning, microfinance data access,
BRAC in the 14th World Toilet includes support for 2,000 households, our unique model for working in the most symposium in the United States. He
crowdsourcing information for city road
was recognised for his outstanding
Organization Hall of Fame short-term and long-term rehabilitation remote areas of Bangladesh.
contribution to enhancing the worlds
improvement and new user interfaces
MARCH 2015 of 200 maimed earthquake victims, for mobile money. We will pilot and
The World Toilet Organisation gave us a production and distribution of food to
psychosocial rehabilitation of 30,000 potentially scale up the apps developed
place in their Hall of Fame for improving those most in need. In the words of Sir
BRAC awarded most female- earthquake victims, and livelihood support by the seven winning teams.
sanitation in the lives of over 66 million Fazle, The real heroes in our story are
people in Bangladesh. 97 per cent of the friendly organisation in for 5,000 households. the poor themselves and, in particular,
population has access to a toilet, with Bangladesh women struggling with poverty. In
an estimated 57 per cent of people now situations of extreme poverty, it is usually London School of Economics
using sanitary latrines. Bangladesh Brand Forum awarded us the JUNE 2015 the women in the family who have to publishes research on BRAC
RFL Inspiring Women Award for being make do with scarce resources. When
Researchers at the London School of
the most female-friendly organisation in Gates Foundation goals met we saw this at BRAC, we realised that
Economics published a study on our
FEBRUARY 2015 Bangladesh. The award was given for
female-friendly policies, supporting female
and exceeded women needed to be the agents of
targeting the ultra poor programme.
change in our development effort.
Bangladeshs first app for employees in their careers and ensuring The water, sanitation and hygiene programme AUGUST 2015 The programme lifts households out
female staff a congenial workplace for achieved and surpassed the targets set by of extreme poverty by developing
women the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and womens entrepreneurial capacities,
pursuing their aspirations. Fight against anaemia and NOVEMBER 2015 and has long-term benefits, according
maya.com.bd, in partnership with BRAC, was awarded a performance incentive. USD
launched the first ever one-touch help 4.9 million was received to support safe stunting continues to the evaluation. The programme
service mobile phone app for women. APRIL 2015
water, sanitation and hygiene from 2015- The Alive & Thrive programme was Nationwide dialogue on has supported women in 1.6 million
The service allows women and girls 2020 in selected urban areas. implemented in 50 sub-districts to reduce microfinance for FI2020 households to shift from low-paid
in both urban and rural areas to post Bangladeshs best talent anaemia and stunting in young children. insecure jobs to small business
The Financial Inclusion 2020 campaign ownership. Aspects of the programme
anonymous questions on health, legal and awarded The next generation of Health workers worked with young mothers built global momentum around how to
psychosocial issues. Teams of doctors, to improve infant feeding practices and hand have been replicated across Africa,
lawyers and psychosocial counsellors The Medhabikash (promoting talent) education in Bangladesh washing habits. Exclusive breastfeeding rose
address the remaining gaps in financial Asia and Latin America by other
Education Summit brought together 300 inclusion through FI2020 week. The organisations.
respond in either English or Bangla, The Quality education for the next from 48 per cent to 88 per cent and hand
scholarship awardees, corporate leaders, international event included banks, policy
depending on the users preference. generation seminar was held, an initiative washing among mothers rose from 23 per
media personalities, academics and makers, non-government organisations,
of our ongoing education campaign cent to 31 per cent. microfinance institutions, investors,
journalists. Our Medhabikash scholarships
and the Institute of Informatics and and financial capability experts. We

8 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 9

RESEARCH
FROM 2015
International labour migration selection: Findings Exploration of multiple micronutrient powder usage Incidence and risk Social Identity:
from the baseline survey of BRACs safe migration among children of 6-59 months in Maternal Infant factors of recurrent Community skilled birth
project and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN, Phase II) project pulmonary tuberculosis attendants
areas of Bangladesh within a successfully
Assessing the knowledge and awareness of aspiring treated cohort: Evaluating the social
migrants on the process of migration Fighting anaemia through home-based food fortification Preliminary findings acceptance of community
skilled birth attendants
Less educated and skilled workers are more likely to One in every three children under five in Bangladesh is How significant is the threat
migrate through middlemen. Potential migrants with relatives anaemic. We started promoting multiple micronutrient of recurrent tuberculosis in Our health, nutrition, and
who have migrated are more likely to arrange migration powder in 2009 to address this. Research mapped usage Bangladesh? population programme
through personal connections. Study districts with high of the powder among children 6-59 months old in the seeks to increase the
levels of migration show less migration attempts through project areas. 4,616 children were selected from 10 MIYCN Tuberculosis remains a number of community
middlemen and more through personal networks. Study districts and two urban slums. 57 per cent of mothers challenging communicable skilled birth attendants
districts with low levels of migration have low levels of had heard of MNP, but only 26.2 per cent fed it to their disease. Recurrent across Bangladesh. The
awareness about migration processes. Aspiring migrants children. Percentages were notably higher among children tuberculosis poses a study explored the process
who are more educated and skilled, and have higher 6-24 months old in rural areas. Most mothers believed the significant threat to the of social identification of the
earnings in Bangladesh, are more likely to stop trying powder fulfilled nutritional requirements, fostered intellectual tuberculosis control birth attendants.
to migrate after some time. Substantial financial losses development, and promoted child growth. A small number programme, as it is
are associated with failed attempts, with higher losses avoided the powder, believing that regular family food was associated with lower cure Birth attendants are known
among those who failed in attempting to migrate through enough for children. rates compared to new as BRAC health cadres
middlemen. Wage rates in destination countries are lower tuberculosis cases. in communities. They are
for those who migrate through middlemen. Most migrants Building awareness on consumption of iodized salt respected, and referred to
do not get formal job contract documents. and compliance management of Rapid Test Kits A cohort of smear positive as daktar or nurse apa.
pulmonary tuberculosis Professional training on
Moving from extreme poverty towards sustainable Investigating low consumption of iodized salt patients declared as cured birthing methods enables
livelihoods: Evidence from the Challenging the or having completed them to generate income
Frontier of Poverty Reduction- Targeting Ultra Poor Much of the salt available in Bangladesh is open/non- treatment were selected and social prestige.
(CFPR-TUP) programme iodized salt, or is falsely labelled as iodized, despite the to measure the incidence However, village doctors
presence of a government law that prohibits the sale and predictors of recurrent and traditional birth
Does the transfer of capital and skills to the ultra poor of non-iodized salt. Our health, nutrition and population tuberculosis, and its attendants interrupt their
sustainably improve their livelihoods? programme, in partnership with other organisations, variation in rural and urban work in home birthing. Most
provides Rapid Test Kits to check iodine levels. We settings. 44 patients were people in villages perceive
Long-term impacts of the CFPR-TUP programme were complement this with promotional activities aimed diagnosed as having that assisting home birthing
estimated using randomised control trials. Three rounds at boosting consumption of iodized salt. The study recurrent tuberculosis, is a social norm rather than
of panel data from the years 2007, 2011 and 2014 were investigated the compliance of retailers in using the kits, showing a recurrence rate a professional duty.
analysed. The programme had a significant positive impact whether promotional activities improved the availability of of 4.5 per cent. Higher
on occupational choices, per capita income and assets. iodized salt in local shops and the acceptability of iodized incidence was noted in BRAC Neuro
There is no statistically significant impact on education salt by consumers. rural areas compared to Developmental Disability
after 2-4 years of programme support, but the effect on urban areas. Although the Centres
education is positive and statistically significant after seven Retailers were willing to utilise the kits while buying salt recurrent tuberculosis rate
years of programme support. from wholesalers; however, in most cases, dealers did not was low in Bangladesh, Neuro developmental
co-operate to check the salt. There is public demand for adequately treated patients disability centres were
cheaper, non-iodized salt, however salt with false labels is are still at risk of recurrence initiated in 2014 to explore
gradually fading from local markets due to counselling and if they come into contact ways to improve the lives of
implementation of the Rapid Test Kit strategy. with a tuberculosis patient. children with special needs.

10 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 11

The centres are an initiative of our education programme, was identified as the most arsenic-contaminated mouza. Livelihoods in depressed Engaging men and boys
in cooperation with our health programme. This research 84 per cent of households were willing to pay BDT 20 per basins of Bangladesh in the journey towards
study documented and analysed their operations, week to have access to safe drinking water. Piped water gender equality and
processes, outcomes, challenges and solutions. A supply was the most preferred option for buying drinking What are the factors female empowerment:
qualitative approach was employed, documenting the water. Serious concerns remain about using groundwater. that influence the Gender quality action
development of the centres from the perspectives of policy socioeconomic conditions learning
and personnel, children, their families and communities. Approximately 89 per cent of households prefer deep tubewells and livelihoods of people
as a drinking water source, however the underground layers living in the wetlands? In An investigation about
Learning outcomes of children with disabilities, and of soil in some villages are too deep and salinity intrusion is 60 out of 500 sub-districts mens engagement in
changes in the attitudes of families and communities found in some of the layers. identified, people lag far reproductive issues, and an
regarding disability were observed. Outcomes could behind in health, education examination into their role in
improve if teachers, even in situations where resources How students are experiencing and combating and livelihood opportunities. ensuring the participation of
were constrained, consistently implemented certain sexual harassment against girl students in public female family members in
activities. Concerns were expressed over limited resources places Poverty, protection decision-making.
in centres, problems with transportation of children, and exclusion in rural
inadequate medical support including therapy and a lack of Investigating sexual harassment of adolescent girls Bangladesh Environmental and
intrinsic motivation of teachers and caregivers because of economic sustainability
poor honorarium. A baseline survey of meyeder jonnyo nirapod nagorikotto The processes through of groundwater for
(MEJNIN) Phase I, a project of the gender justice and which marginalised irrigation: Implications
Challenges in providing education services in diversity programme to combat sexual harassment families are included are for ensuring food
marginalised areas: BRACs experiences in Sylhet against girl students in public places, found that 36 per often determined by local security in the northwest
division cent of girls experienced sexual harassment when going elites. The study seeks to region of Bangladesh
to school. A qualitative study on the impact of MEJNIN understand how and why
Assessing quality of education Phase II was initiated to understand existing knowledge of the poorest face constraints Increased demand for food,
sexual harassment, investigate attitudes and explore the in gaining access to public poor water management
The study was initiated to scientifically document the occurrence of sexual harassment within a defined period of services and entitlements, and declining rainfall is
operational challenges, coping strategies and barriers time. Relevant actions taken by adolescent boys and girls, and why children from ultra creating unprecedented
to implementing successful school operations. A purely teachers, and other members in the community were also poor families stop going to pressure on groundwater,
qualitative approach was employed in five sub-districts investigated. school. the main source of
to capture variations across regions such as plain lands, irrigation for increasing crop
wetlands (haor) and tea estates. A lack of understanding about sexual harassment was Lives of street- production in the region.
found among most students, who wrongly referred to connected children in What are the key factors
Major challenges in the tea-estates and haor areas related harassment as eve teasing. Parents and community leaders Bangladesh that constrain the use
to availability of space for schools, maintenance, teacher expressed concerns that harassment mostly occurred of groundwater and the
recruitment, training and retention. Geographical exclusion when girls go or return from school. Perpetrators were What are the reasons policy suggestions for its
and financing gaps were also seen to have a significantly mainly close relatives, or people known to the girls. behind street migration and sustainable use?
negative impact on the quality of education. what daily struggles do
Publications from 2015 street children face? The
Ensuring access to safe drinking water in coastal study presents a range of
areas of Bangladesh: A pilot study in Tala union push and pull factors that
The status of water, sanitation and hygiene in rural
Bangladesh lead to and keep children
Finding suitable drinking water options on the streets.

Household census data revealed that shallow tubewells The study explores the status and quality of practice of
were the main source of drinking water in Tala union. key hygiene behaviours and the quality of drinking water
Rahimabad was identified as the most vulnerable mouza in based on chemical and microbiological water parameters.
terms of access; approximately 28 per cent of households The study also explores perceptions of drinking water
need to travel over 500 metres to collect water. Danganalta interventions in a coastal district where unsafe water is a
growing crisis.

12 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 13

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT,
AS AN APPROACH, IS
CONCERNED WITH WHAT
I TAKE TO BE THE BASIC
DEVELOPMENT IDEA:
NAMELY, ADVANCING THE
RICHNESS OF HUMAN
LIFE, RATHER THAN
THE RICHNESS OF THE
ECONOMY IN WHICH
HUMAN BEINGS LIVE, WHICH
IS ONLY A PART OF IT.

- Amartya Sen
TARGETING Graduation, measured through a set of
criteria, occurs when households achieve

THE ULTRA
economic and social advancement over a
period of 24 months.

POOR
At least three sources of income in the
household within two years
Nutritious meals twice a day for every
member of the household

Lifting Use of a sanitary latrine and safe drinking

water
A spirit unbroken

MILLIONS OF
It is a weekday afternoon in Moulvibazar, Rangpur, and the
melody of children chanting times tables is wafting through the
At least 10 ducks/chickens/pigeons
trees. School is over, but students are gathered under shady
LIVES out of owned by the household
trees in the village courtyards for free coaching. Not just in this
village, but in many others nearby as well. It is not the work of any
ultra poverty
Kitchen garden present in the household
organisation- this network of open-air classrooms is all due to the
Sustainable homes considering the initiative of one barely literate woman.
geographical context
Shamsunnahar has lived through enough adversity to know the
Children attend school value of education. She is the proud owner of two houses and
Four fruit-bearing or woody trees owned 36 decimals of land today, but was working long, hard hours as a
by the household, if space is available domestic helper just a few years ago. Growing up in an ultra poor
family and married at 13, she was never given the opportunity
Eligible couples adopt family planning to study. She was left with next to nothing when her husband
passed away from cancer a few years into their marriage.
Zero child marriage in the household Sending her two sons to school was a distant dream.

Things started to change for the better when she was selected
Our programme is specifically designed to meet the needs of households that are too poor to access for our ultra poor programme. Shamsunnahar attended training
traditional development interventions. We create and improve livelihoods for those at the base of the on running a poultry and livestock enterprise. She received an
asset transfer and weekly stipends, and graduated from the
economic pyramid through our graduation model, eradicating poverty in all its forms (SDG 1). Over 25 programme after two years. She took out three microfinance
countries have adapted and replicated our groundbreaking model to date. 95 per cent of our participants loans to set up her own poultry business, and used the profit
graduate from ultra poverty. Globally, 75-98 per cent of the participants meet the country-specific
graduation criteria in 18-36 months, according to reports from CGAP and Ford Foundation-funded pilots. WE WILL BUILD from her first investment to send her children to school.

A COMMON Shamsunnahar often visited the local government school

to check on her childrens progress and was appointed as
CONSENSUS WITH a member of the village poverty reduction committee, an
independent voluntary body. She quickly discovered that

HIGHLIGHTS 2 015
DEVELOPMENT students would benefit from after-school coaching classes.
She rallied village authorities and organised free additional

We reached 90,000 ultra poor We installed 19,000 latrines and We introduced a new pilot, called
ACTORS FROM ALL classes for all children. She personally made sure that
children from ultra poor families attended these classes. Her
households in rural, urban and
coastal areas with our targeted ultra
450 tubewells in collaboration with
village poverty reduction committees.
the TUP-nutrition project, to prevent
under-nutrition (measured through
OVER THE WORLD innovative thinking landed her a position as a member of the
village school management committee.

poor strategy. 80,000 participants The committees enrolled 2,000 stunting) in the first 1,000 days of TO BREAK THE Shamsunnahar then focused on the nutrition of her children,
(97 per cent) from the 2014 group
graduated out of ultra poverty.
children into government schools.
We planted 546,986 saplings
a childs life. The baseline survey
was conducted and we look forward POVERTY CYCLE taking training on vegetable cultivation and guiding others
to do the same. This brought her further recognition, and
to reduce climate change-induced to investigating its impact through the she was made the president of the village agriculture
development committee.
vulnerabilities. endline survey.
Refusing to bow down to adversities, Shamsunnahar continues
to promote better practices in education and agriculture, while
encouraging women and the larger community to make better
lives for themselves.

