BNPS has started to implement a new programme ‘Our Lives, Our Health, Our Futures’ funded by the EU, for the period from 2019 to 2023, with support of SIMAVI. Under this project maximum of 12 local CSOs from 3 CHT districts are to be selected for financial support to implement project activity and organizational capacity strengthening. The programme is designed holistically to support the empowerment of young women and adolescent girls and target key gatekeepers and service providers in order to foster an enabling environment.

Currently the project is in its inception phase, where the CSO selection process is going on. Through a mapping process 25 CSOs from Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachari have been shortlisted and participated in a three days long orientation workshop for proposal development from 7-9 May 2019 at BNPS Central office, Dhaka to receive an overall understanding regarding the EU project proposal procedures. The workshop covered a wide range of issues related to programme approach (rights-based, women-centered, and impact-oriented) & programme structure (cluster leads & implementing organisations), application forms, budget guidelines & activity plan, and evaluation & selection process.

The participants described the workshop as innovative, very clearly structured, interesting & enriching, inspiring and supportive. They find the issues as important as they would not be selected for the programme, they wish to work on the issues related to it.

The workshop was facilitated by a team of Janine Bannwart, Program Officer, Simavi Netherlands, Md. Salah Uddin Sarker (Tuhin), MEL Officer, Simavi Bangladesh and Nasrin Begum, Capacity Building Coordinator, BNPS.

Rokeya Kabir, the Executive Director of BNPS was present during inaugural and closing sessions.