RDRS; an overview

We're back from our first week in the field (: and I thought it would be a good idea to give you all a little background on RDRS before I wrote a post about our experiences! Our whole visit in Bangladesh is thanks to an amazing partnership between RDRS and the University of Manitoba that has been laid down over years of visits by Joe Danis, our Director of Housing and Student Life. So here is a little bit of background so that my future posts can fit into the proper context!

RDRS (Rangpur-Dinajpur Rural Service) was founded in 1971 by the Geneva-based Lutheran World Federation and the Department for World Service Founder Director Dr. Olav Hodne from Norway. It was first started to provide aid to thousands of people who were fleeing the Rangpur, Dinajpur area during the War of Liberation.
In the following years it shifted from a relief and rehabilitation effort to a sectoral development programme. Landmarks in the RDRS timeline include:
-the establishement of the first womens group in 1976 (with health nutrition and family planning introduced the same year)
-the first womens small farmers group formed in 1983
-a comprehensive development program launched in 1987
-marginal and samll farmer' system crop intensification project and community health unit started in 1989 and;
-non-formal schools and credit programme established between 1990 and '91
In 1997 RDRS appointed its first Bangladeshi Executive Director and emerged as an autonomous Bangladeshi NGO. From 1997 on highlights of their program development have included:
-empowering the disadvantaged tribal poor
-expanding microfinance programs to include the ultra-poor
-appointing the first Woman Director (Dr. Salima Raham) for community health programme
-an expanded working area and;
-development of youth and women forums
As of December 2009 RDRS was working with a total of 19,768 groups totaling 1.9million people. The core development programmes that drive RDRS today forcus on social empowerment, women's rights, health, education, agriculture and the environment and disaster preparedness. They are committed to using a rights-based approach that will empower the rural poor to ensure they have the tools they need to overcome whatever they may face in the future.

This is just a quick overview and a few highlights of all of the amazing programs run by RDRS. Over the next 4 weeks we will get a chance to look in depth at these programs and directly see how they are affecting beneficiaries.

Hopefully I'll get a chance later today to post the specifics of our week in Thakurgaon!
And as it is now 12:50am back home (11:50am here) I bid you goodnight (: