Sagarika Samaj Unnayan Sangstha (SSUS) is a prominent non-governmental organization to the people of coastal regions of Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni district. Fazlul Haque (Hoque Saheb) was the founder of Sagarika Samaj Unnayan Sangstha (SSUS). He established this organization in 1985 with the dream of saving people from the losses of natural disaster and poverty. Mohammad Saidur Rahman, Executive Director of BDPC (Ex. Country Director of Oxfam) encouraged Fazlul Haque (Hoque Saheb) very sincerely to establish a social development organization. During services as Country Director of Oxfam he gave all sorts of support to Hoque Saheb for achieving government legal entity like the registrations of District Social Welfare Department and NGO Affairs Bureau. At first, the organization started it’s social development activities in the coastal areas of Sadar upazila in Noakhali district with financial assistance of Oxfam-GB. Gradually the organization has rightly been expanding it’s working areas with the activities of social development and disaster management. The Organization has been working with the disadvantaged and unprivileged households for their poverty alleviation using micro finance loan and disaster risk reduction through adaptation resilience livelihood through copping mechanism with the situations of disaster and climate change in the coastal areas of Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni and Commilla District. The Microfinace working area are expanding gradually in every year in adjacent areas of existing working areas..

SSUS has always been giving emphasis on the education of poor and extreme poor households. Non formal primary education (NFPE) has been implemented in the coastal charlands from 1997 with the support of BRAC education programme. The children of poor and extreme poor households are the targeted students in the programme. The enrolment of primary education has been increased gradually as a result of this programme. So that the country is going ahead to the achieving it’s national target in the primary education.

SSUS availed the first fund from OXFAM in 1987 for some training programs on capacity building of both staffs and beneficiaries. OXFAM had provided all sorts of cooperation including financial assistance to build organizational capacity through OXFAM Humanitarian Capacity Building Project for a long time to effective management in any natural disaster and emergency response . SSUS already implemented many projects very successfully with full satisfaction of Donors and GoB administration. Now some projects are being implemented for the development of disadvantaged and unprivileged households in its working areas by the donors support as well as GoB assistance. Netherlands Government, IFAD and GoB continuously were supported Sagarika as an implementing partner for the development of Noakhali coastal charlands and char people under CDSP project up to closing the project..

SSUS has established partnership with PKSF (Palli Karma-Sahayak foundation) since 1993 and from then SSUS has been implementing micro finance loan programme with the targeted people/households for their income generation through various sustainable options of income both in productive and non-productive sectors  and also various alternative options of income generating projects. The Organization has collected fund from the scheduled banks  to meet up the demand of loan to borrowers..

Sagarika were worked with NGO Forum for DWSS for a long time since 1991 under Commilla Region. Forum supported Sagarika to establish a VSC center in 1994 which is still functioning to supplying materials to the community.

The Organization has long experience to work in the development of wash sectors in the coastal rural community in collaboration  with Local Government Elected Body and Government local level administrative agencies. Sagarka has established very good and cooperative relationship with Union Parishad as well as with other agencies in it’s working areas.

Sagarika has now been implementing various program/projects with the support and guidance by Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF).The Organization has been implementing Samriddi Project in Char Elahi Union  of Companigonj Upazila in Noakhali District with the assistance of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation(PKSF). This programme has started from August’2014 and will run about 5 years with the financial support of PKSF and Organiztion own fund. Another Somriddi Programme also has been implementing in Char Amanulla Union of Subarnachar Upazilla  in Noakhali District with the assistance of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF). The programme has Started on February’ 2018 and  will run about 5 years with the financial support of PKSF and Organiztion’s own fund.

Bangladesh Bank GRIHAON Loan Programme are ongoing 70 thousands of loan amount of ceiling are fixed for a borrower with 6 percent interest. The borrower will pay monthly installment and  total amount of loan within 5 years duration as per  repayment scheduled. Sagarika will pay installment to programme fund as per certain repayment schedule.

Bangladesh Bank ‘Housing for All’ Loan Programme are ongoing  in the poor segments households in the areas of Ramgoti Upazilla in Laxmipur District. 70 thousands of loan amount of ceiling are fixed for a borrower with 6 percent interest. The borrower will pay monthly installment and  total amount of loan within 10 years duration as per repayment scheduled. Sagarika will pay installment to Bangladesh Bank as per certain repayment scheduled.

Abason program for building housing (Semi Building) of targeted group members has included as microfinance loan component by the funding and assistance of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF). The program has started from December 2018. The loan program is remain ongoing in working areas of Subarnchar Upazilla in the preliminary stages of the program.

Sheep Breeding Center and sheep rearing at farmers level has implemented from this year by the funding jointly Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) & Org. Own Fund for 4 years. The activities are sheep breeding, Sheep rearing at farmer’s level,  skill development training of the farmers etc.

Elderly People Livelihood Development Program has been implemented in the 2 Unions in Char Alahi Union of Companigonj Upazilla and Char Amanullah Union of Subarnachar Upazilla besides ongoing Somriddi Programme in Noakhali District. The Programme has started in Char Alahi Union from July-2017 and in Char Amanulla Union from  July-2018. Mainly program are Organize elderly people, Establish Elderly People’s Centre, Provide Probin Allowances and Health Services etc.

Cultural and Sports Programme has been implemented in Subarnachar and Noakhali Sadar Upazillas in Noakhali District. The program is implementing by funding jointly Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) & Org. own fund. Program duration one year from July-2017 to June-2018 . Mainly program are Organize Cultural and sports program and competitions ensuring participation of children, adolescents, young at primary, junior, High school, College and university level students.

