Volunteers Association for Bangladesh (VAB)

Fifth Annual Report 2003

The year 2003 was an exceptional one for VAB in terms of our fundraising efforts.  Not only did we raise over $34,227 from individual donors but we also received a grant of $25,526 from USAID/ODW to support our School Modernization program. Including the interest received on VAB’s Patron fund, we raised just over $60, 900.   Administrative expenses this year, were a mere $884.80 which we used to cover costs such as banking fees, publicity materials and website hosting.  During 2003, $42,000 was allocated to Prakritajan (our partner NGO) for VAB activities including our scholarship programs, computer centers and other projects. 

Since 1999 VAB has raised over $145,00 to help underprivileged youth in Bangladesh.  We have incurred just over $5,000 in administrative expenses over the past five years.  We are able to maintain our low expenses due to the diligence and dedication of our volunteer staff.  Our Directors and volunteers often conduct VAB activities (such as trips to Bangladesh to oversee local programs) at their own expense. This past year Mr. Pete von Christierson spent a month in Bangladesh meeting with Prakritajan, various schools and our Bangladeshi Groups and volunteers.  He worked with them to finalize the 6 schools selected for VAB’s School Modernization Project.  VAB Director Richard Grant also plans to visit Dhaka for two weeks during January 2004.  Others including Dr. Obaidul Huq, Mr. Murad Husain, Dr. Amal Mitra, and Mr. and Mrs. Mark Armbruster are planning trips to Bangladesh during 2004, so that they too may see VAB’s activities in action.  VAB President Dr. ATR Rahman and Mrs. Pushpa Rahman are currently in Dhaka where they will stay till the end of January 2004. 

 

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2003:

USAID/OPERATION DAY’S WORK

DONATES $26,526 TO VAB’S SCHOOL MODERNIZATION PROJECT

 

ODW (Operation Day's Work) is a national student leadership organization in the US that researches developing countries and selects annually one to assist in a particular area of need.  ODW is comprised of high school students from approximately 20 schools in 13 states.  This year, they selected VAB’s School Modernization Program from six proposals sent by various non-profit groups. About 1000   students then conducted one-day fundraising activities to meet their fundraising goal.  These funds combined with the generous donations of VAB’s friends and family will enable VAB and our partner NGO Prakritajan (Prak) to award 460 scholarships in 23 schools.  The funds will also be used to modernize 6 schools: Mirzanagar Towhid Academy, D A Mannan Pilot, Shibpur Union, RM, Zaman Nagar Girls, and Dr. A. Gaffar. By the end of 2004 VAB will have allocated nearly 1000 scholarships to students

 

MEDICAL CAMPS PROVIDED

FOR EYE CARE, PEDIATRIC HEALTH AND CANCER DETECTION

During 2003, VAB and Prak partnered with the Lions Club of Dhaka West to organize an Eye Examination Camp at Kalimullah College Campus, Bhaver Char, Gazaria Upazilla, Munshiganj district. In rural villages, people often cannot afford doctors visits and are afraid to be treated because they are ignorant of medical procedures.  However, with the assistance of 23 volunteers, the Eye Camp cared for a total of 857 patients who had eye infections, trachoma, squint eye or glaucoma.  Another, 43 patients were found to require cataract operations and scheduled for surgery in Dhaka.  A companion medical camp was set up to examine 242 children and adults.  During this camp, a cancer specialist identified 10 cancer patients enabling them to start seeking treatment at local hospitals.  These medical camps were VAB’s first cooperative ventures in medical and health area and proved to be extremely successful.

 

 

CURRENT AND UPCOMING EVENTS:

 NEW ADDITIONS TO VAB

VAB’s list of volunteers in the US continues to expand with the addition of the New Jersey Branch made up of a group of dedicated Bangladeshi professionals.  They are organizing a Computer Literacy program by shipping used computers from the United States for use in schools and other learning centers in rural Bangladesh. Meanwhile, VAB will hire a team of evaluators to re-examine the Computer Training Center Programs to ensure that the Program is being run effectively and efficiently.  To date, the 7 independent Computer Training Centers have enabled over 200 local youth to become proficient in Microsoft Office applications.  An intensive review will determine whether or not to continue opening new computer centers, what classes to offer and how to make the centers self sufficient. 

During 2003, VAB also held a meeting in Queens, New York, so that its Bangladeshi community could become more involved in VAB’s activities. Over the past year, 45 new donors contributed to VAB and we hope that our network of friends and family will continue to grow in to 2004. In Bangladesh, VAB has set up a Working Group and Advisory Council with a number of well known educationists and philanthropists who meet regularly to oversee VAB’s activities and report back to its US counterparts. 

