Poverty and the Information Highway

The following was originally posted by Taylor Corbett, who is working with BRAC's Ultra Poor program in Bangladesh, on the Jolkona blog. You can read the original blog post here.

Within 30 seconds of reading this you can get a seven-day weather forecast for Rio de Janeiro, Delhi, or Tokyo. You can learn how vaccinations work, get instructions on how to construct a pig pen, and even learn the definition of poverty… in Japanese. The point being, we live in an information rich world. With 1.7 billion internet users, some of us clearly have access to limitless amounts of information that the remaining 5.3 billion do not. However, when one goes further and looks at the billions who do not even have access a public library, the world’s 72 million children who are not enrolled in school, or 774 million that are illiterate, this information gap becomes almost unimaginable, but its consequences are very real.

When I first heard I was going to be working with the “ultra-poor” of Bangladesh, admittedly I was thinking in purely economic terms. Poverty to me was defined by a lack of financial resources (money) or productive assets (capital such as land, livestock, or a business). Thus, I thought the “cycle of poverty” was driven by economic disparities in which the poor, lacking any means to make money simply became poorer. However, after talking to a few hundred of Bangladesh’s ultra-poor I found this isn’t exactly the case.

Many of the individuals I have worked with live in isolated villages miles from the nearest paved road or electrical socket, are illiterate, have never been to school, and have never seen a computer, world map, or library (yet alone know how to utilize one). As a result ultra-poor individuals are severely handicapped when it comes to obtaining knowledge beyond what they already know or are experienced in. Thus, problems and opportunities that require additional knowledge beyond what an ultra-poor individual already possess poses great difficulty for them, such as a new business venture, or an illness within the family. This lack of access to information is undeniably linked to the ultra-poor’s financial condition. However, the distinction must be made that these are in fact two different types of poverty—one financial, one informational. In doing so, it becomes clear that the “cycle of poverty” cannot only be attributed to a lack of financial resources, but knowledge resources as well. But why is such a distinction important?

The answer is perhaps best explained through an analogy given to me by a villager in Islampur, in the northwestern corner of the country. The man told me, “If I am sick, and I have all the medicine in the world, but I don’t have the knowledge or advice on which medicine to take, what good does it do me?” His point is simple yet significant and has wider implications for development organizations. In order to truly tackle poverty, development organizations must willing and able to address the both types of poverty simultaneously. Not only must they present individuals with opportunities and resources, but they must also give individuals the knowledge to utilize those opportunities or resources. The implications of not doing so can be disastrous and render organizational efforts and donor dollars useless. As one women told me, “If I am given a cow it is just a cow, only once I am given training and advice does that cow become an asset.” BRAC has done a wonderful job to identify and address both types of poverty that entrap so many ultra-poor by giving them not only material support, but social and educational support as well. However, some other organizations have yet to embody this reality in their programming, greatly reducing their potential impact.

If wealth is equal to power, and power is equal to knowledge is it therefore safe to say that knowledge is equal to wealth? While the dynamics of poverty are much more complex than this, my experiences in Bangladesh seem to say so. In recognizing that the world’s poor are not only financially poor, but knowledge poor, development organizations can tailor their program approaches to have a greater impact on the individuals that they serve.

BRAC Pakistan: Relief, Recovery, and Rehabilitation in Flood-Devastated Areas of Pakistan

One of the 57 hand tube wells constructed by BRAC Pakistan staff to bring clean water supply in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province

Summary of BRAC’s relief work in Pakistan since on August 2nd:

• Flood relief packets distributed to78,000 individuals.
• 15,000 patients treated at BRAC’s medical camps.
• Food relief packets given to over 13,000 families.
• Hand tube wells installed at 57 locations, restoring clean water supply to over 14,000 people (see photo)
• Re-building homes, repairing homes, fixing sanitation systems, clearing roads (collectively, “Cash for Work” activities) for the benefit of over 4,700 people.

Some glimpse of the situation directly from BRAC staff working in the flood devastated areas and the people we're working with:

“People here lost everything. There is no distinguishing the rich and poor. Houses are gone.”

“My house is gone. I need a new house. Why are you telling me about hygiene?” – says a flood victim in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

“We have to save you and your family from serious diseases from bad water.” – comes the reply from BRAC Health worker

“People come to BRAC offices at 1am, 2am, 3am in the morning for medicines.”

“We do relief work day and night while we fast in observance of Ramadan.”

