Country : People's Republic of Bangladesh

Project Title : Integrated Community Uplifment Initiative (ICUI)

Implementing Entity/ :
Donor
Executing Entity : MNHR-Bangladesh

Address :

Contact Person :

Amount of Financing :
Requested

Executive Summary
Bangladesh has experienced significant economic growth and social progress over the past few
decades. Despite frequent political and natural challenges, the country has witnessed robust
economic growth and poverty reduction since its independence, reaching LMI (lower-middle
income) status in 2015 is evidence of that. Yet, behind the impressive national data, many rural
and underserved urban communities still face various economic and social challenges. Millions of
people living in underserved urban areas such as Mirpur, Dhaka, and districts with highest
incidence of poverty and natural disasters, like Cox’s Bazar, Barisal, Magura, Mymensingh and
Chandpur, continue to grapple with challenges that hinder their access to a secured and decent
livelihood. To address such challenges, our project aims to implement a holistic approach to
address critical challenges, often faced by underserved urban and rural communities.

Organizational Background
MNHR Bangladesh is a registered non-governmental organization (Reg. No. 2965) under the NGO
Affairs Bureau, Prime Minister's Office, Bangladesh, dedicated to serving underserved urban and
rural communities throughout Bangladesh. Our multifaceted approach focuses on capacity
building, humanitarian aid, environmental conservation, climate change mitigation, and
economic empowerment. Our strategic initiatives address critical national and global concerns to
achieve sustainable community development. We have successfully implemented multiple
programs, including: a Water Access Program that installs tube wells and solar-powered water
pumps while promoting WASH behaviors; a Sanitation & Public Health Program that constructs
modern, gender-inclusive sanitary facilities and eco-friendly waste management systems; a Food
Support Program that distributes nutritious food packages to vulnerable communities and
provides meals in schools and refugee camps; a Capacity Building Program that supports schools
in underprivileged areas through scholarships, supplies, adult literacy initiatives, and vocational
training; a Faith-based Development Program that renovates religious infrastructure and
enhances faith-based education; and an Emergency Relief Program that delivers comprehensive
assistance during crises through food, shelter, medical aid, and rehabilitation support. All our
initiatives align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to maximize impact and
ensure measurable progress toward a more equitable Bangladesh.

MNHR-Bangladesh is a registered non-governmental organization with RegNo 2965 under the

NGO Affairs Bureau, Prime Minister’s Office, Bangladesh, serving underserved urban and rural
communities in Bangladesh, focusing on capacity building, humanitarian aid, conservation of
environment, climate change mitigation and economic empowerment. Our focus and program
address key national and global concerns so as to achieve sustainable community development.
So far, with partners like Qatar Charity, Imdad Relief Foundation-Norway, Al-Khair Foundation, we
have implemented multiple projects, like- Water Access Program- an initiative to install tube
wells, solar-powered water pumps, and sensitize communities on WASH behaviors; Sanitation &
Public Health Program- an initiative to build modern and gender inclusive sanitary facilities for
rural and refugee communities, promote awareness on WASH behaviors, and install eco-friendly
waste management system; Food Support Program- to support struggling communities with
nutritious food packages and distribute cooked meal programs in schools and refugee camps;
Capacity Building Program- to build and support schools in underprivileged areas, provide
scholarships, uniforms and school supplies to students in need, conduct adult literacy program
and vocational training for youth; Faith-based Development Program- to build and renovate
religious infrastructures across country, supply faith-based educational materials and train faith-
based teachers to ensure quality religious education; Emergency Relief Program- to support food,
water and shelter kits, providing medical assistance and clothes, offering financial assistance and
rehabilitation support to affected families, and train volunteer teams, and more.

Problem Statement
A needs assessment conducted in the above-mentioned areas identified a series of root causes
behind the hinderance of sustainable community development. Inadequate educational
opportunity is one of the biggest challenges that prevent a significant number of talented
children from reaching their full potential. For example, students who wish to pursue education,
particularly faith-based education like Hafiz, often find themselves limited by financial
constraints. Similarly, many communities lack spiritual/religious infrastructures, that not only
serve as place of worship, but also as essential centers for community gathering and critical
message dissemination. Lack of safe and clean water, which is a key determinant of public health,
is another critical challenge, as nearly half of the population suffers from lack of clean and
drinkable areas. Outdated or non-existent housing in the selected areas further compounds the
challenges, exposing vulnerable families to environmental risks and economic instability.