Annual Report 2015 17

MICROFINANCE
Smart spending, better savings
In September 2014 we launched a financial diaries research
project that looks at how low-income households in
Bangladesh access finance and manage their money. The

Helping 5 MILLION
project included tracking financial transactions of over 300
respondents for one year, and is helping BRAC to modify

FAMILIES
and develop our services based on a better understanding
of clients financial lives.

move toward Mafidul Islam manages a shop that services computer

hardware in Dhaka. He enrolled as a respondent and
economic was given a financial diary in which he recorded all of his
earnings and spending each day. A field officer collected

freedom the data once a week. He was earning USD 166 per month
at the time.
Mafiduls experience highlights how access to better
After two or three weeks of maintaining the diary I financial tools and management can transform ones
noticed a pattern in my spending. I realised that I didnt ability to build on ones assets and plan for the future.
need to spend in those ways; that I could save. He This project has reinforced our belief that there is a huge
continues, I used to smoke a lot but when I saw that I need for improved money management skills and more
was spending over USD 50 on cigarettes, I cut down. targeted products for low-income people. In 2015, we thus
significantly scaled up our financial literacy trainings and
Two months into the project, Mafidul opened a deposit developed and piloted several new products, including a
premium scheme (DPS) a special savings plan where consumer loan, emergency loan and a credit-shield life
you save monthly, and receive a handsome return upon insurance.
maturity. He then opened two more with other institutions in
the following months, and now saves USD 65 a month.

I have worked in Dhaka for a long time but Ive never Mafiduls monthly Before After
been able to think about saving. Now I save what I transactions (USD) enrolment enrolment
can because I am earning and in the future I may not Monthly income 166 - 204 -
be able to. This money will give me security if that
Living costs 64 64
happens.
Cigarettes and
Today he retains over half of his earnings, which he either 51 19
miscellaneous
saves, or sends to his family outside of Dhaka, via bKash.
Remittances to family 51 51
Financial management hasnt improved his life in every way, Savings 0 64
however: Before I used to take air-conditioned bus Surplus cash-in-hand 0 6
services to go home, but now I go without it.

HIGHLIGHTS 2 015
As one of the largest providers of financial services to the poor in
the world, we offer a diverse range of products and services to We continued our drive to promote full financial inclusion, by increasing the number of households provided
families across Bangladesh. with financial services, and building the suite of products available to them.

Microfinance supports people living in poverty in myriad ways by Furthering our reach number of borrowers grew 8 per cent that clients can access a range of
facilitating easy access to credit and savings, from enabling We continued to expand our reach from 4.5 million borrowers to 4.9 financial services tailored to specific
investment in small enterprises, to helping families maintain among poor women, farmers, salaried million; and our portfolio grew 24 per needs, that they clearly understand
spending on food, to accessing foreign employment workers, migrant workers, and small cent from USD 1.16 billion to USD and can use easily.
opportunities, and offering coping mechanisms for emergencies. entrepreneurs. We also disbursed 1.44 billion, the largest so far.
more loans to households affected We continued to strengthen measures
We directly contribute to achieving eight of the sustainable for client protection, by diagnosing
development goals relating to extreme poverty, food security, by disability, through specific Putting clients front and centre
targeting, recognising that households over-indebtedness, promoting
health, education, gender equality, sanitation, inclusive Promoting financial inclusion means transparency, making products as fair
with disabled income-earners face more than increasing our numbers
economic growth and climate change resilience. additional barriers to accessing and useful as possible and ensuring
reached, but how effectively we are clients are consistently well treated.
financial services. In 2015 our total reaching them. This means ensuring
Annual Report 2015 19
 BRAC: Delivering financial services to the underserved
We kicked off the year by reducing our
interest rates by one percentage point. We
also expanded our customer service BRAC HOPES TO ATTAIN Total disbursed: Total clients: Total borrowers:
assistants to 1,300 branches; this In 2015, we disbursed 5.4 million *
4.9 million
all-woman cadre conducts financial
awareness trainings and offers advice to
SMART CERTIFICATION, USD 2.5 billion
of BRAC microfinance
clients are women
clients that have questions and concerns.
THE GLOBAL GOLD
More clients now have access to a set
of complementary services that secure STANDARD FOR
families against financial shocks. 4,700
clients borrowed health loans to help CLIENT PROTECTION 246,000 clients
them manage large medical expenditures
in the family, while 20,000 clients opted FOR FINANCIAL received small enterprise loans

INSTITUTIONS, AND
for our credit shield life insurance, giving

BRAC microfinance clients

the household financial security in the
event that a client or their spouse passes 94,000 clients
away. Almost 300 households affected
by flooding took up pre-approved
CATALYSE GREATER received migration loans

emergency loans that were being piloted

in flood-prone areas.
ATTENTION TO CLIENT
Many clients have changed the way they
PROTECTION ACROSS 614,000 clients
received agriculture finance
pay for their savings. In 2015, 12,000
clients, primarily women, chose to
THE SECTOR
make savings deposits via mobile money 20,000 households with disability in
using bKash - a BRAC Bank subsidiary. the family received access to credit and
The support they receive from us to bring savings
them on to the service is also helping to
promote numerical and digital literacy,
enabling more people to use the platform
* Not all of our clients are borrowers;
some choose to just save.
in ways that best suit their needs. T U P
20 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 21
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Unlocking
the potential
of future
generations
Hotel Amaris newest employee
Similar to the young women who challenged social norms to
make Bangladeshs ready-made garment industry what it is
today, it is likely that Jhuma will be remembered one day in
Bangladeshs hospitality industry. As is the case with most
pioneers though, her personal stakes are very high.
Rehana Akhter Jhuma has to lie every single day.
She leaves home early so that she has time to change her
clothes before she gets to work, and she leaves late so that she
can change and hide her uniform.
Her job brings in enough money to support everyone in her
family, but she cannot tell the truth about what she does to
people who matter the most to her.
A third of Bangladeshs population is 10-24 years old and two million young people enter the labour market
every year. Half of the population are illiterate or semi-literate however, and most young people end up with Jhuma is a housekeeper. At work, she wears a crisp, ironed
irregular, informal jobs. uniform at Amari, a five-star international hotel chain in the
capital. At home, her community thinks that she works for a non-
Bangladeshs workforce is expected to reach 76 million people in 2025. We aim to use skills to ensure governmental organisation.
inclusive and sustainable economic growth and create decent employment opportunities for 500,000 young
In many of the other countries where Amari operates,
people within the next five years.
housekeeping is a respectable job for women, and the first step
We provide competency-based training, in line with the National Skills Development Policy, with a focus on to a career in the hospitality industry.
women and marginalised groups. We strive to enhance employment opportunities through apprenticeships,
Housekeeping is still not considered a decent job for girls in
institution-based training and enterprise development, focusing particularly on decent jobs in growth sectors. Bangladesh though. It is likely that Jhumas community would
WE WILL EQUIP stigmatise her and not allow her to work further if they learnt that
she was a housekeeper.

HIGHLIGHTS 2 015 AT LEAST 14,000 Ironically, girls like Jhuma, who her manager Sadekur Rahman

Building on the success of our skills graduates were employed within hotels and BRAC Centres for Development UNEMPLOYED describes as a quick learner and definitely as good as any male
colleague are exactly what the industry needs. A recent BRAC
training for advancing resources (STAR)
project, we launched a new programme
one month of training and 15 per cent
of the female graduates were
and Management.
YOUNG PEOPLE survey found that only 17 per cent of hotels in three major cities
employ women. It is assumed that this is primarily because of the
Our pharmacy project trained 38
which provides competency-based
training following the Skills Development
employed in non-traditional
jobs.
disadvantaged young people to FROM DIVERSE social perception associated with the occupation.
Jhuma is a graduate of the BRAC hospitality programme,
Policy 2011.
We piloted two new cost sharing dual
work as C-grade pharmacists.
50 per cent were female and 5 per cent had BACKGROUNDS WITH and her family had always lived in poverty before her
training. Through a mix of practical and theoretical lessons,
We provided apprenticeship training
to 5,400 marginalised young
system models with support of the
International Labour Organization.
disabilities. All graduates are employed
in pharmacies while they wait for their HIGH QUALITY she now brings home USD 150 (BDT 12,000) every month in
her first year of employment.
people through STAR. 57 per cent
were female and 10 per cent Our housekeeping project equipped 15
certification.

We became active members of the National

SKILLS AND LINK AT Jhuma was made permanent before she had even finished
had disabilities. Strengthening
social inclusion, we included hijras*,
female high school graduates
from disadvantaged families with
Skills Development Councils National
Committees on Gender and Disability, the
LEAST 80 PER CENT OF probation. Changing social norms is a complex process, but
Jhumas broad smile, professional conduct and her proud
orphans, children of sex workers and
ethnic minorities. 99 per cent of the
hospitality skills. Graduates were
employed by internationally recognised
Informal Sector Industry Skills Council and
other policy-level forums.
THE GRADUATES WITH manager standing behind her will hopefully mean an easier
journey for Jhumas 17-month-old daughter, when she one day

* refers to trans-women (male-to-female transsexuals or transgender individuals)

JOBS. enters the workforce.

Annual Report 2015 23

DISASTER
REDUCING VULNERABILITY OF
WOMEN AFFECTED BY
CLIMATE CHANGE

MANAGEMENT AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
STRENGTHENING Holding on to childhood through
RESILIENCE to child-friendly spaces

combat climate Disaster responses traditionally focus on the immediate,

tangible needs of survivors - food, medical aid and shelter.

change Children often either get in the way or are forgotten during
the chaos, meaning that they can end up being the most
vulnerable group, both emotionally and physically, during and
in the aftermath of disasters. How can children return to life
as usual and how can a sense of hope be maintained during
these periods? In 2015, we initiated safe spaces for children.

Schools had to close down temporarily during the severe

floods in Gaibandha, a district in northern Bangladesh. We
set up three child-friendly spaces to look after children in the
affected communities.

Children engaged themselves in various activities such as

Climate change is a rising global concern. Bangladesh, a low-lying river delta region, is particularly at risk. painting, story telling, playing games and sports, with the
Our aim is to enhance our institutional capacity to respond to natural and human-made hazards through support of kits received from UNICEF. These activities kept
humanitarian response, and support communities in rebuilding their lives as quickly as possible. We also them busy throughout the daytime, which, under normal
circumstances, would have been their school hours. Trained
focus on empowering communities to sustainably reduce vulnerability of their populations. In alignment
volunteers monitored the children, keeping the rights of the
with the sustainable development goals, we strengthen resilience through community-based disaster risk children in mind.
reduction and adaptive strategies against climate change (SDG 13).
WE WILL PROMOTE The initiative not only provided an enabling environment
for children to continue their activities, but it also had
AND COMBINE some far-reaching impacts. Children were kept safe from
physical and psychological harm. The shocks that families
HIGHLIGHTS 2 015 INDIGENOUS in poverty face during disasters typically lead to a spike
in school dropouts and child labour. In the desperation
We reached out to affected families they received after the harvest to Another 330 survivors are receiving KNOWLEDGE for survival, families often marry their daughters off-
contributing to rise in child marriage. These safe spaces
during the floods, creating child-
friendly spaces, monitoring the
create their own community level
disaster-resilient funds for future
monthly subsistence against five-
year-long fixed deposits through WITH COMMUNITY- have the potential to deter further damage in the lives of
children.
situation, managing diarrhoea and
providing food, medicine and cash
emergencies. Polli shomaj, our
women-led, community-based
mobile money.
BASED ADAPTATION Parents reported that child-friendly spaces allowed them to
support. organisations, coordinated the
initiative in the affected districts of
More than 19,000 women living
in vulnerable districts formed
STRATEGIES AGAINST fully engage themselves in post-flood rehabilitative activities,
knowing that their children were in safe hands. Mental distress
During the floods, we also
distributed vegetable seeds to
Sirajganj, Kurigram, Gaibandha and
Lalmonirhat.
a network of 764 groups across
Bangladesh. They acquired
CLIMATE CHANGE, caused by loss and other unpleasant changes in the damaged
homes was minimised.
20,000 households to restore
their nutritional needs. 3,000 We expanded support to 450
leadership, mental stress
management and skills training to help
NATURAL AND The cost of accommodating a child per day in a child-
marginal farmers received survivors of the Savar (Rana Plaza) build resilience in their communities. HUMAN-MADE friendly space is less than two cents. From what we
learned in Gaibandha, the positive impacts they could
support through mobile money to tragedy with medical support, skills Approximately 3,820 of them started
restart cultivation. Farmers pooled development and psychosocial new livelihoods with seed capital HAZARDS have on children are priceless.
together a percentage of the support counselling through a new initiative. and have now planted 38,200 tree
saplings to protect their homesteads.
Annual Report 2015 25
INJUSTICE ANYWHERE
IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE
EVERYWHERE.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

GENDER JUSTICE
Safe spaces to prevent violence and
sexual harassment against girls

AND DIVERSITY
Adolescents reached

Spreading GENDER 95,000

2015
155,500
TRANSFORMATIVE 250,500
CHANGE from Sheela Ranis quiet revolution
institutions to Our services
She runs her own business making bags in the small

communities village of Rupganj. She wakes up early in the morning

to sort her orders, distributes them to her sub-
contractors, takes new orders and delivers products
to her customers. Sheela Rani, an entrepreneur who
enjoys her work more than anything, produces 2,000
bags every day.
Psychosocial Leadership
counselling development training
She employs three women in her business, and four
more women as sub-contract partners.

Sheela, along with her employees, was trained on

making jute, net and non-woven bags through our
economic empowerment of poor and vulnerable women
sexual harassment Engaging in Bangladesh project. She went further and applied for
Nearly two out of three women in Bangladesh experience gender-based violence during their lifetime. redressal with peer training on business management and entrepreneurship
Violence ranges from sexual harassment and emotional abuse, to child marriage, stalking, sex trafficking, mechanism groups development, part of a government-funded project. She
acid attacks, rape and dowry killings. We work to combat violence against women and girls and to eliminate developed her own technique of net cutting that increases
all forms of gender discrimination. Our aims are consistent with the national Seventh Five Year Plan and the the number of bags produced from one sheet of net without
sustainable development goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls (SDG 5). affecting the quality of the product.

Sheela, now 33, led a very different life before she started
her business. Married at 14 years old, she faced years of
HIGHLIGHTS 2 015 Sensitising Mobilising abuse from her husband and in-laws for her inability to
and involving local bear children. She adopted her younger sisters child, even
We developed the capacity of 13,000 rights knowledge of over 1,300 and mobilised actors to end child community actors administrations though her family did not approve of it.
members of our staff on gender women. marriage. We followed it up by
engaging young people and civil When her husband suffered a paralytic stroke, she sold her
issues. cows and goats to pay for his treatment.
The Snehaloy (safe space) project society to advocate for safe spaces
The mon khule kotha bola forum
provided a platform for staff,
supported the cognitive, social
and physical development of
for girls and reducing violence against
women.
WE WILL My life took a turn for the worse. We didnt have food to
especially women, to share their
feelings and experiences.
1000 children, while their mothers CREATE EQUAL eat. It was a matter of survival - I had to work for income.

