Tel : +(88-041) & Fax : +(88-041) Website:

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2 Christian Service Society (CSS) 82, Rupsha Strand Road Khulna 9100 Bangladesh Tel : +(88-041) & Fax : +(88-041) css@cssbd.org, Website:

3 Contents Message From Executive Director Program at a Glance Organizational Profile Map of Working Area Working Area Health Sector Reverend Abdul Wadud Memorial Hospital Life Story : Return to light Affordable and Sustainable Health Care for Vulnerable People Life Story : RHC - A hope for the poor HIV/AIDS Prevention and Rehabilitation Program Life Story : Dark to light Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Project Nursing Institute Health Alliance Bangladesh Education Sector Home of Blessings Life Story : Tale of Monica Community Base Education Support Program Life Story : Inspirited life of Edwin Leadership Training Program Life Story : Enlightened James Hope Technical Institute Hope Polytechnic Institute Job and Business Services Life Story : Dreamer Boy, Mohidul Reverend Paul's High School Hope Non-Formal Pre-Primary Schools Life Story : Walk towards bright future Economic Development Sector Micro Credit Program Life Story : Story of a female entrepreneur Credit Program at a Glance Fisheries Project CSS Ava Center Special Development Sector Empowering Women; Improving Country Life Story : New hope peeping Advocacy on Safe Motherhood Project Disaster Management and Emergency Relief Strengthening Partners Network Financial Statement I II-III IV V VI

4 Message from Execu ve Director This past year has been very busy for CSS and officially marks four, glorious decades ( ) of service to and working with people bringing hope to the suffering and neglected people regardless of their race, religion or ideology. We see men and women as equal. We are grateful, happy, and thankful to see such wonderful support for CSS commitment and work for the people of Bangladesh. Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in MDG target areas, setting perspective plans for Our thematic goals included agriculture and rural development, poverty reduction, human development, social protection etc. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) based on food intake amount, the poverty rate in Bangladesh is 24.8%, and one third of the population is still poverty stricken and 40% are illiterate. This situation must change for the better. CSS, as an organization, has many similarities in its program priorities to support the national development program approaches. CSS activities contribute to the well-being and develop confidence in the deprived and marginalized communities that are excluded from mainstream development. As an interested development contributor of the nation, CSS is investing its best efforts in several development areas including Health, Education, Economic Development, and Special Development sectors which include basic and technical education, primary and secondary level health care, economic and social empowerment, disaster risk reduction and response, capacity development, etc. CSS implements several programs and projects and in 2015 we were able to directly serve around one million people in 24 districts across four divisions of the country. During our humbling and amazing journey, through hard work and some tears, our multiple services helped millions of people. Our current driving force is our motto to support our recipients for a better quality of life, delivering more qualitative and sustainable programs through organizational sustainability. Our plan is to evaluate ourselves and develop our strategic plan for which encompass our national and global commitments. We recognize we need continuous support from every corner of our well-wishers and supporters. I d like to thank the Government of Bangladesh, NGOAB, MRA, development and funding partners, recipients, stakeholders and organizational staff for their contributions and support in making positive changes in the lives of our recipients and by continuously improving our work and increasing our capacity. We hope everyone s support and continuation of ideas will make us more effective and allow us to continue to hold the hand of hurting people for years to come. Rev. Mark Munshi Executive Director

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6 Organizational Profile Vision : Bringing hope. Registration : Mission : To share the sorrow and hold the hands of the suffering and neglected people and minister them with word and deed regardless of race, religion or ideology. CSS is registered as Non Government Organization (NGO) under the following Registration Authorities of the People's Republic of Bangladesh: Joint Stock Company : Reg. No. S-540 Social Welfare : Reg. No. DSW/FDO/R-010 NGO Affairs Bureau : Reg. No. 10 Goal : Values : Sustainable development through team work for the community. We trust in God Honesty is our strength CSS is our address Team work is the key to success We want to serve not be served CSS we are a family Positive attitude brings new creations Country culture is the foundation of harmony I will give to others that which I wish for myself We don't create difference between man and woman Organizational basic frame : There are two boards. One is General Board consisting of 27 members and another is Executive Board consisting of 9 members. General Board members are acting as policy makers. The Executive Board is accountable to the General Board for the overall management. The yearly meeting of the General Board is a continuous process with the goal to organize policies, review progress and fix strategic plans with necessary budget. The Executive Board meet together quarterly for progress monitoring. The Executive Director is exclusively responsible for the execution and supervision of the policy directions and objectives of the boards. Objectives : Provide quick and comprehensive disaster relief. Provide sound and affordable health care services. Preserve the rights of women and children. Campaign for gender equity through women's empowerment. Slogans : Let's help the suffering people. Together we can save another life. Let's build a better future for our kids. We believe in the power of partnership. Build future leaders of the country. Provide quality education for the future generations. Bring new hope through poverty alleviation.

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8 Working Area CSS is working in twenty four districts of four divisions having served more than 26 million people in the rural & urban community in Bangladesh. The working areas are as follows: Dhaka Chittagong Khulna Barisal Dhanmondi Tejgaon Gulshan Mirpur Pallabi Baddah Motijhil Rampura Sutrapur Shampur Kadamtali Khilkhet Uttara Turag Lalbag Jatrabari Kotowali Adabor Ashulia Savar Keranigonj Khilgao Sabuzbag Hazaribag Demra Kafrul Matuail Munshigonj Munshigonj Sadar Tongibari, Shibajikhan Sreenagar, Gojalia Rajbari Rajbari Sadar Baliakandi, Kapukhali, Pagsha Gowalanda Shariatpur Goshairhat Naria, Sariatpur Sadar Vedorgonj, Jajira Faridpur Faridpur Sadar Vanga, Madhukhali Bowalmari Madaripur Kalkini Madaripur Sadar, Rajour Shibchar Gazipur Gazipur Sadar Kapasia Sreepur Joydebpur Kaliakair Narayangonj Gopalgonj Comilla Chittagong Narayangonj Sadar Fatullah Sonargao Rupgonj Bandar Pagla Shiddirgonj Arai Hazar Gopalgonj Sadar Tungipara Kotalipara Kashiani Comilla Sadar South Comilla Adarsa Sadar Sitakundu Halishahor Pahartali Chandgaon Bakolia Double Mooring Patenga Karnofuli Cox s-bazar Cox s-bazar Sadar Chakoria Khulna Bagerhat Khulna Sadar Rupsha Daulatpur Sonadanga Terokhada Bagerhat Sadar Fakirhat Mollahat Satkhira Sadar Tala Jessore Sadar Brahmanpara, Laksam, Debidwar, Daudkandi, Burichong, Titas, Muradnagar Bayezid Bostami Nasirabad Rangunia Bandar Boalkhali Hathazari Satkhira Lohagara Khalishpur Khanjahan Ali Batiaghata Fultala Chitolmari Rampal Satkhira Patkelghata Asasuni Jessore Avoynagar, Chowgacha, Monirampur Magura Magura Sadar Meherpur Meherpur Sadar Mujibnagar Jhenaidah Kaligonj Jhenaidah Sadar, Sowilkupa, Coatchandpur Narail Kalia Narail Sadar, Lohagara Chandina Homna Raozan Chandonaish Anwara Potia Pachlish Kotwali Khulshi Kalurghat Dumuria Dacope Paikgacha Koira Mongla Morelgonj Kolaroa Kaliganj Keshobpur Bagharpara Moheshpur Kushtia Kushtia Sadar IUB Thana, Varamara, Khoksa Kumarkhali Chuadanga Chuadanga Sadar Jibonnagar, Alamdanga Damurhara Jhalokathi Pirojpur Kathalia Bhandaria

9 Health Sector Reverend Abdul Wadud Memorial Hospital Affordable and Sustainable Health Care for Vulnerable People HIV/AIDS Prevention and Rehabilitation Program Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Project Nurshing Institute Health Alliance Bangladesh

