PROFILE OF SCDF

 

Name of Organaisation:- SOCIAL & CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION (SCDF)

Address:- Shahid Minar More, Balubari, Dinajpur-5200, Bangladesh.

Tel: 51038, 63020, Mobile: 01712699627

Email: scdfdinajpur1@yahoo.com

 

 

Name of the organization	SOCIAL & CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
Acronym	(SCDF)
Year of establishment	March 03,1996
Name of Chief Executive Designation	Ms. Selina Haque   Executive Director
Address with phone and Email	Shahid  Minar More Balubari, Dinajpur 5200 Bangladesh. Tel : 51038, 63020, Mobile : +8801712699627 Email: alimalrazi2015@gmail.com
Branch Offices	SCDF- Thana Road, Birol, Dinajpur. SCDF- Station Road, Parbatipur. SCDF- Fulbari, Dinajpur SCDF- Upazila Road, Jaldhaka, Nilphamari. SCDF- Mohobbotpur, 6no Auliapur, Sadar, Dinajpur.

 

Introduction:

Social & Cultural Development Foundation (SCDF), a local and voluntary development organization has been working in the district of Dinajpur aiming to promote socio-economic, cultural, education, environment, agriculture and human rights development for the downtrodden, less privileged and poor people since March 1996. The organization has been established by a group of social workers headed by Ms. Selina Haque, a prominent and social worker in the district. Since the beginning SCDF initiated different development activities for the rural and urban poor and trying its best to up-lift the poor condition and attaining standard livelihoods. Special attention is given to the hardcore poor, vulnerable women and children, disabled selecting appropriate tools toward sustainable development maintaining cost effective culture and participatory strategies.

 

Vision:

Established a developed and prosperous society where all the members equally enjoyed a happy life.

 

Mission Statement:

SOCIAL & CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION (SCDF) is a non- government voluntary development organization is working with and for the disadvantaged community aiming to improve the quality of livelihoods through participatory method utilizing available resource mobilization. Special attention is given to the vulnerable women, children and hardcore poor for attaining their empowerment. It also encouraged to valued local customs, culture and the practices living together with harmony and peace.

Objectives:

 

• To build people's Institutions and greater solidarity and unity.
• To build capacity of the marginalized group members.
• To promote education rate among the illiterate members.
• To improve health, hygiene and environment.
• To develop social awareness becoming a good citizen.
• To promote agricultural activities and products.
• To create employment and Income earning opportunities.
• To build self and group capital through weekly savings.
• To promote gender relation among male and female.
• Anti-drug and anti-social activity promotion and development of Disability.
• Conduct disaster preparedness and management activities etc.

 

Legal status:

 

Name of Concern Department/Insitution	Registration No.	Date
Directorate of Social services	DSS-Dinaj-1227/98	21/01/1998
Dipt. of youth and sports	Dinaj-156/Sadar-61/02	30/09/2002
District Women Affairs, Dinajpur	JMBKK/Dinaj/332/13	04/09/2013
Director General of the NGO Affairs Bureau	2944	29/07/2015

 

Approach and Strategy: 

SCDF, since the inception has been stressing quality and quantity output with support of beneficiaries and extending all its efforts to obtain the specific objectives partly or as a whole, which positively addresses the vision, mission and objectives of the organization. The organization believes that the men are the maker of his own fortune. So, it has emphasized to make the community people aware, active, creative and responsible for their own benefit as well as trying its best to widen the way to avail standard living system by them own. So the organization is practicing and enjoying democratic values, cost-effective culture and friendly behavior among the program personnel maintaining participatory decision making process, bottom-up and need-based planning in every activity implementation. Practices of different rules, guidelines-manuals and policies have ensured the responsibilities and accountability as well as stressed to enrich its personnel competency and to conceptualize the programs.

