ABOUT RAC-Bangladesh

Rural Advancement Committee for Bangladesh (RAC-Bangladesh) born in Bajitpur under Kishoreganj District of Bangladesh which is a very remote and Haor (wetland) area. As it issurrounded by water, so the communication with main-land is very poor. Every year the people of Bajitpur is experienced by flash flood and flood, upstream water triggered the flash flood situation in low lying areas Bajitpur and adjacent Upazilas. The flash flood and flood hit the areas and bring huge damages in the lives and livelihood of the community. Poor communication, lack of electricity, huge illiteracy inadequate educationa lnstitutions and lack of awareness heavily affect the lives and livelihood of the haor community. Naturally, Haor has got different Haoracteristics in terms of facing climate change effects and seasonal disasters which lead to huge migration and shifting of professions resulted a vicious cycle of poverty.The Haor community belongs their own culture and have own way to maintain their livelihood with huge backwardness which mislead them with prejudice,ignorance, illiteracy, dowry, early marriage, and depriving from basic rights. All these disasters cause homelessness, loss of agricultural lands, livestock and assets of the affected people. Side by side, water-bond diseases spread out which effect the people especially, the women and children. All these disasters are the regular phenomenon for the Haor community which causes huge vulnerabilities that lead to poverty. Geographically, the area is surrounded by water in rainy season and isolated from the main land and deprived from the process of development. The situation was worse before 28 years. Under these circumstances, RAC-Bangladesh was born in March 1992 to stand by the side of the vulnerable community and to bring about specific changes in the lives and livelihood of the Haor community. RAC-Bangladesh came across a challenging period of 28 years of its journey of fighting against the disasters with special emphasis to reduce the vulnerabilities of the Haor community. Since1992, RAC-Bangladesh has been working in different areas of development to bring about sustainable socio-economic changes in the lives and livelihood of the poor and marginalized Haor community. It has emerged based on the needs of the disaster-affected poor community. The gradual development of RAC-Bangladesh happened based on the changing needs of the community ensuringcommunity participation and effective implementation of community-centered programs at the grassroots level. At present, RAC-Bangladesh programs have been expanded its geographicalcoverage in other Haor areas.