“The [relief work] is very difficult. Lots of mosquitos coming at night. But I am here because I want to do something. Last year I left government service to join BRAC so I could be in the service of my people.”

“Infrastructure destroyed. Government hospitals not functional.”

“If there is only 2~3 foot of water, then the road is passable. I normally get around on foot. If there is less water, we can distribute relief on bikes.”

“BRAC Volunteers fixed the sanitation system at a school where 250 families. The families are living because they have no home. We had to fix the broken sanitation system because of dangers of diseases.”

“Relief does not reach many homes because small roads to their homes have big holes. BRAC Volunteers filled the holes with mud.”

This is only the beginning. In the weeks, months, and years to come, BRAC Pakistan needs to scale up its relief, recovery, and rehabilitation operations in Pakistan. BRAC already has decades of experience with rebuilding from cyclone disasters in Bangladesh. BRAC Pakistan will continue to draw on this institutional knowledge extensively to deliver relief, recovery, and livelihood rehabilitation in both the short and long run to the people of Pakistan. Consistent with BRAC’s philosophy to scale up whatever we do, wherever we do it, BRAC Pakistan is keen to scale up as quickly as possible to provide relief, rebuild homes, and rehabilitate the lives of as many flood victims as possible.

BRAC launched programs in Pakistan in 2007, with a long-term commitment to poverty alleviation in Pakistan. BRAC brings to Pakistan a long history of holistic approach to poverty alleviation via microfinance, health, education, agriculture, and other interventions in places such as Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Africa. In the flood devastation’s aftermath, BRAC Pakistan’s mandate in Pakistan has grown many times over.

BRAC needs your support to scale up our work in relief, rehabilitation, recovery, and livelihood development for the weeks, months, and years ahead. The current relief work is only the beginning.


Please donate to the relief efforts by clicking here.

-Malik Rashid

Rochdale Bangladeshi Partnership Project raises more than £2000 to support sight-saving operations

The following article was posted on Rochdale Online.

The Rochdale Bangladeshi Partnership Project (RBPP) raised more than £2000 at a charity Iftar – a gathering to break the fast – on Monday night (23 August 2010).

The proceeds of the event are for the joint programme between BRAC and Sightsavers International, who are working in Bangladesh to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote equality of opportunity for disabled people in the developing world under the “Vision Bangladesh” agenda.

The charity Iftar, held at La-Min Haz restaurant in Middleton was attended by members of the Rochdale Bangladeshi Partnership Project (RBPP) including Chairman Councillor Keith Swift, Vice Chairman Dr Mushharraf Hussain, Secretary Mohammed Dobir Miah, Treasurer Moshahid Hussain, executive committee members Ashan Ullah and Sajjad Miah.

There were also friends, family and members of the public present including Councillor Sultan Ali, Councillor Farooq Ahmed, Councillor Daalat Ali and Faruk Ali and Simon Danzcuk MP.

The RBPP organises an Iftar (gathering) on an annual basis, but this year decided to include fundraising as part of it.

The event included information about the Vision Bangladesh programme followed by a meal to open the fast at the end of the day when the sunsets as well as prayers for all of mankind including those less fortunate than us.

The money raised, £2030 in total on the night, will be forwarded to the BRAC UK offices who will make arrangements for providing cataract operations in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. Sylhet was adjoined to Rochdale through a Friendship Link last year.

The RBPP is proud to be associated with BRAC and Sightsavers International – two great organisations who have excellent track records. The RBPP hope to support future initiatives through more fundraising activities.

Secretary of RBPP, Mohammed Dobir Miah added: "We are grateful for all the donations made at the charity Iftar. On behalf of the RBPP I would like to thank all those who took part in the charity Iftar and be part of such a great cause. We hope that our contribution will go a long way to help those who are less fortunate and with better vision can build their lives. Can I also extend my thanks to the staff and management of the La Min-Haz Restaurant in Middleton for hosting the charity Iftar.”

UN chief appoints BRAC Founder and Chairperson to panel of advisors

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appointed a Group of Eminent Persons to advise on the support needed to help the world’s poorest nations achieve their development targets.

BRAC's Founder and Chairperson, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, was among the ten people selected to join the Group.

"The members have been selected in view of their high international stature, expertise and strong commitment to global development," said the spokesperson for the UN Secretary General. "They will be making efforts to raise public awareness and build strong political commitment in support of the LDCs in key areas, including trade, investments, technology transfer, official development assistance, building productive capacities, adaptation to the effects of climate change, and a stimulus package to manage the impacts of the global financial crisis."