We reached 250,000 young

gained access to better income
opportunities. The projects internal
We launched the website www.maya.
com.bd as part of our partnership OPPORTUNITIES Sheela is just one of the 3,600 women who participated in
the project. Her story, and the stories of the seven women

people through awareness

monitoring data revealed that the mean
income among parents increased from
with Mayalogy. The website provides
information on health, social, legal FOR WOMEN AND MEN, she employs, prove that when one woman is empowered,
the effect ripples through her community.
campaigns on violence against
women and sexual harassment. We
BDT 1,617 to BDT 4,143 (USD 20
to USD 53). We raised awareness on
and psychosocial issues to 8.5
million users. We ran a national AND CONTINUE TO
stopped 130 child marriages. violence against women and children
at the household level.
campaign in 55 districts and
initiated a special radio season titled
REDUCE VIOLENCE
The economic empowerment
of poor and vulnerable women We effectively influenced the national
Maya Apa Ki Bole to promote the
initiative.
AGAINST WOMEN
in Bangladesh project built the
entrepreneurship skills and
policy structure and service provisions.
We led Girls Not Brides networks
AND GIRLS
Annual Report 2015 29
COMMUNITY
Tackling an incident of violence

EMPOWERMENT
Giving a voice
to 1 MILLION
WOMEN living in Minara - the fighter on a bicycle

poverty
Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of child marriage in
the world, with 65 per cent of girls being married off before
their 18th birthday. Despite having strict laws against the
practice, child marriage continues unabated using forged
documents that raise the ages of the child brides.

Meet Minara, a woman who fights child marriage every day.

It is a common sight to see her making her way on a cycle
along the dusty roads of rural Gaibandha where she lives.
She spends her day visiting families and counselling them
on the harms of child marriage. She then follows it up with
public announcements on the harms of child marriage,
with the help of the village authorities who hold her in great
esteem.
Community development is not possible unless women living in poverty are given a voice. We provide
women the tools to claim their entitlements, develop leadership, prevent exploitation, and play active roles in Minara speaks on what is at stake when girls are married
their communities. We strengthen rural communities by building institutions to close gaps between young and not given the chance to pursue a proper
communities and local government. We increase access to information with a specific focus on reducing education. She believes that more parents will change
violence against women and children. We address the sustainable development goals of achieving gender their stance on child marriage once they are aware of the
equality and empowerment for all women and girls, and building effective and accountable institutions at all emotional and physical trauma that young girls experience
when they are married too young. She has never considered
levels. (SDGs 5 and 16).
a different path of life for herself, despite the verbal abuse
she sometimes faces from parents.

Minara has directly stopped 20 cases of child marriage

HIGHLIGHTS 2 015 and indirectly prevented many more. Her pride lies in
the fact that the girls managed to continue their studies;
Over 12,000 community-based engage in pro-poor governance, contributions in improving access to some of the girls did get married but not before they
organisations (polli shomaj) enhance transparency and information. turned 18. She hosts weekly meetings with young girls
participated in a range of activities, accountability and promote and women where they are regularly counselled on the
from building access to local
government services to preventing
participatory democracy. This
year, 420 union council (union
We addressed a total of 22,216
cases of human rights
WE WILL CONTINUE TO dangers of early marriage and the legal support that
girls can seek if they are forced into one.
violence against women and
securing positions for women
parishad) members were
trained on improving efficiency and
violations, such as child marriage,
dowry, unlawful divorce, polygamy,
ENABLE WOMEN TO Minara is determined to safeguard the futures of young girls
in local power structures. The
Government of Bangladesh
sensitised on being pro-poor. domestic violence, and fatwa. We
provided 9,277 survivors of
CLAIM THEIR RIGHTS, in Bangladesh. Riding her cycle in her traditional dress, she is
a beacon of hope for the hundreds of field officers striving to

honoured 1,068 women from our Our popular theatre groups violence with need-based support. AND PROMOTE break complex social norms.

performed 13,378 drama shows

community-based organisations.
with Joyeeta Nari Awards in to disseminate information among Interactive communications PRO-POOR LOCAL
recognition of their extraordinary
accomplishments.
communities. Polli kontho, our
community radio, received the
materials were designed for
our programme participants, GOVERNANCE
international ABU Prize 2015 including a book featuring stories
Our strengthening local governance and the Meena Media Award in of our successful female leaders,
initiative aims to develop the four categories from UNICEF for its popular theatre and a polli shomaj
capacity of local government to implementation guidebook.
Annual Report 2015 31
ADVOCACY FOR
SOCIAL CHANGE
Create SUSTAINABLE
IMPACT through
knowledge sharing For safer roads
and partnerships Travelling would particularly become intolerable for passengers
during the summer time, says Mahmudul Hasan, a resident
of the Madhabpur sub-district. He is a volunteer working to
promote the safe road code project. Scorching heat and hours
of confinement in the buses stuck in unending gridlocks made
any trip a nightmare.

Madhabpur, in Habiganj district, is the gateway to the north-

eastern district of Sylhet. It was always known for its infamous
highway junction where thousands of commuters were
stranded every day. Illegal roadside establishments, three
wheelers and buses stopping randomly for passengers and to
load goods were the primary reasons behind the congestion.

A community-wide campaign was launched in

collaboration with local associations, administration,
transport owners and businesses to take collective
action in solving the problem. Enthusiastic locals were
trained as volunteers to mobilise the public. Hundreds
We scale BRACs impact through influence and partnerships. We ensure sustainability through advocating of meetings, street theatres, and quiz competitions at
for changes to be incorporated into national laws and policies. We mobilise government, communities, and schools were conducted, paving the way for a community-
non-government actors, and facilitate social dialogue to promote people-centric policies and programmes. led movement.
Additionally, we work with both internal and external stakeholders to translate development experiences into
knowledge resources for future interventions. WE WILL INITIATE In September 2015, with the help of local administration
and residents, illegal establishments around bus stands
BEHAVIOURAL and roadsides were evicted. Unruly three wheelers were
brought under control. For the first time in years, the area

HIGHLIGHTS 2 015
INSIGHT was made congestion free.

We continued strong advocacy We developed a database with a national database to address

DEVELOPMENT A similar campaign was initiated in November 2015 in
Mohammadpur, Dhaka. The same community participation
efforts in the areas of health,
education, ultra poverty, road safety
information on existing development
interventions in the wetland regions,
the absence of a comprehensive
information repository on road
AND KNOWLEDGE model was used and similar success was observed.

and climate-resilient technologies. which will be shared online for easy accidents. PORTALS TO In both cases, the people who were stuck in the traffic jam
every day had the answers. We just created an opportunity for

We organised two mayoral debates

public access. This will help us to
identify potential service needs and We strengthened knowledge ESTABLISH BRAC AS A collective local action to solve local problems.

in Dhaka in collaboration with multi-

level stakeholders in an effort to
identify the communities that are
deprived of coverage.
sharing and collaboration
with BRACs sister concerns, KNOWLEDGE-BASED
enforce good governance. Voters
were able to watch debates live on We influenced the highest legislative
introducing the Advocacy Forum to
synchronise research and advocacy
ORGANISATION
television and directly share their authority to rethink the reform of the initiatives between BRAC and
problems with the candidates. Road Transport Act.We developed BRAC University and its institutes.

Annual Report 2015 33

URBAN
Our three-pronged approach to tackle urban poverty:

DEVELOPMENT
1. Promote pro-poor governance 2. Ensure access to quality,
affordable basic services

Making cities
INCLUSIVE,
RESILIENT and
SUSTAINABLE

We aim to make Bangladeshs urban spaces more liveable for all residents. Our interventions are pillared on
3. Foster innovation
the sustainable development goal of making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and
sustainable (SDG 11). Urbanisation is intensifying across the country, and by 2050, an estimated 50 per cent
of the countrys population will live in urban areas. We aim to ensure access to affordable, quality basic
services for marginalised communities in urban areas. We will address systemic inequalities and empower
people to demand their rights to lead better lives. Simultaneously, we will strengthen urban local governance
institutions to develop, adopt and effectively implement pro-poor policies and services in urban spaces.
Rethinking service delivery in low-income,
urban settlements

WE WILL ENSURE Mobile-based solutions to improve maternal health.

Mini piped water supply systems to tackle water crises.
HIGHLIGHTS 2 015 ACCESS TO Drop-in centres for children living on the streets.

Launched in April 2015, we are the latest addition to the BRAC family. BASIC SERVICES, These are just some of the innovative solutions that service
providers across Bangladesh have implemented to help
An emerging priority Our achievements in 2015 PROMOTE PRO-POOR urban communities living in poverty. With urban areas facing
unprecedented growth however, challenges continue to rise,
With increasing economic
development, Bangladeshs cities have
Our core project, EMPOWER, targets
500,000 people living in urban
As of December 2015, we have
created socio-economic profiles GOVERNANCE AND especially in low-income areas. This calls for urgent and
collective action on the ground.
become magnets for internal migration.
Urban areas are rapidly expanding,
poverty in Bangladesh. We started of 50 target settlements. We
implementing the project with in-depth have also mapped existing service FOSTER INNOVATION We are creating a network of government, non-government
with minimal planning, presenting
challenges such as rising urban
research on 150 target slums
and low-income settlements,
providers working within the slums to
collect data, which helped us identify
TO TACKLE URBAN and private sector urban service providers who will provide
access to quality, affordable basic services to clients living in
poverty and inequality. Our urban
development programme offers a
because of a lack of reliable data on
urban poverty. Our research covers
gaps in services and opportunities to
collaborate with service providers.
POVERTY poverty. Using this network, we will develop a referral system
where clients can learn about, demand and use the best
available services within their reach.
coordinated intervention through which seven city corporations and
to tackle poverty. 10 municipalities in Bangladesh.

Annual Report 2015 35

HUMAN RIGHTS AND
Ensuring access to justice

LEGAL AID
Raising awareness
on human rights, land
rights and the criminal
justice system

SERVICES Engaging
stakeholders
to promote

Ensuring and protect the

rights of people
A champion for equal rights
equal access to
within their
communities
Sufia Begum was recognised as one of five Human Rights and

JUSTICE FOR Legal Services Heroes of 2015. She has provided legal aid and
essential support to clients seeking legal redressal for abuse and
discrimination for the past eight years.
ALL
Providing legal aid and
legal assistance to the
poor and marginalised Two of the practices that Sufia fights to prevent are child
marriage and hilla (interim) marriage in Kurigrams char (riverine
islands) areas in northern Bangladesh. Locals in these regions
now say no to child marriages, and continue to refute the
conditions of the traditional hilla marriages commonly enforced
by local community leaders as a form of traditional dispute
resolution.

In 2014, Sufia stood up for a client named Lina (pseudonym) and

her family in Taragonj, Rangpur district after Lina was raped and
Access to justice is defined as the ability of people to seek and obtain a remedy through formal or informal her family was forcefully confined in their home.
institutions of justice, in compliance with universal human rights standards. We believe that in order to
facilitate a smooth access to justice pathway, it is necessary to uphold the quality of justice services Sufia, then a field organiser in rural Bangladesh, went on
particularly through legal aid and legal awareness, strengthen the capacity of civil society, exercising equal investigating the matter and found out about the forceful
confinement, a norm still practiced in some rural villages
and fair application of the law, promote transparency in the judicial system, and uphold professionalism in
when rape occurs. She resolved to safeguard Linas rights
service delivery. Our efforts address the goal of promoting the rule of law at the national level and ensure
even though she knew her life would be threatened.
equal access to justice for all (SDG 16).

TO NO ONE WILL Sufia sensitised the local community on the culturally-tabooed

topic of rape as a criminal offense and built resilience among
local union council members and other influential community
WE SELL, TO NO members against illegal confinement. People started
sympathising with Linas suffering, and eventually community
HIGHLIGHTS 2 015 ONE WILL WE support led to Lina and her family being freed.

Our legal aid clinics received a total clients through alternative dispute Land entrepreneurs earned BDT REFUSE OR DELAY Sufia helped Lina and her family resettle into their community.
She sought medical assistance for Lina through one of our
of 23,913 complaints, of which resolutions and court cases. 9,953,080 through measuring
13,338 were resolved through
Our land entrepreneurs provided
a total of 1,046,228 decimals of THE RIGHT TO health workers. She helped the family to file a complaint at the
local police station against Momdedul, the perpetrator, and also
alternative dispute resolutions. land. filed a complaint on Linas behalf at one of our legal aid clinics.
5,763 complaints were sent to
24,664 clients with paid land
measurement services and 1,054 228 new land entrepreneurs,
JUSTICE Lina was provided with counselling services and presented with
court through our external panel her legal options.
clients with free land measurement including 45 women, were
of lawyers.
services through the property equipped with the skills to - Magna Carta Sufia is a compassionate rights advocate, accepted by the
We recovered a total of BDT rights initiative. measure land. communities she works within, which continues to mean that
266,390,712 on behalf of our she can bring change in a male-dominated society. She was
recognised for her indomitable courage in protecting Lina and
her familys rights.

Annual Report 2015 37

HEALTH, NUTRITION AND HIGHLIGHTS 2 015

POPULATION
We began testing early childhood development
interventions in a number of sub-districts, in
partnership with our education programme.

We reached 8,245 pregnant women, 1,742

Bringing postpartum mothers, 27,034 parents/

caregivers and ensured the physical, cognitive
INTEGRATED and psychosocial development of 26,901 children
under three.

HEALTHCARE We improved the frequency of skilled birth deliveries

solutions to every through our comprehensive maternal, neonatal and

child health programme in urban slums and rural
How do you build a smart nation?

doorstep areas. We continued to promote correct infant and

young child-feeding practices. Studies show that 80 per cent of a childs brain is developed
by the age of three. Their brains will not make the cognitive
We introduced a comprehensive maternal connections that enable learning in later years if a child is not
nutrition package in several rural sub-districts. supported and stimulated during those initial years of life.
We reached 79,459 pregnant women and We started piloting an early childhood development model in
11,858 lactating mothers with counselling, several districts of Bangladesh keeping this in mind. The play-
coaching and demonstration sessions on dietary based curriculum, which combines elements from BRACs
diversity and micronutrient supplementations. education and health programmes, is gaining popularity among
We also mobilised men to support their wives in rural mothers.
maintaining their diets.
The model trains and enlists young women, usually students
We expanded our services to meet the changing aged 16-24, to conduct courtyard sessions with young
needs of adult and ageing populations, and cater mothers and babies. Mothers and children respond positively
for common non-communicable diseases, to the educated women, called early childhood development
promoters. The sessions are also a source of education not
disabilities and injuries. We developed multiple
provided by conventional schooling for promoters who aspire
partnerships with specialised organisations to ensure
to pursue early childhood development as a career.
effective referrals. We focused on prevention of
disease through lifestyle modification and education,
Shahina is a 17-year-old early childhood development
combined with periodic screening and referrals.
promoter juggling college and courtyard sessions with
mothers and babies in the small village of Sreepur,
Our trained staff identified and arranged the Mymensingh. She makes sure that children receive
appropriate correction for 59,859 cataract and sufficient time to play and, using age-appropriate toys,
164,077 presbyopia patients. she shows mothers how to engage with their children. She
informs mothers on a wide range of child development
Over 1.2 million people were screened for issues, such as how to tell when they are in discomfort,
tuberculosis symptoms through the expansion of appropriate responses, how to look after their health and
new tuberculosis diagnostic tools like Gene Xpert their specific dietary needs.
and digital x-ray machines, and through specific
interventions in hard to reach areas. Shahina attends college in the mornings and conducts the
Mothers and children die every day from preventable causes courtyard sessions in the afternoons. The stipend she receives
and diseases. We aim to change that, by ensuring that New interventions resulted in an additional 11,146 per session helps her continue her education. Watching
underserved populations in rural and urban Bangladesh have tuberculosis cases being identified and treated. mothers learn to read their babies responses continually
access to health, nutrition and reproductive services. Our focus Enhanced malaria prevention, early diagnosis and inspires her. She regularly reminds them to report any sign of
is on scale and impact, but without compromising quality, prompt treatment in hot-spot areas reduced overall illness to the nearest health worker.
equity and sustainability. Over 100,000 of our frontline malaria incidence from over 57,000 in 2014 to less
community health workers offer healthcare and nutrition than 40,000 cases. Shahinas role as an early childhood development promoter
services and connect communities with healthcare facilities, is fuelling a movement towards a smart generation in
keeping communicable and non-communicable diseases a Bangladesh, and fuelling her own future at the same time. She
now aspires to attend university, to take her skills further and
priority. Our interventions ensure healthy lives and promote
inform more women and children about the importance of the
wellbeing for all at all ages (SDG 3). first years of life.

