Social chAnge Assistance Society (SAAS)

A company for social change

1. Philosophy

SAAS as center for people’s participation is a company for social change. It was founded in 2003 with a vision to achieve Platform for the future (Vobissoter Vitty) and freedom to determine social change in positively. 

SAAS has a corporate vision with a social commitment. It hopes to contribute to the evolution of a society that is inherently independent and free, drawing on the inner strength, culture, resources and values of its people. Yet, based on the acknowledgement of an inter-dependent global eco-feminist ideology within a framework of social justice and people’s right to determine their own lives, society and governance.

2. Our principles of sustainability is a call for new paradigms for social change

• Not non-profit but profit for welfare.
• Not charity but investment partnerships for village capital formation.
• Not be externally driven but start on what we have and build on what we know.
• Not just consciousness raising through external messages but learning together through people’s research.
• Not ‘exclusive’ but inclusive, participatory, democratic values for social justice.
• Not just gender equality but equity and harmony.

3. Our Assertions are our learning

• Building participatory and democratic attitude will free society from gender, social and political discrimination and intolerance and help break out of the vicious cycle of 'exclusion' and 'dictatorship of the majority' culture.
• Platform for the future (Vobissoter Vitty) begins with recognition of ones own powers, information, capital and social capital formation in the village. Therefore, to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty and dependence, capital and social capital formation will have to begin simultaneously at the grassroots

• Village managed social change is based on what it has and what it knows. This is effective, sustainable and respectful of the environment (externally driven policy usually motivated by vested interest promotes harmful interventions that do not account for sustainability and ecological balance - e.g. the continued sinking of tube wells even as water table sinks precariously and pours out arsenic).

• People’s knowledge and awareness begins with research by the people and their capability for scientific analysis: people will understand their own situation, create their own statistics, analyze their own reality and formulate their own messages. People are the researchers and the subjects of research
• Social change begins from the village therefore the basic unit for change has to be the village.
• Non-profit is a slogan for promoting dependence and is a counter force to sustainability. ‘Profit for welfare’ will sustain and give people control over their welfare strategies.

4. Strategy

The operational strategy is base on the principles and assertions that determine the conceptual framework. The operational strategy is our road to merging business with social change. It consists of the following stages:

• Develop private business capacity and a motivated team that understands and owns the basic principles of the company and its long-term objectives.
• Introduce a spirit of voluntarism in the team.
 
• Establish village laboratory for social capital formation.
• Explore investment partnerships in village laboratory for village capital formation.
• Develop participatory communication strategy through SAAS’s Village Improvement approach.

5. Landmarks (voluntary)

At village level Social chAnge Assistance Society (SAAS)'s vision is to initiate and establish highly motivated participatory teams fully equipped with learning and application. Social chAnge Assistance Society (SAAS) facilitates village meetings and shares its skills to transfer research technology to the people through learning and doing research together. Village development team is a means of social mobilization and a new paradigm to mobilize people for action. The team members will assess gender violence and other related problems and find out means to mitigate them. 

Grameen Phone Community Information Center

SAAS collaboration with Bangladesh leading cell phone operator Grameen Phone set up 02 Nos. GPCIC at Nageswari and Bhurungamari Upazilla. From both center community people collect various type of information from the internet, communicate with others E-mail, webcam and using head phone. Both center visited by Care, World Bank Katalyst ,Grameen phone and Swiss contact high officials.

Non-formal primary education activities 

All decision-makings and staff of SAAS provide a part of their time to evolve SAAS’s voluntary segment. Already through this process has been continuing actively 02(two) primary schools with 60 number of dropout children. SAAS has been seated with guardian of dropout children at every month. Where we have been discussed about their responsibility on children rights, educational status and other opportunity. 

Shishu Bikash Kendra

We are also setup a centre where continuing Shishu Bikash Kendra program from our voluntary activities. Childcare, Rights, Education, Health and Cultural, every prospect has been learning the vulnerable and helpless children in to the Shishu Bikash Kendra.

Math Olympiad

SAAS arrange math Olympiad (a qualification round of World Math Olympiad) at union level at Raygong of Nageswari Upazilla. There are 1,200 participants attend this Math Olympiad in Secondary Level students from 162 educational Institutes of Three Upazilla’s named Nageswari, Bhurungamari & Fulbari of Kurigram District.

Child and Women Development Program

We trained up helpless women where end of the training they are search appropriate job or business with their self-confidence. Already a massive number of women are independently surviving after completed technical and awareness training under this program. Strengthen women leadership with research and analytical skills for community research capacity building and common capital: village development team - participatory research skill, ability to assess their environment and plan for action.

Sanitation Program

Contribution to National Elements for achieving 100% sanitation for all by 2010 and in this view we have been working through this follows activities-

a) Social Mobilization through rally, procession, cultural event

b) Promotion of the Household Sanitary Latrine through promoted 25 number of sanitary latrine through hygiene promotion.

c) Advocacy for Local Resource mobilizing for Achieving Total Sanitation Movement by the Government through workshop, meeting with Union Watson Committee, dialogue with local administrative, seminar on total scenario of sanitation.We also continuing campaign program about non-smoking and anti-tobacco act associate with government.

