Our Programs

This is an important component of SETU’s poverty alleviation program. SETU contributes to agricultural growth by providing agricultural loan to its group members against cultivation of onion and garlic, maize, paddy, potato, banana, vegetable, sunflower, etc. Under financial assistance of PKSF and banks SETU has been implementing the program in its working area. Beside this SETU provides credit supports to fish culture, poultry and goat rearing activities to its group members.

SETU distributes seeds and seedlings of vegetables, fruits and woods trees among farmers of SETU’s working area to utilize homestead lands. SETU undertakes this program with its own fund to assist government initiative in order to promote vegetables and wood production. This initiative encourages the farmers to utilize their fallow lands in productive purposes.

SETU introduced beef fattening program initially with its own source. It proves as a profitable venture and able to earn additional income, create employment for small farm household members specially unemployed members like housewives & youths.

Later SETU strengthened the program with financial support from PKSF and banks covering greater population of working area. SETU’s rearers meet a considerable portion of cattle demand of city dwellers during the Eid festival.

Achievement of beef fattening program of June 2024 is shown in the table below: 

SETU implements livelihood restoration program (LRP) for victims of natural disasters like flood, river bank erosion etc. by providing essential goods like emergency food, cloths, medicine, blankets and interest- free loan. Flood victims of Chilmari char under Daulotpur upazila and river bank erosion victims of Bahadurpur under Pangsha upazila of Rajbari districts got LRP support.

Water supply and sanitation (WSS) interventions that can ensure safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) along with adequate and healthy food and quality health care are critical to hygiene promotion and the good health of all humans. For the improvement in the WSS sector, the Government of Bangladesh has been implementing a set of comprehensive policies and strategies. But the key challenge is to translate these policies and strategies into concrete actions, especially since this requires a well-coordinated set of measures by multiple stakeholders.

SETU implements the Sanitation, Hygiene Education and Water Supply (GOB-UNICEF) program in Meherpur district under the financial and technical assistance of UNICEF, DPHE & DFID. A variety of activities have been carried out in the field to wage social mobilization for achieving the targets.

SETU has been working on climate Justice focusing the issue from rights and justice perspective. Climate change is a world concern but it is very important for Bangladesh due to its geographical location.

The NGO raises the climate justice issue at local, regional and global level through different forums. It attempts to strengthen public opinion on climate justice involving the GOs, NGOs, CSOs, CBOs, media and other professionals.

A fundamental view of climate justice is that those who are at least responsible for climate change suffer its gravest consequences. The effect of climate change are felt most acutely by people who are least responsible for causing the problems and are bearing the burden of rich countries’ over consumption of our planet resources.

In this connection SETU promotes interventions like mainstreaming climate change adaptation into policies and programs, integrating climate justice issues in educational curriculums, disseminating climate change information to vulnerable communities for raising consciousness in climate justice, empowering the vulnerable communities on claiming climate justice and human rights, thus accelerates their socio economic development.

SETU undertakes vermicomposting program to guide the farmers about the appropriate use of vermicompost by organizing various training and extension activities. This helps in the augmentation of organic farming and popularization of vermicomposting for environmental sustainability in SETU’s working area involving male/female farmers. In this reporting period SETU so far achieved following progress in vermicompost promotion:

Male/female farmers are working on vermicompost preparation and use in different villages of Kushtia sadar, Mirpur and Kumarkhali upazila area.  As a need to guide the farmers about vermicomposting SETU provides on-the-field training and motivation to the farmers. They prepares vermicompost schemes in ring slabs, apply in their crop fields using gained knowledge. Many farmers implements vermicomposting to meet their additional needs, some farmers also sell vermicompost to other farmers after meeting their needs.

As a demonstration effect many neighboring farmers come ahead to prepare and use vermicompost in their crop fields. Some photographs show the vermicompost preparation schemes of farmers of different villages of the upazilas.

SETU’s RAISE project is being implemented in urban and peri-urban areas with the joint funding of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and the World Bank aiming to enhance earning opportunities for low-income youth impacted by COVID-19. The services include skill acquisition through informal apprenticeship, business management training, access to credit etc.

SETU started the project in 2023 and achieved mentionable progress:

In course of implementing the project SETU involves unemployed youth in suitable employment through providing different supports under 13 trades apprenticeship components.

In skill acquisition component required fund was disbursed among youth entrepreneurs who are being provided Business Management and Entrepreneurship Development training.

Under COVID-19 affected small entrepreneurs’ capacity development component youth entrepreneurs were provided credits. They were also given Risk Management and Business Continuity (RMBC) training for successful implementation of the project.

SETU promotes awareness on health with the help of medical assistant among the stakeholders as an essential service. SETU initiates advocacy with government departments and service providing NGOs to enhance quality health facilities. Mentionable results of the program are: access raised to claim health service from existing government facilities, health awareness improved among women and knowledge level upgraded on reproductive health, safe water use and sanitation.

SETU organizes and mobilizes CSOs, CBOs, parents, teachers, stakeholders and people in general towards achieving education for all.