Others in the Group include, Alpha Oumar Konaré, former president of the Republic of Mali; Jacques Delors, former president of the European Commission; Nancy Birdsall, the founding president of the Center for Global Development; Kemal Dervi vice president and director of Global Economy and Development at Brookings Institution; James Wolfensohn, chairman and CEO of Wolfensohn & Company and former President of the World Bank; Hiromasa Yonekura, chairman of Sumitomo Chemical Company Ltd.; Louis Michel, member of European Parliament and formerly the European commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid; Louis A. Kasekende, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Uganda and formerly executive director at the World Bank; and Sir Richard Jolly, Honorary Professor of the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex.

Drawing the line: AusAID visits BRAC's Ultra Poor program

The following article was written by Shaheen Mahmud & Leda Isis Tyrrel of AusAID Bangladesh and published in the Feb-May 2010 issue of Focus.

We leave the city in the early morning. The air is already thick and hot. As the city recedes the roads become smaller. Vibrant green rice paddies line either side. Rickshaws and carts stacked high with goods are pushed to market. After a couple of hours we stop and refuel with sweet tea and biscuits.

Verging off the main road, we travel along a path built precariously on flood embankments. As we arrive in the village children crowd around the car. ‘Hello, what is your name?’ call the bolder ones, trying their best English. Others hide, stealing shy glances and giggling. One boy, a younger child perched on his hip, says he is twelve. He looks much younger. UNICEF estimates seven million children are chronically malnourished in Bangladesh and one in three children under five are stunted.

We meet Safura. She smiles and leads us to her house and a small plot of land where she is cultivating vegetables. Two years ago she was identifi ed as ‘extreme poor’. Staff from the large Bangladeshi organisation BRAC (formerly Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) drew a map of her village on the ground and undertook surveys of the individual households to identify the poorest families, she explains to us.

Before joining BRAC’s program Safura spent almost all of her small income on food and still only provided two meals a day—predominately rice—to her family. Her daughter did not go to school. They had no house or land and squatted in a makeshift hut on the edge of the river. Each year the hut was inundated by flood water and her daughter often got sick. Over 80 per cent of Bangladesh’s population of 150 million live on less than $2 a day. Over 30 million (20 per cent) are ‘extreme poor’ like Safura.

Over two years Safura received support from BRAC including seeds, fertiliser, lease of a small plot of land, and skills training in gardening and rearing livestock. She also received a daily stipend and access to subsidised healthcare. A village committee provided social support to her and lobbied for services on her behalf.

In development we talk a lot about lines—being above or below various poverty lines—but in reality things are not always that linear. The change in Safura’s life can be measured across a range of indicators—her health has improved along with her daily food intake, nutrition, her safety and security. But the most
profound change can be measured by her interaction and confidence. She shows us proudly her two cows which she has raised, the new iron on her roof and her ability to write her own name.

For the first time in her life, she has been invited to a wedding of one of the other families in the village. This is an invisible line that can be harder to cross. She tells us she could never imagine that her life could have changed to such a degree—to be able to send her daughter to school, and to save and think of the future.

In Australia we would expect these things as a matter of course. We don’t think twice about making a quick stop on the way home to buy something for dinner, or our capacity to educate our children or plan for the future.

We thank Safura and leave her village followed by children until we join the main road again. After driving back into the city, we finally hit the urban sprawl. Crossing the railway line, we pass rusty corrugated iron and tarpaulins wedged between the railway line and the road. A group of small children plays in the dust. Over 200,000 people live within a 1km square area in Dhaka’s slums. Bangladesh’s urban population is projected to reach an ominous 51 million by 2015. Urban poverty is the new frontier. How do you provide support to the poor who have no land or fixed place to live?

Still, thinking of Safura and the resilience of others like her, with the right support the potential is enormous. It comes down to the question of where we draw the line.

What is a Social Entrepreneur? Interview with BRAC USA President & CEO Susan Davis

Below is an interview with BRAC USA President & CEO Susan Davis and some of the folks at DoSomething.org.

Is taking action unique to Millenials? Is volunteering a trend that will die out?

We sat down with Susan Davis, President & CEO of BRAC USA, a branch of an international organization dedicated to alleviating poverty by empowering the poor. She's also the co-author of Social Entrepreneurship, a book that encourages young people to be...well, social entrepreneurs. Here's what Susan had to tell us

What does it mean to be a social entrepreneur?
It's a label about a growing phenomenon. It's been inspired by people who have very tenacious traits. Like you may say “I’m very upset because we’re getting really fat. We never exercise our bodies and everybody cuts P.E." And this is ultimately connected to child obesity and heart disease. And so you start thinking, “well what do I do about it?” Maybe you need to organize a club or a campaign. The problem definition and the solution that you come up with is the heart of social entrepreneurship.

