Capacity Building

Capacity building plays a vital role for human resource development. It is being increasingly important in sustaining programs and building high-performing organization. It is one of the pivotal means and ways to transfer knowledge and skills to others. Capacity building, what YWCA of Bangladesh experiences as a development organization, is not only dealing with life skill development, but also a creative and constructive process for empowering human

resources. It defined capacity building as building abilities, relationships and values that is helpful to enable organization, staff, beneficiaries and other stakeholders to improve their performance and achieve their development objectives. Accommodating different learning styles to bring many more good ideas into the capacity building procees, YWCA of Bangladesh puts emphasis on three key aspects:

capacity building as the catalyst and constant fuel for a process of change
the importance of building community capacity and
encouraging the involvement of a wide range of different stakeholders in society for enhancing the scope of development.

In the long drive towards unlocking the value of neglected human resources, YWCA of Bangladesh designs and conducts capacity building activity with a great dynamism for furthering its targets seriously and phenomenally. Capacity building through training, workshop, orientation, courtyard meeting, seminar, symposium, exchange visits/programs, meetings, community convention, exposures on diverse development and social issues and other means of interpersonal communication is inevitable to disseminate appropriate and practical know-how and management skills to the receivers. To do so, YWCA of Bangladesh takes into account all of the forces that shape its mission, values and organizational culture. Basing on solid professional skill development principles, the main objective of its capacity building program is to build capacity, develop leadership skill and raise awareness of the staff, members, volunteers and beneficiaries and to orient them to the whole range of conceptual,

methodological and thematic aspects of development.

Peer learning and team work are very much crucial approaches for participatory capacity-building. Maximizing the human capital generation result for sustainable development, these approaches motivate staff and beneficiaries to perform efficiently and contribute to improving the organizational and programmatic achievement. So, YWCA of Bangladesh made capacity-building activity a flagship component of overall development program. It has been organizing intensive long- and short-term trainings and apprenticeships for preparing staff and beneficiaries to be integrated into the organization’s work with great eagerness and

creativity. As a result, they are being stimulated to hone their responsibilities, integrity, critical thinking and interpersonal skill.

As per the planning, in the year of July 2009 – 2010 a total number of 1913 women and girls received different trainings as well as participated in different workshops and campaigns which were aimed to increase their knowledge and to enhance their capacity so that they can contribute to their own empowerment and to the development of their community:

01. Leaders of Influence Program, Orientation for Women Leaders by Asia Foundation at Pabna & Barisal YWCA

From 6-7 December 2009 in Pabna YWCA & 25-26th May 2010 in Barisal YWCA, , the Asia Foundation facilitated orientation workshops for the women leaders of YWCA of Bangladesh and of civil society where 50 women leaders of Pabna city, 55 women leaders of Barisal city attended these orientation workshops. These orientations were a part of Leaders of Influence Program facilitated by Asia Foundation of Bangladesh and funded by USAID under the partnership between the YWCA of Bangladesh and Asia Foundation. The aim of this orientation program was to aware and empower the women leaders of the society to contribute in decision making process of their community and of society.

02. Awareness Program on Breast Cancer with the School Guardians

To raise awareness and to observe ‘October’ as the Breast Cancer Month, the YWCA of Bangladesh organized two half day seminar on 22nd October 2009, for the Parents of it Nursery School students.

About 249 parents altogther attended those seminars where Dr. Rulia Khanm and Dr. Masud on behalf of Shanti Oncology Centre were present there with the Coordinator for Health and Community Development Program Mary Margaret Rozario from YWCA of Bangladesh. The raising chances of vulnerability of Breast Cancer and to how to reduce it by early detection were the major focus of discussion of that seminar.

03. Campaign on Breast Cancer awareness 2009

“ Lets Move Together to Build a Life Free from Breast Cancer” with this theme, the Young Women’s Christian Association of Bangladesh (YWCA) and the Daily Prothom Alo jointly organized a campaign including rally and Panel discussion on 30^th October 2009 to raise awareness to protect women from Breast Cancer.

The Rally started from the front of National Museum and continued until the campus of National Shishu (Children) Academy.

About 1500 women, man irrespective of age and profession, participated in this rally on that day. Rasheda K. Chowdhury, former Adviser of Care – taker Government of Bangladesh, accompanied by Janet Mary Gomes, the Vice- President of YWCA of Bangladesh and Joyce Mormita Das, National General Secretary of YWCA of Bangladesh, inaugurated this rally. Pink was the theme color of that rally. Everyone of the rally wore the pink ribbon to show the solidarity against Breast Cancer. It was an eye catching pink procession where many renowned writer, singer and popular faces of the country joint the crowed spontaneously.

The rally was followed by a Panel Discussion on the theme. Former Adviser of Care – taker Government of Bangladesh – Rasheda K. Chowdhury addressed the discussion as the chief guest. Executive Director oif Nari – Pakhaya – Shirin Akhter, Assistant Professor of Radiology Therapy Department of Dhaka Medical College – Dr. Golam Muhiuddin Faruk and the Feature Editor of the Daily Prothom Alo – Sumana Sharmin spoke as special guest. Former President of YWCA of Bangladesh – Rina Das chaired the discussion. Among others, TV presenter Sharmin Lucky, the Vice- President of YWCA of Bangladesh Janet Mary Gomes, and National General Secretary of YWCA of Bangladesh Joyce Mormita Das, spoke at the discussion.

