In Bangladesh, Humanity & Inclusion continues to run programs under the operating name "Handicap International."
Humanity & Inclusion in Bangladesh
Humanity & Inclusion has been working in Bangladesh since 1997 to promote inclusion of people with disabilities. Since 2017, Humanity & Inclusion has provided support to more than 30,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar.
One of the poorest countries in the world, it is estimated that more than half of Bangladesh's population lives below the poverty line. Facing monsoons, cyclones and devastating floods, between 50% and 70% of the land is submerged under water every year, destroying harvests, homes and livestock.
Situation Report: Rohingya Crisis (February 2022)
Areas of Intervention
- Rehabilitation, prosthetics and orthotics
- Fighting discrimination against people with disabilities
- Inclusive employment
- Inclusive education
Responding to the influx of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fleeing neighboring Myanmar since August 2017, Humanity & Inclusion's 286-person team provides emergency response to supply aid to people who are living in extremely difficult circumstances. The organization has provided rehabilitation care and psychological support to thousands of people. Humanity & Inclusion has made available storage centers and a fleet of trucks, transporting humanitarian equipment for Humanity & inclusion and other organizations. The team has also distributed hygiene kits, food rations and accommodation kits.
Humanity & Inclusion also works in Bangladesh to promote inclusion of people with disabilities, supporting their access to services such as rehabilitation and employment. The organization advocates alongside people with disabilities to ensure access to a source of income which gives them financial independence and means they are better accepted within their communities.
The organization also improves access to education for all children, including children with disabilities, in camps for Rohingya refugees. Humanity & Inclusion trains teachers to include children with disabilities in schools, organizes rehabilitation sessions for children with disabilities and raises community awareness of the right of children to education. To improve the social inclusion and education of boys and girls with disabilities, Humanity & Inclusion organizes recreational activities, including in schools and sports clubs, to promote social inclusion and interaction with each other in a safe environment.
Our Past Work
Humanity & Inclusion has been in Bangladesh since 1997, promoting an inclusive culture for ALL people with disabilities and who are vulnerable. Over time, our work has evolved to meet the dynamic needs of the communities where we serve.
Read on to learn more about our past work in Bangladesh and consider investing in our future.
Growing Together
Children with disabilities remain one of the most marginalized groups in the country and very few attend school. As an invisible and stigmatized group, they are more exposed to abuse, exploitation and negligence. From 2016 to 2020, Humanity & Inclusion led the Growing Together project, supported by IKEA Foundation, which enabled thousands of children to learn by playing in secure environments in refugee camps in Thailand, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Legal Assistance
Partnering with Bangladesh Legal Aid Services (BLAST), Humanity & Inclusion built the capacities of national and local legal service providers in order to improve access to legal assistance for people with disabilities.
Assistance to the Survivors of the Rana Plaza Collapse
As a result of the devastating collapse of the Rana Plaza Building in Dhaka in 2013, Humanity & Inclusion provided physical therapy to people with disabilities who were affected by the incident.
The organization has also put in place a sustainable socio-economic recovery project that facilitates employment for those who lost their jobs in as a result of the collapse.
Disability Resource Center
The Dhaka Center for Services and Information on Disability (CSID) is providing people with disabilities internet access to promote the rights of people with disabilities. HI is working with CSID to ensure that some 2,500 people with disabilities can access the data and share it with decision-makers, program directors, researchers, students, and other people with disabilities.
Community Based Rehabilitation
Humanity & Inclusion launched a project in 2011 that aimed to strengthen the skills of community based rehabilitation professionals.
In the county, 35 local community-based organizations have improved their knowledge of community-based rehabilitation.
Maternal and Newborn Health
Humanity & Inclusion's team helped to ensure safe pregnancy and childbirth for mothers. The organization worked with fathers to raise awareness of their role in improving the health of mothers and children in refugee communities in Bangladesh.