Apart from these challenges, the vulnerable and low-income families face another significant
burden during special occasions like Ramadan and Eid. During Ramadan, shortage of food often
contributes to price increase, and majority of the poor families struggle with affording basic needs
let alone celebrating occasions like Eid-al-Fitr.

In response to address these challenges in the selected areas, MNHR Bangladesh proposes a
year-long comprehensive strategy, through an Integrated Community Uplifment Initiative, also
named ICUI.

MNHR recognizes the interconnectedness of climate, nature and biodiversity in sustaining life and
ensuring the well-being of communities. We believe that no community development initiative
would be sustainable without addressing alarming environmental challenges like rapid loss of
green spaces and natural habitats. After a thorough investigation in the selected areas, we found
that rapid urbanization has resulted in significant loss of trees and green spaces that once
supported diverse bird species, leading to a decline in bird populations, which play an essential
role in maintaining ecological balance, like natural pest control, pollination and overall
biodiversity.

As a small step to address this pressing environmental issue along with our proposed Integrated
Community Upliftment Initiative, we offer to initiate an urban bird sanctuary project in specific
project areas.

Objectives and Rationale

1. Objectives of the Project

The proposed project seeks to pilot practical and cost-effective community development to :

i) Provide scholarships to aspiring madrasah students pursuing Hafiz education

ii) Ensure access to clean and safe water for struggling communities
iii) Construct religious infrastructures with ablution facilities for communities
iv) Provide low-cost houses for homeless and ultra-poor families
v) Support struggling and low-income families during Ramadan
vi) Install low-cost bird sanctuaries to address environmental challenge
Project areas : Six districts across Bangladesh

The ICUI targets six districts across the country, selected based on geographical location,
vulnerability to natural disasters, economic challenges and livelihood performance.

TABLE 1.1 : PROJECT AREAS & RATIONALE

SL. District Upazila/Union/Area Rationale behind target location

▪ Selected areas have urban slums with high population
density.
Mirpur-10 and Mirpur-
1 Dhaka ▪ Overcrowded slum communities have limited access to
13
education and most families earn below average.
▪ Rapid urbanization causes imbalance in biodiversity.
▪ Situated on the delta of Padma and is often listed as
coastal area, selected areas are very prone to cyclone and
Agailjhara and Wazirpur erosion.
2 Barisal
Upazilas ▪ Many of rural households live in flood vulnerable
makeshift shelters.
▪ High arsenic contamination in groundwater.
▪ Selected area is located in riverine delta and faces
frequent flooding.
3 Chandpur Faridganj Upazila ▪ According to DPHE 2023, 33% of tube wells in the upazila
exceed WHO arsenic limit.
▪ According to BBS 2022, poverty rate is 24%.
▪ Even though situated in an inland, the area often faces
moderate-level flooding.
▪ According to our needs assessment, the upazila lack
4 Magura Mohammadpur Upazila
religious infrastructure in rural areas, and access to clean
water is also an issue.
▪ Poverty rate in the upazila is 18%.
▪ Rural areas in the upazila have poverty rate of 22%.
5 Mymensingh Muktagacha Upazila ▪ Lack of disaster resilient housing, and WASH
infrastructure.
▪ Coastal areas with high vulnerability of natural disasters,
Ukhiya and Teknaf and host to millions of Rohingya refugees.
6 Cox’s Bazar
Upazilas ▪ Extreme poverty and lack of disaster resilient housing in
refugee camps.

