Understanding the vulnerable condition of disadvantaged children in Bangladesh, a group of social worker established The Social and Economic Enhancement Programme-SEEP in 1985. Since then, this private voluntary organization is playing its philanthropist role in various sectors.
Initially the organization was involved in charitable work like running feeding centers, or doling out clothes for needy and malnourished children in times of disaster such as drought, floods, or cold weather. In 1995, SEEP started to work with children in a slum in section 11 in Mirpur, Dhaka. Almost simultaneously, it started working with the hard-core child laborers at Ward 5 in Mirpur who were involved in handlooms and embroidery work.
These projects marked a change in strategy for SEEP as for the first time they sought to address some of the root causes of child poverty, realizing that its services need to provide long lasting and sustainable benefits, rather than temporary help.
As its experience and capacity grew, SEEP gradually extended its operation to different parts of the Dhaka city. In 1999, SEEP started advocacy for the realization of rights of disadvantaged children and pavement dwellers, working both through its community projects and in partnership with local and national networks as required.
SEEP is also running micro credit program from the very beginning. At present SEEP has 8,253 active members with outstanding loans Tk. 126,027,916.00 in different part of Dhaka city.
At present, SEEP is running four projects funded by TDH-Netherlands, four projects funded by Save the Children International, three projects funded by Concern Worldwide, a project on child labourer by Manusher Jonno Foundation and two projects funded by Anukul Foundation. In addition, SEEP runs a project at Pabna with its own fund for the disadvantaged and marginalized children imparting basic education. The programmes concern mainly street children, pavement dwellers, child labourers and disaster risk reduction.
SEEP works for the empowerment and participation of disadvantaged and victim children in Bangladesh (both boys and girls, including children with different abilities), and their parents and community, so that they can protect and promote child rights.
SEEP also works in collaboration with like-minded groups and organizations towards the enactment and reformation of policy and laws, and their proper implementation at local and national level, in order to ensure the rights of children on the basis of UNCRC.
Objectives
- To improve laws relating to children in the light of the UNCRC
- To work for better implementation of laws and policies relating to children
- To make available appropriate services for children deprived of their right to survival and development, and ensure children’s participation
- To empower parents and the community socio economically, so they can protect the rights of their children
- To increase the capacity and sustainability of the organization, working towards the establishment of the rights of the children
Activities
- Amrao Manush; Funded by Concern World Wide.
- Amrao Manush (Expansion); Funded by UNDP & Concern World Wide.
- A Disaster Resilient Future: Mobilizing Communities and Institutions for Effective Risk Reduction; Funded by Concern World Wide.
- Development Program for the Street children (DPSC), Funded by Terre des hommes- Netherlands.
- Development Program for the Street Girls (DPSG), Funded by Terre des hommes- Netherlands.
- Education Programme for the Employment of Child Labourers (EPECL), Funded by Save the Children.
- Empower and mobilize youths in Bangladesh to bring positive changes in children’s lives and their own lives; Funded by Save the Children.
- Protecting children’s rights through child participation in DRR in Bangladesh; Funded by Save the Children.
- Protection of Rights of the Distressed Children-PRDC; Funded by Terre des hommes- Netherlands.
- Support Urban Slum Children to Access Inclusive Non-Formal Education (SUSTAIN); Funded by European Commission & Save the Children International.
