centre for development and peace (CDP)

Humen for Humen

CDP

CDP projects address diverse issues such as mother and child health care, sexual and reproductive health rights, child marriage, Family Planning, supporting hardcore poor people and marginalized people, tree plantation, organic compost production, women’s development and empowerment and skills, and vocational training. Moreover, its communicative and participatory practices focus on various development issues.

Introduction

Centre for Development and Peace is a renowned regional Non-Governmental Organization located in Meherpur, Bangladesh. It has been working relentlessly for social community development since its inception in July 2001 with a skilled professional workforce. The working area of CDP covers 18 unions, 65 villages in 6 Upazilla (Meherpur Sador, Gangni, Mujibnagor, Damurhuda, Chuadanga, and Khoksha) of Meherpur, Chuadanga, and Kushtia Districts on the South-Western part of Bangladesh.

CDP projects address diverse issues such as mother and child health care, sexual and reproductive health rights, child marriage, Family Planning, supporting hardcore poor people and marginalized people, tree plantation, organic compost production, women’s development and empowerment and skills, and vocational training. Moreover, its communicative and participatory practices focus on various development issues. CDP is also trusted and respected by the communities they are engaged with. CDP has generated a culture of volunteerism to ensure active participation in spreading development messages. The organization has formed two development voluntary drama groups from Buripota, Bagowan and Kutubpur Union, Meherpur & Mujibnagor upazilas, and village participation organization leaders.

Furthermore, CDP supports and empowers minorities and vulnerable groups in the Meherpur community and its neighbouring districts via its training programs. Training traditional handicrafts that meet the needs of today’s standards is one of its most essential programs for women. By making handicrafts after the training, the women can generate income for themselves and their families. The handcraft products are all sold through Tripty Boutique House, a subsidiary named after one of CDP’s founders Tripty Kona Biswas.

The craft-family of CDP is active since 2010 and consists of around 200 skilled women. Depending on the demand, they work around 5 hours a day in their village to combine it with the household work and care of their children. From CDP, they receive a living wage which contributes to a basic but decent standard of living. The price customers pay, is fair and contributes to a better life for these families.

The vision of the Centre for Development and Peace (CDP) predicts a just and compassionate society, where people live in peace, with dignity and good relationship with all

The Centre for Development and Peace (CDP) mission is inculcated to work based on multi-faith principles to create a society where the poor, marginalized, vulnerable and minority community people can claim and enjoy their rights and look for justice for a sustainable livelihood.

CDP believes and upholds the principles of justice, gender equality and equity tolerance, respect and authority in all aspect of people’s life. We emphasize a rights-based approach to fulfil practical needs towards the people we are working for. We do believe in and practice transparency, accountability in the governing process and democratic practices at all level. We welcome and respect people opinions through equal participation for the betterment of society, which we dream of in a holistic development approach.

Objective
  • To raise awareness about human rights covering reproductive health rights, social, economic, and political rights among the underprivileged groups, especially persons with disabilities, ethnic and religious minorities.
  • To provide skill training on gender and women empowerment for capacity building.
  • To develop economic empowerment through entrepreneurship, market linkage, value chain considering climate vulnerability.
  • To extend financial and adaptive technological support to the poor communities with particular attention to women and climate-vulnerable for generating income and alternative livelihood options for improving living standards and poverty reduction.
  • To develop capacity through ensuring non-formal primary education, pre-school, adult literacy, quality education, Technical Education, Information and Communication Technology.
  • To provide health, WASH, and nutritional facilities to the underprivileged communities and make linkage them with service providers.
  • To mobilize community people through famous theatre and cultural activities in folk and traditional culture for social, political, and religious harmony.
  • To raise awareness on social issues, especially STI, HIV/AIDS, drugs, water-borne, and infectious diseases.
  • To campaign against gender-based violence, especially acid throwing, rape, sexual harassment, child marriage, domestic violence, trafficking, safe migration, and to create a social protection mechanism. 
  • To deliver humanitarian services during a disaster with emergency response and rehabilitation and emphasize DRR approach for sustainable development. 