Annual Report 2015 39

KE Y ACHIE VEMENTS OF 2 015

WE WILL TEST
OUT INNOVATIVE
Over 11 million couples in MODELS TO
23,000 malaria patients were
project-supported areas used
modern contraceptive methods.
We initiated breastfeeding within
the first hour of birth for over 1.6
Our community health volunteers
treated 892,000 children
95 per cent of tuberculosis diagnosed and treated through CONTINUALLY
million newborns and over 3.4
million children were exclusively
suffering from pneumonia using oral
cases identified in 2014
were successfully treated,
the early diagnosis and prompt
treatment strategy, making up IMPROVE
59 per cent of cases treated
ACCESS TO
antibiotics.
breastfed up to six months of age. using the directly observed
nationally.
treatment method, against
the national target of 85 per AND SUSTAIN
cent.
Over 1,350,000 registered
pregnant women received
QUALITY
four or more antenatal care visits. HEALTHCARE
135,000 tuberculosis cases
were identified and treated in BRAC
SERVICES,
PARTICULARLY
Our community health workers
diagnosed over 1.1 million areas, making up 65 per cent More than 200,000 long-lasting
under-five children with contribution to the national case
FOR WOMEN
insecticide-treated bed nets were
We ensured 935,000 diarrhoea. They were managed notification. The case notification distributed, and total distribution
60,000 cataract surgeries
AND CHILDREN
deliveries, and skilled attendants at the community level using oral rate for all forms of tuberculosis was in collaboration with our partners
conducted over half of them. rehydration solution. 146 per 100,000 people. were performed. amounted to over 2.4 million.

40 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 41

WHEN YOU EDUCATE A GIRL,
YOU KICK-START A CYCLE
OF SUCCESS. IT MAKES
ECONOMIC SENSE. IT MAKES
SOCIAL SENSE. IT MAKES
MORAL SENSE.

- Queen Rania al Abdullah

EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS 2 015
We increasingly focused on implementing cost-
sharing models through our pilot shishuniketon
Investing in that was scaled up to 4,832 centres. This is a
fee-based model that caters to children from lower-
the NEXT income families but who can afford to pay for quality
education.
GENERATION 80 per cent of the 120,018 BRAC school
of learners children taking the class 5 completion exam
achieved the highest grade results (A+, A and
A-). The pass rate stood at 99.95 per cent, slightly
higher than the national average. Students from From mentoring to lifelong learning
seven BRAC-run secondary schools took the junior
secondary school certificate exam and 82 per cent I believe success is not confined to academic achievements.
of the students received the highest grades. The To me, it is also about developing leadership skills and helping
pass rate was 99.43 per cent. my peers achieve their goals, says Imamul Islam, a 20-year-old
student.
We piloted transforming traditional textbook content
into multi-device enabled interactive multimedia Imamul recalls himself as a shy student. He was selected as a
content with support from the Ministry of ICT, mentor in class 6. It was an experience that changed his life.
Government of Bangladesh and technical support He remembers, I changed as a person and my role as mentor
from Save the Children. We introduced 125 tablets was a big reason.
into five BRAC primary schools in Manikgonj
and Mymensingh districts of Dhaka. Peer mentoring is an initiative that trains proactive and
academically-advanced students as mentors. In the BRAC-
We began work in 20 Dakhil madrasas1, where supported rural secondary schools, where the initiative runs,
training for English language teachers is being mentors take up various responsibilities, including encouraging
offered. attendance, preventing dropouts, increasing participation in
exams and extra-curricular activities, all the while ensuring
We developed region-specific supplementary better academic performance among their peers.
materials for our primary schools on environment
Peer mentoring can be helpful especially for younger people
and climate change. We also developed
who may need a little extra attention, or those who do not have
supplementary materials on values education for
a strong support system available to them.
primary and pre-primary students to enhance good
morals. Materials include six story books and six
Mentors serve as a resource for students who need guidance
activity-based guides for teachers. and encouragement. Each mentor works with a group of 7-10
peers. Peer mentoring stresses the importance of collaboration
Changing social norms and supporting adolescent and team work.
empowerment, a joint pilot project with UNICEF
Bangladesh, was initiated in Mirpur and Karail slums Studying in a school in a remote village that frequently
of Dhaka. The project targets adolescent girls. A faced a shortage of teachers, Imamul helped his peers
total of 3,000 girls between 10 to 19 years of in subjects like math, science and English. The result
age, including girls with disabilities, received could be seen in his peers success in their national board
education and counselling on basic nutrition, dietary exams.
In line with the National Education Policy 2010, our strategic
consumption to prevent iron deficiency anaemia
vision for the next five years ensures inclusion, equitable and iodine deficiency disorder, and demonstration
quality education and promotes lifelong opportunities for all Imamul thinks the beauty of peer mentoring is its peer
on healthy cooking and eating habits. Additionally, approach method, lessons from which are helping him to
(SDG 4). A core challenge for Bangladesh, as a country with an adolescent girls received iron folic acid capsules and this day. Now in college, Imamul still maintains the habit
emerging economy, is to ensure that its growth strategy deworming tablets. of helping out his peers. He organises debates and poetry
addresses equity. Education for all children, which ensures recitals, extra-curricular that he loved participating in
economic and social inclusion, is a key element of that during his days of peer mentoring.
strategy. We aim to provide a full range of education 1
Madrasah students in the secondary level take junior Dakhil
opportunities from early childhood to adolescence, focusing certificate and Dakhil certificate exams- equivalent to junior He hopes that the peer mentoring initiative will expand into the
particularly on girls from disadvantaged areas. certificate and secondary school certificate exams by the remotest corners of Bangladesh and continue helping students
national board. find and nurture their potential.

Annual Report 2015 45

 Early childhood development (ECD), a cross-programme pilot initiative, is one of our emerging priorities that Objectives of ECD centres WE WILL STRENGTHEN
provide children of 3-5 years with quality early childhood development services. We work alongside health, nutrition
and population programme (HNPP) and Institute of Educational Development (IED) under BRAC University. Stimulate childrens learning OUR EFFORTS
capabilities

BEP IED HNPP

Improve childrens health
and nutrition
IN THE REMOTE
Support parents, CHAR (RIVERINE
caregivers and people
Support cognitive, Develop curriculum focusing Conduct sessions with parents in the community with
appropriate parenting skills
ISLANDS) AND HAOR
linguistic and socio- on childrens cognitive, social,
emotional development
through stimulation and
emotional and physical
development
Provide guidance on health and
hygiene ie, ensure nutritious diet for
and knowledge on raising
children to develop to their (WETLANDS) AREAS AS
joyful learning children, demonstrate preparation of full potential
Prepare children for
Develop parenting guideline oral saline
Ease their transition into WELL AS IN
primary schooling Research on the effectiveness Introduce age-appropriate toys formal schooling
of the centres URBAN SLUMS
46 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 47
INTEGRATED
Financial inclusion and enterprise
development:
We formed 1,993 village organisations to

DEVELOPMENT
operate microfinance.

We provided grant and asset support to 9,650

ultra poor participants.

ELIMINATING We trained 9,342 people in char areas on

income-generating activities.

POVERTY in We also trained 600 clients in our cashless

HARD-TO-REACH
branches on the use of mobile money to carry
out microfinance transactions. Her own hero
AREAS through We trained 791 ultra poor, indigenous
participants on livestock rearing, homestead
Alpina Begum lives in Nurpur, a village in the north-eastern
district of Netrokona. By day, she tends to the vegetables and
holistic interventions gardening and skill building.
fruits in her garden and looks after the bull, ducks and hens.

As soon as night falls, she takes out a special bag,

replaces her plain coloured sari with a colourful salwar-
kameez and swaps the bucket on her arm for a row
Integrated of shiny bangles. Alpina acts in a local theatre group
that regularly travels across the northern villages of
Development Bangladesh.

Programme On stage, her voice resounds with hope and passion,

about gender equality and social justice. Her
performances speak out against violence against women,
child marriage and the need for all women and men to
In spite of the overall development and economic growth of the country, poverty is still very prevalent in the come together to build a better society.
hard-to-reach areas of Bangladesh. We work for underserved communities that are socially and
Alpinas colourful stories are rooted humbly to her own
geographically detached from mainstream development interventions. We realise that poverty is multi-
experiences, for she was once on the receiving end of the sort
faceted, especially in the hard-to-reach wetlands (haor), riverine islands (char) and among indigenous of violence she emulates on stage. Her husband deserted her
populations in north-western Bangladesh. We offer multi-faceted support, covering a range of sustainable and their three daughters after ten years of marriage, forcing
development goals such as ending poverty and hunger, ensuring education and wellbeing for all and them to share a single room in her brothers house. It was
promoting sustainable economic growth. only much later that she realised that the physical abuse she
had endured for so long at the hands of her husband was a
punishable act. There are two reasons why Alpina says she
did not speak out earlier; she was missing the right information
and, more importantly, she was missing a sense of entitlement
HIGHLIGHTS 2 015 to her own rights.
Education and empowerment: Health and sanitation: After her husband left, Alpina armed herself with legal
information through one of our village development
We formed and trained 3,292 village 50 per cent of 556 legal We provided over three postnatal care organisations and filed a complaint against her husband. She
development organisations to complaints received were resolved visits to 11,602 mothers and over nurtured her resources and grew her income steadily as an
empower women. through alternative dispute resolution. four antenatal care visits to 15,880 active participant of the ultra poor programme. Alpina wanted
Four media advocacy meetings pregnant women. to give her daughters the gift that she had always wanted -
27,091 students living in the haor were held to create awareness for
(wetland) areas were provided access
to BRAC pre-primary and primary
indigenous rights at the sub-district
level.
We established 26,183 sanitary
latrines, 110 deep tube wells and
We will combine all of education. As her small farm and her theatre career flourished,
the first investment she made was to admit her three daughters
schools.
We organised 17 solidarity
24 community latrines. BRACs services into in school.

a single, HOLISTIC
Alpinas story is one that she crafted entirely on her own. She
Over 1,414 popular theatre shows meetings with union councils, and 105,463 households involved in continues to touch lives, almost every evening, as she rallies
were staged. 1,333 courtyard meetings involving homestead gardening were able to
APPROACH to
other women on gender equality and taking charge of their own
9,405 participants. meet their nutrition demands. lives. On stage, the audiences eyes shine with excitement and

FIGHTING POVERTY
laughter as she tells her story. At home, her daughters eyes
We distributed micronutrients among shine with the pride of all those eyes looking up to their mother.
2,16,035 members.

Annual Report 2015 49

AGRICULTURE AND
Participant coverage in agricultural and
food security activities in 2015

FOOD SECURITY
Increasing agricultural Participant coverage

productivity with Hybrid and HYV

137,400
SUSTAINABLE, rice cultivation
Floating farms that fight climate change

CLIMATE-RESILIENT Flooding and water logging are common occurrences in

TECHNOLOGY Aquaculture in gher
(pond-like structure)
Gopalganj district in central Bangladesh. Parts of the region
stay submerged for months on end during the monsoon
areas and seasonal
2,300 season, resulting in reduced crop production. People have
adopted a new method of cultivation called floating agriculture.
floodplains Plants are grown in the water and derive nutrients from the
water instead of the soil.

Floating agriculture is not only climate-adaptive, but can also

Sunflower cultivation 25,600 lead to sustainable, large-scale crops. Monika Kirtoniya is one
of many who started a floating farm upon receiving training on
floating vegetable cultivation.

Aquatic plants like water hyacinth are grown on soil-less rafts

on water, providing a platform to sow seedlings in. Plants get
Maize cultivation 22,400 nutrition from either composted organics or from the water.
Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, facing extreme events that continually Field crops often perish during water logging, but floating farms
affect crop production. We are committed to developing and disseminating a diverse range of climate-smart survive.
agricultural technologies to ensure food security. We design our interventions to meet the sustainable
Monika used to follow traditional rice cultivation methods on
development goals of achieving food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Vegetable cultivation 19,300 her 33 decimals of land. The land she cultivated on would stay
(SDG 2). waterlogged for up to six months every year, leading to an
unstable income. Managing three meals a day for her family
was often impossible during those months. When waters
around her home began to rise again last year, she turned to
Mustard cultivation 6,600 floating farms.
HIGHLIGHTS 2 015
We developed three hybrid rice, Research on four crops in a year- drought-prone northern regions of Both Monika and her husband now work in her floating
three hybrid maize, three inbred round cropping pattern was Bangladesh. farm. She cultivates red amaranth, water spinach, indian
rice, four vegetables, one pulse and successfully completed. spinach and okra, producing 3,900 kg of crop per acre.
She makes a net profit of USD 865 (BDT 67,500) per acre.
one oilseed variety for commercial Sunflowers were cultivated on 6,565
cultivation. We demonstrated new agriculture hectares of land. WE WILL IMPROVE Floating farms have meant not only securing three meals a
day, but the freedom of having vegetables all year round.
and aquaculture technologies to
We developed aromatic rice 88,821 farmers. A total of 156,352 Homestead vegetable cultivation NUTRITION BY
Kalijira PL9 through pure line
breeding. This variety has a much
farmers in 51 sub-districts across
Bangladesh were trained on improved
and dyke farming were introduced
to 19,344 farmers to meet nutritional ENGAGING RURAL
higher yield potential and shorter
maturity period than usual Kalijira rice.
technologies. demands and ensure year-round
availability of vegetables. WOMEN IN THE
Approximately 117 aromatic and 77
6,693 farmers were introduced to
an environment-friendly system Aquaculture was introduced into 30
PRACTICE OF NUTRI-
non-aromatic traditional rice varieties
were maintained for on-farm rice
of rice intensification. The initiative
covered over 1,332 hectares of land
seasonal floodplains in 16 sub-districts,
helping to conserve indigenous fish
GARDENING
biodiversity conservation. across 73 sub-districts, mostly in the species.

Annual Report 2015 51

WATER, SANITATION
BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE BRAC WASH
SERVICE DELIVERY APPROACH

AND HYGIENE
Promoting
SOCIAL Creating
demand
Ensuring

TRANSFORMATION supply
The case of the three-headed tube well

AND WELL BEING WASH Chitalmari, a village in the southern district of Bagerhat, is
known for being a difficult area to drill deep tube wells. Since
through community- 1971, the government has drilled only 13 tube wells in the
entire area. The underground layers of soil are exceptionally
driven interventions Strengthening Appropriate
hard, so it takes over a month to drill what normally would
take only two weeks. The rates charged by drill workers are
financial determined according to the conditions of the area. As a
the enabling
arrangements result, the process was deemed too difficult and expensive
environment
almost every time it was attempted.

