Friendship (NGO)

Friendship
Formation 2002 (2002)
Founder Runa Khan
Type Non profit and non-government organisation
Headquarters Dhaka, Bangladesh
Services Health, Education, Sustainable Economic Development, Disaster Management and Infrastructure Development, Good Governance, Cultural Preservation
Key people
 Runa Khan (Executive Director)
Website friendship-bd.org

Friendship is a needs-driven non-governmental organisation that works in the Char islands and riverbanks of northern Bangladesh, the coastal belt in the south, and as of 2017, the Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhia, Cox's Bazar in the southeast. Established by Runa Khan in 2002, Friendship works to empower people through a sustainable, integrated development approach.[1]

Friendship employees more than 1,500 employees that includes field staff, regional office staff, staff in the floating hospitals, teachers at Friendship schools, trainers at vocational schools, organizers and supervisors working in the northern and southern parts of the country and head office staff based in Dhaka.

History

Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital

Friendship's first project was a floating hospital. French sailor and aviator Yves Marre sailed a river barge from France to Bangladesh to donate it for use by the people of Bangladesh. Runa Khan eventually converted the river barge to a floating hospital, the Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital (LFH).[2][3][4]

Since then, Friendship has developed a healthcare system to provide primary healthcare and certain surgical procedures to river-based communities who are often difficult to reach from the mainland.[5] The NGO now has introduced two more floating hospitals: the Emirates Friendship Hospital in 2008 sponsored by the Emirates Airline Foundation and the Rongdhonu Friendship Hospital, former Rainbow Warrior II from Greenpeace, in 2012.[6][7] It has received a donation through the Islamic Development Bank for the operation and construction of five more hospital ships.[8] The keel has been laid for the five new ships in December 2017.[9]

Starting from 2005, a system of mobile Satellite Clinics was set up, complemented by health workers to serve communities at the grassroots level. Presently, each month, approximately 250,000 persons are treated by Friendship's health program.[1]

Friendship also has projects in education, disaster management, good governance, sustainable economic development and cultural preservation. Today Friendship helps about 500,000 people every month.[10]

Runa Khan

Runa Khan is a Bangladeshi social entrepreneur[11] and the founder and executive director of Friendship NGO.[12] Friendship is based on Runa Khan’s model of “integrated development,” meaning it addresses problems in multiple sectors, including health, education, disaster management and economic development in communities where it is involved, rather than specializing in one of these.[1]

Runa Khan
Runa Khan

Khan won the Rolex Awards for Enterprise in 2006[13] for work through Friendship to preserve the declining craft of traditional boat building in Bangladesh.[14]

Khan also established a tourism company, Contic, in 1996 which gives tours on traditional wooden boats.[15] Earlier, she wrote text-books for children with the aim of moving away from rote learning, an effort that won her the Ashoka Fellowship in 1994.[16]

Friendship's work areas

Cultural Preservation

Friendship supports communities mainly in the shifting northern river islands, known as chars, of the Brahmaputra and Jamuna rivers and in the coastal areas of the Bay of Bengal. Friendship is active in 22 Upazilas over 12 Districts of Bangladesh. Today, its operations are most intense and multi-Sectoral in the districts of Kurigram and Gaibandha in the North, and Patuakali and Satkhira in the South.

Friendship International

Three years after Friendship went into operation in Bangladesh, Runa Khan took steps to set up a network of supporting organisations in Europe. Today Friendship is present in 5 countries in Europe including Luxembourg, France, Netherlands, UK and Germany.[17]

Awards

Friendship

  1. World Crafts Council's Award of Excellence for Handicrafts (2014)[18]
  2. Best performing NGO in Gaibandha (2011, 2012–2013) and Kurigram (2012–2013, 2013–2014, 2014–2015)

Runa Khan

  1. Business Excellence Award from Arthokonto and Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce of Singapore (2014)
  2. Social Innovation Leadership Award by the World CSR Congress (2014)
  3. Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur Award (2012)[19]
  4. Guest of Honor at the Rolex Awards for Enterprise (2011)
  5. SCWEC Women Entrepreneur Excellence Award (2010)[20]
  6. IDB Award for Contribution to Women in Development (2008)[21]
  7. Rolex Award for Enterprise (2006)[22]
  8. Women Entrepreneurship Award by Arthokonto (2003)
  9. Government award for best design for the book "The Flower Maiden and Other Stories" (2001)
  10. Ashoka Fellowship for innovative teaching methodology (1994)
  11. Innovative teaching methodology became part of the accepted system of the National Curriculum Educational Board in Bangladesh (1990)
  12. Runner-up in National Award for books on education "Playschool Activity Book 1 and 2" (1990)

References

  1. 1 2 3 "New models of working and partnership in development: the example of Friendship, a Bangladeshi organisation". Alternatives Humanitaires. 16 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "For the Right to Live with Hope and Dignity". The Daily Star. 15 January 2016.
  3. ↑ "The One Who Answered the Call". The Daily Star. 20 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "A floating hospital for the poor". Daily Monitor. 20 June 2015.
  5. ↑ Crouch, Lizzie (2008-02-23). "The chance to see in Bangladesh". BBC Health Check. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  6. ↑ "Emirates opens floating hospital in Dhaka". Gulf News. 24 November 2008.
  7. ↑ "Friendship launches another hospital ship". The Daily Star. 15 November 2012.
  8. ↑ "Ahoy there! The doctor will see you now..." Arab News. 2017-09-30. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  9. ↑ "Keel Laying Ceremony of floating hospital ships". www.nsnewswire.com. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  10. ↑ "The friendlier side of Davos". Euronews. 25 January 2016.
  11. ↑ Khan, Maliha (2017-07-14). "Can business and social change be compatible?". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
  12. ↑ "This social entrepreneur told us why businesses should see charities as service providers". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
  13. ↑ "Rolex Awards for Enterprise". Rolex Awards for Enterprise : Runa Khan  : Overview. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
  14. ↑ "Anchoring Bangladesh's Ancient Boatbuilding Technology". National Geographic. 2016-11-17. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
  15. ↑ "Rolex Awards for Enterprise". Rolex Awards for Enterprise : Runa Khan  : Overview. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
  16. ↑ "Runa Khan". www.ashoka.org. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
  17. ↑ "Friendship: a network, projects and outlets". Banque de Luxembourg. 25 May 2014.
  18. ↑ "World Crafts Council's Award of Excellence for Handicrafts 2014".
  19. ↑ রুনা খান সামাজিক উদ্যোক্তা পুরস্কারে ভূষিত. Amar Desh (in Bengali). 10 September 2012.
  20. ↑ "Take a byte from these city women entrepreneurs". The New Indian Express. 30 November 2010.
  21. ↑ "IDB Award for Saideh Ghods, the Mahak chief". Payvand Iran News. 8 July 2008.
  22. ↑ "2006 Associate Laureate, Cultural Heritage Bangladesh". ROLEX Awards for Enterprise. 22 January 2006.
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