The Media Partners of the Campaign were Channel I and Radio Today. It was also cooperated by Ayesha Memorial Specialized Hospital Pvt. Ltd, the Christian Co-Operative Credit Union (Ltd.) and Sonofi Aventis Bangladesh Ltd.

04. Follow –up training on Micro- Credit Manual and format

The micro-finance supervisors and workers from 13 local YWCAs received a two-day training from the YWCA of Bangladesh on 17-18th November 2009. The training was organized to discuss in detail about the Micro-credit Manual and to sort out the findings from the implementing level as the feedback. 41 micro-finance supervisors and workers attended the training.

05. Health Workers’ In Service Training on Primary Health Care

Caritas Bangladesh facilitated a training for the Health Workers and Supervisors of YWCA of Bangladesh on 8-10th December 2009 at the Bangladesh YWCA Bhaban. 24 trainees from 13 local branches were present at the training to develop their capacity and skill on the issue of promoting self hygene, safe water, nutrition, measures to reduce malnutrition, EPI, HIV/ AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Infections etc. There were also discussion to improve the health work monitoring format for the YWCA of Bangladesh specifically. Dr. Edward Biswas and Dr. Mukti Monika Areng from NFPA of Caritas Bangladesh and. Mary Margaret Rozario, Juliate Keya Malakar from the YWCA of Bangladesh were the facilitator of the training.

06. Training on Traditional Birth Attendants

From 14-16th February 2010, a training for Traditional Birth Attended (TBA) of World Vision Bangladesh and YWCA of Bangladesh t the Kaliganj ADP office of World Vision Bangladesh. 30 TBAs from both organizations attended the training. The content of the training included

reproductive health and component of reproductive health, pre- post pregnancy care, pre & post natal care, danger signs during pregnancy etc.

07. Training on Participatory Monitoring & Evaluation

Training on Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation was facilitated by the ANUKUL Foundation IDSL, and was organised by the YWCA of Bangladesh from 31st May – 2nd June 2010 at the Bangladesh YWCA Bhaban. The training was organised for the senior staff of YWCA of

Bangladesh that includes : General Secretaries, Program Secretaries of local YWCAs and senior staff of National office. It was altogether 32 participant attended the training. The content of the training was mostly focused on the process, structure and tools of Monitoring, Supervision and Evaluation as a method and tool of effective management system. Through this participatory training, the versatile trainers facilitated the concept, contemporary methods ( including LFA), policies of Monitoring and Evaluation, data processing and presenting method etc. With the knowledge development on the above issues, the training enabled the participants to describe unmistakably about the monitoring and evaluation process in general and how to implement those at their daily work. As per the evaluation that has been done at the end of the seminar shows the proof of it and the satisfactory participation of the participants.

08. Training on Climate Change and Risk Reduction

With the support of Proshika Human Development training department, the YWCA of organized a training on Climate Change and Risk Reduction on 29th June – 1st July 2010. 28 senior staff of YWCA of Bangladesh participated in this training. Climate change and its impact on earth as well as in Bangladesh, the adopting mechanism on this changed climate and to fight against natural disaster were the major topics of the training.

Achievements

Leadership Development & Capacity building at the individual level

Participants perception and knowledge on the organizational components as well as on working priority have be improved and clarified.
Detailed and intensive participatory learning process to ensure proper implementation and involvement.
Awareness raising from the individual level to the community level on the issues discussed in the trainings were prioritized.
Individual skill development on staff management, effective implementation, monitoring and reporting have been improved.
Leadership development of the staff and volunteers.

Leadership Development & Capacity building at the institutional level

Policy-oriented implementation from the organization perspective has been ensured ( e.g. implementation of micro- finance policy)
Advocacy initiatives aimed at disseminating right based message & awareness raising message to different stakeholders have been taken through the trainings, campaigns and networks initiatives.
Skill development and capacity building of staff and volunteers to strengthen organization from the human development perspective.
Opportunity for the staff and volunteer to develop their capacity and to practice the expertise in the organization by contributing at the implementing level.
Strengthened organizational relationship with the community level influential leaders.

Leadership Development & Capacity building at the Community level:

Various training activities have enhanced the awareness level of the women, created access to information, and at the same time gave them the self-confidence to get organized for their rights.

The trained community members are already active in addressing social issues. Greater awareness developed among them on various issues like gender, reproductive health, education, income generation etc. are very much reflected in their daily life. The training knowledge increased self-confidence among the members. Repeated numbers of training events developed cohesivenessamong them and created a platform to get organized and address issues related to gender based violence.

Challenges

Skill development & Capacity building is a long-term process, therefore, setting standardized indicators to measure and analyze improvement in quality of life is a challenge.
Adequate sharing of skills and knowledge at different levels still remains a challenge.