What we do
Friendship works together with vulnerable people in remote communities in Bangladesh to help them transform their lives.
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY
We implement six core programmes in an integrated approach (see below).
Our work with the poor began with Healthcare, but it soon became clear that to make a lasting impact on people’s lives we had to resolve other issues at the same time to break the cycle.
HEALTH
SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
EDUCATION
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION & DISASTER MANAGEMENT
INCLUSIVE CITIZENSHIP
CULTURAL PRESERVATION
Our lastest articles and stories
A Brave New World
by Runa Khan, back from Davos Davos, the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, is a gathering of the cream of market leaders who are driving the change in our world today. Over 3,000 leaders in different fields and 53 heads of state, attended its 50th iteration...
I got an A+
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTaWRBQef6g Results time has traditionally been a time for celebrations at Friendship schools, since our students are used to outperforming their peers around the country in spite of their relatively underprivileged circumstances. “The...
Socrates in School – an ethical education
Artwork by 10-year-old Samima, student of a Friendship Learning Centre in the Rohingya refugee camps. Building people with character is core to strengthening the future of our planet by Claire Hamid Many of us learn ethics simply through the inevitable turbulence of...
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Latest news
Eighteen years ago, we were shocked at what we saw in the char (riverine island) areas in northern Bangladesh. Children were dying of such simple ailments as diarrhoea because there was no medical care available anywhere. These were landscapes were no permanent structures could be built because the land was constantly eroding.
Today, in these same villages, there is a Friendship Community Medic-Aide (FCM) who monitors the entire population on an app on her mobile phone. She can diagnose common conditions before they become life-threatening, and refer those that need advanced medical attention to nearby Friendship hospitals. She is known to every member of the village, and always a mere phone call away.
Last year, 899,085 health services delivered by 680 FCMs.
#everysmilematters #HealthForAll #healthcomesfirst #healthcareprofessional #globalhealth #floatinghospital #Friendshipngo #WorldHealthOrganization #smilebright
"All my life I have tried to say that I was something other than a princess," said Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium, speaking about her roots and how she became a journalist and then an activist for women's rights and the environment; including her arrest during an extinction Rebellion demonstration in London.
“My grandmother (Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Belgium), was an extraordinary woman, a free-thinker and with her outspokenness, she was important to me as a symbol,” she says.
bit.ly/3a3uFoF
#FriendshipNGO
Bangladeshi authorities demand the shutdown of 231 illegal factories following High Court order to save the heart of Dhaka, the Buriganga river.
“The Buriganga used to provide Dhaka’s drinking water, and now it’s toxic and black,” said Bernard Smith, News Correspondent at Al Jazeera English.
38 more rivers which are on the verge of dying due to unbridled #pollution and land grabbing, now have finally have a hope to be saved. #climateaction #waterpollution #climatecrisis #climatechange Green Climate Fund
Bangladesh factories ordered shut to save Dhaka's river
The main river that used to be Dhaka's source of drinking water is now toxic.“Rashedul’s getting his vaccinations. I’m really grateful to the Friendship Community Medic-aide. She planned the visits to hospital, told us about the free boat service, and scheduled all the vaccinations. As a mother, it’s a real relief to know that my son is now able to get his vaccines and that he’s protected against some serious diseases”– Rashedul’s mother, Karai, Barisal char
Rashedul is 6 months old. He was born and lives in a highly remote area of Bangladesh making it very difficult and costly to reach the nearest hospital. Access to their island is only by boat and there are no scheduled boat services where his parents live. His mother, Anisa, was therefore not able to take him to receive his vaccinations putting him at risk of various diseases. She heard from a local Friendship Community Medic-aide that Friendship offers vaccination support services to local communities, as well as a free ferry service to reach the designated location. She scheduled appointments for Rashedul to receive his vaccinations and he is now receiving them as he should.
In Bangladesh, only 63% of infants receive all antigens at the right time and at appropriate intervals. 104,679 vaccinations have been given to children less than 2 years of age under EPI (Extended Programme for Immunization) programme and 31,703 tetanus vaccine given to adolescent and pregnant women in collaboration with the government in 2019.