Our intervention opened up the rates for drilling, allowing the

workers to charge higher than normal. Contracts were signed
and the workers wasted no time to start work. A bore hole
left empty for too long means a higher chance of the hole
collapsing, which means starting again from scratch - this
resulted in fast completion of the bore holes.

Access to safe water and sanitation are basic human rights. Inability to access them can lead to a wide One day, a drill worker approached a water, sanitation
and hygiene engineer, Narayan Chandra Somoddar, and
variety of social impacts, from water-related diseases and malnutrition, to low school attendance rates and
loss of productivity. We have been working to improve services relating to water, sanitation and hygiene in WE WILL COMMENCE suggested adding extra heads (hand pumps) to an existing
tube well. Somoddar knew that this had never been
Bangladesh since 2006. So far, we have provided these services across half the country, ensuring
sustainability through community ownership, developing linkages with local governments, and supporting
OPERATIONS IN 400 attempted before. Choosing a spot where safe water was
available, he carried out an experiment, adding three heads
local entrepreneurs. From 2016, we will expand our reach into urban and hard-to-reach areas, contributing
to the sustainable development goal of ensuring access to water and sanitation for all (SDG 6).
HARD-TO-REACH to a tube well. Three water pipes were laid out, reaching three
different communities, each almost a thousand feet away.
UNIONS AND 35 Results showed that the water flow from three heads was
good, but was even better in a tube well with two heads.
POURASHAVAS The breakthrough idea was immensely successful, and
HIGHLIGHTS 2 015 (SMALL TOWNS), soon seven more two-headed deep tube wells were
installed in the region drastically reducing the costs of
significant progress has been made
since the inception of the programme
households and grant support to
ultra poor households to encourage
latrines for girls, which included facilities
for menstrual hygiene management. PRIMARILY ALONG THE boring and maximising access to safe water.
in 2006. As of December 2015, we
have helped 2.3 million people gain
them to build latrines. Outcome
monitoring shows that 78 per cent
We have recently started providing
separate latrines for boys along with
CLIMATE-AFFECTED Previously, the people of Chitalmari used to drink pond
water, and had to travel far to collect safe water. Now nearly
access to safe drinking water. This
includes arsenic and saline-prone
of the households in areas where
the programme has worked for more
piped water systems in schools in both
rural and urban areas.
COASTAL BELT 100 households receive access to safe water nearby, saving
time, says Somoddar.
areas, which benefitted from the
installation of deep tubewells, piped
than eight years now have access to
hygienic latrines. All adult members Every year we provide hygiene
AND WETLANDS OF
water supply systems, pond sand and children (above 6 years) in 97 per education to an average of 13.9 million BANGLADESH
filters and water treatment plants. cent of these households use the people in communities, and 2.9
latrines regularly. million students in schools.
We helped 41.6 million people
gain access to hygienic latrines. Over 5,600 schools in rural areas
We provided loan support to poor have been provided with separate

Annual Report 2015 53

MIGRATION
Safe migration for economic development

Making labour
migration SAFE
FOR ALL Leaving home
Potential and departing migrants
pursue safe migration routes
The ultimate weapon for migrant workers
All mothers want the best for their children. In times of
uncertainty, when the very act of survival becomes a challenge,
a mother will go to any extent to protect and provide for her
family - even if it means travelling to a foreign land with no prior
knowledge of its language or culture.

Meet Arzina, a 25-year-old mother from rural Narshingdi in

central Bangladesh, who was recently offered a job in the
Working abroad Maldives.
Migrants are ensured decent working
conditions in their host countries Each year, more than 400,000 workers like Arzina leave
home in search of better lives, for themselves and for
their families. At home, 87 per cent of the labour force is
employed in the informal economy. It is not uncommon
that women like Arzina cannot access the opportunities
that would allow them to provide the life they want for their
A combination of factors - lack of proper information, inadequate services from government and non- children.
government agencies, absence of proactive migration policies and a lack of policy implementation mean
that migrants face challenges when leaving home, when working abroad and when returning. We provide Many Bangladeshi migrants encounter unimaginable difficulties
support at every step of the journey to try and change that, to ensure that migrant workers know their rights from the moment they leave their doorsteps; high fees and
and can exercise them. Our goals are to create an environment for orderly, safe, regular and responsible Returning home complex visa processes, exploitation, and social stigmatisation
migration (SDG 10) and promote safe and secure working environments for migrant workers (SDG 8). Returnee migrants find jobs or start when returning home.
businesses
When Arzinas neighbour, a middleman, offered her the job as
a caregiver, she accepted it in a heartbeat. She, like so many
others, did not have a lot to lose. The risk of going to a distant
tropical island with minimal education was a small challenge if
HIGHLIGHTS 2 015 it meant a better future for her son. The middleman demanded
We were awarded for outstanding BDT 3,781,000 was recovered through We signed a memorandum of We will introduce a that USD 510 (BDT 40,000) was to be paid in advance. Arzina
was about to comply when she attended a courtyard meeting
contribution in the area of migration by
the Government of Bangladesh.
social arbitrations and BDT 7,535,066 understanding with the Centre for
was received in death benefits from Asia-Pacific Initiatives of the University sustainable model that made her reconsider.

We oriented 250,000 potential

the Bureau of Manpower, Employment of Victoria, Canada, to exchange
and Training. interns to foster collaboration and
of migration service BRACs courtyard meetings verify the documents of potential
migrant workers. Arzina grew suspicious while listening to
migrants on safe migration, and built
the capacity of 700 migrant workers 220 returnee migrants were
knowledge sharing on migration. centres and language the risks and actual costs involved. She showed a photocopy
of her visa. It turned out to be fake, an issue rampant in
through pre-departure and life skills
training.
trained for economic reintegration. We introduced the first media award
Of them, 48 were provided with for local and national level journalists
training centres to ensure Bangladesh. In 2009, over 60 per cent of 50,000 visas of
migrant workers travelling to Malaysia were found to be
economic grants for entrepreneurship for their contribution to raising mass QUALITY AND unauthorised.
1,770 women received training
on safe migration and anti-
development. 10 received financial
assistance for medical treatment.
awareness on migration, migrant
rights and welfare. SAFE MIGRATION Arzina has not retrieved her passport. The middleman
denied everything when she charged him. Working in a
trafficking. Seven government-run
counter-trafficking committees were 87 partnerships were established FOR ALL Dhaka garment factory now, she says, I plan to work abroad
someday - but not before knowing all of the terms and
restructured to more effectively with community-based and non-
conditions.
prevent trafficking of women. government organisations to bring our
services to the doorsteps of migrants.
Annual Report 2015 55
 BRAC Global Report 2013 56

INVESTMENTS 6 investments:

Investing to
SOLVE SOCIAL
PROBLEMS

The teacher with her own motto

Hosne Ara Farid married as a teenager, just after she passed
her matriculation examination. She accepted her fathers
decision to arrange her marriage because she had 14 younger
siblings that her parents needed to care for.

She was determined to pursue her education, and her husband

encouraged that decision. Hosne Ara graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts from Comilla Womens College, a Bachelor
of Education from Mymensingh College and began teaching
at Siddeswari Girls School. She continued to work in several
schools over the years, gaining a wealth of experience. She
observed that young children needed freedom in creativity to
facilitate their intellectual growth, and dreamt of starting her
own school. She tried multiple times, but family responsibilities
and financial constraints got in the way.

When her own children graduated from college, Hosne Ara

rented an apartment for USD 76 (BDT 6,000) and invested
a seed fund of USD 455 (BDT 36,000). Her school, Parijat
Shikkhangon, was born.

The single room school started with 23 children. In total, 250

students now attend Parijat Shikkhangon schools. Hosne Ara
runs two schools across Dhaka and oversees three others.

Every child is special. Education should be an enjoyable

experience to engage young minds, not bore them. This is
the motto at my school.

BRAC Bank supported Hosne Ara with a small and medium

enterprise loan of USD 6,382 (BDT 500,000) in 2009, USD
12,765 (BDT 1,000,000) in 2011 and USD 19,150 (BDT
We are a social organisation constantly evolving to the changing needs of society. Whether in
1,500,000) in 2014.
education, health or community mobilisation, our unique models bring services to the doorsteps of
those living in poverty. We aim to achieve self-sustainability in everything we do. As part of the BRAC Bank often supports non-traditional initiatives under
financial strategy, we invest in socially-responsible companies that assist us in our mission to its small and medium enterprise loan scheme. The loans are
empower people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy, disease and social injustice. aimed at ventures that have the potential to create ripples of
Our six investments help us reach the goal of sustainable social development. change in a community, and are often smaller than what most
corporations allow.

Annual Report 2015 57

 We wanted to support dairy farmers to become financially secure

SOCIAL
ENTERPRISES We funded new farmers
to buy cows and land
We funded existing farmers
We developed services
like artificial insemination,
superior grass seeds and

Creating
Soon,
there was veterinary services to improve
to expand their operations TOO their chances of success
MUCH

ECONOMIC and MILK

SOCIAL IMPACT Farmers could not sell the milk fast enough, and they had no way to preserve it

through enterprise
solutions Aarong Dairy was born, to connect farmers to markets.
101 chilling stations keep the milk fresh and we use strict methods to maintain quality.
We process the milk to produce a wide range of dairy products which we sell through our retail and modern trade channels.
Thanks to the efforts of our 50,000 dairy farmers,
our products reach urban consumers fresh, fair priced and of the highest quality.

Operating since 1998, Aarong Dairy has become one of our largest social enterprises. We employ over 1,500
people and our farmers produce over 250,000 litres of milk per day.
Any surplus we make goes into the sustainability of our projects and the creation of new opportunities.
There is an increasing urgency among developing economies to promote market-based initiatives that offer
sustainable business and consumer solutions to disadvantaged populations. This is exemplified by the social
enterprise model for business, which promotes inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive
employment and decent work for all (SDG 8). The effect of a single yogurt
Our continuous presence in the rural economy has helped us understand the challenges that rural and disadvantaged As Bangladeshs cities rapidly farm. Initially she relied on local milk
communities face. These challenges hinder economic growth and social empowerment. We invest in business expand to accommodate growing buyers, but could not earn enough
solutions that engage rural and urban small/micro enterprises as suppliers, producers and consumers, ensuring populations, urbanites continue to rely to make a profit regularly. After a few
affordable products and services that give families across Bangladesh the opportunity to lead better lives. almost solely on produce from rural months, she partnered with Aarong
areas. What urban consumers are Dairy.
not always aware of is the role that
these purchases continue to have A team of veterinarians guided her
in transforming the lives of people in through the initial stages, providing
those areas. A single yoghurt that a her with animal husbandry training,
3 big facts about Aarong Dairy mother in an urban area buys each basic animal healthcare and
day for her child is the reason that a vaccination, hygienic milking and
mother like Afroza in rural Pabna is artificial insemination services. advice. Together, the families now
able to send her children to school. Afrozas small dairy farm quickly run some of the most productive
became a business. She supplied homestead dairy farms in Pabna.
Afrozas life was predictably milk directly to her local dairy
unpredictable for many years in a chilling centre. It was turned into Afrozas small farm now boasts of
sleepy village of Pabna in northern dairy products in urban areas and five cows and 11 cattle. She saves
Bangladesh. Her husband worked as then sold through Aarong Dairys every month and purchases one cow
a mason and work was often irregular. extensive network of retailers. As each year with her savings. She also
There was never certainty about when the farm grew, she continued to owns the land which she runs the
Aarong Dairy accounts The cattle development fund provided In 2015, we collected over 16 they would have their next meal or get cattle rearing and management farm on, and has started a biogas
for 22 per cent of subsidised artificial insemination services Olympic-sized swiming when her children could go to school. support. plant. Her younger son is now in class
Bangladeshs total dairy to 6,500 farmers, vaccinated 25,600 pools, or 42 million litres four. He has big dreams, and with the
market share. heads of cattle, delivered 8,000 kg of of milk through our extensive One of those days when they did not Soon, 15 other households in her foundation his mother has built for him
free fodder seed and trained 2,000 network of rural dairy farmers. know, Afroza decided to do something village were following her lead. Women through her farm, those dreams no
farmers on animal husbandry methods. about it. She borrowed money, chose wanting to start their own farms in longer seem out of reach.
to invest in a calf and start a dairy other areas close by came to her for
Annual Report 2015 59
KE Y ACHIE VEMENTS OF 2 015

Aarong Seed Fisheries Artificial Feed Poultry Rearing

We create Insemination We provide high We pioneered
We started in 1978, We are the largest
income-generating We began in 1985 quality poultry, organised poultry-
to create opportunities private seed
opportunities for rural as a partnering cattle and fish feed at rearing in Bangladesh
for women in rural areas producer
communities by using initiative affordable prices for rural through producing broiler
and to preserve traditional handicraft in Bangladesh. We supply quality
ponds and other water bodies for with the government of Bangladesh to farmers. We also offer knowledge- chickens and layered eggs for urban
methods. We now have a network of seeds while complementing
commercial fish farming. We have provide people living in poverty in rural based extension services at the consumer markets. We focus on retail
over 65,000 artisans. Our products are government initiatives in agricultural
acted as a catalyst for attracting private areas with access to better quality cow farmer level to ensure the efficient and sales and are a key supplier for the
crafted in dedicated rural production research, production and distribution.
investment in the pond-fish sector breeds. We distribute semen from our appropriate use of feed for production. poultry-based processing industry.
centres and through partnering with We work to address food security
since the 1990s. We produce and bull station in Mymensingh to depots
independent producers. We sell them challenges and promote good
sell varieties of fish seeds to farmers around the country, where our network
through a chain of commercial retail agricultural practices among farmers,
through our many hatcheries and of 2,500 trained entrepreneurs provide
outlets and through e-commerce. with a strong focus on research and
are the market leader for all of the insemination services to cattle farmers.
development, extensive infrastructure
and specialised staff. products we sell.
In 2015 In 2015
i. 194 individual producers and In 2015 i. 1,640,102 cows were inseminated,
artisans were trained to improve their In 2015 Sanitary Napkin Cold Storage
i. New technology was introduced with a success rate of 70 per cent. and Delivery Kits
production skills. i. Awarded the Standard Chartered at the hatchery level, resulting in We operate as a
Bank Best Agricultural Award ii. 55 health camps were organised, We employ over 230
ii. Two new retail outlets opened in the production of tilapia rising to where over 100,000 heads of cattle micro-enterprise
Dhaka. (Support and Execution). approximately 100 million (33 per women in producing venture, supporting
were vaccinated. hand-made sanitary
iii. New healthcare and social protection ii. Added wheat and lentil seed to the cent growth compared to 2014). local potato farmers
current product line. iii. The mastitis control programme napkins and delivery kits, which are to store their harvested yields and
initiatives were integrated for artisans ii. We released 8 million fish fingerling was launched and over 0.9 million sold to rural households through our
and producers at three of the twelve iii. Introduced 84 community nutrition in haor areas (wetland ecosystems) integrating them with the potato
tests were administered. network of over 95,000 shasthya processing industry.
Ayesha Abed Foundation centres. scholars to promote nutrition in rural to aid the livelihoods of local
iv. 153 new workers were trained, shebikas (community health workers).
iv. Awarded the best brand in the households. fishermen in collaboration with our
integrated development programme. bringing the total up to 2,200.
Fashion Boutique Category by
Bangladesh Brand Forum.

