BRAC

BRAC is an international development organization headquartered in Bangladesh, founded in 1972 by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed after the independence of Bangladesh. Initially, BRAC started as a small relief organization, but it soon expanded its focus to development programs. BRAC's mission is to empower people and communities in poverty to improve their lives and achieve their full potential through access to education, healthcare, microfinance, and other services.

In order to receive foreign donations, BRAC is registered under the NGO Affairs Bureau of the Government of Bangladesh. As of September 2016, BRAC is the largest non-governmental development organization in the world in terms of number of employees, with over 90,000 staff members. Roughly 70 percent of BRAC's employees are women.

BRAC has a wide range of programs and services that reach more than 126 million people across the world. The organization is present in all 64 districts of Bangladesh and has a presence in 11 other countries in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Apart from receiving donations, BRAC is partly self-funded through several social enterprises, including a dairy and food project, a chain of retail handicraft stores called Aarong, and seed, Agro, and chicken businesses. These social enterprises provide employment opportunities for people and generate income for the organization.

BRAC's programs and services cover a range of areas, including education, healthcare, microfinance, agriculture, and more. The organization operates schools, health clinics, and vocational training centers, among other things. It also provides microfinance services to help people start and grow their businesses.

BRAC (formerly known as the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) was founded in 1972 by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed in response to the devastation caused by the Bangladesh Liberation War. Initially, BRAC focused on providing relief to refugees, but it soon shifted its focus to development programs to address the root causes of poverty in Bangladesh.

In the early years, BRAC's development efforts focused on building schools and providing education to children in rural areas. BRAC also established health clinics and provided healthcare services to rural communities. In addition, BRAC started providing microfinance services to help people start and grow their businesses.

In the 1980s, BRAC's programs expanded to include agriculture, livestock, and fisheries. The organization also started providing training and employment opportunities for women in rural areas.

In the 1990s, BRAC's programs continued to grow, and the organization started to expand beyond Bangladesh's borders. BRAC began operating in other countries in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, providing development programs and services to people in need.

In the early 2000s, BRAC's microfinance program became one of the largest in the world, with millions of borrowers. The organization also expanded its focus to include social enterprises, such as Aarong, a chain of retail handicraft stores that provides employment opportunities for artisans in rural areas.

Today, BRAC is the largest non-governmental development organization in the world in terms of number of employees. The organization has a wide range of programs and services that reach millions of people in Bangladesh and other countries. BRAC's work is focused on empowering people and communities to improve their lives and achieve their full potential.

BRAC's impact on the communities it serves has been significant. Since its founding in 1972, the organization has played a critical role in poverty reduction and sustainable development in Bangladesh and other countries.

One of the most significant impacts of BRAC's work has been in the area of education. The organization has established a large network of schools that provide quality education to children in rural areas. BRAC's schools have been credited with increasing literacy rates and improving the overall educational attainment of children in Bangladesh.

BRAC has also had a significant impact on healthcare in rural areas. The organization operates health clinics and provides healthcare services to communities in need. BRAC's healthcare programs have helped to reduce the incidence of preventable diseases and improve the overall health of people in rural areas.

Another important impact of BRAC's work has been in the area of microfinance. The organization's microfinance program has helped to promote economic growth and reduce poverty by providing access to financial services to people who may not have had access otherwise. BRAC's microfinance program has been credited with helping millions of people start and grow their businesses.

BRAC's social enterprises, such as Aarong, have also had a significant impact on employment and income generation in rural areas. These enterprises provide employment opportunities for people in rural areas, helping to generate income and promote economic growth.