TABLE 1.2 : PROJECT COMPONENTS WITH EXPECTED CONCRETE OUTPUTS AND EXPECTED
OUTCOMES

Project Components Expected Concrete Outputs Expected Outcomes

1. Provide Hafiz A total of 146 scholarships to Empower future community
scholarship financially disadvantaged and religious leaders, ensuring
students in Dhaka, Barisal and that financial constraints do not
Chandpur to pursue Hafiz.
 hinder spiritual and academic
growth.
2. Construct mosques Construct a total of 14 modern Build community centers that
with ozu-khana and 900 sq.ft. mosques equipped with serve as hubs for worship,
water tank ozu-khana and water tanks education and social cohesion.
3. Construct low-cost Construct a total of 66 secure, Enhance living conditions and
houses affordable two-bedroom houses provide a stable foundation for
to uplift vulnerable communities. economic progress.
4. Install tube wells Install a total of 58 tube wells to Reduce waterborne diseases
provide a sustainable supply of and enhance public health in
clean, drinkable and arsenic-free communities.
water.
5.1 Distribute Provide nutritious foods for Address food insecurity during
Ramadan food Ramadan to struggling families. Ramadan.
packages
Distribute gift packages for Eid to Ensured dignified observance of
5.2 Distribute Eid gift selected families. Eid-al-Fitr.
packages
Organize Ramadan-long and one- Address food insecurity and
5.3 Organize iftar time iftar events in mosques for strengthen community
events in mosques musullis. network.
6. Build bird sanctuary Install a total of 3000 clay-pot Provide secure nesting habitats
nests in selected trees for birds, aiming to increase the
local bird population by 25% by
the end of the project.

TABLE 1.3 : COMPONENT BREAKDOWN WITH SPECIFIC LOCATION

Area Components
Hafiz Ramadan support
Low-cost Tube Bird
District Upazila scholar- Mosque Food Gift
housing well Iftar Sanctuary
ship package package
Individual unit unit unit family individual unit
(Mirpur-10 & 500 ±
Dhaka 100 - - - 300 200 2000
Mirpur-13) (one time)
3000
Agailjhara 20 6 20 10 300 150 (for 30 500
days)
Barisal
900
Wazirpur 6 2 6 3 100 50 (for 30 200
days)
3000
Chandpur Faridganj 20 2 20 30 300 150 (for 30 300
days)
3000
Magura Mohammadpur - 2 5 10 - 100 (for 30 -
days)

Muktagacha - 2 5 5 - - - -
Mymensingh
 Cox’s Bazar Ukhiya & Teknaf - - 10 - 200 - - -

Total
6 8 146 14 66 58 1200 650 10400 ± 3000
districts location/ individual unit unit unit family Individual unit
upazila

2. Project Justification

PROJECT COMPONENT 1 : PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO 146 ASPIRING HAFIZ STUDENTS

According to the World Bank (2022), while national poverty rates are on the decline, rural areas
still experience poverty rates that exceeds 20 percent, while urban areas have a poverty rate of
18 percent. One of the significant contributors to these issues is limited access to education-
particularly faith-based education which are central to many communities’ values. Access to
education is often expensive and many poor families are forced to perceive education as a
financial burden, therefore many talented students fall out of the chance to reach their fullest
potential.

▪ According to UNICEF, 2020, around 25% of children from low-income families in rural and
underserved urban areas abandon religious education due to financial pressure.
▪ Only 1 in 10 madrasas in Barisal and Chandpur district offer scholarships, leaving aspiring
students without any support- says BRAC Education Report 2023.

PROJECT COMPONENT 2 : BUILD MOSQUES WITH OZUKHANA AND WATER TANK

The lack of adequate infrastructure for spiritual practice and social gatherings, like mosques, is
another key contributor behind the downfall of communities’ lack of resilience and living
standards, which is often ignored. People tend to donate money for the building of mosques,
however, when it comes to the building of Ozukhana and sanitation facilities, mosque committees
are often short on funding. Therefore, the facilities are always substandard compared with the
rest of the project.
▪ According to many studies, spiritual or religious practice significantly contribute to human
development, by providing inner strength and resilience, which help individuals navigate
challenges and cultivate a greater sense of wellbeing.
▪ Mosques can provide temporary shelter to those displaced by floods, cyclones, or other
disasters. They can accommodate large numbers of people, offering a safe place for
families, especially women and children.
▪ Mosques can act as hubs to encourage communities to participate in various
humanitarian activities. They are also a hub to disseminate important messages to a
whole area.
PROJECT COMPONENT 3 : CONSTRUCT LOW-COST HOUSES FOR HOMELESS OR ULTRA-POOR