 

Executive Committee is responsible for overall program implementation, follow up, reviewing and undertaking different steps and decisions keeping organizational vision and mission. The management authority is very much careful to the activities, which are implementing for the benefit of the poorest and used to review the performances as per activity plan. In the meetings various problem relating issues are used to discuss and ensure the overall commitment for the community.

 

Year	Stepping toward
2000	Project entitled NETWORK AGAINST OPPRESSION OF WOMEN (NAOW) started implementation with the partnership of Prosika and lead NGO was Polli Sree, Balubari-Dinajpur.
2001	‘Women leadership development program’ was started implementation under partnership agreement with PRIPTRUST. ‘Adult literacy program’ assisted by Prosika.
2002	Capacity building program though partnership with IVS / Bangladesh. Facilitate village meeting/workshop on to stop violence against women (VAW) and Women Right issues through VAW Forum headed by women members, under safe mother/healthy life through partnership (HELP) project with CARE Bangladesh.
2003	VERC/NGO partnership basic Agreement for “STRENTHENING Local Government for Sustainable Development with Local NGO Collaboration” project.
2004	Community Managed Western program NGO Forum, Dinajpur Region. Development Network with SAMATA for Empowerment through Resource Mobilization 5program. Health Rights project supported by Manusher Jonno Foundation under development Memorandum with Dhaka, PSTC. North west Fisheries development and Management project. Partnership with Polli Sree for implementing `Local Initiatives for ending violence against women project’ funded by Manusher Jonno Foundation.
2005	Partnership for Agricultural research and Extension (PARE) MCC-Dhaka, Bangladesh.
2006	Formulating and completion of different guidelines of the organization and staff management and started practice. Introduced QoC monitoring to maintain strengthening monitoring system.
2007	Scale up of mainstreaming HIV/AIDS information into NGO activities to prevent HIV/AIDS among young people around operational areas under technical assistance from Podokhep Manobik Unayan Kendro. Started implementing `Reaching-Out of School Children (ROSC)’ project at Parbatipur Upazila under technical and financial support from Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Government of Bangladesh.
2008	Child-labor elimination Action Network (CLEAN-Network) with ESDO. This project was funded by Manusher Jonno Foundation. Project entitled `Camping for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods-CSRL’ started under joint collaboration with lead NGO Karmogibi Nari (KN), Dhaka. Technical and financial support by OXFAM. Agriculture Research project jointly MOU with Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Joydebur, Gazipur. Project entitled `Development and Promotion of Technology Transfer’ under technical assistance from Wheat Research Institute, Dinajpur.
2009	Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture Labor-Law Network Karmogibi Nari (KN), Dhaka. Financial support by- Manusher Jonno Foundation.   Sustainable Land Use through Indigenous Methodology’ project introduced to protect flora-fauna and soil nutrients Policy Advocacy and Liaison to motivate and pressurize law making bodies and others.
2010	Campaign to protect corruption and budget analysis through Focus discussion method project under Network of Khan Foundation.
2012	Grameen Zibon Jattra Mela-1418 held on 20-22 January, 2012 at Gabura (Tomato Bazer) Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihood Funded by OXFAM, CSRL & Karmagibi Nari. Farmer women rights, Gender Group Funded by the central for Global Change at sadar upazilla. Citizen Charter Health Program Funded by Pragati and DFID at Birol Upazila. Strengthening the role of NSA in Climate Change Policy Formation in South Asia Funded by Equity BD and Justice working Group Bangladesh arranged by the COAST.
2013	Irrigation & Water Management (CIWM) Project, Water supply and sanitation, Community Bio-gas plant for enjoyment production, Solar Power system for lantern and home lighting, Agricultural Production Processing/Marketing failings Funded by Rural Development Academy (RDA), Bogra. “Allowance for Poor Lactating mothers” project funded by Mohila Bishyok Odhidoptor, Dhaka.