10 Recently, there have been significant improvements in the public healthcare sectors of Bangladesh. Different private and government initiatives provide medical facilities close to urban people. However, a greater number of rural people are still deprived of proper medical services due to limited access to institutional healthcare facilities. Rev. Abdul Wadud Memorial Hospital is a 200 bed, general hospital established in 1988 at Tilok, Rupsha. It provides medical services for the poor at affordable rates. The hospital operates a fully staffed Eye Unit, Mother & Child Unit (MCU), Dental Unit, ENT Unit and Orthopedic Unit and diagnostic testing including x-ray, ultrasound and many pathological tests. The hospital is equipped with a variety of medical equipment and secondary healthcare facilities. It is managed by a group of qualified and dedicated doctors, nurses and staff. In March 2015, a cleft lip clinic was organized by the hospital for poor children in need of cleft palate surgery. A group of eight American doctors conducted the surgeries under a humanitarian project named Smile Bangladesh. During this clinic, a total of 20 patients were operated on, free of charge. During the year, the hospital provided different health camps in the remote, rural places to provide healthcare services to the poor. In November, a month long Eye Camp was organized at Pabla, Daulatpur in Khulna with the collaboration of Wahab Foundation, a charitable organization. Through this camp, CSS provided different types of eye care treatment to 4,766 poor people. The hospital has provided medical services to 13,635 (20.11%) poor patients free or at reduced rates under its Poor Fund scheme. Number of Patients Served Unit Out-door In-door Camp Total Eye Patient 29,706 1,806 11,186 42,698 MCU & General 18,703 1,969-20,672 ENT 2, ,327 Dental 1, ,095 Total 52,246 3,775 11,771 67,792

11 Return to the Light I am Merina Khatun, and I am 12 years old. I am one of the daughters of Mr. Yakub Gazi and Mrs. Sokhina Begum. We live in a village called Bashkhali under Paikgacha thana of the Khulna district. My father is a day laborer who is the only income earner in our family of eight. Providing two decent meals is an ongoing struggle, and eye care is low on the priority list. Nobody understands the pain and misery associated with the life of a blind person unless one experiences it in his own life. In my childhood, one of my eyes was seriously injured by a sewing needle while I was playing. I received some basic medical attention from a nurse. My family could not afford to take me to an eye hospital for better treatment. As a result, the condition of my eye got worse and gradually, I was totally blind. I stopped going to school and I thought I would remain blind for the rest of my life. My family was also worried about me and did not know what to do except pray to God. In such a hopeless situation, my maternal uncle, from a nearby village, came to the rescue. He came to our house and told us about the humanitarian, eye care programs of Rev. Abdul Wadud Memorial Hospital by CSS. He told us that he came to know about the humanitarian programs of CSS from a government official in the town. After a close examination, the doctor advised surgery. I began to dream again, but it was all shattered when we were told about the cost of the surgery. In order to have the eye surgery, we had to pay 14,000 Taka. It was a huge amount of money for my family. My father pleaded with the hospital authority for a discount. After disclosure of our income, CSS promised to perform my eye surgery despite my father s inability to pay. My father was asked to make the best contribution possible. I was taken to the operation theatre and a successful surgery was performed. My father, being an honest man, paid half of the surgery expenses. By the grace of God Almighty, and with the help of the CSS hospital, now my eye is completely healed. Today, I can see the light of the world and am able to study again because of the humanitarian efforts of CSS. I want to express my gratitude to CSS because if they had not performed the surgery, I would be in serious trouble.

12 Over the past decade, significant progress has positioned Bangladesh on track for the Millennium Development Goal (MDG-4) for child survival. The program achieved a 40% decline in maternal mortality. However, neonatal deaths make up 57% of children under five. These deaths and 80% of the pregnant women live in rural areas. It is necessary to provide underprivileged, rural people with access to medical facilities. The ASHCVP project started in 2010 with the goal of addressing three MDGs which include reducing child mortality (MDG-4), improving maternal healthcare (MDG-5) and preventing HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases (MDG-6). Under the project, the 14 Rural Health Centers (RHC) are established in remote, rural areas with the goal of providing maternal and child healthcare to rural people. The healthcare centers provide institutional, primary healthcare support including general treatment, normal delivery, antenatal and postnatal care, basic lab, and pharmacy facilities. In every center, there are a Sub-Assistant Community Medical Officer (SACMO), a certified nurse, a pathology technician, and a pharmacist who deliver services around the clock. The centers have Community Health Workers (CHW) who, through their daily household visits, educate the community regarding maternal and childcare health issues, as well as to mobilize them for RHC services. The unique component of this project is that the local community is in charge of the operational management of the healthcare centers. An Executive Committee (EC) was formed by the community and is continuously increasing the capacity of the project. After six years of operation, the project handed over three successful RHC s to the community in December, The healthcare centers are now registered under the government Trust Deed with the name of Palli Sheba Kendro. A board of trustees was formed with EC members who took over the responsibilities of RHC s through a handing over ceremony arranged by the project. The other 11 RHC s will be gradually handed over to the community. RHC Services Services No. of people Preventive message 533,825 Medical Consultation 17,351 Antenatal Care 15,098 Normal delivery conducted 1,006

13 RHC - A hope for the poor I am Najir Howladar, and I am 70 years old. I am a poor farmer from Dakurhati village under Union- Nagerpara. Thana-Gosairhat, and District- Shariatpur. Since my 35 year old wife s sudden death from a heart attack, I have been taking care of my two sons and three daughters. We live in extreme poverty. In spite of my struggles with the harsh realities of life, I try my best to keep my children happy. The journey has been difficult, and I am struggling with many challenges including my own illness. I could not afford to see a good doctor. In this dire situation, I found a glimmer of hope when a healthcare worker from Nagerpara, CSS Rural Health Center (RHC) walked into my house. I found out about the medical services provided by RHC. They provided services at an affordable rate. At first, I did not pay enough attention to what they offered, but later I became interested because one of the healthcare workers explained all the medical services. Immediately, I obtained a health card for 50 Taka and became a member of Nagerpara Rural Healthcare Center. The next day, I went to see a doctor who examined me very carefully and prescribed some tests. After submitting reports to the doctor, he prescribed some medicines as well as assured me that I would be fine. The doctor s assurance really calmed me down and helped me to get rid of all my anxiety. I was completely unaware of the fact that such quality medical services were provided by RHC at an affordable rate. I went to see the doctor a week later, but this time I had a smile on my face. I saw the care and happiness on the faces of not only the doctors, but also the supporting staff after they found out about my complete recovery from illness. The doctor prescribed some more medicine that I continue to take, and as a result, I am feeling much stronger. I still recall how terrible my children felt when they saw me lying in bed. But they are really happy now, and I am grateful to CSS for bringing the happiness back to our family. RHC is very popular among the villagers as mutual trust has developed between Nagerpara, RHC and the people of our village. I strongly encourage my neighbors and friends to visit RHC for medical check-ups, the quality services, and also the caring nature of doctors and staff. I am thankful to God first and then to CSS Rural Health Center for my wellbeing.