Were you trying to inform and inspire everyone that was capable of social change with this book?
Everybody can be a change maker. The way we’re going to solve the big problems in this world is to unleash the power of every person to participate in improving the situation. So if you don’t have water, instead of saying, someone should do something about that, some government, some rich person, some foreigners, you say “What can we do to create water here, in our community?”

How old were you when you first decided to be a social entrepreneur?
I was planning my 30th birthday party. I wanted to go to Africa. I have an old professor friend who said he would talk to his other friend at the Ford Foundation. He knows everything about Africa. They offer me a job to go to Bangladesh. I’m like “I’m not here for a job interview, I’m planning a party.”
Long story short, I do go look at the country, I really wanted to take that job. It seemed like a great adventure where I would really learn a lot.

I go to Africa. On my 30th birthday, 30 elephants come right up to me and I took it as a sign that this must be destiny. So I took this big risk, it changed my life totally from New York to Bangladesh. As a result, I’ve been able to witness the rise of social entrepreneurship and micro finance. And the key is taking risks and being open to new possibilities.

What happens if somebody doesn’t take risks?
Well, your life may be more boring hahah.

What would be your advice for young people that want to take action on international issues specifically development goals?
Get smart. The education of an American kid is really important in trying to understand what’s the reality of a kid growing up in another country. We've had young people in the Chicago area raise just around $4,000 hosting car washes and bake sales and all sorts of things to sponsor and create a school for kids in Southern Sudan. And they learned a lot about Southern Sudan, they understand what a school is, and learned what it was like to not have the chance to go to school, and then made that happen.

To you, what are Millenium Development Goals?
8 goals. 7 of them are directed to making change in each country. They were a direct result of lobbying and advocacy work by people like me, grassroots groups, to try to push governments of the world to make specific commitments to do something - to reduce poverty, to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to stop mothers and babies from dying, to get kids in school, especially equal numbers of boys and girls. The failure of those UN conferences and the failure of governments to commit to very specific action plans resulted in a desire when we turned the year 2000. People said, “alright heads-of-state let’s commit to this." We wanted quantifiable goals that were achievable so we pushed for and got the MDGs. The 8th goal is about development cooperation. Sort of the role of rich countries and solidarity with the poor.

What was your proudest moment was in your career?
When I am able to go back to a village where I had visited and saw families that didn’t have but one meal a day, didn’t have clean water. I go back and they’re doing really well, I can’t tell you… that is just a peak experience for me. We are so privileged in this country even though you may not be born or have a wealthy family. And I guess, what I really have loved, is anything I can do to blow wind under the wings of others as they’re trying to find their way. I love to work with young people. Helping young people get their stride.

Is being an entrepreneur something you’re born with?
I don’t believe this inherent thing. Entrepreneurial qualities can be nurtured. I’m not talking about starting your own organization when I use the term entrepreneurial behavior. I think you can be entrepreneurial in any chair that you’re sitting in. The entrepreneur thinks, “I can figure out how to sell water here. There’s an untapped market.”

The person who says “Well I really need to pay off my student loans. I want to be a lawyer. I want to work in a law firm.” alright that’s fine. But what do you do in that law firm? Do you just follow orders? Or do you influence what kind of law they practice? Or what kind of pro bono they do?

In your book you said that social entrepreneurship can be a success or a failure depending on a number of factors. What would you say is the most important factor?
Probably the success will be in the entrepreneurial abilities of the person. One of the things that you need to do is learn how to adapt, so you need to know the difference between being persistent in needing to learn and adapt your strategies. So if you’re banging on the door and it doesn’t open, maybe you need to use the crowbar, or something, and open it that way, or maybe you need to go around and find the window and open that.

What would you use to measure the success of this book?
People putting the book down and going and following their dreams. It would be finding the courage of their own convictions; it’d be passing it to 10 other friends that they care about and encouraging them and saying “see? They’re saying in this book you can do it, just go do it!”

Let’s say you're 17 and you’re at home right now. You don’t have any money to give and you don’t necessarily have a car. What is the way to help with social entrepreneurship?
Well, social entrepreneurship is just a big, fancy term for do something.

What can you do?