Member/Partnership with different Networks and Forums:

SCDF emphasizes to work collaboratively with different like-minded Networking Organizations and Forums due more strength and voice to the broader interest of National development. These are as follows:

 

Name of organization	Date of enrollment		Remarks
	Membership	Partnership
Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh (ADAB)	21/06/1999	-	Chapter member
Credit and Development Forum (CDF)	06/02/2001	-	Member
DOORBAR	25/01/2002	-	Member
NGO-Forum for Drinking Water Supply & Sanitation	-	17/01/2004	Associate
Nari Uddog Kendro (NUK)	10/06/2004	-	Member
District Taskforce Committee of Sanitation	02/02/2005	-	Member
Upazila Madok Drobbo Control & Expression Activities Implement Committee	07/08/2006	-	Member
Village Women Development Project Implement Committee	02/08/2007	-	Member
Upazila Agriculture Khas land Management & Distribution Committee	11/11/2007	-	Member
Agriculture District Zilla Committee	11/11/2008	-	Member

  

 

Working Areas:

 

SCDF has been trying to reach at doorstep of the poor people around Sadar, Parbatipurr, Birol and Fulbari Upazilas under Dinajpur district and Jaldhaka Upazila under district of Nilphamari. It also immerses the comprehensive activities aiming to achieve organizational vision and mission. Here is the operational area coverage figure:

 

District	Upazila	Union	Village
Dinajpur	Sadar	3	45
	Parbotipur	3	42
	Birol	10	250
	Phulbari	6	75
Nilphamari	Jaldhaka	4	22
Total		26	434

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bank Account Operation:

 

The organization mother Bank Account is used to operate with the joint signatures of Chairperson and Member Secretary. Separate project accounts are used to operate through balance transfer to the specific project account under the recommendation and approval taken by Executive Committee meeting and MOU with the funding agency. This account is used to operate by joint signatures by Executive Director and specific project Coordinator and Accountant. Here is the information of Mother Account:

 

 

A/C No-SB-2049

Social & Cultural Development Foundation (SCDF) 

Uttara Bank.

Station Road Branch

Dinajpur, Bangladesh.

SCDF Organogram:

 

 

 

General Committee

 

 

Executive Committee

 

 

Director

 

 

 

 

Coordinator

 

 

    Project Manager                         Credit Manager                          Accountant

 

 

 

 

 

  Supervisor             Supervisor                      Asst. Accountant

 

 

                                                                                      Asst. Accountant

 

   Department worker                    Aya/Peo

 Aya/Peon

 

Human Resources:

Staffs are the very potential force of the organization. Their relentless, cordial and committed hard work toward development initiatives and smooth implementation made the organizational quantitative and qualitative achievements. SCDF is always grateful to their sincere and heartiest contribution to the capacity building of the organization. At present the following staffs are working with the organization.

 

Type	Male	Female	Total
Management Staff	02	03	05
Project Staff	06	08	14
Part-time	05	42	47
Volunteer	05	05	10
Total	18	58	76

 

 

Brief description of ongoing programs:

 

SAVINGS AND INCOME GENERATION PROJECT:

Funding crisis is one of the most vicious problems in our society that caused the resource left from proper utilization. Many skilled people cannot undertake any business or income generation activities due to non-availability of fund. Requesting loan grant process from any commercial Bank is not easy way. So the organization has been providing loan supports to the group members as well as the little margin entrepreneurs to undertake various need-based income generation activities and business for their economic betterment.

 

To bring the poor, land less, illiterate, day laborer and back ward people united this program component cover such activities of group formation and people’s organization building. There are number of people’s organizations or groups are formed and target people are gathered in to organizing structure with motivational supports.  Average each group size constitutes of 15 to 25 members. New members are enrolled in the groups to meet the target plan.

 

Group members are used to sit together on weekly basis and discussed lot of issues including accumulate weekly savings and loan installment to recover. Besides, motivated members save a certain amount of savings as their daily savings.