14 Globally, HIV/AIDS has emerged as a threat to humans and national security. The epidemic thrives in settings already marked by a high degree of socioeconomic instability, social exclusion and political instability. Migrant workers, displaced people, refugees, and ostracized minorities worldwide face a much higher risk of infection. Although HIV in Bangladesh has continued to remain at relatively low levels, a national survey in 2008 found that people between ages 15 to 49 account for approximately one-fifth of the total population. Lack of education and awareness about HIV reveal that many in this age group engage in risky sexual practices and have limited access to healthcare and services. The HIV/AIDS prevention program is mainly an awareness based program. It educates people on living a healthy lifestyle and HIV/AIDS prevention. The program also provides medical services for STD s (sexually transmitted diseases) by operating 6 Drop-In-Centers. In every center there are peer educators who engage the target people about HIV/AIDS issues. The major target group of the program is brothel based sex workers, floating sex workers and their clients, and transport workers. The project is able to bring remarkable change in the life of its target group. Approximately 75% of the target group is reached by the program and are putting into practice the message they heard. The Rehabilitation Program focuses on the rehabilitation of the brothel based Commercial Sex Workers (CSWs). The interested CSW s are taken out of the brothel and provided residential training on different life skills for a year. After the successful completion of the training, they are provided with job support, a piece of land, and a house for their residence. From the inception of this project, two groups, 32 women of CSWs have been successfully rehabilitated and mainstreamed by this project. These rehabilitated women are now working on different projects of CSS and other organizations. The project began in 2008 with the funding support of Woord en Daad, the Netherlands. In December 2015, the funding support has been phased out as of January, CSS will be implementing this program on a smaller scale. Beneficiary Status No. of general people reached with prevention message 50,001 No. of Floating sex workers with prevention message 3,851 No. of School students with prevention message 1,790 No. of Transport workers reached with prevention message 31,330 No. of people received STD medical support 9,728

15 Dark to light My name is Tania Begum, and I am 35 years old. I am the daughter of Mr. Sultan Mia and Mrs. Maleka Begum from Atorkhali village in Vandaria Upazila under Perojpur district. After my mother s sudden death, my father married again. Though I was well accepted and loved by my stepmother, my father arranged a marriage for me to an old man. I had no choice but to accept him as my husband. I did so, but he did not accept me and did not show me the respect I deserve as his wife. He got married again and started torturing me both mentally and physically. As a result, I left him and came back to live with my father and stepmother. My father s household was so poor that I was not allowed to stay for long. In the meantime, I came in contact with a woman from our village who promised me a job opportunity in the city. I trusted her, but instead she sold me to Baniashanta Brothel and this is how I became a commercial sex worker. I worked there for ten, long years. While working as a sex worker, I came in contact with the rehabilitation activities of CSS s HIV/AIDS program. I was given the opportunity to join the program. Through continuous communication and counseling, a positive outlook grew inside of me. I wanted to live the life of a normal person. I joined CSS s rehabilitation program in Paikgacha. During this one-year program, I received moral and skill development training including moral teaching, tailoring, beverage preparation, livestock rearing etc. I also participated in various activities including different days of observation, advocacy meetings, cross visits etc. After successfully completing the training program, I began my life as a female entrepreneur. I formed and started a beauty parlor. I finally changed the course of my life. At the end of rehabilitation program, I was given a piece of land and a house as a gift. Now I am very happy with the quality of life which would have never been possible without the support and guidance of CSS. I learned how to read and write. No longer do I need to wear colorful dresses or put fancy makeup on to attract customers. I am so glad that I can dress up like a decent woman and join social and cultural gatherings where I am well accepted by my relatives and neighbors. I am taking care of my house and working hard in my beauty parlor. Now, I am saving money to continue to develop my business in future. It is a complete turnaround as far as my life is concerned, and I am grateful to CSS for their wonderful initiatives in providing me a decent lifestyle.

16 The WaSH project presents a paradoxical scenario compared to available statistics and information. Although several initiatives regarding WaSH have been carried out by the government and its development partners, there are pocket areas, especially in the coastal areas of Bangladesh, where there are gaps of technology, infrastructure and a sustainable management system. WaSH is a two year, pilot project with the goal of reducing water and sanitation related diseases like diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid, etc. in target communities. The project has been implemented in the existing seven Rural Health Centre (RHC) areas of the ASHCVP project and covers 218 villages, 28 Unions, 7 Upazila in 4 Districts under 2 Divisions of Bangladesh. The target population is 249,205 people, of which 77% have hygienic latrines and 66% have access to safe drinking water sources. The project follows a community approach under the provision of social entrepreneurship in sanitation and the rain water harvesting methods. Financial support is from Woord en Daad, Netherlands and the technical support is from local government institutions, NGO s, and other likeminded organizations. The project creates a social movement and community mobilization by building awareness activities with different levels of community engagement. The project offers hardware support with cost sharing, 80% by the project and 20% by the community and is operated and managed after by dedicated water committees. Through the project intervention, local entrepreneurs now show interest in the social entrepreneurship approach. They understand their role is to provide for the wellbeing of the neighboring people by providing latrines and safe drinking water. After receiving New tube-wells installed 17 nos. training on social entrepreneurship, they Water points repaired 23 nos. change their profit oriented mind and New latrines constructed 101 nos. nurture a social entrepreneurship Latrines renovated 100 nos. mindset. Already 125 latrines have been Rain water harvester provided 15 nos. sold on credit to the poorest people by Social Entrepreneurship training provided 14 persons these entrepreneurs. The targeted social entrepreneurs are enthusiast to build relationships with their clients in order to install latrines. They are also committed to help the poorest people for the improvement of the area. Subsequently, they have seen an increased number of sales. The positive points of the project are increased numbers of sanitary latrines. Already, 471 sanitary latrines have been installed and renovated in the community.

17 Nursing and midwife services are vital resources for attaining health and development targets. Bangladesh is one of the few countries that have more doctors than nurses with a ratio of 3:1. There is a severe shortage of nursing personnel in the country. Due to this shortage and a challenging working environment, for example, lack of nursing equipment and effective nursing management system, the overall quality of care is being called into question. For every 1,000 people, there are 0.3 nurses and midwives. This statistic shows the extreme lack of midwives and nurses in the country. Overall, the country lacks a strong healthcare workforce, as there are only 0.58 healthcare workers for every 1,000 people in the country. Because of this reason, CSS health projects and programs face many challenges in its implementation. The Nursing Institute was implemented in 2000 in response to the shortage of nurses in the health sector of Bangladesh. The institute is situated within the complex of the CSS RAWM Hospital and has been using the hospital s infrastructure support for its activities. This institute received government accreditation in The Nursing Institute is committed to produce qualified, skilled, and well trained nurses who will meet the increasing demand of the CSS hospital as well as contribute to the national healthcare system. In total, 40 nurses graduated from this institute. The CSS hospital employed 17 of the nurses. Considering the huge demand and institutional need, CSS had a long coveted plan to build a separate building with dedicated resources for the Nursing Institute which will offer students a government certified four year Nursing certificate. In 2015, the plan materialized with the support of Woord en Daad and World Servant, Netherlands. In July, 2015, a team of young people from World Servant came to site of the Nursing Institute and participated in the construction work from July 21 - August 7, 2015.

18 An effective development approach always needs coordinated and collaborative efforts with our development partners. So, the need of consortium/alliance/network/platform is always imperative for NGOs like CSS. CSS has been an active member in a national level health platform named Health Alliance Bangladesh along with the partnership of three national NGO s named Centre for Disability in Development (CDD), Child Sight Foundation (CSF) and The Leprosy Mission International Bangladesh (TLMIB). HAB functions as a national level advocacy platform on behalf of its partner members, as well as a collaborative mutual capacity building scope. The main objectives of the program include joint reflective learning and sharing of best practices, mobilizing and pooling resources, as well as lobbying and advocacy. Partners learn from each other and utilize each other s best practices. The four HAB partners have a long-term partnership and commitment to the development of the health sector in Bangladesh. The partners focus their activities in rural areas, where health facilities are few or non-existent. HAB organizes annual learning workshops, exposure visits, evaluation and reporting among the partners and shares lessons learned. In 2015, HAB arranged different training and orientation sessions where the partners exchange knowledge, experience, best practices and skills. The partner organizations reached their target goal in preventive and medical services. Children with disabilities received medical services and leprosy health care services were provided to people with leprosy. HAB carries out different joint policy influencing (PI) and advocacy initiatives with its partners and takes it to a national level. HAB successfully organized a national advocacy meeting with the goal of influencing the national level policy makers to improve the overall health scenario of Bangladesh.