Recycled Printing Pack

Handmade
Poultry Papers We produce flexible,
Chicken Sericulture high quality packaging
Breeding We employ women to
We offer healthy, We started in 1978 material for food items, fortified healthy
Aarong Dairy We ensure higher recycle 60 metric tons of
convenient food to engage poor ingredients, processed edibles and
We collect milk from rural women in silk earnings for rural waste paper per year. We produce agricultural inputs such as seed and
choices to consumers, handmade paper and a wide range
over 50,000 farmers, production. Our work spans the entire women by supplying them bio-chemicals for animal husbandry.
by preparing and supplying dressed of other products, such as envelopes,
process it into a wide silk-making process, from mulberry with high quality chicken breeders.
chicken and value-added frozen photo frames, greeting cards and
range of different products, and market cultivation and silkworm rearing to In addition, we provide farming
chicken products to a range of gift boxes. Our products are sold to
it through a variety of retail channels. producing fabric and silk products, knowledge and extension services
institutional clients and retailers. institutional clients and at Aarong retail
We focus on producing premium which are sold through Aarong retail through training of vaccinators and
quality products and promoting dairy outlets and trade fairs. other support services. outlets.
In 2015
nutrition knowledge. We are the
i. Launched the National Hygiene
second largest local milk processor in In 2015 Salt
Drive with Bangladesh Parjatan
the country. i. Adopted a new rearing technique, We were
Corporation to raise awareness
about hygienic practices within the the shoot rearing system, for higher established in
In 2015 cocoon yield. response to a public
food services industry.
i. 110 automated milk collection ii. Started high-quality bivoltine Nursery health need the lack of iodised salt
ii. Organised the first National Surfing
units were introduced, to improve silkworm rearing at Sherpur, Bogra. in the national diet. We produce and
Tournament in Coxs Bazar to We provide high
the quality and efficiency of milk distribute iodised salt through our
empower disadvantaged young quality seedlings
collection. network of distributors and community
people, especially girls, through across the country and
ii. Introduced Laban, a new dairy sports. health workers, with a particular focus
give technical assistance and income
drink. on low-income households.
support to small households.

60 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 61

SOCIAL Celebrating innovators
inspires the wider BRAC

INNOVATION LAB
community to engage
in idea sharing and
problem solving. We
focused on motivating
staff to contribute
ideas through videos
and folk songs. (Right)
The chairperson and
executive director
presided over the award
ceremony and thanked
the winners for their
contributions.

WHAT WE LEARNED:

We explore tomorrows challenges and build solutions to empower people living in

poverty. Bangladeshs position in the global economy is rapidly changing, and
development needs are becoming more complex and diverse.

Adopting mobile money Understanding how to The best innovations take Managers at all levels can
poses some technical take innovations to scale into account the realities be innovation architects
challenges, but these is increasingly a global of clients lives. Solutions if the organisation
HIGHLIGHTS 2 015 are relatively easy to priority. We ran events in are designed around encourages an innovation
overcome if clients and Dhaka, London and New available resources, and mindset, through
staff see the benefits York, and saw that there then change ecosystems initiatives such as our
We held our third Frugal Innovation Digital solutions are increasingly in The best solutions continued to come of going digital. The were clear opportunities are created to take the recently-launched short
Forum, themed Pushing the focus. BRAC Banks subsidiary bKash from our staff in the field; the grassroots innovation fund created and enthusiasm for solutions to scale. This course on innovation
boundaries of development, bringing is quickly becoming one of the worlds experiences and creativity of our a low-risk space to collaboration between ensures continuous for field managers. A
together 150 leading development largest mobile money companies. 120,000 staff around the world. The experiment and gain the private sector and civil improvement and full key part of this attitude
practitioners, impact investing experts Our Innovation Fund for Mobile Money topics we trained staff on this year deeper insights into how society, particularly for adoption of the new is promoting small
and social entrepreneurs to explore seeded a portfolio of diverse pilots for included building innovative teams, to smoothen the transition hybrid organisations like initiatives. behavioural changes and
financially-sustainable innovations to financial inclusion across BRAC, which incorporating methods for human- to mobile money. BRAC that work in both celebrating problem-
meet these emerging needs. we are now focusing on scaling up. centered design, brainstorming, and spheres. solving attempts among
talking about failure. team members.

Annual Report 2015 63

GOVERNANCE, MANAGEMENT AND
CAPACITY-BUILDING
ADMINISTRATION COMMUNICATIONS FINANCE AND ACCOUNTS

We ensure smooth governance and We enhance, promote and protect BRACs We work both nationally and internationally, We ensure that stakeholders get accurate The monitoring unit for the first time, years by a qualified independent assessor,
successful implementation of BRACs image through strategic communication. ensuring aesthetically pleasing, eco-friendly performance and financial information conducted a third-level evaluation to in accordance with the Institute of Internal
programmes and enterprises. Our We foster innovation and synergy across and disability-friendly designs. when they need it. measure behavioural changes resulting Auditorss International Professional
department comprises procurement, and outside BRAC by facilitating the from all the different training received. Practice Framework. A quality assurance
estate, security risk management, exchange of ideas and information. We In 2015, our major projects included the We are responsible for financial planning, review of the internal audit department
transport, road safety programme, maintain the consistency of all external new construction at BRACs centre for record keeping, and managing costs, We introduced an automated and was also executed.
logistics, central store, telecommunication, communications, and employ a wide range development management in Rajendrapur assets and liabilities. We finance integrated management information
visa and protocol units. of modes of communication to promote a and the development of BRAC Universitys investments, analyse cash flow, system for HR field offices and Aarong.
better understanding of what we all do. new campus. profitability, and prepare budgets and INFORMATION AND
We developed procurement guidelines financial frameworks for all programmes, A standard operating procedure for
and implementation procedures for BRAC In 2015, we coordinated the celebration of divisions and departments. We are fraud management was published. COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
South Sudan and signed a memorandum BRACs 43rd birthday. We held a month- DONOR LIAISON OFFICE accountable for property, provident This mandated that the head of the
of understanding with Grameenphone long campaign called #PowerWomen funds, employee gratuity, salary, tax investigation and grievance management
for knowledge sharing on procurement to celebrate the cause of women and loans. We ensure effective financial unit will be notified of all fraud-related We are a technology-based solution hub,
practices in the corporate sector. empowerment during International We ensure mutual understanding and control and transparency of the financial issues. ensuring quality technological interventions
The security incident recording system Womens Day. We reached out to effective communication between donor data of our projects and enterprises, for BRAC. We are continuously improving
was digitised at the security control young people in urban areas through a agencies and other partner organisations. including timely reports for our donors, Our learning unit was awarded a certificate BRACs service model, focusing onreal-
centre. It operates 24 hours a day now, cricket match comprising teams of girls regulatory authorities and other relevant of merit in improving quality of working time data collection to monitor programme
supporting field staff to manage incidents from BRACs adolescent development Since 2011, one of our key roles has stakeholders. life category at the 44th International operations and make strategic decisions.
of crime and facilitate police investigations. programme. been managing the strategic partnership Federation of Training and Development
A security alert system through mobile arrangement, a unique partnership In 2015, we continued to work towards Organisations (IFTDO) world conference. In 2015, we worked with the health, nutrition
text messaging was extended to the We partnered with Grameenphone, between BRAC, DFID and DFAT, based internalising BRACs values, in addition and population programme to run an
district BRAC representatives. We the biggest telecom service provider in on shared goals, clear results and mutual to our core workload. We prioritised In Bangladesh, BRAC has a staff body e-health pilot that covered almost 200,000
provided support to BRAC International in the country, to run a campaign called accountability. employing female cashiers at branch of 42,625 members. In 2015, 3,737 new clients in urban areas through 210 extension
developing country security contingency #deyarKhushi (joy in giving) where we offices, as a contribution towards ensuring members joined our organisation. workers. The pilot will scale up to cover one
plans and conducting security risk delivered more than 900 smartphones We manage relationships with partners, a positive and harassment-free working million clients by 2016.
assessments. to budding entrepreneurs and young and coordinate all technical assistance, environment for all our staff.
community leaders from disadvantaged evaluations and review missions. We began piloting a technology platform
We efficiently managed our fleet of 173 socioeconomic backgrounds.
INTERNAL AUDIT designed to graduate people from poverty
vehicles by integrating the software of the In 2015, we strengthened our auxiliary HUMAN RESOURCE AND through the targeting the ultra poor
transport department with the software We ran a number of training sessions and role of standardising BRACs fundraising We work independently within BRACs programme. The platform allowed trend
of our workshop wing. A vehicle tracking workshops to build the capacity of our and proposal development efforts through LEARNING DIVISION governance framework, undertaking analysis and forecasting, and improved
system was installed in vehicles engaged staff, both nationally and internationally, to the relationship management forum. risk-based internal audit and compliance decision-making. Field operations were
in field operations to improve safety. A deliver effective communications. Resources, knowledge and expertise services in accordance with the Institute of coordinated more effectively and data was
mobile text alert service was introduced Our social media following reached are shared through the forum to harness We attract, recruit, develop and retain the Internal Auditors. We evaluate and report on interpreted using modern visualisation tools.
for vehicle users. 200,000 fans on Facebook, making us the synergy and realise strategic goals right talent to continually grow the BRAC the adequacy and effectiveness of internal
leading non-government organisation in together. family. control and risk management within the We enabled business process automation,
We continued purchasing land and Bangladesh in terms of followers. organisations governance, operations, and such as fixed asset trackers and an
ensuring protection of unused, and We delivered workshops on partnership In 2015, we implemented a new grade information systems. We maintain integrity, inventory control system, in all our learning
sometimes vulnerable areas across management, theory of change, and market competitive salary structure deliver reliable financial and operational centres, as part of the paperless initiative.
Bangladesh. monitoring and evaluation. to attract and retain high performers, and information, safeguard assets, and ensure Tools developed for internal audit helped
CONSTRUCTION AND encourage a performance-driven culture. compliance with laws, regulations, policies, BRAC Internationals internal audit process
We provided logistic support in distributing We organised the annual partners meeting, in Uganda, Tanzania and Pakistan.
warm clothes and relief materials in crisis
MAINTENANCE which saw record participation from over We arranged career-grooming sessions
procedures and contracts.

periods and regularly organised blood 17 development organisations, donor and partnered with career clubs of various In 2015, we initiated an internal control We implemented virtualisation platforms to
donation drives at the BRAC Centre agencies and partners. The meeting was universities. We introduced a CV bank and questionnaire for area managers to improve our data centre infrastructure. 80
Our team comprises of two units; an
for Bangladesh Thalassaemia Hospital. testament to our continuous pursuit of new CV drop box to improve our recruitment cover their operational activities. A quality per cent of our existing servers computing
infrastructure development department,
We also continued managing BRACs and more effective forms of development process. performance review (peer review) of division- load was transferred to virtual machines.
with 53 engineers, architects and support
telecommunication network and arranged cooperation and knowledge sharing. based audit managers was started. We This reduced the number of physical
staff; and a maintenance department, with
visas for BRAC staff travelling overseas. We have formed a talent management also implemented the data management servers, and promoted green computing.
108 engineers, technicians and support
Our long-term goal is to leverage our team, with a vision to ensure high software, BRAC internal audit management
staff. We advise on and undertake repair,
experience of partnership and relationship performance and sustainability within the system, in divisional offices successfully. We organised BRACathon, the biggest
renovation and construction projects to
management to support the organisation organisation. The objectives of the team coding marathon for app developers of the
meet the evolving infrastructural needs of
becoming self-sustainable. are to identify critical roles and talents There is a provision to conduct external country. The event aimed at developing
the organisation.
within the organisation and cultivate their assessments at least once every five useful mobile applications for social
development plans. innovation, with the motto technology for

64 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 65

 RESEARCH AND EVALUATION RISK MANAGEMENT SERVICES
social good. Over 120 contestants from We align our monitoring objectives and
universities and tech start-ups participated indicators with BRACs transformation
in the competition,taking up challenges from to a social enterprise model. We provide We have played an integral role in We ensure that the organisation identifies, visibility at night. 402 bus and truck
preventing tuberculosis to improving city continuous feedback on programme designing BRACs development understands and effectively manages drivers received three days of training on
roads. performance to ensure smooth progress interventions since 1975. We carry out risks to safeguard its staff and meet residential road safety and a defensive
towards achieving the global sustainable multidisciplinary studies on issues of its obligations. We provide support in driving course called Shurakkha. Members
development goals. national and global importance, such as implementing effective plans to prevent of six community road safety groups met
agriculture, nutrition, health, education, losses, and reducing impact in the case once a month to review the progress of
LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE In 2015, we monitored 174 issues, the road safety action plans. A seminar
and gender. We maintain strong linkages of losses. We also provide consultation
covering all programmes and enterprises, with government organisations, UN bodies and capacity development training to all on Shurakkha was held in Sylhet, and
We protect legal interests, promote good and generated reports based on the and academic and research institutions beneficiaries, and quarterly and annual risk attended by BRTA officials, police, district
governance in all of BRACs endeavours, findings. We organised six bi-monthly nationally and internationally. Our research management reports. administration, BRAC, transport owners
and create legal awareness within the meetings to share the findings with senior helps to achieve programme objectives and workers associations.
organisation. We are a team of 44 legal and mid-level management of different through modifying and improving We support BRACs governing body and
and compliance lawyers at the district level programmes. Significant findings were strategies, and identifying new issues. senior executives in making strategic 845 candidates were given basic driving
and 12 lawyers in the head office, and our shared with the programmes, facilitating decisions, by reporting jointly to the risk training in 2015 from our driving school.
key objective is to provide BRACs staff, quick measures for improvement. We also In 2015, we conducted more than 23 management committee and the governing BRAC Driving School is the only school
programmes, property and reputation with successfully implemented an e-monitoring studies. Our impact assessment study body. We are currently in the process of in Bangladesh that provides road safety,
legal protection. and data collection system through open on BRACs safe migration programme introducing an e-risk management system defensive and advanced driving training,
data kit software. revealed that potential migrants are the to ensure timely identification, assessment, classifying competencies of in-service
2015 was about strengthening ties with most dominant group among the five mitigation and monitoring of all risks that drivers through the P drive system. 290
our partners. Our legal team worked categories of migrants. There is, however, BRAC may face. professional drivers from organisations
towards stronger working relationships PARTNERSHIP a general lack of knowledge on key such as the US Embassy, British High
with the regulatory authorities of the factors like registration, visa verification Commission, Red Crescent, Save the
government, the judiciary and anti- STRENGTHENING UNIT and the kinds of support systems available ROAD SAFETY Children, Unilever Bangladesh, Halliburton
corruption commissions. A total of for migrants aboard. have received training from our driving
81 compliance review visits of BRAC school in 2015.
Enterprise establishments were We develop and strengthen partnerships with Our ethnographic study on women We signed a memorandum of
conducted throughout the country. NGOs, private and government agencies. garment workers resulted in several major understanding with the Local Government
The implementation of a district case interventions, recommendations and Engineering Department to implement
management committee meetings Within BRAC, we facilitate field-level guidelines to formulate strategies for their a community road safety programme
improved the knowledge and efficiency coordination and collaboration among wellbeing. in four sub-districts in Coxs Bazar and
of the field offices while boosting BRACs BRAC programmes through the support Gazipur. 15 leaders from non-government
programme coordination in the field. of district BRAC representatives. These Findings on BRACs neuro-development orgainisations and community-based
representatives facilitate in obtaining disability centres indicated positive organisations, and 360 community
A total of 555 of these meetings were yearly project completion certificates learning outcomes for children with leaders, were trained and organised
conducted, across all 64 districts. The from government counterparts. They disabilities. The centres serve the purpose into 30 community road safety groups.
percentage of pending or ongoing cases ensure smooth implementation of the of a joyful learning environment, and it was These groups identified their local road
being disposed increased by 17 per cent, programmes in the field in collaboration found that there is progressive change safety problems and solutions through
compared to 2014, in the continuing with local government administration. in attitudes towards disabilities in the action plans. 360 teachers were trained
process of rationalising the existing They also act as designated officials community. to instruct 51,000 students on how to
number of cases. Our documentation under the Right to Information Act 2009 in use roads safely. Educational materials,
wing successfully fulfilled all 211 requests national and district levels. We produced four research reports, ten including flipcharts, booklets, and training
for review, vetting and legal opinions for articles in peer-reviewed journals, eight videos for students and drivers, were
BRAC and BRAC International. On the national level, the NGO Affairs working papers, a book, four quarterly developed. Two sub-district road safety
Bureau (NGOAB) the government newsletters and a Bangla compendium, committees were reactivated.
counterpart agency for BRAC, is our Nirjash. We organised three research
principle partner. We ensure timely dissemination seminars, a book launching 38 teachers from 25 schools participated
MONITORING approval of internationally-aided projects ceremony and 38 research seminars. in refresher training on road safety, with
from the NGOAB. In addition, we work support from a project with Chevron
We support decision-making at policy and with a wide array of government agencies Bangladesh Limited. The project brought
operational levels. We conduct periodic to create synergy between BRACs work lessons on road safety to 4,500 students.
analysis based on set standards, to ensure and the work of those agencies. Students participated in quizzes and
transparency. We assist management to were awarded with token prizes. 265
determine whether key activities are being We also arrange registration, permits, etc rickshaw pullers were trained on road
carried out as planned, and whether they needed for BRACs social enterprises and safety. Reflective stickers were put up
are achieving expected outcomes. investments. We administer work permits on the back of rickshaws for better
and visas for expatriate employees.

