SEDAD
is a non government organization working for the disabled and destitute people of Bangladesh. SEDAD is a “National
Member” of “World Federation of the Deaf-Blind (WFDB) and is registered with
the NGO Bureau Affairs of Bangladesh bearing registration no. 2414
Socio Economic Development Association for
Disabled (SEDAD) has started its journey to the development path from 1st
January 1992 and crossed 20 years of its development. Though there were lots of
limitations and problems during the last twenty years, the activities have not
been stopped but continued its development efforts with own speed, where there
were success and failures also. In the mean time, new thoughts and ideas have
been introduced in our development interventions and created new innovative
sustainable ideas. The demand and expectations of the people however have
changed with the march of creative world leaving previous thoughts and
expectations, which resulted innovation and addition of new development
techniques.
We have been working hard entirely to turn the
people into useful human resources and to spread their inner heart fully
through increasing their fullest participation in development process.
Empowerment of the poor and participation of the women side by side of their
male partners are the precondition of our development process.
We are paying our heartiest regards to the
respected Executive Committee and General Council Members, whose valuable
advice and efforts encouraged and stimulated us. Remembering the field staff of
both the lead NGO and the co-operating partners those have performed the
difficult responsibilities at the grass root levels for making the programs
effective and successful and paying cordial wishes and regards. We are grateful
to the Donors, Advisors and the Government Administrations, Different
Departments and the sister organizations for their cordial co-operation and
supports for the implementation of the Organizational activities.
SEDAD, active in the country as a non-profit
making, non-political, non-Government national organization of the disabled
people duly registered by the NGO Affairs Bureau and social welfare ministry of
Government of the People‘s Republic of
Bangladesh was established in 1992 with the initiatives of a group of disabled
and some non diasbled philonthropic people. Since its inception, SEDAD has been
working for the disabled persons in the country with the firm faith in the
morals of working for the poorest strata of rural people irrespective of castes
and creeds and the ideal of the service for them is to convert the disabled
people into working hands towards self-reliance by self-doings to lead life
with dignity and honor so that their rights and privileges are recognized and
their opportunities to participate in the mainstream of national development
activities are ensured.
To make the disabled people aware of their duties
and responsibilities to their families, society and the state as true citizen,
the SEDAD took up programs of their self development & Empowerment to
materialize its objectives and goal. SEDAD works through its working potentials
of (i) Identifying the disabled people through initial survey (ii) Enhancing
the skills and ability of non-curable ones by appropriate and felt-needed
training to strengthen the human creativity in them (iii) Activating their
training skill through provision of liberal credit support as collective loan
as a starting point of emancipation from social and economical bondage (iv)
Referring the curable impaired persons to appropriate institutions i.e. other
NGO, special clinics, hospitals nearby for restoration of their vision by
treatment.
As per constitution of SEDAD disabled people have
rights to express their views and ideas by participating in the decision making
and implementation process of the organization. SEDAD gives importance on
democratic values and social commitment of the disabled people. It cordially
believes in that disabled people are inseparable part of the society, they are
able to play active role in the mainstreaming development and nation-building
activities by utilizing their skills and talents. SEDAD is very much careful and attentive to
take up effective program for empowerment, inclusive development, self-reliance
and independent living of the disabled people.
Bangladesh, being the most densely populated and
one of the poorest countries in the world, the disables stand no chance of
opportunity in life, especially if the person is poor and female. Out of 170
million, approximately 14% populations are disabled. Bangladesh government has
sets of rules and welfare systems to provide assistance but it does not
sufficient for this group. SEDAD, (Socio Economic Development Association for
Disabled) a NGO, free from any political influences and benefits, was founded
with a view to bring an end of suffering of this group, give them status and
create a society where everyone will be respected. We believe everyone has a
duty as a human, a duty within self and a duty towards others, keeping this
sincere and honest approach; we concentrate our main activities to improve the
Socio Economic status for the most disadvantage group (poor destitute
population) and people with disability.