SETU facilitates 100% enrollment in primary schools. Since 1986 the NGO has been implementing mass education, functional education, adult education, non-formal primary education through conducting education centers. Beside these SETU has been Promoting Science Education (PSE) in secondary schools level through implementing different activities.

In this perspective SETU undertakes need based, lifelong education and ensure the full enjoyment of the right to education.

SETU has been implementing popularization of science education project with students of 30 secondary schools and madrasas of Mirpur Upazila of Kushtia district under financial assistance of Bangladesh Freedom Foundation (BFF). Project activities are going on in full swing which includes sensitization meeting with parents and teachers, reformation of science club, arrange school base science fair, sharing workshop with a teachers of schools and madrasa.

Moreover SETU extended popularization of science education project in Doulatpur Upazila with its own funding. Ten numbers of schools and madrasa of Refayetpur, Pearpur, Moricha, Pragpur and Adabaria Union were included under the project. SETU already organized sharing workshop with teachers in Doulatpur education office. Beside this science club formation in those schools were also completed.

Under this program SETU distributes higher education scholarship among students of different institutions. Besides the organization assists students of poor families to purchase books and education materials as well as admission support.

Capacity building is a routine work in SETU’s development program. SETU organizes different training programs for its staff members which are facilitated by senior staff of the organization. This training courses include:

• Organizational development
• Accounts Management
• HR Management
• Study and Survey
• Automation

Beside these SETU participated in different courses of national & international level such as interpersonal communication & risk management, use of digital media & internet for high impact, campaign on development issues and so on.

SETU digitalized all its offices, programs and activities to make the organization works more dynamic, transparent and accountable. All branches are equipped with IT facilities.

As an initiative of technological empowerment through ICT, SETU provides management training and technical assistance to its staff members with a view to enabling them in utilizing Information Communication Technology in their respective fields. This empowers them to cope with the modern challenges in performing daily duties. In this regard SETU organized series of courses/activities on automation, networking, MIS, data analysis using its computer facilities and loan collection through using mobile/TAB. Already all offices of SETU were connected with online network, facilitating quick dissemination of information on a regular basis. Obviously this technological empowerment of staff through ICT results in speedy and fruitful performance of organizational work.

Empowering the people towards involvement in democratic process is essential. Democracy education for active citizen is indeed an urgent task of the day. With this view SETU undertakes democracy education program with participation of national and international organizations. This program includes: training, observation, mobilization, monitoring, media campaign etc. Mentionable that SETU is associated with National Democratic Institute (NDI) in carrying out democracy education.

Gender equity is the key actor for human development. It contributes in promoting economy, social harmony, peace and justice. SETU facilitates gender equity in bridging the gap in the society. Gender inequity is a concern that causes discrimination, deprivation and exclusion in the society.

SETU initiates in reducing all forms of inequality from the society. The organization mobilizes the poor, vulnerable and marginalized communities, most of whom live in rural areas, who are ultimately able to access to local power structure, financial services, public and private resources. They are capable of utilizing their accumulated savings in income raising schemes which contribute in improving living standard and education of their children.

SETU’s human development training empowers marginalized communities who are left behind in raising their voices, determine choices and enable them to retort criticism against them. In this way they are capable of improving their living status, thus able to stand on their own footing that impacted reducing inequalities. Beside, those communities are able to participate in decision making process in their families and society, protest against deprivation, discrimination and injustices, enabling them to visit markets, local union parishad, even participate in local body election process.

Awareness in inequalities and large disparities in society decreased to some extent in program areas. On the other hand access to income sources, health and education increased especially in rural areas where most of the poor live. The organization empowers and supports the lowest income earners and promotes economic inclusion of all regardless of sex, race or ethnicity.

SETU raises awareness among communities on tax justice enabling them to claim their socio-economic development as they pay taxes in everyday life. This activity includes: meeting, seminar, FGDs, interaction with groups & CSOs etc. for mass mobilization. The organization promotes peoples participation on this issues, particularly the underprivileged groups.

Good governance and human rights are mutually reinforcing and the former is      pre-condition for the realization of the later. SETU promotes rights and governance in order to enable the peoples to participate in local power structure and decision making process. SETU initiates campaign to aware the people of rights and governance. The implementation of human rights relies on a conducive and enabling environment, thus facilitate in enhancing rights and governance.

Good governance promotes human rights in a number of ways. It encourages public participation in government, inclusion in decision making and watch accountability of elected and appointed officials. It enables civil society to become actively involved in policy making and lead to the wide representation in social interests. In this manner disadvantaged groups including women and minorities are empowered to defend their rights.

SETU implements Right Here, Right Now – RHRN 2 program in cooperation with Naripokkho through Rutgers, The Netherlands. The program aims at enhancing skills and awareness towards Promotion of reproductive health and rights of adolescent and youth in Kushtia sadar, Mirpur & Daulatpur upazila under Kushtia district.

SETU has been working at grassroots level through mobilizing people of different backgrounds, civil society organizations, professionals, youths aiming at building just and equitable society, establishing rights, interest and entitlements of mass people. SETU observes different important national, international days involving male-female group members, girls & boys. SETU undertakes civil society mobilization program ensuring effective governance system towards reducing discrimination and injustices.