NGO network is a powerful tool for transformation of community outlook

Gulshana Begum, director Nari Unnayan Sangstha is expressing her thoughts about project intervention

Regarding utility and usefulness of NGO network Ms. Gulshanara, Director-Nari Unnaon sangstha, Tala, Shatkhira, said “It is possible to do a more acceptable and fruitful work through network and co-ordination. My organization is doing different sort of activities for safeguarding human rights such as prevention of early marriage, polygamy, dowry, family repression and increasing social awareness on land rights, women and child trafficking etc. To work on these we often have to face many sort difficulties which we solve by ourselves with the help of other colleague NGOs. But we have so many limitations. I think if we have a network of NGOs who are associated with development activities we can share and exchange our experiences and solve any problem through mutual co-operation and develop our capacity for service delivery. WJCC has formed a network in Tala Upazila consisting of 10 NGOs and I am one of the members of the committee. WJCC has organized all the member NGOs in 2011 to build up capacity of the fellow members and overcome limitation through mutual cooperation amongst the network members.

This EC funded project which aims at gender mainstreaming in local governance principally focuses on conservation of women rights, prevention of unjust social customs like early marriage, gender violence at family and community level , divorce, dowry etc. As members of the Network we discuss about these topics with all our beneficiaries. It is playing an important role in increasing social awareness. Under this project, the skill of our staffs has increased through training and field level advocacy. The interrelation among all these institutions has developed through the network. The members of the network go for implementation of all these tasks maintaining coordination and communication amongst themselves. In case of any incidence related to women repression or any sort of human right violation, the member organizations of the network try to solve it through mutual co-operation and coordination. This makes the problem-solving process easier and much more efficient.

Learning

Networking amongst NGOs promotes capacity for communication and coordination of respective member NGOs and makes problem solving procedure easier and efficient.”