Dhaka Ahsania Mission
Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) a non-government organisation (ngo) of Bangladesh. It was founded with the motto of divine and humanitarian service in 1958 by the renowned educationist, Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah. The mission has now emerged as one of the largest development organisations of the country. It is registered as a voluntary organisation with the Social Welfare Directorate.
Ahsania Mission has been working in four sectors of development- Education, Health, Livelihood and Human Rights and Social Justice. It has achieved accomplishment during the last three decades in the fields of Non-Formal Basic and Continuing Education, Technical Education and Skills Development, Gender Development, Environmental Development and Preservation, Child Rights and Elimination of Child Labour, Prevention of Tobacco and Drug Addiction and HIV-AIDS, Poverty Alleviation, Water and Sanitation, Prevention of Woman and Child Trafficking, Training, Research etc. In the meantime, the Mission has been granted Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC and Operational Relations with UNESCO.
Literacy and Non-Formal Education Programme of DAM benefited around 3.2 million learners. As many as, 1170 Ganokendra, community-based education and development centres are now in operation across the country. As part of its training programme, the Mission has imparted capacity development training to 101186 government officials and development activists. DAM is the largest organisation in the country in developing education materials. It has developed 263 information, education and communication related materials on 27 subjects till now. The materials are being used in many government and non-government development organisations.
As part of poverty alleviation and women development programme, Ahsania Mission has been directly involved in educating and turning 1.9 million women economically solvent. It has implemented a massive sanitation project for 7.5 million people of 300 unions under 28 upazilas in eight coastal districts. Water testing is also underway for combating arsenic. It is also working for preservation and development of environment in 107 upazilas in 49 districts.
It has established a 50-bed Ahsania Mission Cancer Detection and Treatment Centre at Mirpur in Dhaka for detection and treatment of cancer. Initiated by the Mission, a 500-bed international standard cancer and general hospital is being constructed at Uttara in Dhaka with financial contribution of general public, corporate sector and the government.
The Mission has set up a science and technology based private university in the country, Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, first private teachers' training college, Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah Teachers' Training College, Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institute, Vocational Training Institute for Working Children, Ahsanullah Institute of Information & Communication Technology and Ahsania Mission College. The Mission has also established an institute for practice of Sufism, Ahsania Institute of Sufism.
Ahsania Mission has been creating mass awareness to protect the youths from the menace of drug addiction, tobacco related products and HIV/AIDS. Besides, it has been conducting training programmes for midwives and on primary healthcare activities. The Mission is now operating four Drug Treatment & Rehabilitation Centres in Dhaka, Mymensingh and Jessore to rehabilitate the drug-addicted youths into the mainstream of development. It has been working for prevention of woman and child trafficking. Its activities have been extended to 17 upazilas of six bordering districts of Bangladesh. A 40-bed shelter home has been set up in Jessore for shelter and rehabilitation of women and children rescued from trafficking.
As social business the Mission has started Hajj Finance Company; Ahsania Mission Book Distribution House (Boibazar); Boutique fashion house Nagordola, and Ahsania-Malaysia Hajj Mission.
In the international arena, Ahsania Mission has been continuously participating in various activities for attainment of Education for All. Till now, the Mission has imparted training to 680 education officials of the continents of Asia and Africa by conducting 65 global workshops.
In recognition to its contributions at home and abroad, DAM has been awarded with UN ESCAP Human Resource Development Award 1994; ACCU-Japan Grand Prize 1996; UNESCO International Literacy Award 2003; Global Development Network Award 2003 and Arab Gulf Fund International Prize 2004. At the national level, the Mission has been awarded the Independence Award 2002 and Dr Md Ibrahim Memorial Gold Medal 2006.
Besides, Ahsania Mission has been publishing a monthly wall magazine for neo-literates titled Amader Patrika, a monthly magazine titled Alap, a quarterly journal named Mission Barta. [Kazi Rafiqul Alam]