19 Education Sector Home of Blessings Community Base Education Support Program Leadership Training Program Hope Technical Institute Hope Polytechnic Institute Job and Business Service Rev. Paul's High School Hope Non-Formal Pre-Primary Schools

20 Bangladesh has made significant progress in educational needs over the past two decades. Still, many school-aged children from the poorest families either do not enroll or leave school because to poverty. Many cannot afford to buy uniforms or books, to pay for transportation if they live far from the school. Often times, the children don t attend school because they need to earn an income to help feed the family. As a consequence, these children are deprived of education, which drastically reduces their chances of finding higher-earning jobs that could lift them and their families out of poverty. Home of Blessings is basically an orphanage based care for the children of poor families with a special focus on children s formal education. CSS founder, Rev. Paul Munshi, established this program in 1981 with the goal of ensuring a better life for the orphan and vulnerable children of the Christian community. The Christian community constitutes only 0.3 million people of entire population in Bangladesh. Being in the minority among entire population, they are often deprived of basic needs like education, clothing, nutritious food and medical care in rural areas. In the poorer section of this community, many children never are able to attend school for any formal education. If they do, the majority of them drop out of school. To serve this segment of the Christian community, CSS operates four Home of Blessings in Gallamri, Batiaghata, Dacope and Gazipur where 1,050 children are brought up with parental love and care. HoB provides these children with a safe and secure place to live while ensuring the basic needs of education, nutritious food, clothing, and medical care are met. Several special events were conducted in the HoB s and all the children participated. It included Parents day, National and International day of observance, Welfare Camp, Pre-Christmas celebration etc. Pre-Christmas celebration is one of the most exciting events in the calendar of the HoB. At the end of the year, the children usually go back to their home during vacation. Every HoB arranges a pre-christmas celebration where the children take part in different cultural events, a feast and every child receives Christmas gifts. Students Status Sl. No. Home of Blessings Boys Girls Total 01 Gazipur Gallamari Batiaghata Dacope Total

21 Tale of Monica I am Monica Tripura and I am from a village called Lama Gilapara in Bandarban district. I am a student of class six in Vowal Rajbari High School. I am the daughter of Mr. Shurjochandra Tripura and Mrs. Sara Tripura. I have one older brother who is also a victim of a broken family. When I was little, I used to see my parents fighting a lot. One day my parents separated and left us behind. Both of them went different ways, remarried, and left us without caring about our future. Since then, we have been living with our grandmother. My poor grandmother worked hard as maid servant to provide us the minimum food we needed to survive. I used to help her sometimes by sharing the workload. The school was too far for me to attend classes. Our continuous struggle with hunger did not allow us to wear nice clothes or play with friends in school. As a child, I often used to get frustrated because we were poor and my grandmother was struggling. We used to live a miserable life in a little hut and there was nobody else except grandmother to share our pain and sorrow. One day, one of our neighbors came to our house and told my grandmother about the charity work of the Home of Blessings. He mentioned how the HoB provides food, clothes, shelter and education at no cost for poor orphans like us. Without hesitation, I was brought to the HoB. This happened in 2008, and since then, I have been living in the girl s hostel. Here I have found a place where I don t need to worry about food, clothes or school anymore. All my basic needs are being cared for by CSS Home of Blessings. I am also lucky to live in the company of other girls who are a happy bunch of kids who also received a fresh start of life. Besides formal education, I am receiving a spiritual education I need to enlighten my soul. I honestly feel that my life has found meaning and destiny in the caring cradle of CSS Home of Blessings. Now it is my aim to become a nurse and take care of the poor and sick. I am thankful to God first and then grateful to CSS for giving me this wonderful opportunity to live and dream again. I really appreciate the charity work of CSS through which a lot of underprivileged girls are able to find a caring shelter, to live decently and to prosper in future.

22 CBESP has the same philosophy as the Home of Blessings program and addresses the same problems in the Christian community. The difference is that the HOB helps the young girls by taking them into orphanage whereas; CBESP supports young boys in their own homes and villages. This program started in 2011 with the goal to help the poor, orphan children with their formal education by keeping them in their own family and community. The overall objective of this community approach is to ensure sustainable and comprehensive development of the poor and will ultimately contribute to the better livelihood of the family as well as the community. The positive side of this program is that the children get the opportunity to grow up in the family environment with the connection to their family. This program allows parents to be responsible to meet their children s needs. The program ensures the admission of these children into the local schools where all supplies such as books, pens, pencils, as well as food, clothing and medical care are provided. The program also ensures growth of every child's Christian identity by partnering with a local church for their spiritual and moral development. The program also arranges after-school study support for the children through tutoring centers in the community. There are several CBOs formed with parents, community leaders, church leaders and local leaders. These CBO s are looking after the quality of education the community schools offer, as well as monitoring every child s attendance in the schools. The guardians of the students are provided with training and awareness sessions regarding the education of their children and proper parenting methods. The program provides necessary support of the children and their family through the local church. Guardians and children participate quarterly. Through this program the guardians are becoming more responsible and accountable regarding childcare and nurture their children from their home. This year 483 children were supported in the Community Base Education Support Program.

23 Inspirited life of Edwin I am Edwin Mittunjan Das. I live with my family in a village called Horishkati in Tala sub-district under Satkhira district. I am now 12 years old and a student of class five. I also have four sisters. My father, Balai Das, is a day laborer and my mother, Gita Rani Das, is a housewife. We have no property or valuable possessions except a little piece of land to live on. Being the only person to earn an income, my father supported our family and endured extreme hardship. After meeting the family expenses, there was nothing left for our educational expenses. As a child, I always wanted to go to school and play with friends. Sadly, I could not continue my studies much longer because of our financial hardship. I had no choice but to help my father in his work instead of going to school. The greatest shock came for our family when my father became paralyzed. My mother became hopeless and helpless with our family of seven. Finding no other way, she started working in another person s house as a servant. But her income was not sufficient to manage three meals a day for us. We often went without food and were hungry. However, luck changed when we came to know about the humanitarian activities of Community Based Education Support Program (CBESP). My mother applied for assistance for me. After an inspection by the field supervisor on our overall economic condition, I was granted the financial support to resume my studies in school. Now I am back in school and so happy about it. I also regularly attend the tutoring classes run by the Community based education program, where I am not only getting assistance with my studies and homework, but also receiving spiritual and moral education from a nearby church. Besides my tuition fees, I also get school supplies, a school uniform, and other necessities to continue my education. It is a complete change as far as my life is concerned. Despite our ongoing struggle with the harsh realities of life, I am very motivated to succeed in life and my appreciation goes to CBESP for their assistance. Now, it is my dream to be a police officer thanks to CSS I am keeping my dreams alive. I pray and believe that many more poor children like me will benefit by this great humanitarian program.