Like Susan says, educate yourself. Visit our cause section to know more about the issue you are solving.
Already taking action? Upload your video explaining your story of change.

Kiva asks its friends to support BRAC in Pakistan flood relief

Below is a post that was made on the Kiva blog about their partner in Pakistan and asking their fans to support BRAC's work in flood relief and rehabilitation. We've already gotten support from many individuals and partner organizations, including George Soros (Open Society Institute), the Hilton Foundation, and Peter and Jennifer Buffet (NoVo Foundation).  But the need is still great.  Please show your support by donating now.

The Pakistan Floods: Update on Kiva Field Partner Asasah and How to Help

The recent flooding in Pakistan has been termed the worst natural disaster in country's history with 1,600 deaths and an estimated 20 million people -- one-ninth of the country's total population -- displaced by the flooding. Flooding began on July 22 in the mountainous northwest region of the country causing rivers to burst their banks and has causing destruction to one-quarter of the country's land area.

Kiva currently supports borrowers in Pakistan through our field partner, Asasah. Asasah serves tens of thousands of borrowers through credit and other development services from Lahore in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Kiva has reached out to Asasah and they appear to be less affected by the floods given their geographic limitation to Punjab province. However, the country as a whole continues to suffer from the effects of the flooding.  Learn more here.

If you are looking for ways to help, we suggest you click here to learn more about BRAC, an organization that has been on the ground in Pakistan since 2007 and operating in some of the countries most remote and hardest hit areas. Mr. Farid Rahman, BRAC Pakistan’s Country Manager, noted in a recent report shared with Kiva,

The most critical priorities at the present time include shelter, food assistance, clean water and emergency health care. To avoid a food crisis, up to six million people will need food assistance across the country, while more attention is needed to ensure livestock survival. Clean water is also crucially needed, with affected victims facing the risks of water-borne diseases.

To donate to BRAC and the work it is doing in Pakistan, visit their website here.

Note: Kiva actively partners with BRAC in Uganda and South Sudan, sister organizations to BRAC Pakistan, but does not currently facilitate lending to BRAC Pakistan.

Pakistan under water, people suffering and need your help now

The following pictures were taken by a BRAC Relief Coordinator traveling to flood affected communities to assess damage and further relief efforts.  You can see the tremendous need, BRAC USA has raised almost $400,000 to date, but much more is required as soon as possible.  Please spread the word and urge your friends and family to give generously.

To read more about the UN's assessment of the damage, read the article in today's New York Times.

BRAC Reaches 50,000 People in Pakistan with Food Relief and Assistance

The following information is the latest update from the BRAC Pakistan team working in the field. This release has also been posted on various international news sites and alert services.

The number of people affected by the worst floods in Pakistan that the country has witnessed in decades continues to rise as the scale of the disaster becomes more serious with every passing day.

A rapid assessment of the situation by the UN-OCHA in Pakistan has found that nearly one million people have been displaced by flooding in Nowshera, Charsadda, Mardan and Peshawar, four districts in the hard-hit province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). 100,000 homes have been destroyed in these districts while some 50,000 others have sustained damage. Nowshera alone is home to over 650,000 affected people, while in some parts of Charsadda, the waters have destroyed all crops. The meteorological department of Pakistan has released fresh flood warnings on Wednesday, putting parts of Punjab and Sindh on alert and calling on foreign donors to step up to contain the country's worst humanitarian disaster.

There is a serious shortage of clean water, food, blankets, sleeping mats and health facilities for the affected people. BRAC Pakistan is actively engaged in emergency relief efforts for the flood victims in the region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Eleven BRAC branches have distributed 6kg food parcels and oral saline sachets to more than 8,000 affected families, benefiting almost 50,000 flood victims. An additional 1,650 households received six liters of bottled water, a plastic floor mat for sleeping on, and 1,000 rupees for house repairs. BRAC is providing emergency health care for four health camps that have been set up. So far, we have treated 5,606 people and distributed 425 free mosquito nets. BRAC WASH teams have also installed 22 water sinks and hand pumps benefiting entire communities.

BRAC Pakistan is constrained by a lack of funds for emergency relief supplies and is appealing for international funds in order to scale up its work to other affected districts where it has staff and branches.

Help enable BRAC Pakistan to continue helping families in need. Click here to support the relief and rehabilitation efforts.

