Bangladesh is a fertile country and is often referred to as Asia's green jewel. More than 700 rivers meander through this small country in South Asia, which is one of the world's most densely populated. Its people live along a delta of rivers that empty into the Bay of Bengal. It is a place that is low-lying and particularly vulnerable to flooding and cyclones. It stands to be badly affected by any rise in sea levels.
Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated states in the world and one of the poorest countries in Asia. Gender discrimination is still widespread, especially in rural areas. We fight poverty by empowering individuals, families, and communities, and have a special focus on girls' and women's rights.
Socio-economic empowerment - SEEDS
To contribute to economic development, we organise the vulnerable and young people into self-help groups and advocate for their basic rights. Participants and their families are helped to plan their lives and gain new economic opportunities.
Children
Minority children receive educational instruction in their mother tongue, as well as through kindergartens supported by Strømme Foundation.
The Adolescent Empowerment Programme - Shonglap
Through the adolescent empowerment programme, Shonglap, we work to give young girls faith in themselves and knowledge about their rights, to empower them to decide over their own lives. The course also provides them with training in simple vocations with the goal to provide them with an economic platform they can build upon.
Shonglap and the self-help groups help to strengthen girls' and women's rights in society. They simultaneously help to prevent and deter child marriage, the dowry system, and child labour.
Bangladesh comprises of fertile land, and a large part of the population receives an income from agriculture. However, annual floods and soil erosion make the country vulnerable, and migration to major cities is a consequence of this. For this reason, we also work to fight poverty through increasing people’s knowledge and awareness of the best agriculture practices.
Read more: http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/BGD