Chalice has been serving both children and seniors in southwestern Bangladesh since 1998.
In the areas where Chalice works, children are encouraged to dropout of school at an early age in to find daily wage work. Young women are often discouraged from pursuing post-secondary education and careers in favor of marriage and running a household. Children and families are also subject to marginalization due to indigenous ethnicity, disabilities or geographical isolation and have poor access to basic public services such as schools and medical facilities. The job market is fiercely competitive, and many parents rely on daily, seasonal labor to earn income.
Through the support of sponsors and donors, Chalice and our local partners focus on:
Education - Ensuring each child completes their education until high school graduation, at a minimum. Our sites places special emphasis on providing access to education to children living with stigma or physical health conditions.
Livelihood - providing capacity-building training for parents, especially women, to assist them to find work or begin their own income-generating projects.
Nutrition & Agriculture - Our partners work with parents to become more agriculturally productive with their available local resources, improve their agri-businesses, and bolster their family’s diets.
Our Bangladesh site:
Jessore - Chalice has partnered with the Rural Reconstruction Foundation (RRF) based in the ancient city of Jessore since 1998. Mr. Arun Sardar oversees the sponsorship program for children and the elderly. Through sponsorship, children are able to access quality education. Sponsored children and seniors from underprivileged families are provided with access to quality education and health care. Sponsored seniors receive nutritious food baskets each month. Many of the parents are agricultural workers who rely on smallholder farms for food and livelihood, so the site provides food and agronomic training to help them supplement their diets and improve their harvests.