24 Constitutionally, Bangladesh is declared as a secular country, and in reality, the people of different religions live together in harmony and peace having no religious disparity. However, the Christians are yet to mark any significant role in the leadership of the country. Among all the religious communities, they have limited social and political participation in the mainstream of the country. Christians are a minority factor and there is a lack of effective and charismatic leadership among them. The Leadership Training Program is an initiative of CSS to meet the shortage of community leadership in the Christian society of Bangladesh. This program is raising up future leaders among the future generations of the Christian community in Bangladesh. The program s activities are designed to foster the best in tomorrow's leaders. In this program, the poor and deserving Christian boys and girls are provided with free financial support for their formal education, spiritual guidance, and mentoring to become a real child of God and serve His kingdom in His path. The Program helps young adult men and women in leadership development as well as in their formal higher education. Every year, the program enrolls students from the HoB and CBESP after their completion of secondary education. LTP assists them until they successfully complete their higher education, which is approximately a four to five year timespan. Alongside the students of HoB and CBESP, the program also supports other Christian students from all over Bangladesh. For leadership development and spiritual direction, every year LTP arranges two comprehensive seminars with the involvement of all students. These are called Summer School and Winter School, which are facilitated by an experienced trainer. The students are instructed on biblical teaching and knowledge. This year, the two seminars were held in June and December. Additionally, the program guides the students regularly through a local gathering with cell groups across the country. Through this project, an average of 400 Christian students are being supported every year. LTP also helps students by providing a financial subsidy as a monthly stipend to continue their studies. LTP plays a vital role to ensure the sustainability of the whole education sector. The program bridges the students of Home of Blessings and Community Base Education Support Program with higher education and serves as a follow-up process through the completion of their educational career to securing jobs. LTP Students Status Leadership coaching and guidance 430 Stipend support 382 No. of Local cell groups 14 No. of Local cell groups gathering conducted 140

25 Enlightened James My name is James Majhi and I was born on August 7, 1992 into a poor family from Aamgram village of Rajoir Thana under Madaripur district. My father, Sodananda Majhi, passed away in He was a fish seller in the local market and my mother was a housewife. Among three brothers and two sisters, I am the youngest. Despite the lack of educational background of my parents, they had a strong desire to send us to school. But it was an uphill battle to support all of us with tuition fees and other expenses. I have seen how four of my older brothers and sisters complete their S.S.C exam through extreme hardship and struggle. At that time, I was in grade five when I took the admission scholarship exam for the Aamgram Government Primary school. By the time my mother bought me the books to prepare for the exam, six months had gone by. In the meantime, my schoolmates were further ahead of me. I refused to give up. My mother actually used my father s daily capital of 180 Taka to buy my books. It prevented him from trading fish on that particular day. It was really heartbreaking for me to witness the sacrifice my parents made for us. I prepared well for the exam and finally got the scholarship in 2003, All the tears turned into smiles and happiness. But the happy moments were short lived because of the sudden death of my father in It was a great setback for the whole family as my education was temporarily halted. Luckily, within a few days I got an opportunity to live in Khulna AG Mission boy s hostel. From there, I prepared for S.S.C exam and in 2008, I passed the exam with an overall grade of golden A+. That was the proudest moment of my life. I shared my joy with my family. My mom was extremely proud, but I missed my dad a lot; he always supported me through thick and thin. Then I was confronted with another challenge and that was to get through the admission of getting into college. The turning point of my life came when I was included in the Leadership Training Program (LTP). With the stipend from this program, I got admitted in Notre Dame College in Dhaka and from there I passed H.S.C exam in After my H.S.C, I came back to Khulna, but found life difficult again. I had nobody to help me financially for my higher studies except the Leadership Training Program. They not only supported me financially, but also strengthened me spiritually. I completed my graduation from Khulna Commerce College and am now working at Khulna AG Mission boy s hostel. I am also involved in the church youth group and other humanitarian projects. At times, when I look back and contemplate the difficult moments of my life, I am speechless and overcome with emotion and appreciation for CSS. Without the assistance of CSS through its Leadership Training Program, I would not have come this far. My wholehearted tribute goes to Rev. Paul Munshi who established CSS and introduced the Leadership Training Program to benefit poor and vulnerable youth with education, spiritual, and moral values.

26 Education is the only tool to alleviate poverty. Whereas, vocational and technical education are more important create an efficient workforce for the future and to sustain the development process in Bangladesh. Technical education plays a vital role in the human resource development of our country by creating skilled manpower and improving the quality of life. The main reason for poverty in Bangladesh is that poor people are usually unskilled and don't have any options for income generation. Bangladesh, like other South Asian countries, has a labor surplus that the domestic market is incapable of absorbing. An additional 2 million young people are added to the country s labor force every year, and the majority of its workforce is unskilled or semi-skilled. Hope Technical Institute (HTI) started its journey in 2006 with a goal to provide technical and skill development training for the poor and underprivileged people of the community. This project is working to improve skill training and self-employment opportunities. It leads to more sustainable income and a better position in the labor market for the poor and vulnerable community. This institute offers technical training and education for the poor in different skill based trades while being affordable. The main target group of HTI is the poor and underprivileged youth who are still unemployed and unskilled. HTI launches several long-term, medium-term and short-term courses on automobile mechanics, carpentry, electronics, refrigeration, air conditioning, mobile servicing and general mechanics, etc. The graduates from HoB get priority admission in HTI; however, outside students from the community can also enroll in these courses. This institution is situated on the adjoining property of CSS Home of Blessings and has a good infrastructure facility available for the trainees. This institute has boarding facilities on its campus for accommodating the students from remote villages. This year, 296 students were enrolled in different trades and among them, 205 successfully completed their trainings from HTI. Student Status Courses No. of Students enrolled No. of Students graduated Short-term (<1 year) * Medium term (1 year) Long-term (2 years) * Total * In short term and long-term courses the remaining students are in pipeline to graduate in 2016.

27 Skills, knowledge and innovation are important driving forces for economic growth and social development in any country. Countries with higher levels of education and skills, adjust more effectively to challenges and opportunities in the global economy. A sustainable technical education system can foster this process. The general objective of polytechnic education is the promotion of technical and vocational education and training, technology transfer and skills development to enhance the socio-economic development. The demand for polytechnic education in our country is increasing as it offers the graduates better income options in the shortest possible time with limited expense. Hope Polytechnic Institute provides higher technical education and a four year diploma in Engineering which is governed under the Bangladesh Technical Education Board. It is basically one of CSS interventions which is focused on income generation. It contributes to achieving organizational self-sufficiency. HPI offers technical education for young people who want to develop their career in the technical sector. At present, HPTI is providing technical education in three technologies i.e. Civil Technology, Electrical Technology and Mechanical Technology. The educational curriculum of this Polytechnic institute is set by the course curriculum designed by Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB). This year, one of the most noteworthy events of HPI was it s Refresher s Reception which was held in November 15, The ceremony was hosted in the auditorium of HPI. The presence of local leaders on the occasion made the event unique in the history of this institute. The chief guests of the ceremony included Mr. Ashok Kumar Biswas (Additional secretary and Director General of Bangladesh Technical Education Board) and Dr. Md. Mostafizur Rahman (Chairmen of Bangladesh Technical Education board). They were very pleased to see the activities of HPI and gave high praise to HPI for its performance as a polytechnic institute. They also expressed their enthusiastic future cooperation from the Bangladesh government. During the ceremony, the HPI students displayed a project (Hydraulic Crane Controlling System) for the guests. 1 st 3 rd Technology Semester Semester Semester Semester Semester Total Civil Electrical Mechanical Total th 6 th 8 th

28 Unemployment is a great concern in Bangladesh. Every year hundreds of thousands students are graduating from colleges and universities. Though it is one of the major responsibilities of the Government to provide jobs to this generation, the government has failed to meet the job demand among the large population. Only a tiny fraction of the population who are jobless are helped by some government offices and private organizations, The majority of the people remain unemployed. This prevailing unemployment situation frustrates the country's development initiative. Finding a suitable job or being able to set-up one s own business, self-employment is a great challenge for new graduates in today's competitive job market. Graduates are not accustomed to competition and often face the challenge of employment. JBS helps graduates by providing guidance and instruction. The goal is to act as meditator for its clients by finding jobs or coaching graduates when they set up a business of their own. JBS keeps in constant contact with job seekers and different employers around the country and collects information regarding job requirements. The graduates are linked to organizations when jobs are available. JBS also provides job related training and counseling for graduates based upon job requirements. Training can be individual or in group. It also helps its clients apply for financial assistance from financial institutions when starting a business. JBS keeps in contact with the graduates and maintains an updated information register. Every year, JBS also organizes an Alumni Association with former JBS clients. Job and Business Services is the link between Hope Technical Institute and the Education Sector. JBS is acting as a passageway for the HTI and LTP graduates to get jobs. JBS plays a major role in the Education Sector by linking jobs with the graduates. For attaining financial sustainability, a JBS financial strategy was developed in According to this plan, JBS constructed a canteen in the HTI and sells snacks and food items to students. The construction of JBS building is going on. JBS has successfully to covered 40% of its project s cost through income generation. Clients Status Male Female Total Total no. of JBS Clients JBS Clients in Employment JBS Client Self employed JBS Clients in Further Education

