The New Nation - Internet Edition

Grameenphone Ltd will provide financial assistance to build four schools-cum-cyclone-shelters in Bagerhat and Barguna districts, as part of the company's rehabilitation plans in the SIDR affected areas.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in this regard between Grameenphone and Resource Development Fund (RDF) and Shushilan, both local NGOs, on August 21 last.

The elevated structures will be used as primary schools throughout the year to provide non-formal primary education to underprivileged children of the locality. RDF and Shushilan, local NGOs that operate in the selected areas, will be responsible for the overall management of the project, including the construction and operation of the schools. Each school-cum-cyclone-shelter will be a two storied building along with an adjacent playground.

Under the terms of the MOU a co-ordination committee, comprising local Government official (UNO office), RDF official and representatives from the community and Grameenphone, will monitor the progress of the construction work and supervise the school-cum-shelter after its construction.

K.H. Masud Siddiqui, Director General, Disaster Management Bureau, Ministry of Food and Disaster, was present at the signing as chief guest. Arnfinn Groven, Director, Customer Service, Grameenphone, M Golam Mostafa, Chief Executive Officer, RDF and Mostafa Nuruzzaman, Director, Shushilan signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.

Syed Yamin Bakht, Director, Public Relations of Grameenphone, and other officials of Grameenphone, RDF and Shushilan were also present on the occasion.

Earlier, Grameenphone extended its help towards victims of the devastating cyclone SIDR. A contribution of Tk 10 million was made to the Chief Adviser's Relief Fund, which included GP employees' one-day salary contribution. In addition, Telenor, the majority shareholder of Grameenphone, donated another Tk 23 million towards Grameenphone's relief and rehabilitation effort. GP's sister concerns Telenor Pakistan and Telenor Denmark had also donated Tk 1 million each in this regard. During the relief operations earlier, Grameenphone organized 16 medical camps and 14,000 family packs were distributed among the affected. Almost 200 employees voluntarily participated during the relief effort.

RDF is a non-profit organization, started in 1993 with the aim to identify and maximize the utilization of resources through proper training and technical support and to improve the socio-economic conditions of the poorest people in the community.

Shushilan, a local agro-ecology and right-based NGO working in the southwest coastal region, started in 1991 with the aim to create opportunities and enable the socially underprivileged community for sustainable resource management, livelihood security, gender equality and human rights.