Many communities also continue to suffer from substandard housing and remain homeless,
which makes them vulnerable to environmental risks and limits their ability to thrive.
▪ According to a 2020 study by the Borgen Project, an organization that fights global
poverty, around 5 million in Bangladesh are still living without a proper roof over their
head.
▪ 60% of rural households in flood-prone regions like Agailjhara and Chandpur live in
makeshift shelters, vulnerable to monsoon destruction- says a 2020 World Bank report.

PROJECT COMPONENT 4 : INSTALL TUBE WELL

Where there is water, there is life. We all know that water is essential for basic human survival,
and clean, drinkable water is a key determinant of public health. In 2010, the UN General
Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation. Yet, many areas in
Bangladesh still face water-related issues, many of which are caused by contaminated water.
▪ Around 68.3 million people, that comprises more than 40 percent of the total population,
suffers from lack of safe water.
▪ According to the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), 33% of tube wells in
Chandpur exceed the WHO arsenic limit (10 µg/L), causing skin lesions, cancers, and infant
mortality.
▪ In Barisal’s Agailjhara, 1 in 4 households lacks access to safe water, forcing women to walk
2+ km daily- reveals WaterAid 2022 data.

PROJECT COMPONENT 5 : PROVIDE RAMADAN FOOD PACKAGE, EID GIFT PACKAGE AND
ORGANIZE IFTAR EVENTS

Food insecurity is one of the biggest challenges in Bangladesh, regularly faced by underserved
communities. Often derived from extreme poverty and food shortage that contributes to
increased price during the holiest month of Ramadan, many families struggle with affording basic
needs let alone celebrating an Eid occasion. Even a decent meal becomes luxury for low-income
families during Ramadan.
▪ As of 2022, the poverty rate in Bangladesh was 18.7%, while extreme poverty rate was
5.6%. According to BBS, 90% of extreme-poor families earn less than 100BDT per day, and
35% of the rural population lives below the poverty line.
▪ Food security worsened nationwide in all the divisions due to increased expenditure and
negative coping. More than one in five households, which is 23%, are moderately food
insecure, according a 2023 report by Relief Web.
 ▪ Every year, the prices of essentials invariably rise ahead of Ramadan. This year, we are
expecting more dire situation considering the political unrest across the nation and the
world.

PROJECT COMPONENT 6 : INSTALLATION OF BIRD SANCTUARIES TO BOOST BIRD POPULATION

Rapid urbanization in Dhaka has led to significant habitat loss for bird species, resulting in a
decline in urban biodiversity. The decrease of bird populations can result in the downfall of the
ecosystems in which birds play a vital role, such as pest control, seed dispersal, pollination,
scavenging and waste management. The most familiar reason behind the decline of birds is
habitat loss which is very common in Dhaka as many forms of vegetation are lost due to cutting
down of many trees and clearing of shrubs and grasslands for the construction of large buildings
for further urbanization in Dhaka.
▪ Countrywide, the number of birds as counted by their presence here and there, declined
by 40,000 this year compared to a year before, according to a census.
▪ There were around 8,00,000 birds in 1994 - a population that decreased to 2,33,000 in
2017 and further in 2018 to 1,63,000.

Cross-Cutting Themes
The Integrated Community Upliftment Initiative is built around several cross-cutting themes that
ensure an integrated, sustainable and inclusive approach to community development. The
themes are intertwined across all project components and align with the goals of the project.