29 Dreamer Boy, Mohidul A dream is not always a dream; it may come true when you try to fulfill your own dream. I am a dreamer boy, Md. Mohidul Hawlader, son of Md. Aiyub Ali Hawlader and Mrs. Moyna Begum. On the way to fulfill my dream, I got admitted in HTI in 2012 and passed the Automobile Trade in In 2014, I worked in several mechanical workshops for buses and trucks to gain hands on experience and provide financial support for my family. During this period, JBS offered me some jobs but I refused the offers because my dream was to open my own workshop. I was born in a poor, Muslim family in the district of Khulna. My father is a car driver and mother is a housewife. My father, with his limited income, was unable to bear the expenses of my formal education. So, I decided to get a vocational education from a well reputed, vocational institute where I could complete my education within a short period of time. When I was looking for an opportunity at a vocational institute, I came to know about Hope Technical Institute in Khulna. I got admission at HTI for automobile trade. I tried my best to learn more and more about this trade, especially the practical part of the course. After one year, I successfully completed the course, and I enrolled to JBS as a graduate. I was offered a job with all its services. For some reason, I was frustrated in the beginning of While JBS was tracking my present situation, I consulted with them regarding my plan. I explained my dream to become an entrepreneur. But it was a difficult challenge because I did not have the capital or expertise to run a business. During the consultation with JBS, they advised me to buy some tools and start working as an automobile mechanic. I had already acquired some practical experience and developed a network of business with bus and truck drivers during my working days in various workshops. I took their valuable advice, and I bought some essential tools to start my own automobile business. Now, I own a small business and every day I earn an average of 300 taka which currently is enough. I am very happy now that I am earning an income on my own and supporting my family financially. Vocational training has transformed my life within a short time. Really, this training is very effective for poor people. Now I want to start a business in a permanent place and recruit more workers so that I can provide services to more buses and trucks and use my learning effectively. Besides, I will be able to earn more and support my family financially. Please pray for me that I can fulfill my dream.

30 Since 1981, the Rev. Paul s High School has been providing formal education to local students. The school is located beside the Home of Blessings (HoB) and within the same premise of HTI. It was established in 1981 by Rev. Paul Munshi and provides formal education for the poor. The children who are supported in Gallamari Home of Blessings also attend this school for their formal education. The school and the HoB are connected by an underpass tunnel for the safety of the students. The school is open for all and provides great services to the local community since the beginning. It is a government registered school and is being administered by government rules and regulations. The students are taught the national accredited curriculum. The school provides education from primary level to secondary level and has been able to earn a great reputation in neighboring communities for its outstanding achievements. The school always remains in the top ten ranking of schools in Khulna because of its students performance on the national board examinations. This year, 1,224 students received formal education in the primary level to secondary level. This school has on an average 93% passing rate, including 97% passing rate on board examinations (PSC, JSC and SSC). The students are assisted with every essential need for their proper education. The school is an "L" shaped, two-story building with a spacious playground. The school provides a secure and pleasant learning environment for its students. The school has an enclosed property with boundary walls. There are library and computer lab facilities available for the students. Student Status Grade No. of Students Passing Percentage Nursery 68 97% Pre-One % Class % Class % Class % Class % Class-5 (PSC) % Class % Class % Class-8 (JSC) % Class % Class-10 (SSC) 67 93%

31 It is increasingly recognized that school alone cannot provide quality basic education for all. The current structure of formal education excludes specific groups of children. To uphold the right to education of those who are not enrolled in schools, it is imperative that different methods are used to educate as many children as possible. Non-formal education is one such pathway. Characterized by a high degree of flexibility and openness to change and innovate pedagogy and delivery modes, non-formal education caters to diverse and context-specific learning needs of the children. Hope Non-formal Pre-primary schools are an intervention to allow the poorest of the poor access to education in the remote areas. Most of the rural people are very indifferent towards the education of their children because of poverty and ignorance. These schools are basically bridging the community children with formal education. These non-formal schools introduce poor parents to formal education and provide pre-primary education for their children. Later, these HNFP schools also ensure every student s admission to formal educational institutions/schools. It is a unique segment of the Education Sector as these schools are related to the Micro Credit Program and located in different villages working with micro credit. The target group of the schools is children of the recipients of the Micro Credit Program. This program has been initiated from the CSS' concept of a comprehensive family approach. The rural poor women are supported by the Micro Credit program and schooling is guaranteed for their children. The operating cost of the schools is covered from loan service charges of Micro Credit Program which is paid by the mothers of the children. CSS operates 41 Non-formal schools in different villages of MCP. The non-formal schools also educate parents on sanitation, hygiene, healthy lifestyle, child education, etc. Every week a group meeting is arranged with the parents for the improvement of their children. HNFP School Status No. of School 41 No. of Students 1195 No. of Teacher 41 Passing Rate 99%

32 Walk towards bright future I am Rina Begum and I was born in the house of a poor farmer from a village called Gazipur of Fultala thana under Khulna district. I am the youngest child of my parents. I have one brother and two sisters. In poverty stricken family, education of a girls has less priority than that of a boy. So, instead of going to school, I helped my mother with household duties. At the age of 16, I was arranged to be married to a day laborer because I was perceived as a burden on my family. I was married and in no time, I gave birth to three children. My husband s income was not enough to support the whole family. He used to work on the basis of no work, no pay. I honestly wanted to provide a better future for my children by educating them, but education is considered a luxury and feeding our children was the priority. Providing two decent meals is an uphill battle. I did not want my children to have the same fate as mine by depriving them of their educational right. In the meantime, I became a member of CSS-Micro Credit Program for financial assistance and from this connection; I came to know about the Hope Non-formal Pre Primary School (HNFPS) run by the Economic Development Sector of CSS. Not only did they provide free education for my children, but also supplied new books and school supplies. Because I was involved with the Micro-Credit Program, I took my son, Rifat, to the school and talked to one of the female teachers about his admission. After a bit of questioning, she helped Rifat be admitted to school. Now, I take my son to school every morning and bring him home in the afternoon. It makes me feel like a proud mother. There is no better sight for myself than watching my son studying with deep interest. I even try to learn some lessons from his book while he acts the role of a teacher. I am extremely delighted with my son s performance on the last exam as he stood first among 25 children. I still recall the hopeless and depressing days caused by the uncertainty of my children s future. Now things look much brighter, and I am grateful to God for providing me such an opportunity. A lot of children from underprivileged communities receive the benefit of the HNPF schools as they have an opportunity to enlighten themselves with the hope of education.

