HISTORY

Major Events of SUS: A retrospective View

SUS started in 1986 and over the years it has accumulated considerable memories. The memories are important to track its past based on which the future can be reflected. Major events were:

1986-1990

• SUS started as a personal project by Begum Rokeya and continued up to 1988 with her own partial donation and usage of her own residence as a working place

• Received Social welfare registration in 1986

• Education program started to educate 30 slum children as a first activity.

• Skill development trainings started on handicraft (tailoring, batik and bamboo) for 25 women with the help of Bangladesh Small Cottage Industries Corporations (BSCIC) in 1988.

• Joint collaboration started with FPSTC in 1989 on Family planning and MCHC activities

• Received NGO Affairs Bureau Registration in 1990

• One-time donation received from SIDA on non-formal primary education and donations from NORAD for the construction of SUS's own office building in the fiscal year 1989-90.

1991-2000

• Partnership program for three years started with NORAD on women's development in 1991.

• Partnership programs started with CARE –Bangladesh as pilot project on handicrafts training, with BRAC on Non Formal Primary Education (NFPE), with SIDA and NORAD on women's development.

• Formally, Rural Development Program (RDP) launched in 1992 and was redesigned as Social Development Program (SDP) in 1993.

• Partnership on micro- credit and trickle-up programs with Palli Karma Shahayak Foundation (PKSF) and International Voluntary Services (IVS) established in 1994

• Agro-based model farm was established in 1994 in collaboration with New Wind Association - Turku, Finland; Quaker service, Sweden and Ussaist, Sweden in 1994. • Partnership program expanded with Action Aid Bangladesh on integrated development program. REFLECT was introduced for adult literacy in 1996.

• Monthly Magazine ” Shomoyer Katha” as a voice of the beneficiaries was published in 1997.

• Partnership with CARE Bangladesh on Flood Proofing; with IFAD on Income Generating Activities (IGA) and agricultural credit, and with Helen Keller International (HKI) on nutrition supplementation in 1998.

• Adolescent program started as a pilot project and partnership was formed with the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Dhaka, in 1998.

• Bi- monthly magazine “Kishoreeder Katha” (“Adolescents' voice”) was first published in 1998.

• FPSTC phased out in 1997. A new health and disability program was introduced in 1998.

• A health centre was built in 2000 with the help of different donors.

• A shelter house for distressed girls and young women was constructed and established in 1999 in collaborations with SUS support group Belgium, Sweden, Germany and COV from the Netherlands.

• Partnership with DANIDA/MAEP was established in 1999.

• Partnership with Ain O Shalish Kendra (ASK) on gender and social justice was established in 1999.

• The first long term perspective plan was prepared in collaboration with Action Aid Bangladesh in 1997.

• The Donor Consortium SUS was formed in 1999.

• The Strategic plan for the years 2001 to 2005 was developed in 2000.

2001-2005

• Rights based approach was introduced in 2001 and programs were viewed holistically.

• Partnership started with NETZ-Germany in 2001 through the expansion of REFLECT and the implementation of a new program for hardcore poor and adolescents' empowerment.

• Organizational Development task force was introduced in 2001.

• Sustainable approach for quality education (SAQE) with government/ registered primary schools started in 2002.

• Organic farming was introduced in 2002. The program expanded in the same year. • Advocacy for quality education partnership started with the Commonwealth Fund, UK, in 2003.

• Partnership for the initiative of a just and equitable society was established with Manusher Jonno in 2003.

Challenges to encounter

The main challenges have been to keep pace with the globalization processes that have challenged the poor and small farmer to compete with others at the local, national and international level.

Choices of donors in restricting or withdrawing funds have also challenged SUS to continue its programs maintaining their intensity and quality. The recent trend of increasing fundamentalist's antagonism towards NGOs has indicated a potential threat to the NGO community and to the civil society organizations. Division among the NGOs and the interference of the political parties have crippled the credibility of NGOs.