ABOUT US
FRIENDSHIP’S STORY
Our work began by making healthcare more accessible to them. In 1994, a river barge was sailed from France to Bangladesh and donated for use by 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).
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 of poverty…learn more.
HOW WE HELP
To improve the lives of these poor communities, we focus our support on six programmes:
EVERYDAY PEOPLE DIE FROM EASILY PREVENTABLE DISEASES.
Our vision
A world where people, especially the hard to reach and unaddressed, will have equal opportunity to live with dignity and hope.

Our mission
To strengthen marginalised communities and empower people to reach their full potential through a sustainable, integrated development approach.

Our core values
- Integrity
- Dignity
- Quality
- Justice
- Hope

AWARDS
2016 – Aga Khan Award for Architecture
2014 – Business Excellence Award
2014 – Social Innovation Leadership Award
2012 – Social Entrepreneur Award
2008 – Islamic Development Bank Award
2006 – Rolex Award for Enterprise
2003 – Women Entrepreneurship Award
1994 – Ashoka Fellowship
Rolex Awards For Enterprise
Watch this video where Runa Khan describes the importance of preserving Bangladesh’s boat-building heritage. In 2006, Rolex Awards for Enterprise selected Runa to be an Associate Laureate for her contribution to Bangladesh’s cultural heritage. To learn more about Friendship’s work on preserving Bangladesh’s boat-building heritage click here