Disable Development

Selected Disable people trained from SAAS for making paper packet. SAAS staff supply packet making materials and collect finished product for sale in local various type of shops, The surplus value of packet received by disable people. In this way disable people engaged income and commiunidy people use paper made packet that is helpful our enviroment against Polythine Packs.

Election Monitoring

National 8 thParliamentary Election 2001 we were carefully observed and presented a report where clearly showed a scenario about election 2001 in to the southern districts. This program is continuing. Every election with national and local we have been monitoring from our citizen-responsibility and democratic right. End of the every event of electoral function we prepared our observation report and send to the Election Commission with recommendation for strengthening electoral process as a third arm of Election Commission.

Strengthen social and business base in village as a joint venture for sustainability

Social chAnge Assistance Society (SAAS)’s village model for social capital formation is put on experiment in its working areas for independent and able to vulnerable group. Build young business leadership in village and undertake joint ventures for common capital formation: saving together of part of income, market assessment, what can be produced, how to market and what rural technology appropriate for rural employment and enterprise can be introduced.

5. Principle activities (on going)

• Disable development program
• Implementation quality of education development based programs through training, awareness build up, ECCD, technical education, set up ICT usage environment like computer Lab, Internet facilities etc.
• HIV/AIDS/STD awareness training & prevention program
• Income Generation program.
• Fisheries program
• Women & Child empowerment program
• Rural capital formation & market management by Village Improvement Committee (VIC) approach.
• Plantation program
• Environment development program
• Election observation and monitoring program

6.Social marketing, advocacy and communication campaign

• National Communication Campaign strategy and implementation
• Communication research to develop need based campaign plan and communication strategies
• Electronic and folk media and development theatre, for IEC material development
• International campaign strategy and implementation

7. Research

• Training need assessment
• Socio-economic survey
• Gender, health and nutrition related research
• Baseline survey, evaluation and monitoring, program assessment

9. Networking Member of NGOs

• Bangladesh ECD Network, Dhaka
• CAMPE
• Democracy watch, Dhaka, Bangladesh

10. Our Voluntary services

The voluntary component has been established through the utilization of professional skills and voluntary spirit of the SAAS team. The voluntary services are supported by the business services sector of SAAS, other private organizations, and individuals, in other words those who believe in our agenda. This sector, under the name of Social chAnge Assistance Society (SAAS), is registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies & Firms, Bangladesh. The registration no of SAAS is S – 4 2 0 2 (3 0 4) 0 4.

11. Action Research: Alternative model for social change:

a. Village (People's Research) Model: a communication strategy for village mobilization and social capital formation

This model designed by Md. Abdur Rouf azad, a sociologist, is an action research with, for and by the people where (people's) research is the instrument of social change.

At village level SAAS's vision is to initiate and establish highly motivated participatory action research teams fully equipped with learning and application. Village Improvement Committee (VIC) is a village research team of young girls and boys who acquire analytical skills and assess their own situation, identify problems and help in taking management decisions and actions. SAAS facilitates village meetings and shares its skills to transfer research technology to the people through learning and doing research together.

Approach to (1) Socio-economic profile of the village (2) Safe Water Program and (3) Village capital formation through partnerships in village business enterprise. Under the Safe Water Program they initiated first a search for drinking water through dialogue and selected rainwater harvest and pond preservation as the option. They decided to preserve ponds. Village Improvement Committee (VIC) with arsenic patients manages the pond while SAAS as its research partner monitors the quality of water.

The Village Improvement Committee (VIC) and the arsenic affected people manage the pond while SAAS monitors the water quality. Inspired by the activities of these two villages arsenic affected people of fourteen neighboring villages have come forward seeking assistance to preserve their ponds. A Pond Preservation Movement has begun, bringing new hope to the arsenic affected villages.

b. Village Capital Formation:

A search for joint investment plan by Village Improvement Committee (VIC) and SAAS is underway in Raygong,Kurigram. A market study to assess possibilities will lead to the start of our first pilot in village capital formation.

Kurigram village lab pilots village business partnership by Village Improvement Committee (VIC): its entry point in village capital formation.

12. Executive Committee

1. Md. Abdur Rouf Azad-Chairman
2. Md. Maleque Sikder-Vice-Chairman
3. Ms. Khadija Pervin-Secretary
4. Ms. Luna Anjuman Lipi-Treasurer
5. Ms. Shamim Ara-Executive Member
6. Ms. Monjuara pervin-Executive Member
7. Md. Shazada A Bari- Executive Member

Founder and Executive Head: Executive Director

Md. Abdur Rouf Azad

17. Contact :

“Khaniker Nir”, 40, Parjatan Purbapara, Rangpur – 5400, Bangladesh

Tel: +8 8 0 1 7 1 3 2 6 3 5 6 2+8 8 0 5 2 1 6 6 7 6 9,+8 8 0 1 7 1 1 2 6 7 0 6 0 ,

E-mail: saassociety@gmail.com, saas_society@yahoo.com

www.ammando.com/nonprofit/saas

Raygong Bazar, Nageswari – 5660, Kurigram, Bangladesh