What NGOs are doing in the name of Disability?
Suddenly I was visit Chakaria, Cox's Bazar with one of my native relatives. Chakaria is very much famous in NGOs activities. Many local, national and international NGOs are working here for various purposes. In front of my relative house there is multistoried modern building and it is an office of a NGO name SARPV. SARPV means Social Assistance for Rehabilitation of Physically Vulnerable. The organization is founded by Mr. Badal who is also physically vulnerable person. The NGO's inception to work for the welfare of disabled or physically vulnerable people and accordingly donors from local and abroad providing fund to them. But now it become a commercial or profit making. Now no disabled person are benefiting from it. They are providing micro credit programme, SOUHARDO project, agriculture firm etc. Most of the activities are not for disabled they have only one school for disabled children, but majority children are general children. This is only one may be show room for the donors others are profit making. I was talked with a Government officer in Chakaria, he said SARPV is good NGO and they are doing well, if they join their any meeting or any programme, they have to paid Tk.2-5 thousand as honorarium. SHOUHARDO a programme supported by the CARE is providing lots of relief goods and staff members are making money from it, the beneficiaries are not disabled, they are working for all the people. Local Union Parishad also known SARPV is good NGO in Chakaria, some Union Parishad got building, furniture's and other support from it. If UPs asked anything from it, they are getting easily. But what percentage disabled person getting easily from SARPV, the result is 0%, because they are now rich NGO, have multistoried building, big size of agriculture farm, school for disabled children, but every where you have to search disabled person through charger lighter, it is difficult to find out any disabled getting benefit from it. But why the donors are supporting this NGO? I try to understand the reason, the person who is founder is disabled person, and another is name. Some of them are now thinking how many people get benefits from these types of NGOs or they are cheating or exploiting the donors in the name of disability programme. SARPV created a new concept of Rickets which is very much popular in Cox's Bazar, but they develop agriculture farm in Chittagong hill tracts under the support from donors and they constructed multistoried building, but what is purposes. Disability only issue to getting sympathy from donors. I was talked with an ex staff of SARPV Mr. Badal is very claver and opportunist person, he always getting chance from everywhere, last BNP resume he was much closed with ruling government and activate member of BNP alliance created NGOs body FNB. He was married his staff as second wife. He knows how to manage fund and how to create attention to the donors and donors. As a result, if any donors meet with him, he convinced any how and manage fund.
I was saw a game a group of Rotary Club comes here to distribute calcium tablets to rickets attacked children, they bring a group of children but nobody is attacked by rickets and they taken picture without getting calcium.
Is the same picture of the welfare of disability programme run by the NGOs in Bangladesh, I have nothing to say! I blamed to donors and supporters who supported these types of NGOs and disabled persons in the name of physically vulnerable person. Are they doing rightly? Please goes to in-depth, peoples may be demoralized to seen the making profit making game of NGOs. If I goes to the discussion of Government officials who said they are getting 2-5 thousand taka as honorarium from SARPV, why not this money is goes to disable person? How much money the NGOs staffs are making from showing same chicks to many others hen.
Nishat Rana
Chittagong University
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