We started as a small organization but our honest and sincere efforts of our
Executives, stuffs and volunteers are
enabling us to help more and more disadvantage groups every day and grow
bigger. Currently, the activities of the organization are concentrating in the 12
Districts of Bangladesh.
In the meantime, SEDAD has successfully completed
over 26 years of its development interventions in the field of rehabilitation
and education of the persons with disability. During the period of 26 years the
organization had to confront various odd situations and obstacles in the
pursuits of its activities. This specified information / report is an honest
and modest effort to publicize all its attempts undertaken to survive as a
development of the disabled persons and the progress made in the period of
reporting. So the report at its present
form provides a momentary view of the organization’s own profile and its
involvement, experiences, lessons learnt, obstacles faced with etc during the
implementation of the concerned programs.
SEDAD is operating and
implementing is programs for the development of disable people with the support
of 6 partner organization in different district of Bangladesh.
The activities of SEDAD are governed by an 7
member Executive Committee elected every two years by the General Council of 26
members coming from all the walks of life of the society. The Executive
Director of SEDAD with the assistance of other secretarial staffs is doing all
official and organizational works as the Chief Executive of the organization
and he is also responsible for implementation of all the projects. He is
responsible to implement the decision of Executive Committee and General
Council. There is also a 7-member advisory committee of SEDAD where the
important personalities provide valuable suggestion and advices for the
progress of the organization.
The whole of the Work Plan, Annual Budget,
Activities and Financial Report are discussed threadbare and approved by the
General Council in its Annual General Meetings held every year also major
discetion regarding organization and its beneficiaries/ members are taken by the
general council. The Executive committee and general council of SEDAD both are
bound to perform their responsibilities and duties as per constitution of the
organization.
The fund for operation of the project of SEDAD is
generated by donation of National and International Donor Agencies, Local
Philanthropic and contribution of the members of SEDAD and SEDAD own income by
transcribing Braille reading materials.
The treasurer of the organization is in the sole
charge of the Accounts. The fund generated through donations of National and
International Donor Agencies remains deposited in the Account opened in the
name of the organization, in any of the scheduled Banks wherefrom the monetary
transactions are made under the joint signatures of 2 of the 3 bonafide office
bearers viz the President, Secretary General cum Executive Director and treasurer.
The Executive Director is the main signatory of any Bank transactions. All
financial dealings are conducted by the provisions as contained in the Accounts
and Financial Procurement Manual approved by the General Council of SEDAD. All
financial transactions like credit and debit vouchers, financial statements
Audit Reports etc are preserved as important financial documents. The Accounts
officer of the organization is responsible for all sorts of maintenance of the
financial records, duly checked and signed by the Executive Director. The
accounts officer is also responsible for preparing annual financial statement
and annual budget in consultation with the Executive Director and treasurer of
the organization. Then the budget and financial statement is placed through the
treasurer in the annual general meeting and passed by the general council of
the organization.
The monitoring and evaluation procedure is given
below: For meaningful evaluation of the programs of project activities, a
continuous monitoring system is applied
for which trained and experienced staffs are deployed. The implementing process
as per work-plan is duly supervised by the Field Supervisors whole activities
are supervised by the Project Coordinator. The Executive Director ex-officio
Project Director pays occasional or surprised visits to the field operations to
look for any irregularity or problem and to provide appropriate remedies. For
discussion on the whole program, monthly coordination meetings are held at the Project Office duly attended by
Field Staffs, sometimes representatives of the beneficiaries and such meetings
are sometimes attended by the Project Director as observer also.
SEDAD follows the following system as regards to
documentation and reporting on the program activities. The Field
Organizers/Facilitators of SEDAD prepare daily activities reports on the
performances in their respective field of operation and submit them to their
respective line manager who prepare monthly activities reports and submit to
the Project Coordinator who prepares the quarterly Activities Reports and
submit to the Executive Director. Depending on the duration of the Project
Annual or Final Activities Report is prepared and published by the Executive
Director- a copy of which is submitted to Executive Committee and the Donor
Agencies.