33 Economic Development Sector Micro Credit Program Fisheries Project CSS Ava Center

34 Poverty relief is one of the primary goals in developing countries and international assistance agencies. The eradication of poverty and the promotion of sustainable development represent two of the most important challenges facing the world in the 21st century. The micro credit program has proven to be one of the successful methods of poverty eradication. The main goal of the micro credit program is to compensate for the inadequacies of regular financial institutions by providing small loans in non-traditional economic sectors. Flexible repayment procedures and reasonable interest rates are features of the program. A small amount of money can contribute significantly to poverty relief specifically among women in villages and in remote areas. Established in early 1972, the Micro Credit Program is the largest and oldest intervention of CSS and has substantial number of recipients around the country. At present, MCP is working in 23 districts and has 166 branches with 260,492 active participants who have micro loans. In 2015, the total number of working staff of the Micro Credit Program was 1,244 (Male: 1,085 and Female: 159). The primary target group for this program is rural, underprivileged woman. In the rural areas, the women do not have access to financial institutions for credit. MCP creates access to credit options for women so that they can start an income generating activities using the loan as a start-up investment. The women are provided small loans with easy payment terms, a reasonable interest rate, and a repayment period. This program provides regular motivation, guidance and business development services to its recipients who use the loan properly. The program has a wide range of loan facilities including General Loan, Business Loan, and Seasonal Loan on agriculture and fisheries, Interest Free Loan etc. Besides providing loans, the program focuses on the overall improvement of the quality of life for the women. The field officers regularly conduct group meetings where they educate on healthy lifestyles, sanitation and hygiene, HIV/AIDS, and the importance of children's education. Field officers constantly motivate and encourage women to apply the practices they are taught. There are 41 Hope Non-formal schools where children of the loan recipients are receiving non-formal education.

35 Story of a female entrepreneur I am Marjina Begum, and I live with my children in Nirala Residential area of Khulna. I was born into a poor family. I experienced hardship early on in life. I learned tailoring by working as a tailor s assistant in my childhood. Being a girl, I was thought to be a burden on my family. Therefore, my parents arranged my marriage with a day laborer before I was 18. It was the beginning of another struggle for survival. I became the mother of my first child within the first year of our marriage. My husband was never a caring father. So I decided to use my tailoring skills as a source of income. Consequently, I took a job as a tailor in a shop and made just enough to live hand-to-mouth. After two years, I was pregnant with my second child. At one stage, I thought of an abortion because I did not want to bring another child into our poverty stricken family with all its insecurities. I refrained from committing such a sin from a moral point of view. After a few days, my husband left without any notice and did not bother to contact us. Meanwhile, my second child was born. Being a mother, I could not stand and watch my children crying for food. I felt the urge to do something on my own. I made a plan to open my own tailoring and embroidery shop to produce and sell my own products. But I needed money as an initial capital for my business. I thought of many options including borrowing from a relative or friend, but again, I was looking for a better option. While walking along the roads of Nirala Residential area and wondering what I should do next, I suddenly found the Micro-Credit office of CSS. I walked into the office immediately and gathered the necessary information from an office attendant. After careful consideration, I was granted membership on a female team named Ashar Tori and began to deposit my weekly savings as per the regulation. At first, I got a loan of 15,000 Taka and that was the initial capital to start my business. I bought two sewing machines and began to work hard at my home. Within a few days, I succeeded to earn the respect of my customers with my commitment and quality of work. As a result, I became a popular tailor in my neighborhood and wanted to expand my business. After paying off my first loan, I borrowed 20,000 Taka for my second loan. This time, I bought an embroidery machine and another sewing machine. At present, I have four machines, four employees, and I am working as the cutting master. By the grace of God Almighty, I have finally managed to change my fortune. Now I am able to support my children s basic needs as well having them educated. My son and my daughter are students of grade nine and grade four, respectively. I don t even feel the absence of my husband. I am feeling stronger than before as a successful female entrepreneur. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to CSS for extending their hand of assistance when I needed it most.

36 CSS Credit Program At a glance Up to December Total Branch Offices Total Zones 8 3 Total Regions 27 4 Total Districts 23 5 Total Thanas/Upazillas Total Unions/Wards Total Villages 4,050 8 Total Active Groups : Micro 17,281 : Small Business 265 : SMED (Small) 68 : Agri+Fish 61 At the end of the month 17,675 9 Total Active Savers : Micro 302,040 : Small Business 1,540 : SMED (Small) 378 : Agri+Fish 854 At the end of the month 304, Savings Balance : Micro 1,072,046,389 : Small Business 28,428,106 : SMED (Small) 12,766,265 : Agri+Fish 12,452,296 At the end of the month 1,125,693, Total Active Borrowers : Micro 260,492 : Small Business 1,065 : SMED (Small) 266 : House Loan 1,213 : Special Loan - : Agri+Fish 786 : MED Large 24 : Water 13 At the end of the month 263, Total Outstanding : Micro 3,096,204,093 : Small Business 21,601,124 : SMED (Small) 18,000,019 : House Loan 23,669,416 : Special Loan - : Agri+Fish 16,085,657 : MED Large 29,612,638 : Water 11,150,259 At the end of the month 3,216,323, Rate of Recovery 99.94% 14 OTR (on time repayment rate) 98.88% 15 Total Number of Staff (Male Female 159) 1244

37 CSS has done fish cultivation in its two fishery projects for many years. One fishery is located in Batiaghata and another is in Dacope beside the Home of Blessing (orphanage). The fisheries create income from producing and selling large amounts of fresh fish. Most of the CSS projects and programs are developed and focused on service delivery that is self-sustainable without depending on other funding sources. Some of the projects are not funded by a donor agency and is entirely sustained by CSS own organizational initiative. From time to time these projects need financial funding for their continuation. The Fishery project is one of the income generating interventions which helps other developmental projects. The fisheries have 25 fish cultivating ponds on acres of land. Every year, CSS is able to produce a large volume of fish. The fish cultivation is done using scientific techniques and methods by a group of dedicated staff. Batiaghata and Dacope are in the remote, southern part of Khulna, and the people living there are in extreme poverty. Their livelihood is very challenging because of the adverse geographical area (disaster prone and salinity). Local people have less income possibilities. Through the fishery projects, CSS is able to create jobs for locals. Some rural entrepreneurs are also encouraged to do fish cultivation. Fisheries Total Fish Production (KG) Total Sales (BDT.) Batiaghata 109,019 16,595,732 Dacope 33,973 7,614,928 Total 142,992 24,210,660

38 CSS Ava Center is a training and resource center located adjacent to its main office in Khulna. This center is named after Ms. Ava Munshi, wife of the honorable founder of CSS, Rev. Paul Munshi. It provides its clients accommodations and meeting facilities for training in one place. The idea of the Ava Center came from CSS previous training center called Ava Conference Center (ACC). It had limited capacity and was solely used for CSS staff development. Later, CSS offered ACC to other organizations for training purposes on a rental basis. Subsequently, it was in great demand from CSS clients. To meet increasing demand, the capacity of ACC was expanded and restructured as CSS Ava Center which opened in The target clients are essentially NGO s and likeminded organizations. Skill development of staff and the NGO s recipients are an indispensable part of a NGO s interventions. There is numerous NGO s working in this part of the country. The Ava Center is the largest of its kind in Khulna and provides multiple client training and conference venues equipped with a sound system and other media needs. It accommodates the need of not only local organizations, but also organizations around the country. The Ava Center has air conditioned guest rooms, conference and training space, and a huge dining hall. It is a five-story building with beautiful amenities and decor. It has the capacity to accommodate several training sessions and conferences at the same time. Since it opened, the Ava Center has earned the goodwill among its client groups for its service, quality, and client satisfaction. It is in huge demand and has almost 100% occupancy year round. The income generated from this center is used exclusively for the benefit of other humanitarian projects. CSS Ava Center in 2015 Bed room occupancy 10,241 days Conference room occupancy 976 days Total no. of clients served 936 (NGOs: 785, Companies: 115, GOs: 36) Total staffs 53 persons

39 Special Development Sector Empowering Women; Improving Country Disaster Management and Emergency Relief Advocacy on Safe Motherhood Project Strengthening Partners Network