Major Achievements

  1. Formed 278 self-help groups, 25 village organisations and 10 union federations (UF) for advocacy on women rights, protection from domestic violence, stop dowry & child rights, peace & justice as well;
  2. Formed 26 adolescents and youths (members 520) development groups;
  3. CDP gave 210 sewing machines, 210 working chairs, seizers and tool boxes to the poor artisans;
  4. CDP organized training on Antenatal and Postnatal care, check up for pregnant mothers, mother & child health, Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA) training. 25 village mothers received this training and they are working smoothly in villages;
  5. 3529 pregnant & lactating mothers enrolled into the Mom’s clubs under Baby Basic Bangladesh Program;
  6. 4500 patients received free treatment through CDP medical team;
  7. 7850 community people received education arsenic mitigation and 58 affected patients received treatment and therapy;
  8. 7850 pregnant and lactating mothers received health education training on mother and child health;
  9. Community Nurses & Field Facilitators provided counseling support & training on breast feeding, personal hygiene, sanitation, communicable diseases and look after of the children;
  10. 5250 mothers, 2315 adolescents and youth, 245 children received maternal and child health support, treatment, counselling, care of pregnant mothers, nutrition, balance diet, family planning, EPI, reproductive health and rights;
  11. Increasing of gender equality, social justice and human dignity among poor and marginalized community;
  12. Organized advocacy workshop on child rights, women rights, human rights and social safetynet services with government, civil society leaders, local elite, youths, federation leaders, media group and local leaders from ruling party;
  13. Distributed 150 sets of slab toilets & 5 tube wells;
  14. Distributed 275 sets of improve cook stoves (ICS) (Bondhu Chula and Greenway Chula) among the communities;
  15. Supplied 57500 tree saplings and vegetables seeds and seedlings to the poor and marginalized communities;
  16. Reducing in the dowry system and women violence among group members;
  17. Reduction in child mortality;
  18. Savings mentality has increased;
  19. Stopping: 165 cases of dowry, 35 child marriages, and domestic abuse in 101 homes and reconciled 55;
  20. 32 social dramas and 56 folk songs have been staged at the working areas;
  21. 7650 people received training on disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation;
  22. Increasing awareness knowledge on health issues within the community;
  23. Increase in women involved in political, social and community role;
  24. Increasing of social and family leadership power;
  25. Reduction in water bone and communicable diseases;
  26. 7650 beneficiaries are doing homestead kitchen gardens and poultry farms;
  27. Hardcore families are becoming self-reliant and independent;
  28. Reduction in discrimination between men and female at family and society level;
  29. Increased knowledge on demerits of chemical fertilizers and pesticide with target people then transferring this knowledge to others;
  30. 5000 advocacy posters and leaflets on health & sanitation, tree plantation, human trafficking, HIV & AIDS awareness, protection of child marriage have been distributed to the stakeholders;
  31. Organized sustainable income generation activities training and support to 3560 families on poultry and duck rearing, vermi and organic compost making and selling, clothes selling, vegetables/kitchen garden, mini garments, small trade, fish selling, food processing and preservation and market accessibility and market linkages to group members and person with disabilities;
  32. CDP provided medical support, face masks, soaps, hand sanitizers, COVID-19 awareness posters & 450 food packages to 450 poor families during COVID-19;
  33. Provided loan support BDT.76,80,000/-(7.6 million) group members for income generating activities.

 

“Begin your journey to a better life with peace, love  and happiness”

Some pictures of our Organization

Harmonize mind and inner self.

Difficulties and Limitation:

  • Less income generation facilities due to not adequate appropriate skills.
  • Seasonal agricultural employment.
  • Poverty related problems, hunger, diseases, unemployment, malnutrition and low income.
  • Gender inequality and violence against women, sex and domestic workers although less is still prevalent.
  • Less job opportunities, low incomes and less capital at the level of Hard Core Communities.