Cross cutting theme description is given below:

Poverty reduction:
▪ Low-cost housing built for homeless and ultra-poor families can help them stabilized
▪ Ramadan/ Eid support may reduce food insecurity and alleviate dignity during critical
periods
▪ Hafiz scholarships will support students suffering from financial barriers to education

Community empowerment :
▪ Constructed mosques will be hubs for community engagement, education, disaster relief
and critical message dissemination
▪ Volunteers trained on the maintenance of bird sanctuary and tube well will learn about
environmental and health issues
▪ Sensitization meetings on water and sanitation hygiene at project areas will help
communities to be aware

Health and wellbeing :

▪ Ramadan support will ensure nutritious foods for struggling communities, having a small
impact on their health and wellbeing
▪ Tube wells will provide arsenic free water, which ultimately reduce waterborne diseases
▪ Ozukhana in mosques will ensure hygiene practice

Environmental sustainability and disaster resilience :

▪ Bird sanctuaries will revive urban bird populations, having a clear impact on ecological
balance
▪ Low-cost housing and mosques built with flood resilient materials will mitigate climate
related risks and keep families safe
▪ Mosques can be used as emergency shelters during flood and cyclones

Hafiz
CROSS CUTTING Ramadan Low-Cost
Scholar- Mosques Tube Well Bird Nests
THEME Support Housing
Ships
Poverty reduction
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ -
Community
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
empowerment
Health and wellbeing
- ✔ ✔ - ✔ -
Environmental
sustainability and - - ✔ ✔ - ✔
disaster resilience

Activity Plan
The Integrated Community Upliftment Initiative will be implemented over a 12 month period,
with all components running simultaneously through dedicated field teams to ensure efficiency
and timely completion. The project will begin with the Hafiz Scholarships and Ramadan Support
initiatives. During the first two months, field teams will also initiate the Tube Well Installation
initiative. From the third month, the focus will shift to Low-Cost Housing, with field teams
finalizing designs and other pre-construction related tasks, which will wrap up by the sixth month.
Concurrently, the Mosque Construction initiative will begin in the sixth month, with pre-
construction work completed while housing construction is underway. Mosque construction will
wrap up by the ninth month. In the final phase, the Bird Sanctuary initiative will be implemented.

Throughout the project, the same field teams will be utilized for construction-related components
to optimize resources and ensure seamless transitions. The final months will also focus on
Monitoring & Evaluation, including final audits, impact assessments and donor reporting.

A detailed plan along with month-based Gantt chart is given below. More detailed plan and
chart are available in a separate excel sheet attachment.
 M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9 M10 M11 M12 M13
Integrated Community Uplifment Initiative - ICUI
Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
PROJECT INITIATION
Working Team and Advisory Board formation
De-briefing meeting with donor and proposal methodology review
Recruit project staff
A. HAFIZ SPONSORSHIP
Activity initiation meeting with donor
Partner with selected madrasahs to identify eligible students
Conduct background check and financial need
Conduct interviews with eligible students
Final selection of students
Transfer funds to madrasahs
Bi-monthly academic performance review
B. RAMADAN SUPPORT
Train staff on Ramadan support distribution protocols
Finalize beneficiary lists for Ramadan and Eid support
Ramadan food and Eid gift supply procurement
Pack and label Ramadan food and Eid gift packages
Ramadan food package distribution to selected areas
Eid gift package distribution
Identify mosques to host iftar events in DHAKA
Host one-time iftar events in 2 mosques in M irpur-10, Dhaka
Host one-time iftar events in 2 mosques in M irpur-13 Dhaka
Identify mosques to host iftar in CHANDPUR, BARISAL and M AGURA
Project Activity Plan & Gantt Chart