Koisar (Adolescent) and Adolescent Girl Club Programme activities  has included  in the activities of the Organiazation under Cultural and Sports Programme with jointly support of PKSF and Sagarika Samaj Unnayan Sangstha from the FY 2019-20. The programmes will be run and Cultural & Sports Programme were closed..

Social development activities has been implementing from the beginning in the activities of Sagarika. The activities are as like as distribution of text book, financial support in treatment, marriage, board registration and examination form fill-up fees, assist in repairing works of social infrastructures, education scholarship etc to the poor people of the communithy. Sagarika implemented these activities as per guidelines of Miro Credit Regulatory Authority (MRA) . The baggers and persons of disabilities are included in these activities. The support  in cash and kinds has been provided to eligible person as per maintaining proper guidelines. The programme is also to be continued in the future.

Refinancing loan programme has been implementing with the borrowers for the recovery of their financial losses due to on going Covid-19 pandemic corona virus with the financing assistance of Bangladesh Bank and PKSF. The organization has been implementing social awareness activities from the beginning the pandemic Covid-19 corona virus from March’2020 with organization’s beneficiary members as well as community people. The activities of Food support , miking, leaflet, festoon  sanitizer materials and cash support were done successfully during lockdown and facing covid emergency situation. 

VISION

Sagarika’s Vision is to establish a cooperative society where women and men are equal and socio-economic development of poor and marginal family as well as Disaster management of the coastal belt area.
 

MISSION

Ensure the target people participation in the socio-economic development of the society; provide the demand base livelihood income generating activities for the grass root level disadvantaged women through mobilizing the local resources; Reduce the gender discrimination in the society through ensure the women empowerment in both family & society. Ensure the friendly environment for the poor segment of the coastal belt of the southern Noakhali.

Legal Status:

Registration:

GOAL
“To enhance the livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable community people with a significant way and animate them towards the sustainable development.”

OBJECTIVES

• The Organization should provide helps and supports to the dwellers of it’s working areas in regard of natural disaster as well as all kinds of disaster.
• The Organization should rehabilitate the landless poor and extreme poor agriculture farmers providing training contained modern technology.
•  To keep continued the attempt of all types of activities with a view to welfare the women, children and youths as well as to establish appropriate child education center.
• The Organization will organize micro finance program to poor and extreme poor and landless households for creating their self-employment taking approval from the government authority. The Organization wills eligible to distribute loan and realization of loan with certain service charge among its targeted beneficiaries.
• The Organization always to keep continued the attempts to provide orphan and distressed children with the adequate supports of Government Social Welfare department.
• The Organization will keep continued for taking all advantages and facilities of Government Health Department to control population high increasing rate and take steps to provide health services for the development of public health.
•  The Organization always keep continued  effort to improve economical and social status of poor people in the working areas through providing supports on the activities of fish farming, weaving garment products and handicraft products.
• The Organization will always take initiatives to observe National, International and Religious days with giving Importance and respects.
• The Organization will keep continued the effort to rehabilitate unmarried women conducting marriage without any kinds of dowry.
• The Organization always keep continued the effort to activate the people with disabilities creating their self-employment through organizing them in a group. They will be provided in organizational micro finance programme.
• The Organization should keep continued the strong effort in building women empowerment in the society and the organization will always keep support on government policies in this regard as well as should assist to implement the policies.
• The organization should keep continued the efforts to provide services and to establish connection with technology in both male and female of rural community who are Left behind in development aspect.
• To involve poor and left behind women in income generating activities to increase family savings and fund through providing micro credit support.
• To empower  men and women of coastal dwellers in establishing human rights, disaster management, education as well as sustain able socio-economic development are the main view of the organization
• To provide necessary training to unprivileged people to build them skill manpower and human recourses.
• Unprivileged children, men and women and the person with disabilities are to be attached in the national development process.
• The Organization will keep continued the efforts to establish connectivity of vulnerable people with friendly environmental technology, technical and knowledge aiming to develop livelihood and reduction loses of assets during environmental disastrous situation and natural disaster.

Development Growth of the Organization:

As this area is most vulnerable to frequent disaster like cyclone and tidal flood and many people have to sacrifice their lives along with their assets a few dynamic professionals became influenced to assists the vulnerable people and involved themselves for the formation of a non profit development organization “Sagarika” in 1985. From the inception of the organization they have to fight against the social constraints and the natural disaster. Through their sweat, hard work and dedication now a days the “Sagarika” is a renowned development organization in the costal belt and implementing different activities exclusively for the enhancement of livelihood of the distressed, poor, ultra poor and ethnic groups or minorities.

Programming Principles:

Sagarika believes that the most vulnerable and distressed people posses the rights to reward fundamental and humanitarian privileges. The basic programming principle is “to enhance the capacity of most vulnerable and distressed people towards a sustainable development with all respects”.

Programming Approach:

Sagarika believes in the holistic programming approach. That is the involvement of all stratified people of a community or the society would play the catalytic role for the sustainable development. Addition active participation of different stakeholders in a program might reflect a synergetic effect so far.

Strategic issues of the organization:

• The community people would be able to ensure the food security along with other development opportunities.
• Community resources utilization and mobilization for sustainable development.
• The quality leader will emerge from the community and the community-based organization would be evolved to protect their rights.

The programmes/Projects were implemented and completed successfully in the scheduled time and as well also with the full satisfaction of respective donors and stakeholders.