 

DONOR LIST

Dr. and Mrs. Tareq Abedin Mr. and Mrs. Golam M. Ahmed Mr. and Mrs. Sadeque Ahmed Mr. and Mrs. Tamim Ahmed Dr. and Mrs. Mohammad  Ahsanullah Ms. Diane Ainsworth Mr. and Mrs. Steve Akram Dr. and Mrs. Ashraful Alam Dr. and Mrs. Azad A. Amin Mr. and Mrs. A. F. M. Anwar Dr. and Mrs. Mohammad Anwar Ullah Mr. and Mrs. Mark Armbruster Dr. Martin Asness Mr. and Mrs. Azam Dr. and Mrs. S.R. Banerjee Dr. Bhola N. Banik Dr. and Mrs. Tapati D. Basu Mr. and Mrs. Jim Bausch Ms. Marilyn W. Beecher Dr. Tony Bennett Mr. and Mrs. F.K. Berlew Mr. Manju Biswas Mr. Gary Boldt Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Carter Mr. and Mrs. Kalyan K Chakravarti Mr. Mahfuz R. Chowdhury Dr. Mohammad M. R.  Choudhury Dr. and Mrs. Fazlur R Chowdhury Mr. and Mrs. Fayezul Hoque Chowdhury Mr. and Mrs. Tirthank Chowdhury Dr. waled H. Choudhury Mr. Peter von Christierson Dr. Asssoke Das Dr. and Mrs. Sachidulal Dhar Mr. John Oliver Doern Ms. Ruth Downing Ms. Mary Frances Dunham Mr. and Mrs. Peter Q. Eschweiker Dr. and Mrs. Mohammad Farooque Mr. and Mrs. Abu H. M. Fasihuddin Mr. and Mrs. James Fisher Mr. Robert F. George Mr. Daniel G. Harbin Ms. Maxine Gleason Mr. and Mrs. Richard Grant

Ms. Maxine Gleason Mr. and Mrs. Richard Grant Ms. Patti Gray Dr. William B. Greenough III Mr. and Mrs. Mohammad A Haque Mr. Arne Hansen Mr. Daniel G. Harbin Mr. and Mrs. Ahmad B. Hasan Mr. and Mrs. Bill Hein Mr. Colin M. Heydt Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Hodge Mr. Donald Holden   Dr. and Mrs. Mominul Hoque Mr. and Mrs. Altaf Hossain Mr. and Mrs. Zaki Hossain Dr. Sandra S. Houts Mr. and Mrs. Earnie Howell Mr. and Mrs. Stephen K. Hunter Mr. John A. Hurson Drs. Delwar and Dilruba Hussain Dr. and Mrs. A.M. Abdul Huq Dr. Obaidul M. Huq Dr. Rokeya. Huq and Mr. Manzur Huq Mr. Murad Husain Dr. and Mrs. Faridul Islam Mr. and Mrs. M. M Islam Ms. Margaret R. Jamison Ms. Nutun Jha Ms. Diana Brown Johanson Dr. Virginia Kanick Mr. and Mrs. Zakiul Kabir Mr. William S. Kaufman Mr. and Mrs. Mahbubur R Khan Mr. and Mrs. Shafiq U.  Khan Mr. Stanley Layden Mr. and Mrs. Michael Lee Mr. Selim  M. Lone Ms. Cecilia A. Lotse and Mr. John V.H. Dipple Mr. and Mrs. William F. Maxwell Mr. and Mrs. Tariq Manzur Ms. Stephanie Mayer Mr. and Mrs. Peter McDonough Ms. Teri R.Mielke Dr. David G. Miller Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Millholand Mr. and Mrs. Rajat Nag

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Milholand Mr. and Mrs. Rajat Nag Mr. and Mrs. A.F.M. Abdun Nayeem Mr. and Mrs. Nazmi Mr. Andrey Ostrowsky Mr. Frank Pagani Dr. Mati Pal Dr. and Mrs. John N. Pike Dr. and Mrs. Abu T. R. Rahman Mrs. Mujibur Rahman Mr. and Mrs. Kazi Afzalur Rahman Dr. Reaz Rahman Mr. Kishwer Rahman Dr. and Mrs. Raisur Rahman Dr. Shafiqur Rahman and Dr. Rumanna Rahman Mr. Mujib U. Rahman Mr. Mujib Rahman Dr. and Mrs. Ehsan Rahman Mr. Fazlur Rahman Mr. Junaid M. Rahman Mr. and Mrs. Amitabh R. Ram Ms. Laura A. Rose Mr. and Mrs. Mohammad Saquib Dr. and Mrs. Hasan Sarwar Dr. Saleh Z. Sarwar Mrs. Laurie Stanford Saylak Mr. and Mrs. Abu Y. M. Selim Dr. and Mrs. Chowdhury M. Shamim Ms. Lubna Sharif Mr. and Mrs. Marion Joseph Sidor Mr. and Mrs. Fred D. Stottlemyer Mr. and Mrs. Karamat Syed Mr. Robert C. Terry Jr. Mr. and Mrs.Paul Theberge Mr. and Mrs. Shahid Ullah Mr. and Mrs.David Wickwire Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Wilke Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Young Mr. and Mrs. Syed Nuruz Zaman   FOUNDATIONS AND GROUPS Baker Hughes (match to Shahid Ullah’s donation) Friends of Mr. Pete von Christierson Christine Ota Inc.