66 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 67

BRAC MANAGEMENT DIRECTORS

EXECUTIVES

Shameran Abed Dr Kaosar Afsana Jalaluddin Ahmed Tahsinah Ahmed

Director Director Director Director
Microfinance Health, Nutrition and Population Asia Region Skills Development
BRAC and BRAC International Programme BRAC International

Dr Muhammad Musa Faruque Ahmed Shib Narayan Kairy

Executive Director Executive Director Chief Financial Officer
BRAC BRAC International BRAC and BRAC International

Abdul Bayes Munmun Chowdhury Sayeda Tahya Hossain Ahmed Najmul Hussain
Director Chief People Officer Chief People Officer Director
Research and Evaluation BRAC International Human Resources Division Administration
Division Learning Division Road Safety

Tamara Hasan Abed Asif Saleh

Senior Director Senior Director
Enterprises, BRAC Strategy, Communication and
Empowerment
BRAC and BRAC International

Md Akramul Islam Safiqul Islam Rachel Kabir Anna Minj

Director Director Director Director
Tuberculosis and Malaria Control Education Chairpersons Office Community Empowerment
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Integrated Development
Gender Justice & Diversity

KAM Morshed Saieed Bakth Faustina Pereira Taufiqur Rahman

Director Mozumder Director Director
Advocacy for Social Change Director Human Rights and Legal BRAC Dairy and Food
Information and Communication Tea Estates Aid Services Enterprises
Technology
68 Annual Report 2015 Partnership Strengthening Unit Annual Report 2015 69
DIRECTORS

As of June 2016
Lamia Rashid Nanda Dulal Saha Munshi Sulaiman Saif Md Imran Siddique
Director Director Director Director
Africa Region Internal Audit Research Director Finance
BRAC International BRAC and BRAC International BRAC International BRAC International

BRAC ORGANOGRAM
Gawher Nayeem Wahra
Director
Disaster Management and
Climate Change

70 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 71

BRAC GOVERNING BODY
GENERAL BODY
The general body of BRAC consists of 33 members. As per the Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations of BRAC, the
general body elects the governing body.
Rokia Afzal Rahman Luva Nahid Choudhury Martha Alter Chen
The Annual General Meeting of BRAC was held in June 2015, in which the general body approved the audited financial statements for the Vice President, International Chamber of Director General Lecturer in Public Policy
year ended December 31, 2014, approved the annual budget for 2016, and approved the appointment of external auditors for the year Commerce Bangladesh Bengal Foundation Harvard Kennedy School and
ended December 31, 2015. International Coordinator, WIEGO
Ms Rahman currently chairs Airlinks Ms Choudhury is an architect who was
Group of Companies and RR Group of a part of the Bangladesh Government Dr Chen is a lecturer in public policy
Companies. She is the chair of service for 10 years and currently heads an at the Harvard Kennedy School, an
GOVERNING BODY Mediaworld Ltd, and a director of architectural practice in Dhaka. She affiliated professor at the Harvard
Mediastar and ABC Radio. As chair of is the director general of Bengal Graduate School of Design, and
The governing body of BRAC consists of 10 members. Distinguished professionals, activists and entrepreneurs of excellent repute have Foundation, a trust that supports and
MIDAS Financing Ltd, Ms Rahman has international coordinator of Women in
been elected to the governing body, bringing their diverse skills and experience to the governance of BRAC. initiated loan facilities to several thousand promotes the arts in Bangladesh. She also Informal Employment: Globalising and
women. She was a director of Reliance heads ICE Media and Bengal Publications, Organising (WIEGO), a global research-
Insurance and is the former president of both leading publishing houses. policy-action network that seeks to
the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce improve the status of the working
and Industries. Ms Rahman is a board poor, especially women, in the informal
member of Asian University for Women. economy. An experienced development
practitioner and scholar, her areas of
specialisation are employment, poverty
and gender. Dr Chen has spent two
decades in Bangladesh and India
working for BRAC and Oxfam America.

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed Ahmed Mushtaque Raza Tahrunnesa Abdullah Latifur Rahman
Founder and Chairperson, BRAC Chowdhury Social Scientist and Chairman and CEO
Vice Chairperson, BRAC Gender Specialist Transcom Group
Sir Fazle is recognised by Ashoka
as one of the global greats and Dr Chowdhury is also a Ms Abdullah is an advisor to Mr Latifur Rahman is also the
is a founding member of its professor of population and Democracywatch and chairman of Nestl Bangladesh,
prestigious Global Academy for family health at Columbia also serves as the chairperson Holcim Cement (Bangladesh), and
Social Entrepreneurship. He was University in New York. He of Gono Bishwabidyalay, ASA, National Housing Finance and
also appointed Knight previously served as senior Ain o Salish Kendra and South Investments. Mr Rahman holds the
Commander of the Most adviser at the Rockefeller Asia Partnership-Bangladesh. position of vice president of Mr Adeeb H Khan Adv Syeda Rizwana Hasan Syed S Kaiser Kabir
Distinguished Order of St Michael Foundation, based in Bangkok, She started her career at the International Chamber of Chartered Accountant Lawyer Supreme Court of Bangladesh CEO and Managing Director
and St George (KCMG) by the Thailand. He was also the Comilla Academy for Rural Commerce in Bangladesh. He has Vice President Institute of Chartered Chief Executive Renata Limited
British Crown in 2009, in founding dean of the James P Development and headed the also been elected as a member of Accountants of Bangladesh Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers
recognition of his services to Grant School of Public Health womens education and home the executive board of International Association Mr Kabir is CEO and managing director of
reducing poverty in Bangladesh in Dhaka and served as a development programme. Chamber of Commerce in Paris. Mr Khan is a chartered accountant Renata Limited. He is also the chairman of
and the senior partner of Rahman Ms Hasan is a lawyer with the Supreme Renata Agro Industries Limited, Purnava
and internationally. Sir Fazle has research associate at Harvard She oversaw the development Formerly the president of the Court of Bangladesh. She is working for the
received numerous national and Universitys Center for of the National Plan of Action Metropolitan Chamber of Rahman Huq (Member Firm of KPMG Limited and Renata Oncology Limited.
International). He is a council member cause of environment as the chief executive Mr Kabir is vice chairperson of the Sajida
international awards for his Population and Development for Children 1997-2002, and Commerce, he is an erstwhile of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers
achievements in leading BRAC, Studies. He is the co-recipient has served as chair of president of Bangladesh Employers (elected position) of the Institute of Foundation and is also on the Board of
Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh Association (BELA). Ms Hasan did her Directors of the Global Alliance for
including the World Food Prize of the Innovator of the Year Bangladesh Shishu Academy Federation. Mr Rahman was masters and graduation in law from the
(2015), the Spanish Order of Civil 2006 award from the Marriott and Bangladesh Jatiya Mohila chairman of the Trade Body and currently its vice president. He is also Improved Nutrition. Mr Kabir started his
a committee member (elected position) of University of Dhaka. She is a recipient of career as a research officer at the Institute
Merit (2014) and the inaugural School of Management, Sangstha. Reforms Committee and member of the Goldman Environmental Prize and was
WISE Prize for Education (2011), Brigham Young University in Bangladesh Better Business Forum. the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce of Economics and Statistics, University
and Industry (MCCI), the oldest and one recognised by TIME magazine as one of the of Oxford. He moved on to serve as
the David Rockefeller Bridging the USA. He was member of the executive 40 Environmental Heroes of the World. Ms
Leadership Award (2008), the board of Bangladesh Bank (Central of the most prestigious trade chambers of a consultant at the World Bank from
Bangladesh. Mr Khans past directorships Hasan was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay 1991-1993. He was appointed executive
Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian Bank). Mr Rahman is an Honouree Award in 2012.
Prize (2008), the inaugural Clinton of the Oslo Business for Peace include Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the director of the Sajida Foundation in 1996,
Global Citizen Award (2007) and Award in 2012, and was named national Flag carrier of Bangladesh. and later joined Renata Agro Industries
the Henry R Kravis Prize in Business Executive of the Year in Limited as managing director from 1997
Leadership (2007). 2001 by the American Chamber in to 2004.
Bangladesh.

72 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 73

STICHTING BRAC INTERNATIONAL GOVERNING BOARD
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed Founder and Chairperson, BRAC
Ahmed Mushtaque Raza Chowdhury Vice Chairperson, BRAC

Parveen Mahmud
Managing Director
Grameen Telecom Trust

Over the course of her professional career, Ms

Mahmud has invested substantial time in
working with national and international
Dr Muhammad Musa Debapriya Bhattacharya Shabana Azmi development agencies. She is a chartered
Executive Director, BRAC Macro Economist and Actor and Social Activist accountant and was the first woman to be a
Public Policy Analyst council member (2007) and president (2011)
Dr Musa has an extensive background in Ms Azmi is an internationally-acclaimed
of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of
leading humanitarian, social development, actress who was a member of the Indian
Dr Bhattacharya, a macro-economist and Bangladesh. She was also the first female
and public health organisations in Parliament and a UN Goodwill Ambassador.
public policy analyst, is currently a distinguished board member of the South Asian Federation
international, cross-cultural settings. A She is also a vocal and committed social
fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue in Dhaka. of Accountants. She was the deputy managing
medical doctor and a public health specialist, activist, undertaking campaigns and
He is a former ambassador and permanent director of Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation.
he has a specialised training in maternal and making public statements on various
representative of Bangladesh to the World Trade She also served as the chairperson of the
child nutrition, and disaster management. issues, particularly social justice and the
Organization offices in Geneva and Vienna, and Acid Survivors Foundation.
Before joining BRAC, he worked for 32 years rights of women. She is a leading advocate
the special advisor on least-developed
with CARE International as one of its senior of AIDS awareness in India. Ms Azmi is a
countries (LDCs) to the secretary general of the
international management professionals. visiting professor at Ann Arbor, Michigan
UN Conference on Trade and Development
Twenty of those years were spent working in and has addressed several universities
(UNCTAD). He is associated with a number of
Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, including Harvard, Columbia, Berkeley,
leading institutions, networks and editorial
India, Bangladesh and the Asia region. He MIT, University of Chicago, and University
boards of reputed journals. Dr Bhattacharya
has long experience in strategic leadership, of London.
studied in Dhaka, Moscow and Oxford and has
governing board management, executive-
held a number of visiting positions, including at
level management of large-scale operations,
the Centre for Global Development, Washington
humanitarian and social development
DC. He is the chair of two global initiatives, LDC
programme management, and organisational
IV Monitor and Southern Voices on Post-MDGs.
change management.

FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE

The governing body of BRAC constitutes the BRAC Finance and Audit Committee with the following members:

1. Ahmed Mushtaque Raza Chowdhury, Vice Chairperson, BRAC Governing Body Chair
2. Tahrunnesa Abdullah, Member, BRAC Governing Body Member
3. Adeeb H Khan, Member, BRAC Governing Body Member
Quais Shafiq ul Hassan Irene Z Khan Sylvia Borren 4. Parveen Mahmud, FCA (Independent) Member
Managing Director Director General, International Development Executive Director, Greenpeace Netherlands 5. Muhammad Musa, Executive Director, BRAC Member (ex-officio)
Echo Sourcing Ltd UK and Law Organisation
Echotex Ltd Bangladesh Ms Borren was a director of Oxfam SN Kairy, Chief Financial Officer acts as secretary of the committee.
Ms Khan is Director-General of the Novib from 1994 to 2008. She is a
Mr Hassan is the managing director of Echo International Development Law Each member is free of any relationship that would interfere with the exercise of his or her independent judgment as a member of the
former co-chair of the Global Call to
Sourcing Ltd UK and Echotex Ltd Bangladesh. Organization. She was Secretary General committee. Members of the committee have professional experience and expertise in different sectors.
Action against Poverty and chair of its
Echotex has received Bangladeshs National of Amnesty International and worked for Dutch chapter, EEN. She is a member
Environmental Award, Metropolitan Chamber the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and former co-chair of the Role and purpose
of Commerce and Industry, Dhakas for 21 years. Ms Khan is a member of the Worldconnectors, a Dutch transformative The primary function of the finance and audit committee (the committee) is to assist the governing body (the board) in fulfilling its
Environmental Award and J Sainsbury plcs World Bank Advisory Council on Gender multi-stakeholder think tank, and is on responsibilities for:
Corporate Social Responsibility Award in and Development. She sits on the boards the Board of the Forest Stewardship
2010. Echotex was also awarded Best of several international human rights and Council Netherlands. She was previously Financial reporting and budgeting processes
Clothing Supplier in 2011 as well as Best development organisations. She a member of the Dutch Governments
System of internal controls and risk assessment
Clothing Supplier and Supplier of the Year in received the Sydney Peace Prize in Advisory Council on International Affairs
2012 by J Sainsbury plc. He is the co-founder 2006 for her work to end violence against Compliance with legal and regulatory requirements
and also chaired Quality Educators for
of Childrens Hope, an NGO that works to women and girls. Her book, The Unheard All. She was a part of the International Qualifications, independence, and performance of the external and internal auditors
educate slum children in Dhaka. Truth: Poverty and Human Rights, has Womens Commission for a Just and
been translated into seven languages. Sustainable Palestinian-Israeli Peace. Meetings during 2015
She was also on the board of governors
of the Altrecht Mental Health Institute. A total of two meetings were held during the year 2015.