Host Ramadan-long iftar events in selected mosques in Chandpur

Host Ramadan-long iftar events in selected mosques in Barisal
Host Ramadan-long iftar events in selected mosques in Magura
Post-Ramadan FEEDBACK through phone-call and on-site visit
Donor report on RAMADAN SUPPORT INITIATIVE
C. TUBE WELL INSTALLATION
Pre-activity meeting with donor
Site visitaion and arsenic level testing in target areas
Map safe drilling sites
Tube well site validation meeting with donor
Materials procurement from local suppliers
Boreholes drilling to install tube well
Install hand pumps and cement platforms
Series of sensitization meeting with selected communities on water
hygiene, pump maintance and water conservation
Retesting and monitoring of tube wells
Donor report on TUBE WELL INSTALLATION INITIATIVE
D. LOW-COST HOUSING CONSTRUCTION
Pre-activity meeting with donor
Collaborate with local govt. and NGOs to select homeless and ultra
poor families
Survey flood resilient location
Draft and finalize blueprint for low-cost houses
Finalize sites
Construction site and LCH blueprint endorsement meeting with
donor, local NGO representatives, local leaders
Materials procurement from local suppliers for mosque construction
Construction : Foundation
Construction : Walls and roofing
Construction : Floor, door, window, electicity line, toilet and kitchen
Safety inspections
Handover houses to families
Donor report preparation and submission on LCH CONSTRUCTION
INITIATIVE
E. MOSQUE CONSTRUCTION
Pre-activity meeting with donor
Survey flood resilient location
Draft and finalize blueprint for mosques
Finalize sites to construct mosques
Construction sites and mosque blueprint validation meeting
Materials procurement from local suppliers for mosque construction
Construction : Foundation
Construction : Prayer hall structure
Construction : Roofing and interior
Construction : Ozukhana and water tank installation
Safety inspections
Mosque initiation and handover to mosque committee
Donor report on MOSQUE CONSTRUCTION INITIATIVE
F. BIRD SANCTUARY
Conduct surveys to identify and catalog suitable trees
Engage with local authorities, environmental experts and NGOs
Purchase clay pots, installation materials and other equipments
Train field facilitators and volunteers on nest installation
Instatll clay pot nests
Record installation details and geo-tag nest locations
Bi-weekly nests monoring to observe occupancy and bird activity
Donor report preparation and submission on BIRD SANCTUARY
INSTALLATION INITIATIVE
OVERALL Monitoring and Quality Assurance Initiatives and Project Closure
Bi-monthly formal progress review meeting with donor
Quality monitoring and feedback incorporation
Submission of Project Completion Report
Administrative procedures for contract closing
Risk Management Plan
Given the complexity and multi-component nature of the project, a comprehensive risk
management plan is essential to identify potential issues, assess likelihood and impact and
establish clear mitigation and monitoring strategies. For each identified risk, we assigned a risk
level-

▪ High : Risks with significant impact and/or high probablity that could critically affect
project outcomes.
▪ Medium : Risks with moderate impacct or likelihood that require careful monitoring
▪ Low : Risks with minimal impact or low likelihood that can be managed through routine
oversight.

Risk
SL. Potential Risks Impact Mitigation Measures
Likelihood
Delays in fund Conduct regular progress
disbursement review meetings with donor to
A Medium High
ensure timely disbursement of
funds
Construction delays of
Hire experienced contractors
B mosques / houses / tube High High
with proven track records
wells
Natural disasters in selected Thorough site assessment
Medium /
C areas High before construction; develop
High an emergency response plan
Resistance from community Engage and consult with local
D Low Medium community leaders and local
govt. to build trust
Workplace accident Enforce strict health and safety
protocols, and ensure regular
E Low High
training and safety equipments
to constructors
Unseen threats caused by Regular communication with
political unrest field teams, local government
F High Medium
and local leaders could help
mitigate the risk
Diseases spread by birds Ensure proper equipments for
volunteers, and regularly
G Medium Medium
maintain nests to prevent
health hazards
SDG Alignment
The proposed ICUI project align with 8 Sustainable Development Goals through its holistic
approach to education, infrastructure, health and environmental sustainability :

