In the ever-evolving landscape of humanitarian services in Bangladesh, hundreds of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and charities have been serving the poor, destitute, and needy. Some of them have even earned global reputations and accolades for the country. However, a leading but little-known organization has recently caught my attention with its unique nature of remaining out of the limelight despite running a wealth of effective philanthropic endeavors.
This is no other than the Social Agency for Welfare and Advancement in Bangladesh (SAWAB). Registered as an NGO, SAWAB was established by several enlightened social workers, educationists, and philanthropists in 1995. It is a non-profit and non-political organization that has been taking concrete steps to alleviate poverty and improve the quality of people’s lives. The working areas of SAWAB most notably include education, health, poverty alleviation, relief and rehabilitation, sanitation, and climate change adaptation.
Through its comprehensive moves, SAWAB has long been contributing to the endeavors of the government of Bangladesh to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030. And almost all the programs and projects of SAWAB pertain to different goals of sustainable development. When it comes to serving humanity, SAWAB is second to only a handful of organizations and charities in Bangladesh. Nevertheless, I have found SAWAB to Since its establishment, SAWAB has helped approximately 400,000 students and offered health services to more than 500,000 families. It has provided with income-generating tools to 200,000 families, while some 150,000 women have received sewing and handicraft training from the organization. The philanthropic body has ensured safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities for 750,000 families and given relief and emergency aid to more than 1002,782 people. It has also distributed non-food items among more than 15,680 beneficiaries, while its seasonal program has covered 750,000 families. SAWAB has a team of 5,000 volunteers from all over the country. It has helped establish 725 houses and 6 learning centers across multiple camps for Rohingyas. The organization has distributed 2000 tons of rice and 60 containers of In-Kind Gifts including cloth, kitchen tools, and baby kits to over 700,000 Rohingya refugees.
In line with its vision to establish a just society, SAWAB has assisted some 191,497 people by undertaking 56 projects across the country in 2022. However, the total number of beneficiaries of the organization was 304,035 in 2021. In 2022, SAWAB conducted a total of 12 humanitarian programs in 21 districts: Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Kurigram, Jamalpur, Netrokona, Sunamganj, Sylhet, Pabna, Kushtia, Dhaka, Chandpur, Comilla, Noakhali, Cox’s Bazaar, Barisal, Patuakhali, Bagerhat, Khulna, and Satkhira. From its education program, more than 3,000 people benefited directly and indirectly, while over 35000 people reaped dividends from its health program last year. The number of beneficiaries of the wash program exceeded 15000, while the shelter program aided over 4000 poor people.
SAWAB lifted more than 110 people out of poverty, while its seasonal program benefited over 150,000 people in the year. Its women empowerment program assisted over 26000 people, and the climate change adaptation program supported 600 people. The tremendous achievements of SAWAB have reminded me of the well-known statement of the Father of the Nation of India, Mahatma Gandhi: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” I reckon that SAWAB has been the epitome of this statement by choosing to help the destitute quietly with almost no publicity. Talking to this writer, SM Rasheduzzaman, chairman of SAWAB, said that his organization is cautious about the dignity of its beneficiaries. It regards them as stakeholders, not the needy. “We believe that helping people in need is our moral responsibility, not generosity, and therefore, we treat our beneficiaries with due respect,” he added.
