- Tel: +8802477730146, +8802477726173
- Email: atmzakir@gmail.com
A confident, total responsive and equitable society
JJS is an environmental & social development organization working since 1998 in the South-West region of Bangladesh. The inception was in 1985 as a volunteer organization at Talimpur village of Rupsha Upazila, Khulna district. A group of young people led by Mr. ATM Zakir Hossain of the village came forward for the development of their village by establishing a school for the children of the Rishi (Horizon) community. They continued their activities and expanded the area of work and coverage. In 1998, the organization got legal status by registering with Social Welfare and later from NGO affairs Bureau in 1991.
JJS works in several regions of the country with main base in the South-West region (with Head Office in Khulna).it deals deal with pro-poor issues and the works e poor occupational groups, vulnerable women & children and socially excluded people. From the inception JJS is continuously trying to address the contemporary poverty discourse of the country (in regional base) and trying to implement different strategic options to reduce the e poverty. It also incorporates civil society and other social elements to work together. JJS is always trying to perceive development from a rights view point and continue questioning any development philosophies or approaches within the light of ethnic diversity, culture, practice and values of Bangladesh.
| 1984 | Talimpur village under Rupsha upazila (Sub-district) was underdeveloped in context of road communication, education and income generation. At this situation, Teenaged Zakir Hossain thought to do something for the development of the locality. Two friends of Zakir- Mujib and Ratan, organized first youth meeting where they decided to engage into social work for the development of their community. They repaired local roads and were giving free Bangla and mathematics lesson to children after school hours. Their voluntary work was appreciated by the community and community people played supportive role, so shaping of a youth organization initiated. |
| 1985 | This organization was named as “Youth Action Group”. |
| 1986 | Established its first primary school for the children of The Rishi (an untouched group of that community) with the support of the local community who extended their hands by providing materials and money. |
| 1987 | Zakir Hossain joins an international work camp organized by Service Civil International (SCI) where he met national and international volunteers. Participants encouraged him to form an NGO. After his coming back, Youth action group joined the Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh (ADAB). |
| 1988 | Gained registration from Social Service Department, but forced to drop the name, as it sounded “too political”. A new name Jagrata Juba Shangha (JJS) that means Conscious Youth Organization was adopted. JJS gained first formal donation in the form of one typewriter from a national NGO affiliated with SCI. JJS received funding from ADAB to provide disaster relief to the Rampal Union of Parikhali. |
| 1989 | Received monetary support from OXFAM and IVS for receiving training on development management and Started group formation |
| 1989 | Received donation from Australian High Commission for group formation savings & credit and management training. |
| 1990 | Received a three-year funding commitment from the Hong Kong base Asia Partnership for Human development (APHD) forgroup formation, Adult Literacy, child literacy and social afforestation. JJS received financial support from UNICEF, CARITAS, and NGO FORUM for drinking water and World Vision for its water & sanitation project components. |
| 1991 | BRAC extended support to introduce and establish non-formal primary education (NFPE) centers in Rupsha Upazila (sub-district) |
| 1993-1994 | International Voluntary Services (IVS), South Asian Partnership (SAP) and CAMPE extended financial support to JJS to expand its credit, Adult Literacy, social afforestation and NFPE program. CARE provides support to JJS to introduce family planning. This is primarily in the form of seconded staff. APHD continues to provide funding support to JJS beyond the initial three years contracts. |
| 1995 | Actionaid started support to JJS for implementing an AIDS education, water and sanitation NFPE programs inside the brothel of Baniashanta and in the surrounding slum areas. |
| 1996 | HASAB began financing an STD/AIDS awareness program in the Rupsha urban area. Actionaid Bangladesh conducts workshop to clarify JJS mission, vision and values. |
| 1997-1999 | STD/AIDS education program in Char Rupsha sponsored by HASAB. AIDS education; water and sanitation; and NFPE program was continuing by the support of Actionaid. Roadside tree plantation project completed in 1998 funded by IFFD- CARE. Homestead Gardening project with Helen Keller International is also mentionable and successful project under JJS |
| 2000-2002 | Emergency Relief operation in Satkhira, Jessore and Jhinaidah in association with Care Bangladesh; Emergency Relief operation at Koyra with Concern Worldwide was conducted; Access to justice and good governance project at Rupsha and Terokhada upazilla started with Madaripur Legal Aid Association. Started to work with new like Bothends . |
| 2003 | Child Protection: Community Mechanism and National Policy project was also undertaken during this time with other previous projects continuing successfully. Other project named Human Rights Education Project with MSS started. |
| 2004 | HIV/AIDS Prevention Project was undertaken during this year in association with Ministry of Women and Family Welfare and UNICEF. Other projects like Local Governance with Wave Foundation and Socially Disadvantage People Project with Concern Bangladesh were also undertaken during this year. |
| 2005 | Food Security for Sustainable Households Livelihood project started during this time which was supported by ActionAid Bangladesh and European Commission. Knowledge Promotion for Conserving the Sundarbans started in this year with help of Bothends. |
| 2006 | Projects like HIV/AIDS Prevention Project and Human Rights Education Project reached its completion whereas important projects like Environmental Education for Mangrove Forest Conservation, Prevention of Acid Violence through awareness Building and Control over Acid Selling and Access to justice and Good governance started in this year. Project with UNDP named Comprehensive Disaster Management Project was undertaken by JJS . |
| 2007 | With the successful completion of Long term development project and Food Security for Sustainable Households Livelihood project JJS started other projects like Governance Performance Monitoring Project with Manusher Jonno Foundation at Fakirhat Upazila. |
