Rajshahi Located in the north-west of Bangladesh, Rajshahi district lies under Rajshahi division, and has an area of 2,407 square kilometres. It is bound by Naogaon district to the north, Natore district to the east, and Chapai Nababganj district and the river Padma to the south.The main rivers are the Padma itself along
with Mahananda and Baral. Photo credit: BRAC Rajshahi is famous for its mango and silk production. BRAC School of indigenous Shaotal community in Kakan Hat, Rajshahi. It is widely known as the Silk City of Bangladesh.
BRAC operates in Rajshahi with on tackling extreme poverty in quite a few components such as multiple fronts. HRLS serves the the microfinance, targeting the disadvantaged community through General information ultra poor (TUP), health, nutrition its human rights and legal education and population (HNPP), education (HRLE) shebikas. They have also Population 2,595,197 (BEP), community empowerment started a new project called property Sub-districts 9 (CEP), human rights and legal rights initiative (PRI) in Rajshahi to Unions 71 aid services (HRLS), and skills protect human rights through legal development programmes. empowerment. CEP builds and Villages 1,727 Among them, microfinance strengthens community institutions to Children (0-15) 778,559 offers three types of loans – dabi ensure socio-political empowerment Primary schools 1,044 (microloan), progoti (enterprise of poor people. BRAC’s new Literacy rates 53% loan) and agricultural loans such initiative, the skills development Hospitals 12 as – tenant farmers’ development programme, is providing holistic skills Banks 84 project (BCUP), northwest crop development training and decent Bazaars 293 diversification programme (NCDP), employment opportunities to enable NGOs 78 second crop diversification young women and men to realise project (SCDP). HNPP provides their full potential. A BRAC learning health education through health centre (BLC) was also established volunteers (shasthya shebika) in Rajshahi. The BLC is a residential and health workers (shasthya centre used as a training centre for kormi). BEP identifies children BRAC employees. from marginalised families and provides basic education through its informal schools. TUP focuses
www.brac.net At a glance Education Pre-primary schools 127 (as of December 2016) Primary schools 72 Shishu niketon 275 Microfinance ADP Centres 93 Branches 48 Community libraries 95 Village organisations 2,919 Education support programme 7 Members 169,359 Borrowers 74,619 Human rights and legal aid services Progoti Small enterprise clients 9,022 Human rights and legal education (HRLE) shebikas 460 Tenant farmers’ development HRLE graduates 90,549 project Legal aid clinics 11 Village organisations 283 Population covered 7,654 Property rights initiative Amount of money Number of land entrepreneur disbursed 211,517,000 (aminship) training 176 Number of land Northwest crop diversification measurement 17,681 programme Number of free land Village organisation 479 measurement 1,032 Money disbursed 2,271,530,000 Cases filed 55 Population covered 15,255 Complaints resolved 34 Second crop diversification Project Targeting the ultra poor Village organisation 301 Population covered 6,064 Specially targeted Money disbursed 15,460,000 ultra poor (STUP) member 11,741 Others targeted ultra Health, nutrition poor (OTUP) member 7,491 and population Asset and training received 11,741 Health volunteers Health care availed 5,002 (shasthya shebika) 588 Health workers (shasthya kormi) 66 Skills development Numbe of master craft Community empowerment personns (MCPs) 154 Number of trades 8 Community-based organisation Number of learners 936 (polli shomaj) 262 Number of graduate Union-based organisation learners 910 (union shomaj) 31 Popular theatre team 9
Although every effort has been made to include and verify the accuracy of relevant information in this fact sheet, users are urged to check independently on matters of specific interest. Report any discrepancies/suggestions to [email protected]. This document was last updated on 31 December 2016, is revised yearly and made available on www.brac.net/visitors.