About Beezbistar Foundation
BeezBistar Foundation (BBF) is a nonprofit non-government organization working independently or jointly with organisation of similar ideas and objectives. We work with local communities especially farmers, weavers, fishers, adivashis, dalit and other marginalised and socially vulnerable people for a properous and healthy lfe. Our guiding ethical principles are non- discrimination against caste, race, class and gender.
BeezBistar means prosperity in life and peaceful and joyful relation between human beings. BeezBistar Foundation believes in people’s capacity to transform existing situation of poverty and become properous through a mediated process of interdependent, collective and community support and actions.
BeezBistar Foundation is constituted as an NGO, and was registered on 28th November, 2010 as a non-profit organization with NGO Affairs Bureau, Government of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh under the Foreign Donation (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Ordinance (Rule 46 in 1978).
Mission
The mission of BeezBistar Foundation is to implement ideas of change to achieve prosperous, healthy, secured and peaceful communities. Social justice, gender equity and human rights for all is our goal.
Areas of work
BeezBistar foundation works in all fields of development including agriculture, biodiversity, seed and genetic resources but in the wider fields of development particularly on health and medicine, food safety, nutrition, maternal and child health. Environment and Climate change are crucial issues for the organization. The other areas of works for BeezBistar are handloom, rural crafts, industry, workers and workplaces. BeezBistar foundation engages in education and skill development and art, culture and knowledge systems including cultures of local and indigenous communities.
Partnerships
BBF works at the community level and conducts its programmes in partnership with other like-minded organizations in the respective areas. BBF collaborates with research organizations, workers organizations, women’s organizations and with civil society.
General body and Executive Committee
BeezBistar Foundation is governed by 7 members’ Executive Committee (EC), which is mainly responsible for operational, policy and legal issue. The EC Committee is also responsible to formulate any project related planning and strategy, identification of beneficiaries, implementation and monitoring process. The Executive Committee is accountable to 21 members General Body.
SPECIAL FOCUS
AGRICULTURE
Agriculture and Rural development: BBF has particular focus on food and seed sovereignty, with promoting agriculture as a way of life and essential for the survival of humanity. It Implies that agriculture while ensures food and nutrition also creates and reproduces relations that are essential for a healthy and happy community. To identify strategic areas the project addresses threats that cause insecurity for life and livelihood, particularly food and food sources.
BBF works particularly to promote a biodiversity-based ecological farming, which includes domesticated, semi-domesticated or natural species and varieties: plants, fish, animals, birds including aquaculture, nursery, animal husbandry, poultry, nursery, horticulture, traditional and ayurvedic medicine or any activities proper for agrarian communities including community planning, landscape development and economic activities.
Biodiversity, Seed and Genetic resources: BBF works to ensure in situ and ex situ conservation of seeds and genetic resources and associated local knowledge systems, particularly supporting Seed and Genetic Resource Network and farmer-led initiatives.
ENVIRONMENT
BBF works for campaign and advocacy on environment and climate change. It works at the village level as well as at the national to determine the nature of environmental destruction and thereby creates awareness about protection of environment.
EDUCATION
BBF works with local schools and with school children on social, environmental and cultural issues. BBF works with children to educate them about food safety, hygiene and nutrition.
HEALTH & NUTRITION
BBF works at the grass root level on health issues, particularly on people’s access to health care, maternal and child health. BBF supports communities to grow safe and nutritious food particularly to meet the nutritional needs of people, women and children with emphasis on the needs of pregnant women, children under five.
HANDLOOM /RURAL INDUSTRIES
The involvement of Beez Bistar Foundation with the “Rural entrepreneur and development in handloom weaving” is within the context of revitalization of the economic activity in the weaving sector in rural Bangladesh.
BBF has been supporting the weavers with working capital and raw materials for production of shari, lungi, gamcha, shawl etc. The project provides marketing support, design, dyeing, training and policy support. It also provides educational supports among the children of weaver's families.
WORKING WITH FARMERS
Beez Bistar Foundation working with in collaboration of Nayakrishi Andolon – a popular farmers’ initiative for ecological food production. Since the inception BBF has been working closely with Nayakrishi Andolon and meanwhile, organize programs on environment, ecology, climate change among the farming communities. The key areas working with farmers include: a) developing specific practices of ecological agriculture appropriate that belong to the origin of diversity areas with strong agrarian tradition knowledge and culture; the practice is now conceptually known as biodiversity based ecological agriculture; b) developing learning process, trainings and ecological agriculture practices to enhance performance and productivity; c) developing strong in situ conservation of agro biodiversity and forming powerful farmers seed system; d) developing network between farmers seed system and National Gene banks; e) developing farmer led research method; f) efficient and ecological management of soil, water and use of local seeds appropriate for local eco systems; innovating mixed cropping and crop rotation to ensure economic return to the farmer.
WORKING WITH HANDLOOM WEAVERS
BBF have been working with the poor and marginal weavers for improving their livelihood and economic prosperity. The weavers have been facing in the handloom sector such as looms are lying idle due to shortage of cash working capital, the prices of yarn, dye and other raw materials have been rising with time. On the other hand the market was inundated with imported products. Consequently the price of finished weaving products make lower compared with the cost of production. In this way the weavers were losing from their production.
BBF provided supports to the weavers in Tangail and Kushtia. Tangail area is an old seat of activity while Kushtia is a new area of extension initiated through the Beez Bistar Foundation. Tangail is famous for Tangail sari. Nakshi buti is the specialty of Tangail sari. Kushtia is known for Lungi and Gamcha.
WORKING WITH WOMEN
BBF work with women’s organisations at the grass root level, building their capacities with information and resources and takes up women’s rights issues, particularly violence against women.
Contact Address:
BeezBistar Foundation (BBF)
6/8, Sir Syed Road, Mohammadpur, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
Phone:+88-02-58155015
Cell: 01730057708
Email: dr.masobhan@gmail.com; jahangiralamjony@gmail.com