In Court: BRAC Intern, Ashish Mitter, Reports from Dhaka's Prisons

This post was written by Ashish Mitter, an undergraduate student at Yale University who is interning with BRAC's Human Rights and Legal Aid Services (HRLS) Program in Bangladesh. Ashish's post is a reflection of a recent visit he made to Dhaka Central Metropolitan Magistrate's Court.

Development is a word that has been on everyone's lips for some time now, and debates concerning the nature and implications of 'development' form the staple of many a course on political science. Having encountered many of these debates in seminars and classrooms across the world, I increasingly find myself subscribing to the view that development that fails to respect the rights of marginalized and subaltern communities is destined to create fissures of conflict in society. I applied to intern with BRAC because I was attracted by its commitment to rights based development and wanted to see what this meant on the ground. How does BRAC as an organization go about ensuring that rights are protected and growth is inclusive? I found answers to these questions in the Human Rights and Legal Aid Services Programme’s legal education classes, in the support it extended to victims of domestic abuse, and perhaps most interestingly, in the Dhaka jails.

To the uninitiated, a visit to the Dhaka Central Metropolitan Magistrate's Court has a distinctly unreal air to it. Lawyers scurry around in heavy black robes, in a futile bid to defy the humidity and the trickling sweat that it brings with it. Security guards with black teeth and orange tongues sit on rickety wooden chairs or lean against damp walls, rifles resting gently in their palms. Prisoners in tight shirts with logos of designer brands strewn in gold glitter across the front press against the bars of their overcrowded pen waiting for the judge to take up their case. The Court truly is, to employ an overused expression, a beehive of activity, and a somewhat intimidating place to be if you are a visitor, like I was.

Luckily I was met at the courts by Nazmul bhai (Nazmul Hoque) a man of good cheer and even greater commitment. Nazmul bhai is involved with a programme run jointly by HRLS and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) which is designed to do some of the most unglamorous work there is in the field of legal advocacy—clearing out the bottlenecks that exist in the Bangladesh prison system. The majority of prisoners in Bangladesh are not convicts but under-trials—men and women whose fate has yet to be decided by Bangladesh's creaking judicial system and who languish, sometimes for years, in jails, waiting for their fate to be decided. In Dhaka Central Jail for example, out of the 10 000 prisoners, 7,000 are under-trials. Many of these have been wrongly jailed. In 2008, BRAC and GTZ came together in order to expedite the cases of some of these prisoners. They do so by providing free legal assistance and representation to prisoners who are often in jail only because they can’t afford the services of a lawyer.

Nazmul bhai and his colleagues face an uphill task however. The overcrowding in the prisons means that the courts are truly overwhelmed and are unable to deal with as many cases as they should. In addition to this, there exists an unholy nexus between many lawyers and judges, who drag out cases and fill their pockets as a result. Finally, many prisoners themselves are suspicious of NGOs which profess to provide legal aid services as in many cases they have had bad experiences with government sponsored legal aid programmes.

While at the courts I met Nusrat (name changed), a 20-year old woman who had been in jail for five months without trial on the charge of drug abuse, a crime for which the minimum punishment is six months. Lawyers involved in the 'Prison Project,' as the programme has informally come to be known, selected her case as one in which they could push for speedy justice. If they had not intervened, Nusrat would have been in jail for months, perhaps even years, before her case came up. However Nusrat’s lawyers ensured that she pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to six months in jail, thus guaranteeing that she would leave jail in a month.

Talking to Ibrahim, a paralegal involved in the programme, however, I realized that the biggest challenge the programme faces is the sheer scale of the task. After working for almost two years, GTZ and BRAC have together been able to register 3,000 under-trial prisoners, and expedited the cases of just 45. The NGOs remain hamstrung by limited resources and so have currently only been able to make a cursory impact on Bangladesh's prison system. One can only hope that the good work people like Nazmul bhai and Ibrahim are doing will spur other members of the legal profession to think beyond their wallets and about the poor, who often have to bear the full weight of the State's practices.

Latest Update on Pakistan Flood Situation

We have the latest update from the flood situation: The flood situation is worsening, with Sindh and Punjab regions now severely affected due to flooding of the river Sindh. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been experiencing torrential rains for the last two days, and flood warnings are being issued again. The level of the Kabul river has risen to dangerous heights and rain has contributed to more flooding in the already affected areas. People who had been returning to their homes are experiencing difficulties as the water is coming in again.


Update on BRAC Response - 10 August 2010
Our 41 staff members continue to work round the clock throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa distributing rations, supervising tube-well installation and conducting surveys.