#everysmilematters #childrights #vaccination #healthforall #maternalhealth #childhealth #floatinghospital #friendshipngo #healthfirst
A big thanks to Luxembourg Times for the shoutout! Come drop by our Friendship Colours of the Chars store at 43, Grand-Rue, Luxembourg w/ traditional #handwoven, #naturaldye and #ecofriendly lifestyle products from Bangladesh.
#streetstylelu #fashioncapital #luxembourg #luxembourgcity #luxembourgville #luxembourglife #luxembourgeshopping #letzebuerg #ethicalfashionbrand #ethicalfashioninitiative #handmadecraft #organiccottonfabric
আজ আন্তর্জাতিক মাতৃভাষা দিবস।
আমরা প্রতিমুহূর্তে আমাদের মনের ভাব প্রকাশ করি যে ভাষায়, সেই ভাষার প্রতি শ্রদ্ধা থাকুক সবসময়। আর একমাত্র আমরাই এই অধিকার আদায়ে জীবন দিয়েছি। ফ্রেন্ডশিপ অবনতচিত্তে স্বরণ করছে মহান ভাষা শহীদদের যাঁদের আত্মত্যাগের বিনিময়ে আমরা পেয়েছি মায়ের ভাষায় কথা বলার অধিকার।
একুশের চেতনায় মাতৃভাষার জন্য থাকুক ভালোবাসা।
#IMLD #motherlanguage #MotherLanguageDay #1952 #languagemovement #Friendshipngo #GlobalDignity
In 1994, a river barge was sailed from France to Bangladesh and donated to the service of the people of Bangladesh. The barge was converted into Friendship’s first floating hospital and began its work in 2002 under the direction of Runa Khan (Founder and Executive Director). Since then it has been performing life-changing surgeries at no cost to communities who have little or no access to this kind of healthcare. Last year Friendship’s hospital ships delivered 157,307 health services. #everysmilematters #healthforall #healthcomesfirst #healthcareprofessional #globalhealth #floatinghospital #friendshipngo
Take a look at our Friendship Colours of the Chars store at 43, Grand-Rue, Luxembourg w/traditional #handwoven, #naturaldye and #ecofriendly lifestyle products from Bangladesh.
#streetstylelu #fashioncapital #luxembourg #luxembourgcity #luxembourgville #luxembourglife #luxembourgeshopping #letzebuerg #ethicalfashionbrand #ethicalfashioninitiative #handmadecraft #organiccottonfabric
The ramen noodles is a fine touch! Beautiful store.
“I was worried because I heard this type of surgery takes almost 10 thousand taka which was tough for me to afford as I am not financially well off. I am really grateful to Friendship for their free medical assistance. If my daughter-in-law suffers a uterine prolapse, I will take her to Friendship for the treatment as their quality and approach are really good.” – Yeren, Shakhahati Char
It was very difficult to move and do household work for Yeren (60 years old) after she suffered a severe uterine prolapse. She didn’t go for a surgery early since the cost of the surgery was way beyond her affordability. But her son came to know about Friendship hospital and the facilities available and brought her to Emirates Friendship Hospital. She was diagnosed and went through a surgery by a foreign surgeon free of cost. Now, Yeren is doing a lot better, and free of the health problems that were inhibiting her everyday life.
In Bangladesh, it is estimated that about 16 women per 1 maternal death suffer from various diseases related to pregnancy and childbirth e.g. obstetric fistula, uterine prolapse, anaemia, etc. To combat maternal mortality and various diseases related to pregnancy, Friendship delivers maternal care including antenatal and postpartum care, deploys 16 community skilled birth attendants covering 16,000 households, and provides family planning services.
#everysmilematters #healthymother #womenhealth #maternalhealth #healthywomen #healthcomesfirst #friendshipngo #healthfirst
“We are giving education to those who have been discriminated... We are not only giving them #education but also hope. Friendship has been working very well from the beginning,” said Bibek Sharma Poudyal, Education Specialist, #UNICEF Cox’s Bazar at the workshop on the operations of 220 Learning Centres funded by UNICEF Bangladesh and built and operated by Friendship. #FriendshipNGO #Bangladesh #everysmilematters #childrights #humanitarian #Myanmar #LearningCenter #children
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