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.