 

This program has been running with the organization’s own fund from 1996 and it provides micro-credit support to the members, who have good and required amount of savings. Micro-credit supports are given from Organization Revolving Loan Fund-RLF. Technical assistance is received from Credit Development Forum-CDF.

 

 

CAMPAIGN FOR SUSTAINABLE RURAL LIVELIHOODS PROGRAM:

This program has been running jointly with the partnership of Karmojibi Nari (KN), Dhaka from 2008 under the technical and financial support from OXFAM. The major activities of the program are, to aware the community people about sustainable land use, demanding and keeping perfect wages of labors, motivation and campaign for such interests. This also emphasized to motivate and encourage the farmers and the community people to grow crops maintaining sustainable land, revive extinct crops and market promotion.

 

PARTNERSHIP IN AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION:

This project has been introduced in 2000 under the technical and financial assistance from Mennonite Central Committee-MCC, aiming to enrich to skill development among the farmers, provide necessary supports to availing agricultural equipment easily and enabled them to solve different problems needed to increase production. Under this circumstance this project provides awareness campaign supports, skill development training and easy access to agro-equipment. As such motivation to utilize their land in proper way, undertaking measurable cultivation methods, promotion of farmer rights regarding getting profitable price etc are conducting through village based meeting and campaign.

 

HEALTH RIGHTS PROJECT:

This project has been running from 2004 under the financial assistance from Manusher Jonno Foundation with the network of PSTC. It has been implementing around the operational areas under Birol Upazila with a paramount objective to raise awareness on health rights and extend health services through network and relation building with health service providers. Health rights based awareness development through Uthan Baithak, meeting, seminar, video show, client gathering, orientation, training, formulation of different health rights committees, ensuring accountability of the physician and other service providers are major activities of the project. Besides, orientation is provided to the physician, nurses and service providers to ensure good relation between client and service providers is also one of the important activity of the project.

 

LOCAL INITIATIVES FOR ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN:

This project has been implementing around working areas of the organization jointly partnership with Polli Sree and funded by Manusher Jonno Foundation. The objective of this project is, to aware the group members and the community people about to preserve and practice the Child and Women Rights. Especially to raise awareness on birth registration, early childhood development, marriage registration, dowry, divorce, subsistence, child schooling, to protect women torture, to stop child and women trafficking etc. in broader sense women empowerment, promotion of gender equity and Child and Women Rights.

 

 

PREVENTION OF HIV/AIDS PROJECT:

This project has been implementing around Sadar and Birol Upazilas under district of Dinajpur jointly partnership with Manobik Unnayan Kendra and under the technical and financial assistance from Manusher Jonno Foundation from 2007. This project emphasizing the activities like awareness rising toward behavioral changes to prevent SDT/HIV/AIDS as these are increasing alarmingly around the working areas by migrated labors, labors engaged in transportation, floating sex workers sector etc. Besides, orientation, workshop, networking and advocacy services are the major activities of this project.  

 

WATER AND SANITATION PROJECT:

This project has been implementing at remote and slum areas of district Dinajpur to enhance the safe drinking water facilities and healthy sanitation. Different motivational activities and hardware supports like installation of water sealed latrine etc are provided among the target people. The project has been implementing with the financial support from NGO Forum.

 

TRAINING AND HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM:

Training like Human resource and skill developments are provided by the Organization aiming to increase awareness, knowledge and skills, thus the training participant can able to solve different problems in their daily life and enriched capabilities to initiate different project for their overall betterment and self-reliance. The Organization has a skilled team of core trainer and capable to arrange need-based training for community people as well as for the development personnel.

 

SCDF has categories the training supports into three types.

(i)                Human Resource Development training,

(ii)             (ii) Skill development training.

 

1. Human Resource Development training: Group members are provided with need-based training to enhance their knowledge, attitude and skills with a paramount objective toward behavioral changes. If these supports are given to them, they could easily change their living standard. Without knowledge and attitude no one will do anything positive for the society as well as for his/her own.