40 Bangladesh is a country where women have a very low social status. Women have only limited involvement in economic development issues in Bangladesh in the 21st century. World Bank studies demonstrate that rural women in Bangladesh have limited access to household decision making, physical and financial assets. They possess inadequate levels of skill and knowledge. They are vulnerable to male dominance in any social sphere. In recent decades, the topic of women s empowerment has become critical in Bangladesh. Women s empowerment is of great importance, because it is a precursor to eliminate world poverty and develop of human rights. The EWIC project started its intervention in 2011 by empowering rural, poor women through self-reliance, education, and involving them in income generating activities (IGAs). The project is now in its fourth phase and its coverage now reaches a large population. In this phase, the project is working in 18 new areas of Madaripur, Kaligonj and Kushtia. It is estimated that in its three years project time-span, approximately 2,310 underprivileged and poor women will receive training on different IGAs including poultry rearing, livestock rearing, tailoring, mushroom cultivation, small grocery business, etc. Major activities include various skills development training for rural women. It connects the graduate trainees to MFI financing, helping them start their own business venture and motivating them to a healthy lifestyle. Beside the regular activities, the project also observed the International Women Day 2015 with the participation of recipient women on March 6th. These women took part in a three day fair organized for the International Women s Day, and they were able to showcase their products. On May 30, 2015 the project, along with help of Kaliganj upazilla, Jessore, arranged a women entrepreneurship fair to create a connection between the women entrepreneurs and the market. Training Category Skill development trainings Other related trainings Training Name No. of No. of Training Trainees Livestock rearing Poultry rearing 2 60 Healthy lifestyles, Gender, Empowerment and Child Nutrition Refresher s training for previous beneficiaries 9 270

41 New hope peeping I am Nasima Parvin (Papia) from Dullal Mundiha village of Kaligonj upazila under Jhenaidah district. Nasir Joarder is my husband. He is currently working as a security guard and earns very little to support our family of four. We have a 25 year old son and a 17 year old daughter. It has always been my dream to educate my children and provide them with a better future. So in pursuit of my dream, I got my son admitted to Bangladesh Open University and my daughter to a college. With such a limited source of income, it was extremely difficult to support their tuition fees as well as other expenses. So I felt the urge to do something on my own and make some extra money, which we needed desperately. At the same time, I could hardly afford to work outside our home due to my household duties. Therefore, I decided to start a small poultry farm on our property. We had 15 chickens, unfortunately all of them died from some unknown viral disease. I was extremely sad and upset, but I refused to give up. I went from door to door in search of ideas and advice. Someone advised me to apply for a loan from the local MFI/microcredit, but I had no idea how to access the loan facilities. In the meantime, one of my neighbors told me about the Empowering Women, Improving the Country (EWIC) project of CSS. It is all about helping poor women like myself. I immediately joined the program and took the necessary training in poultry rearing. After the training, the project officer helped me get a loan of 12,000 Tk. from CSS microcredit program. This time I started a poultry farm with 500 chickens. I also trained my son and daughter so that they could assist me with the maintenance of the farm. After having a bit of success with 500 chickens, I took out another loan and I currently run a farm of 2,000 chickens. I am rearing chickens in a scientific way and generating income that is helping our family be more financially secure and happy. At last, I see my dreams are within my reach.

42 Bangladesh has a high maternal mortality rate, 320 deaths per 100,000 births. As maternal and newborn health is inextricably linked, of those women who die, only one in four of their babies will survive their first week of life. These high mortality rates are underpinned by the fact that nine out of every 10 deliveries take place at home, most with unskilled attendants or relatives assisting. A study on safe motherhood programs in Bangladesh found that women's low social status, the poor quality of maternity care services, lack of trained providers, low uptake of services by women, and infrastructure all contribute to the high rate of maternal deaths. This is compounded by strong cultural and traditional ties that deter women from delivering at health centers or with medically-trained attendants. "Advocacy on Safe Motherhood" project is a successful replication of a previous advocacy project implemented under BOOM network with the partnership of five local NGO s. Since 2014, CSS started this project in two unions of Fakirhat upazilla in Bagerhat district namely Bahirdia and Betaga. In the rural and poor communities, the pregnant women have limited access to services and care in respect to safe mothers health. This is due to the indifference and negligence of public/private service providers, an improper government system, and the lack of public awareness. CSS adopted the grassroots level advocacy strategy to bring necessary change in the prevailing context. The project, through its activities, educates the community about the importance of maternal healthcare practices and needs. The active collaboration helps drive the initiative so that the communities demand moves the need to the policy level. The project is trying to revive and make functional the local government body-uphsc (Union Parishad Health Standing Committee) safe mothers healthcare so that it will be effective in monitoring the health providers services in the local community. The project formed 18 Community Base Organizations (CBO) with the local community in the wards of these two working unions and uses the CBO intervention for advocacy purposes. There are visible improvements in this area including the performance of public and private service providers in working unions, increased numbers of ANC and PNC services used by women, and the responsiveness of relevant government authorities towards safe mothers healthcare. The project has had outstanding participation in respect to safe mothers healthcare issues, the Union Parishad (UP) authority of Betaga Union awarded CSS the honor of the best NGO of the union

43 Bangladesh has a long history of natural disasters. In fact, the high occurrence of natural disasters of varying degrees is a regular phenomenon for the people in this country. The country has experienced 219 natural disasters, causing over $16 billion US in total damage during 28 years between 1980 and The most common natural disasters are cyclones, floods, mud slides, and drought in our country. In the last decade, SIDR and AILA are recorded as the most devastating cyclones that Bangladesh in terms of its catastrophic nature and loss of human life and property. Most projects and programs of CSS are based in the southern coastal areas. The people living in these coastal regions are the worst victims of natural disasters. These people are very poor and lack the resilience and coping strategies to face the aftermath of such natural disasters. CSS considers natural disasters as a crosscutting issue in every project and program. Guided by its Disaster Management Policy, the organization has gathered experience in disaster response and relief. In any disaster, CSS forms a disaster response and relief team with volunteers and staff from different projects and programs to serve and help the suffering. During the donor funded program, CSS built several cyclone shelter centers in the southwest coastal belt of the country which are being used effectively by the respective communities. CSS gives great importance to disaster preparedness issues especially in disaster risk reduction. CSS continues planned efforts during the implementation of different programs and projects. In 2015 CSS educated and took part in different disaster related events, such as the community awareness sharing on disaster related issues. CSS held different meetings and discussions with recipients, and observed national disaster preparedness day, etc. In addition, during the winter of January, 2015, CSS distributed warm clothes and blankets among poor, slum dwellers in Khulna City and to HIV positive families.

44 SPN project is a development initiative started in The main focus of this project is the strategic development of the organization including all its projects and programs. It dealt with defining the overall strategic position of the organization and educating its staff. In 2015, the main areas of focus for the organization were organizational development in regards to national and international fundraising (fundraising capacity), improving human resource management, networking with other likeminded organizations, and contextual planning of different programs (Minimizing the gap between planning and implementation). Through the activities of SPN program in 2015, CSS enhanced its organizational capacity in the above four focus areas. CSS dedicated a fundraising group which is taking different initiatives year round. Selected staff received training in the following areas - management training, strategic planning and financial management. CSS goal is to enhance its networking capacity through forming a coastal belt NGO networking group and becoming a member of an established network. CSS has conducted four context analyses in its target areas among the target groups to collect realistic, baseline information and statistics for Strategic Program Plan (SPP) development. CSS, as a development organization, has been serving its target communities and focuses on "service delivery". With the change of its development strategy and context, CSS immediate need is to shift to influencing "Civil Society Strengthening" and "Policy Influencing". The SPN project goal is to develop human resources and organizational core capabilities. SPN activities have strengthened CSS role as CSO and its activities contribute to enhancing organizational capability for attaining organizational sustainability. Through these activities, CSS is able to gain exposure with other likeminded organizations, which help establish more coalitions, alliances, and consortiums. The SPN project s activities have been designed as per the 5C model of Core Capabilities. Through addressing the elements of the 5C model, CSS is able to gain expertise and implement the project more effectively.