EMERGENCY RELIEF: Efforts ongoing in 3 districts: Nowshera, Charsadda and Peshawar. Our 12 branch offices continue to distribute relief packages consisting of
food rations such as 5 kg flour, 1 kg lentils and oral rehydration solution packets (for diarrhoea) to 10,000 families in the affected areas, including both BRAC VO members and non-members. To date, BRAC has distributed 4,500 relief packages.

WATER: We have purchased 100 manual tube-wells to facilitate access to safe drinking water in in three districts: Peshwar, Nowshera and Chorsaddah.. So far, we have installed 9 tube well in the Rajjar, Umerjai, Lalakhale and Chamkani areas to create permanent sources for safe water.

We have also started distributing 6000 water bottles (6 kgs) among 5,000 families.

MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS: Our medical teams have set-up 4 camps in Akora Khattak, Nowshera Kalaan, Mohib Baanda village of Pabbi and the main town of Pabbi. One doctor and one paramedic have been specially recruited for each camp while BRAC's Health Workers and Volunteers assist in disbursing medicines and providing primary care to the affected persons. To date, 5,300 patients have been treated at the camps.
One camp will also be set up in Charsadda this week and there are plans to set up camps in the suburbs of Peshawar.

REHABILITATION: As the affected families start returning from the temporary camps to their homes, BRAC will initiate a house repairing programme in the three districts in which it is providing relief. Under this programme, we will distribute PKRS 1,000 per family to 5,000 affected families and also distribute 5,000 plastic mats. To protect families from Malaria, we will distribute 1,000 mosquitoes nets among 1,000 families.

APPEAL FOR FUNDS: We continue our appeal to partners, other organizations as well as individual to support us in the relief efforts. We thank the individuals and organisations who have already donated to us for your generous support. The first individual fund package was distributed on 7 August in Pabbi, providing straw mats, medicines and food to the affected victims. We have presented a revised proposal for relief funds to work in Peshawar, with a budget of PKRS 3.3 million for a sanitation and hygiene relief package for 1,000 families.

Pakistan Flood Situation as of 7 August

We have the latest update from the flood situation: It has stopped raining in various parts of the province and the water level is receding. However, the Meteorological Department has issued warnings of further rains and chances for flood until 6th August, 2010. Our BRAC Health Team has reported from the field that some people are now returning to their homes, initiating cleaning and fumigation activities.

Update on BRAC Response:

EMERGENCY RELIEF: Efforts ongoing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, specifically in Peshawar and Nowshera. Our 12 branch offices continue to distribute relief packages consisting of
food rations such as 5 kg flour, 1 kg lentils and oral rehydration solution packets (for diarrhoea) to families in the affected areas, including both BRAC VO members
and non-members. BRAC's work was appreciated by local official, who also participated in the distribution process on 6 August.

WATER: We have purchased 20 hand tube-wells to facilitate access to safe water.

MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS: Our medical team has set-up a camp in Akora Khattak with our
Health Workers and Volunteers disbursing medicines and providing primary care to affected persons. There is still a dire need for more efforts across farther towns in the area. Four new camps will start by Saturday, 3 in the Nowshera areas: Nowshera Kalan, Nowshera Cantt and Pabbi. One camp will also be set up in Charsadda. Plans also include setting up camps in the suburbs of Peshawar.

APPEAL FOR FUNDS: We continue our appeal to partners, other organizations as well as individual to support us in the relief efforts. There has been a very positive response to our request for individual fund donations. The first individual fund package will be launched 7 August in Pabbi, providing straw mats, medicines and food to the affected victims.

Pakistan’s Worst Flood in 80 Years Needs Heart and Soul

BRAC staff in Pakistan pass out emergency food packets to women and
their families in the North West Frontier Province

This post was also made on Tonic.


Disasters seem to be happening all the time now. Maybe climate change is the culprit. But when they happen to you or to people you know, it becomes very personal. I get that. And I know most Americans don’t know the people in Pakistan who have just had their homes and lives swept away in the worst flooding in 80 years, but let me share with you why you should care as if they were your own family. Our Country Manager, Farid Rahman, wrote to me this morning to thank us saying "we are very much happy that you are working heart and soul to raise funds for the flood victims in Pakistan." Actually, I think we should all be “working our heart and soul” to support and be in solidarity with these people. Here’s why: 1) there are millions of people suddenly in need. 2) we can ease their suffering and 3) this is a strategic region important for long term peace.