| 2007-2008 | A major project named HIV/AIDS Targeted Intervention Prevention Project with UNICEF successfully started and reached its completion in this year. After the Cyclone Sidr JJS took Several initiatives and projects to support the affected people and was introduced with a new partnering agency named Shapla Neer. |
| 2009 | Several Projects like Rehabilitation of Sidr Affected People by Restoring Livelihood Keeping Adolescent as Change Makers and Early Recovery Support to Cyclone AILA Affected People in Bangladesh along with other emergency relief project went underway and were successfully reached completion. |
| 2010 | Governance Performance Monitoring Project came to an end and started a new project named Responsiveness of Union Parishad through Social Accountability with the same partner, Manuser Jonno Foundation. |
| NGO Affairs Bureau | NGO Affairs Bureau, DhakaRegistration Number: 428,Date:09 January 1991 |
| Department of Social Welfare, Khulna | Department of Social Welfare, KhulnaRegistration Number: 418Date: 16 April 1988 |
| PADOR registration | BD-2008-EAM-0112802275 |
| TIN number | 412-400-2089/Co-2 |
| Others | Microcredit Regulatory authority, Dhaka Registration Number: 50Date: 05 September 2007 |
Poor people’s constituency is decreasing day by day. Confrontational politics have made them more marginalized and up to a certain extent excluded from the society. They cannot just take part in most of the important decision making processes even at the grass root level whether they are directly affected by the decisions. Last year JJS tried to focus primarily on people’s access to information, as information is the key ingredient to mobilize people to fight for their rights. From last year’s experience of Information Campaign on Public Health Services, it is seemed that it created a “right storm” in the locality of Rupsha and Koyra upazilas of Khulna district. This storm not only affected the common people but also to the duty bearers as well. This storm brought a positive impact among the common people by sensitizing them for their constitutional entitlements. This outcome made a good progress of the “Campaign for Responsive Governance”.
Achieve sustainable improvements in livelihoods and basic services of poor and disadvantaged people, combat environmental degeneration, protect farmer’s rights and promote environment friendly local resource based agricultural practices. Bangladesh is facing numerous environmental problems among them some are very distinctive for the Khulna region. Among those natural disasters, deforestation, loss of biodiversity in the Sundarbans Forest, increasing salinity due to excessive commercial aquaculture, arsenic contamination, intensified land use and land pollution by the unplanned use of fertilizer, pesticides etc are very common issues.
JJS will give attention to make the poor & marginal farmers and forest users organized, sensitized about the potentials of indigenous knowledge and practice of farming and foresting. The program will also assist them raising their voice to protect local bio-diversity and claim their rights over natural resources. JJS has already started working on eco-farming and local seed network for the conservation of local plant varieties, which will be more strengthened in future to gain a secured livelihood of the poor farmers.
JJS aims to establish an exploitation free environment for commercial sex workers and raise awareness on HIV/AIDS, women and child trafficking among the vulnerable people. Khulna region falls within the major route of trafficking due to its geographic location. Trafficking of women and children is a major threat for the poor and marginal people, who can get trapped very easily by the exploitation and temptation of the traffickers. In 2002 JJS has launched a campaign on “Human Rights of Bonded sex workers”. The main aim of this campaign is to free sex workers from bonded status and create breathing space for the workers and their children to enjoy their human rights. JJS is also aiming to continue its awareness-raising activities on STD, HIV/AIDS in the local area as well as in the two brothels. Here is the glimpse of major activities under this thematic area.
This programme aims to establish support systems to improve quality of primary education and to raise awareness for quality education with special emphasis on child rights. JJS believes that education is the basic component for socio-economic transformation and advancement of our country. It is the prime ingredient of human resource development. The overall literacy rate in Bangladesh is about 60-66 percent (2000). While spending in education sector has increased noticeably over the years, the quality and relevance of the public sector education system is continuing to decline, especially for poor households. Current educational programmes are inadequate to address issues such as lack of access to education especially for families living poor or remote areas of the country, shortage and/or inefficient use of government and donors resources, lack of motivation and poor quality teaching. With the deterioration of education quality, increasing poverty and moral construction of the youths is getting damaged and as a result many of them easily go down into the flow of drug addiction, juvenile delinquency etc. in addition to improving state education institutions accountability to community, there is massive need for programmes increasing opportunities and benefits for young people from poor families at post-primary level both from GO and NGO level.
We believe that education is the most fundamental right of citizens consequently basic level education should be provided by public sector. Therefore JJS has decided to decrease its direct educational services at primary and adult education level; however it aims to grant greater emphasis on enhancing the quality of services and access for the poor people.
Strengthen disaster preparedness initiatives and ensure rapid and efficient response during disaster period. JJS works for disaster management and capacity building with local government bodies at district, upazila and union level, prepare hazard mapping and do vulnerability analysis for disaster preparedness. Besides, JJS works for disaster response like relief and rehabilitation for the disaster affected people in and around its working areas.
JJS has a General Board of 25 members and is the supreme body of the organisation that elects members for the Executive Committee in democratic processes.
Executive Committee (EC) of JJS consists of 7 members. Members are elected in every three years interval. The list of present EC committee is given in the following table.
| Category |
Total staff by Sex
|
||
|
Total
|
Female
|
Male
|
|
| Governing Level |
7
|
3
|
4
|
| Senior Level |
6
|
2
|
4
|
| Mid Level |
15
|
2
|
13
|
| Junior Level |
62
|
41
|
21
|
| Support Staff |
21
|
4
|
17
|
| Total Staff |
111
|
52
|
59
|