 

2. Skill Development training: Target beneficiary receive traditional and non-traditional skill development training by which they are enable to sale the skills and widen the way to employment creation. Apart from beneficiary SCDF staffs are providing with necessary skill development training by which they obtained more skills and competency in program implementation.

 

 

 

 

Reaching Out of School Children– ROSC Project:

Education is the basic rights of everyone. On the other hand national prosperity depends on higher rates of education. But due to poverty, distance and inadequate attention, children’s from poor families cannot afford education in their life. Besides, dropouts from government and non-government primary schools and non-formal primary education are very high. Considering this unfortunate fact and situation the organization has been implementing this project from 2007 under the technical and financial assistance from Primary Education Department under Ministry of Education. It has been implementing at Parbatipur Upazila and assigned to monitor the targeted schools.

 

ADIBASHI DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM:

There are many Adiabatic people in district Dinajpur locally known as Santal and they are indeed minority group, left our proper attention. Their livelihoods are being almost left apart from modern living system. They are poor and most of them landless. The organization observed this situation from its inception and took the opportunity to do something aiming toward positive changes. So this program has been running with its own fund trying to develop the awareness level including health, training and micro-credit supports are provided. Issue meeting, social campaign, mass communication etc are conducted in this respect.

 

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MANAGEMENT:

Disaster preparedness and management is one of the most important activities of the organization. The operational area of the organization is likely disaster prone area and each year different disasters such as nor’easter, sudden flood, drought, severe cold etc caused the people’s livelihood in danger. This project manages the disaster preparedness and management and rehabilitation support for the poor and victims. Necessary linkage and communication with GO-NGO sectors are undertaken to face the crisis.

 

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROJECT:

This project has been implementing to improve and utilize modern scientific agriculture technology implication. Under this circumstances, different training, motivation, campaign, mass-communication likely other tools are used and encouraged to transfer the technology among the farmer and agriculture researchers. This project is running under the technical support from ATTP.        

 

DISABLED DEVELOPMENT AND REHABILITATION:

Disabled people are also the same human being in our society as us. The organization believed that proper attention and care make them human resource. As such the organization provides necessary support to them. The organization undertakes motivation among the community people as well as some credit facilitation for the disabled. Besides, education material, medical supports are also given to them.

 

POLICY ADVOCACY:

Since the inception the organization has been trying to make linkage with like-minded institution and organization as well as with different forums to strengthen voice and work for the Human Rights and other need-driven issues for the betterment of people likely these are appropriate labor wages, gender equity, stop child and women trafficking, revive of extinct crops, environmental issues, public interests etc. Different meeting, campaign, seminar, workshop, procession, rally etc are used to conduct aiming to strengthen the network for effective liaison and networking. Recommendation from every field are prepared through participatory approach and used to submit to the concerned department, authority and ministry requesting to undertake corrective and proposed measures to the broader interest of the citizen.

 

 

At a glance of ongoing project with donor list:

 

Project name	Donor/Funding source	Inception
Savings and income generation project	Own	1996
Camping for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods CSRL.	OXFAM	2008
Agriculture  Research & Extension (PARE)	M.C.C Bangladesh.	2005
Health Rights Project	P.S.T.C & Manuser Jonno Foundation	2004
Local Initiative for Ending Violence Against Women	Pollisree Dinajpur & Manuser Jonno Foundation	2004
Reaching Out of School Children- ROSC project	Ministry of Primary and Mass Education	2007
Prevention of HIV/AIDS Project	Podakhep Manabik Unnyan Kendro	2007
CLEAN - Network	ESDO & Manuser Jonno Foundation	2008

 

&

 

 

 

For more details:

 

Ms. Selina Haque.

Executive Director

Tel: 088 0531 51038, 088 0531 63020

Mobile: +8801712699627     

E-mail: scdfdinajpur1@yahoo.com