SDG Target Alignment

a. Constructing 66 low-cost houses for ultra-poor
Target 1.4 – Ensure equal families reduces homelessness and vulnerability to
SDG 1 : No Poverty rights to economic resources environmental shocks.
and basic services
b. Ramadan and Eid support alleviates food
insecurity for approx. 1,850+ families.
a. Distributing 1,200 Ramadan food
packages and 650 Eid gift packages ensures food
Target 2.1 – End hunger and
access during critical periods.
SDG 2 : Zero Hunger ensure access to safe,
nutritious food
b. Hosting 10,400+ iftar meals in mosques combats
acute hunger during critical time.
a. Installing 58 arsenic-free tube wells reduces
Target 3.9 – Reduce illnesses waterborne diseases (arsenics, diarrhea).
SDG 3: Good Health and
from hazardous chemicals and
Well-Being
pollution b. Ozu-khana with access to clean water promote
hygiene practices.
a. Providing 146 Hafiz scholarships enables
SDG 4: Quality Education Target 4.1: Ensure inclusive
marginalized students to pursue faith-based
and equitable education.
education.
a. Tube wells provide arsenic-free water to
SDG 6: Clean Water and communities in Chandpur, Magura, and Barisal.
Target 6.1: Achieve universal
Sanitation
access to safe drinking water.
b. Mosque water tanks ensure clean water access
for ablution and emergencies.
a. 66 flood-resistant houses in disaster-prone areas
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities (e.g., Chandpur, Barisal).
Target 11.1: Ensure access to
and Communities
safe, affordable housing.
b. Mosques serve as multi-purpose community
hubs for worship, education, and disaster relief.
a. Flood-resistant materials in housing/mosques
Target 13.1: Strengthen mitigate monsoon risks.
SDG 13: Climate Action
resilience to climate-related
hazards. b. Bird sanctuaries promote urban biodiversity,
enhancing ecosystem resilience.
a. 3000 bird nests across selected districts will have
Target 15.5: Protect an impact on bird population growth.
SDG 15: Life on Land biodiversity and natural
habitats. b. Training 200 volunteers for bird sanctuary
maintenance fosters local ownership.
Exit Strategy & Sustainability
The proposed year-long project focuses on multiple intertwined components, all of which
contributes to uplifting vulnerable communities. To ensure sustainability and long-term impact
on the communities served, we will adopt a phased exit strategy plan that handovers ownership
of project components to local beneficiaries while embedding resilience into communities.

GRADUAL TRANSITION OF RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Component 1 : Hafiz Scholarship

Exit plan : Conclude our role as the implementing partner immediately after a formal scholarship
ceremony.

Sustianability measures : Leverage existing networks in underserved areas to identify more

eligible students. With adequate funding, future batches will be supported through same
established channels.

Project Component 2 : Mosque with Ozukhana

Exit plan : Utilize a graduation approach to hand over mosque infrastructures with basic supplies
to the selected communities.

Sustainability measures : Establish Mosque committees consist of local leaders with

social/religious influence over selected communities. Each upazila will receive two one-day-long
training sessions covering maintenance, financial literacy and technical skills to ensure effective
management.

Project Component 3 : Low-Cost Housing

Exit plan : After construction and thorough safety check, houses will be gradually handed over to
direct beneficiaries.

Sustainability measures : Form local committees in each area, made up of direct beneficiaries
with leadership and problem-solving skills, to oversee ongoing housing issues. These committees
will receive comprehensive training in maintenance, financial literacy and disaster risk mitigation.
Project Component 4 : Tube Well

Exit plan : Utilize a graduation approach to hand over installed tube wells to local communities.

Sustainability measures : Organize upazila level sensitization meetings on tube well maintenance
and WASH practices. Establish small committees of responsible youths and connect the
committees with the local DPHE (Department of Public Health Engineering) for ongoing testing
and maintenance.

Project Component 5 : Ramadan Support

Exit plan : As a one-month intervention, this component will conclude before Eid-al-Fitr day with
no long-term sustainability plan required.

Sustainability measures : Yet, we can utilize the beneficiary assessment data to inform and
potentially target support in future Eid or other relief initiatives.

Project Component 6 : Bird Sanctuary

Exit plan : Our plan to increase bird population in selected urban and rural areas goes beyond just
installing environment friendly nests in trees and lamp posts. We aim to train groups of volunteers
and push a sense of responsibility towards safeguarding biodiversity through multiple training
sessions.

Sustainability measures : Train groups of volunteers and organize sensitization meetings with local
public school committees. Mosque committees and relevant NGO representatives.

BUDGET
[ATTACHED SEPARATELY]