As flood damage in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (formerly the North-West Frontier Province) increases, and larger numbers of Pakistanis are displaced from their homes (now estimated at 3 million), it is becoming clear that the response to Pakistan’s crisis needs to be quick, efficient and comprehensive. While BRAC staff in the area expect the water to recede in two or three days, they report that many families have watched their homes wash away and both the food shortage and health risks are now dire.

To make matters more complicated, the region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa also precariously borders Afghanistan, sandwiched by militants passing through from both sides. Pakistanis living in the region not only have to endure severe development challenges — poor maternal mortality rates, child mortality rates, and education services — but they also essentially live in a war-zone. The Khyber Pass at the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan serves as a supply route for US. NATO forces in Afghanistan with a simultaneous flow, in the opposite direction, of Taliban members fleeing to the mountains of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

As the New York Times just reported in an op-ed, a strong majority of Pakistanis hold an unfavorable view of both the United States, as well as their own president, Asif Ali Zardari. In this gap, Islamic charities (some with alleged ties to militant groups) have stepped in to help the Pakistanis in the region and win good favor. We should be doing at least as much if not better.

I visited this part of Pakistan and was inspired to meet the women who were working for BRAC. These well-educated and strong women stood in stark contrast to the war-zone around them, and they were proud to be enabling themselves and other women as agents of change. Now, most of them have also lost their homes, and 10 of the 12 branches in the region were flooded. Nevertheless, they are working to provide relief to members of the community. BRAC staff are providing food and water to thousands of families. Dr. Zubair has set up an emergency medical camp at the Nowshera Club to respond to urgent health needs. Small amounts make a real different. A large family can eat cooked food and have clean water for less than $3 a day.

If you need to make this real and personal then think about Bahat Zaree. She is a BRAC microfinance client in Peshawar, a widow. Her seven children range in age from 2 to 12. When her husband passed away, Bahat turned to BRAC to take out a loan, using the money to start a business selling cosmetics door-to-door. Carrying her products in a basket on her head, Bahat would visit between 20 to 25 houses per day. Before the floods she said, "My children are now eating better, and now three of my children are in school. I want more BRAC loan to grow my business."

I shiver now wondering if Bahat is alright, if her house is still standing, and if she will be able to recover the business that she worked so hard to build. Bahat, and the other incredible women I met, are who I think of now in this time of need — them, their kids, husbands and other relatives. They are real people, not statistics. They are just like most of us — playful, working hard, wanting a better life. Today, they need our help. Please spread the word. Please give generously.

-Susan Davis

Press Release: BRAC providing flood relief in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (formerly the North-West Frontier Province), Pakistan

2 August 2010 - With the heavy rainfalls and the ensuing flood in Pakistan, BRAC temporarily halted its microfinance and health operations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and is focusing on providing emergency relief. “Drawing upon years of experience in flood relief work in Bangladesh, a flood-prone country, BRAC Pakistan staff are rapidly and effectively assisting the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province,” said Susan Davis, President & CEO of BRAC USA.

The shortage of food is acute. BRAC Pakistan has begun to deliver food packets which contain rice, lentils, flour, and water purification tablets. To combat the threat of diarrheal diseases breaking out, BRAC is distributing Oral Rehydration Solution sachets. This is a staple commodity distributed by BRAC’s health program in every country where we operate, including Pakistan. Additionally, BRAC will be sending a medical team for assessment of health needs in the affected communities.

Of the houses that are still standing many are under water. BRAC’s staff in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa expect the water to recede in 2-3 days, but “this part of Pakistan is not accustomed to floods,” said Mr. Aminul Alam, Executive Director of BRAC International. “In Bangladesh, we are used to this so we can prevent casualties there. But here the families and communities we serve are not used to this. We want to help because of BRAC’s experience of dealing with floods in Bangladesh over the years.”

BRAC Pakistan has been operating in Pakistan since 2007 providing microfinance throughout 94 branches to 106,000 people. Of BRAC’s 12 offices in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 10 are under water. However, BRAC’s existing footprint in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the extensive network of local staff give BRAC a starting point through which relief will be delivered.

“Many families that we serve have seen their houses washed away. Many houses of our staff members were also washed away. But as a BRAC staff member they can be effective in delivering relief to the families and communities that they serve every day,” said Mr. Faridhur Rahman, BRAC Pakistan CEO.

“Vehicles cannot go in to flooded areas, and there is a lack of boats in this area. We have no choice but to wade through water and deliver relief supplies on foot where we can, even in flooded areas,” said Mr. Rahman.

Click here to donate to BRAC's work in Pakistan