74 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 75

Meeting date: 9 June 2015 The Committee endorsed the SN Kairy, Chief Financial Officer, acts as 2nd position in the Institute of Chartered
recommendations of Ernst and Young secretary of the committee. Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB)
Highlights:
on External Quality Assurance Review National Award under the category of
The Committee suggested to develop of Internal Audit Department and The Committee approved the sale of NGOs for the year 2014.
the SOP of Enterprises by hiring suggested the Director, Internal Audit BRAC Banskhali Tea Co. Limited located in
Banskhali, Chittagong.
Consultant to implement the recommendations Membership of INGO
The Committee suggested that The Committee approved the Revised Accountability Charter
frauds and irregularities should be Terms of Reference (TOR) of Audit
Ombudsperson
segregated at least for internal use Review Committee BRAC became a full charter member of the
BRAC has established an Office of the INGO Accountability Charter in December
The Committee suggested that the Risk To increase the effectiveness of Ombudsperson with a comprehensive 2013. The INGO Accountability Charter
Management Policies and Framework the Audit Review Committee, the mandate to investigate any grievance or was incorporated in 2008. It is registered
of BRAC should be compared with Committee has been reconstituted complaint made to him by any individual as a company in the UK and having its
other international organizations and the with the following members: concerning any decision taken by BRAC. secretariat in Berlin, Germany. The objective
Risk Management Department should The Ombudsperson always maintains the is to create and develop a charter relating
also look into the organizational risk, 1. Executive Director highest level of confidentiality regarding to the accountability of non-governmental
reputation risk and asset management BRAC complainants and complaints. The office organisations. At present there are 24
risk Chair prepares an annual report concerning the charter members.
The Committee recommended the 2. Treasurer discharge of its functions and submits it to
Audited Annual Accounts of BRAC for BRAC University the Chairperson who then put the report The Accountability Reports submitted by
Member (Independent) before the BRAC Governing Body for their BRAC are available in the websites of BRAC
the year 2014 for approval of BRAC
consideration. and INGO Accountability Charter at this link:
Governing Body 3. Director http://www.ingoaccountabilitycharter.org/
The Committee recommended to Administration, BRAC The roles of the ombudsperson are: home/charter-members/brac
BRAC Governing Body for approval Member
of the proposed Annual Budget for The Ombudsperson can also
4. CPO
investigate any grievance/complaint
External Auditor
the period from January 2016 to Human Resources, BRAC
December 2016 and Financial Year Member made to him by any individual/third
The Annual General Meeting of BRAC
budget for the period from July 2015 to party concerning any decision taken held on June 11, 2015 have approved the
June 2016 5. Director by BRAC
Internal Audit, BRAC
appointment of A. Qasem & Co., Chartered
The Committee recommended for Ombudsperson can also investigate by Accountants, Bangladesh (member firm of
Member
approval of BRAC General Body his own regarding any issue of BRAC Ernst & Young Global LLP) as the auditor of
that A. Qasem & Co., Chartered The Committee suggested to engage such as corruption, abuse of power BRAC for the year ended on December 31,
Accountants, Bangladesh be Ernst & Young for vetting the Revised or discretion, negligence, oppression, 2015.
appointed as the auditor of BRAC for Internal Audit Manual and place to the nepotism, rudeness, arbitrariness,
the year January 2015 to December next meeting of the Committee for unfairness and discrimination or may
2015 and for the Financial Year July approval give appropriate recommendations to
2015 to June 2016 improve BRACs performance
The Committee suggested that the Investment committee Anyone (Management or an Employee)
time series of findings in relation to can complain/ask to Ombudsperson
financial irregularities should be The Investment committee oversees the to investigate any incident of
prepared BRAC investments, and consists of five misadministration and misuse of power
The Committee suggested to explore members. The Governing Body constituted within the organisation
if the Business related internal control the Investment Committee of BRAC with
and weaknesses could be reported the following members: Award and recognition
separately
1. Sir Fazle Hasan Abed KCMG
BRAC was awarded the AAA by Credit
Chairperson, BRAC Governing Body
Meeting date: 30 November 2015 Rating Agency of Bangladesh Ltd. (CRAB).
Chairperson
(The AAA means Extremely Strong Capacity
Highlights: 2. Dr Ahmed Mushtaque Raza and Highest Quality) BRAC has been
Chowdhury receiving AAA rating consecutively for the
The Committee further suggested that Vice Chairperson, last six years.
the Summary Report on Internal Audit BRAC Governing Body
to the Finance & Audit Committee Member BRAC received many awards in the field of
should include graphical presentation financial transparency in different times. In
3. Latifur Rahman
for the time series of findings 2015, BRAC received the following awards:
Member, BRAC Governing Body
The Committee recommended to Member
BRAC Governing Body for approval of 1st position in the Institute of Cost
the proposed revised budget for BRAC 4. Rokia A Rahman and Management Accountants of
Member, BRAC Governing Body
for the period from January 2016 to Bangladesh (ICMAB) Best Corporate
Member
December 2016 Award in the NGO Sector for the year
The Committee approved the Internal 5. Luva Nahid Choudhury 2014.
Audit Plan for the year 2016 Member, BRAC Governing Body
Member

76 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 77

DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS MAJOR INSTITUTIONAL DONORS

GOVERNMENT ALLIANCES
BRAC has a long history of working in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh. Our joint effort has
significantly contributed to attaining many of the millennium development goals. Below are the names of some of
the ministries and Government units that we have been closely working with.

Ministry of Cultural Affairs Ministry of Women and Children Affairs

Ministry of Education Ministry of Young people and Sports
Ministry of Fisheries & Livestock National Institute for Local Government
KNOWLEDGE PARTNERS
Ministry of Food and Agriculture Tongi Paurashava
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare All-Party Parliamentary Group
Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training
Ministry of Social Welfare Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employement
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited
Directors General of Health Services Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training

STRATEGIC PARTNERS R

The strategic partnership arrangement (SPA) is a partnership between BRAC, the UK Government and the Australian
Government, based on shared goals, clear results and mutual accountability. Core funding provided through the SPA helps
BRAC deliver tangible results for the people living in poverty in Bangladesh, while developing plans to reduce its reliance on
external donor funds, the SPA strengthens its internal systems, and seeks ways to work more closely with the Government of
Bangladesh. In the last forty-three years, BRAC has consistently ensured that programmes funded by development partners
are efficient, effective, and achieving results at scale. For these reasons, in 2012, two of BRAC's major donors Department
for International Development (DFID) and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia (formerly known as AusAid)
entered into a strategic partnership arrangement with BRAC to support the effectiveness of its work in reducing poverty.

Through engaging in a partnership, DFID and DFAT hope to reduce the transaction costs of aid and facilitate greater focus on
high-level outcomes rather than inputs. Through the provision of core funding, it enables BRAC to develop a flexible response
to learning and a more holistic response to poverty reduction. 2015 marked the successful completion of the first phase of
this partnership. We will look forward to engage with our strategic partners in a knowledge-based partnership in future while
they continue supporting our work in the next five years.

78 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 79

 Year 2015 Year 2014 Year 2015 Year 2014
Name of Donor
USD million % USD million % USD million % USD million %

Microfinance 195.44 34.94% 171.35 31.89% DFID 38.57 38.56% 89.05 46.52%

Health 58.70 10.49% 61.82 11.50% DFAT 22.51 22.51% 46.46 24.27%

Education 71.40 12.76% 64.99 12.09% The Global Fund 16.49 16.49% 21.13 11.04%

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene 15.62 2.79% 31.02 5.77% EKN/NOVIB 1.90 1.90% 9.45 4.94%

Agriculture and Food Security 4.28 0.77% 6.68 1.24% BRAC USA 1.79 1.79% 5.89 3.08%

Ultra Poor 35.64 6.37% 30.84 5.74% EACI, QATAR 1.12 1.12% 2.97 1.55%

Social Enterprises 150.61 26.92% 150.41 27.99% UNICEF 2.08 2.08% 2.91 1.52%

Others * 27.70 4.95% 20.27 3.77% Family Health International 360 1.48 1.48% 2.40 1.25%

Others 14.08 14.08% 11.18 5.84%

Total 559.39 100.0% 537.38 100.0%
Total 100.02 100.00% 191.44 100.00%
NOTES
* Others include the following: Gender Justice and Diversity, Community Enpowerment Programme, Human rights and Legal
Aids Services, Policy Advocacy and others.
Annual Expenditure (including capital expenditure)
in Million USD

904
Contribution of BRAC to Government Exchequer 845

728
2015 2014

Income Year BDT USD BDT USD

583 572

Income Tax deduction at source by third parties 221,757,839 2,843,049 86,528,390 1,109,338
Tax deduction at source from third parties 144,303,824 1,850,049 140,829,291 1,805,504
Income Tax deduction at source from Staff salary 30,134,778 386,343 28,262,260 362,337
VAT collection from customers 513,740,098 6,586,412 446,012,259 5,718,106
Import Duty paid 1,374,310 17,619 909,137 11,656

Total 911,310,849 11,683,472 702,541,337 9,006,940

2015 2014 2013 2012 2011

80 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 81

 BALANCE SHEET CONVERTED TO USD Statement of Income and Expenditure Converted to USD
as at December 31, 2015 for the year ended December 31, 2015
(NOT PART OF AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS) (NOT PART OF AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS)

2015 2014 2015 2014

Taka US $ Taka US $ Taka US $ Taka US $
ASSETS Income
Cash in hand and at banks 16,916,766,552 216,881,622 18,663,715,348 239,278,402 Donor grants 13,785,992,217 176,743,490 16,395,561,736 210,199,509
Advance, deposits and prepayments 4,076,719,030 52,265,629 3,297,318,487 42,273,314 Social Enterprises 13,345,427,760 171,095,228 13,199,374,550 169,222,751
Inventories 3,518,982,401 45,115,159 3,477,460,108 44,582,822 Microfinance Programme 26,682,363,975 342,081,589 21,359,616,040 273,841,231
Grants and accounts receivable 1,795,343,586 23,017,225 1,806,548,216 23,160,875 Self-financing Social Development Programmes 1,055,881,151 13,536,938 1,649,918,857 21,152,806
Microfinance loans 108,342,249,742 1,389,003,202 85,680,765,603 1,098,471,354 Investment Income 1,739,681,517 22,303,609 662,691,206 8,496,041
Motorcycle loans 807,014,427 10,346,339 796,996,894 10,217,909 House Property 92,370,223 1,184,234 91,365,205 1,171,349
Investments in securities and others 1,617,150,000 20,732,692 1,291,350,000 16,555,769
Investments in related undertakings 13,400,660,055 171,803,334 12,543,181,846 160,810,024 Total income 56,701,716,843 726,945,088 53,358,527,594 684,083,687
Property, plant and equipment 14,089,310,523 180,632,186 11,504,955,982 147,499,436
Expenditure
TOTAL ASSETS 164,564,196,316 2,109,797,388 139,062,292,484 1,782,849,904 Social Enterprises 11,747,263,079 150,605,937 11,732,422,213 150,415,669
Micro Finance Programme 15,244,367,848 195,440,613 13,365,418,399 171,351,518
LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS House Property 99,443,136 1,274,912 100,942,249 1,294,131
Liabilities: Agriculture and Food Security 334,185,896 4,284,435 520,785,414 6,676,736
Liabilities for expenses and materials 6,359,703,947 81,534,666 5,599,599,179 71,789,733 Community Empowerment Programme 364,919,588 4,678,456 317,494,987 4,070,449
Bank overdrafts 14,303,182,466 183,374,134 10,992,516,759 140,929,702 Education Programme 5,569,214,047 71,400,180 5,069,581,690 64,994,637
Term loans 26,516,487,055 339,954,962 19,075,261,360 244,554,633 Gender, Justice and Diversity 402,633,544 5,161,969 298,568,038 3,827,795
Members savings deposits 40,228,457,331 515,749,453 34,180,809,446 438,215,506 Health Programme 4,578,956,175 58,704,566 4,821,668,757 61,816,266
Grants received in advance account 971,166,244 12,450,849 6,740,890,268 86,421,670 Human Rights and Legal Aids Services 271,203,344 3,476,966 240,445,413 3,082,634
Deferred income 200,469,723 2,570,125 235,500,016 3,019,231 Policy Advocacy 170,883,319 2,190,812 156,788,921 2,010,114
Other long term liabilities 11,251,247,075 144,246,757 10,619,583,309 136,148,504 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Programme 1,218,247,312 15,618,555 2,419,632,575 31,020,930
Provision for taxation 1,551,941,030 19,896,680 1,386,941,030 17,781,295 Ultra Poor Programme 2,779,602,037 35,635,924 2,406,137,155 30,847,912
Total Liabilities 101,382,654,871 1,299,777,626 88,831,101,367 1,138,860,273 Other Development Projects 851,311,420 10,914,249 465,759,212 5,971,272

Net Assets: Total expenditure 43,632,230,745 559,387,574 41,915,645,023 537,380,064

Capital fund
Unrestricted 62,043,960,522 795,435,391 49,131,940,934 629,896,679 Surplus of income over expenditure before taxation 13,069,486,098 167,557,514 11,442,882,571 146,703,623
Temporarily restricted 1,137,580,923 14,584,371 1,099,250,183 14,092,951 Taxation (165,000,000) (2,115,385) (340,000,000) (4,358,974)
63,181,541,445 810,019,762 50,231,191,117 643,989,630
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS 164,564,196,316 2,109,797,388 139,062,292,484 1,782,849,904 Net surplus for the year 12,904,486,098 165,442,129 11,102,882,571 142,344,648

Exchange rate: 1 US $ = Tk.78 Exchange rate: 1 US $ = Tk.78

82 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 83

 BRAC ACROSS THE WORLD

NEPAL
Initiated : 2015
Programme Focus: Programme Focus: Programme Focus: Programme Focus: Programme Focus:
MF, EHC, Ag, P&L, HRLE, ELA Ag, BEP, ELA, EHC, NP, PB, TB MF, SEP, BEP, ARCs, EHC, CDP, MF, SEP, BEP, TUP, EHC, and Rehabilitation Programme
and FSN and TUP NSP and TUP Ag
Population reached: Population reached: Population reached
Population reached: Population reached:
1.5 million 1.5 million 32, 630 persons
4.65 million 0.7 million

Programme Focus: Programme Focus: Programme Focus: Programme Focus:

MF, SEP, Ag, P&L, EHC and ELA MF, SEP, BEP, SP, EHC, Ag, P&L, MF BEP
ELA, PB and KI
Population reached: Population reached: Population reached:
0.7 million Population reached: 0.0326 million 0.06 million
4.4 million

Programme Focus:
MF, SEP, Ag, P&L, BEP, LEAD and ELA

Population reached:
3.38 million

AFSP - Agriculture and Food Security Programme Ag - Agriculture Programme ARCs - Adolescent Reading Centres BEP - BRAC Education Programme BLBC - BRAC Limb and Brace Centre CDP - Capacity Development Programme CEP - Community Empowerment Programme
DECC - Disaster, Environment and Climate Change EHC - Essential Health Care ELA - Empowerment and Livelihood for Adolescents FSN - Food Security and Nutrition GJD - Gender Justice and Diversity HNPP - Health, Nutrition and Population Programme HRLE - Human Rights and Legal Empowerment
HRLS - Human Rights and Legal Aid Services IDP - Integrated Development Programme KI - Karamoja Initiative LEAD - Livelihood Enhancement through Agriculture Development MF - Microfinance MGP - Migration Programme MLP - Malaria Programme NP - Nutrition Programme NSP - National Solidarity Programme
PB - Peace Building P&L - Poultry and Livestock RS - Road Safety SEP - Small Enterprise Programme SP - Scholarship Programme TB- Tuberculosis Control TUP - Targeting the Ultra Poor WASH - Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
NOTES NOTES

86 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 87

NOTES

BRAC Communications/AR15/June 16
BRAC Photo credit:
BRAC Centre T : +88 02 9881265 BRAC Hasan Chandan/MAP for BRAC
75 Mohakhali F : +88 02 8823542 BRAC/Nasir Ali Mamun Shafiqul Alam Kiron/MAP for BRAC
Dhaka 1212 E : [email protected] BRAC/Shehzad Noorani SujaN/MAP for BRAC
Bangladesh W : www.brac.net Hassan Bipul for BRAC

Cover photo: SujaN/MAP for BRAC

88 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 89