ASWS

Learning, Innovating and Progressing Forward to a New Era of Development

            It’s been 3 years since ASWS embarked upon the journey to effectively contribute to development through employment generation.  Established by the some committed social worker in 2009, the apex organization has moved beyond the initial scope of bringing access to finance to the rural poor and the underprivileged of the society. ASWS has gained in depth understanding and valuable experiences over the last two years that resulted in better program design and implementation. In addition, the noteworthy achievement has been the progressive effort in developing non-financial programs that address the varied dimensions of development needs of the poor.

            ASWS has progressed to a new era of development by establishing a total household development strategy, which encompasses the development programs that addresses major social issues such as health and education among the poor. Capacity building initiatives and market linkage and development have become an intrinsic part of ASWS development programs. Working towards a total household development has become the central basis of our commitment

            ASWS comprises four core programs, two projects and one special program, amounting to three activities. In this fiscal year, ASWS has achieved visible results from its mainstream programs with rural micro-trade dominating ASWS’s performance in FY 2011. RMP, the largest component of ASWS, accounts for 41.5% of total FY disbursement reaching 70% of total number of borrowers. This is a mighty feat considering the total number of borrowers stands at 8.3 lakhs in FY 2011. Overall, core programs otherwise known as mainstream programs, has unparallel dominance accounting for over 83% of total disbursement of ASWS to clients in FY 2011. It also had a tremendous growth performance, over 36%, compared to last FY.

            Even though projects account for only 12% of total disbursement and almost 10% of total borrowers in FY 2011 much of the innovative learning is derived from ASWS’s projects. In FY 2011, disbursement in projects grew by 40.8% with Learning and Innovation Fund to Test New Ideas (LIFT) leading the pact with 65% of growth compared to FY 2011. Not all projects have microtrade component themselves as they often focus on non-financial development aspects of the targeted poor. One such example is Programmed Initiatives for Monga Eradication which works in Monga affected areas of Bangladesh. Monga is a Bangla word referring to the yearly cyclical phenomenon of poverty and hunger that occurs in different parts of the country. The project provides employment opportunities for the Monga season, emergency credit for households with a slightly higher income, consumption loans, primary health care and a carefully designed flexible credit support system. Microtrade component is supplemented by the core program, ultra poor program.  Project aims to build beneficiaries’ coping capacity, and improve their skills and resources to secure their own futures. The project has successfully reduced occasional starvation during Monga by 5%.

            ASWS’s special programs provide a much needed support services during natural disasters among other unexpected events that often have detrimental impact on the ultra poor. Special programs account for about 4.5% of total disbursement in ASWS with Rehabilitation of Non-Motorized Transport Pullers and Poor Owners dominating the pact with the disbursement of BDT 13 lakhs in FY 2011. Food Security for Vulnerable Group Development and Ultra Poor Beneficiaries program also does not have its own microfinance component; rather the focus is on providing much needed capacity building services as well as for smoothening of consumption patterns. In addition to this, the program also created a revolving risk fund, which compensates the beneficiaries/their spouse/family members during death of a family member or serious accidents.

            Last two years has been the period where innovative programs became integrated into the mainstream programs. One such example is the launching of agro-based program. Based on the knowledge derived from Microtrade for Marginal and Small Farmers Project. ASWS gathered critical experience and know how that helped it to launch the innovative initiative titled Agricultural Sector Micro-trade as a mainstream program. One of its salient features is capacity building on sustainable use of modern agricultural technology for the targeted farmers.

            ASWS has taken another bold initiative to launch a new comprehensive program focusing on integrated total household development for poverty alleviation in selected areas of the country. The program, launched on 7 July 2010, ensures the best utilization of the resources (tangible and intangible assets inclusive of financial) and human capabilities that a household is endowed with and enhancement of its resources and capabilities for undertaking other potential activities.  The approach has been entitled “Enhancing Resources and Increasing Capacities of Poor Households towards Elimination of their Poverty. The innovative approach has been initially implemented in 4 unions of Noagaon divisions of the country. The range of areas for advice and support to be provided to the households include the following: financial services including soft trade advance and grants if found necessary, health, education, skill development, bio-gas, energy-saving improved cooking stove, linkages with government and non-government service providers, agriculture, kitchen gardening, marketing, potential productive activities and micro enterprises, community cooperation, community approaches to disaster management, rural insurance, and overseas employment.

           

 

Mission Belief, Goal and approach:

            (a) Mission:

            Socio-economic development and human rights establishment of the poverty, stricken under privileged people and assured basic education  and good health, better living and help to disable people.          

            (b) ASWS’s Vision

            ASWS’s vision is to alleviate poverty and improve the quality of life of the poor – the landless and the asset less people by providing them with resources for creation of employment with a view to enhancing economic conditions.

 

            (c) Belief:

            Active Social Welfare Society believe that human being are both the subjects and objects development process as the existing social structure the poor people are trapped in the various circle of poverty and often victim of social  injustice and discrimination. They are outside in the mainstream development process potential remain unexposed cannot get enough help to their development.

 

            So, Active Social Welfare Society is working to facilities inner forces of the poor people which can bring a desirable socio-economic change for them. Active Social Welfare Society is assisting the poor people to be empowered in decision making process. When that appends people have change to improve their own societies. And become effective agent for social change. Emphasis in people's capacity building as well as their co-economic progress.

           

            (d) Goal:

            To work for the overall human and socio-economic development of the disadvantaged through implementing people based development program at grass root level and amalgamation their sustainable development.

 

 

            (e) Approaches:

            Active Social Welfare Society emphasizes on the principal of co-sanitation of poor people which involve them in planning as decision making process in every aspect in their lives. It is a process to make them conscious and aware so that can identity their problems and can find out its proper solution by them. Active Social Welfare Society is working as a catalyst to open the path of self reliance for the poor people by ensuring their affective participation in the development process through generating capital and building people's organization.