Activities and engagements by COAST Foundation

Introduction of the organisation

COAST emerged as an NGO in 1998 from a ten-year-old project of an international NGO. It was a project situated in the southern part of Bhola Island. COAST is registered (No. 1242) by the NGO Affairs Bureau of the Prime Minister’s Office, Bangladesh Government. It has got registration (No. 00956-04041-00068) from Microcredit Regulatory Authority, Bangladesh Central Bank. COAST has the Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC.

COAST’s main objective is to uplift the socio-economic conditions of the poor and vulnerable coastal people through its intervention like microfinance and technical support, disaster risk reduction, Social Justice, primary health care, non-formal education, etc. It has also a linkage between local level and policy level advocacy. It is engaged with policy-level advocacy and campaigning with its advocacy wing EquityBD (www.equitybd.org).

It has been accredited by the Humanitarian Quality Assurance Initiative – HQAI for ensuring quality and accountability in its humanitarian and development works. The accreditation has been awarded following a four-year Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) certification process. HQAI is an independent third-party auditing agency headquartered in Geneva that certifies humanitarian and development organizations (including NGOs and UN agencies). They have a four-year certification audit period that includes an initial audit, an annual maintenance audit, a midterm audit, and a second maintenance audit, etc. It began in 2017, and the certificate is valid until December 2021.

Programmatic interventions 

In response to COVID-19, SDGs, Youth, Local Development, etc. Mention the targeted population, size of the population, inputs, and activities being done so far, challenges being faced in the field. Photos and infographics can be added to this section.

COAST programs are divided into two categories: Core Programs and No-Core Programs. The concept is based on core programs: (i) the core programs are running through the surplus from microfinance programs. This concept also illustrates those programs which will be continued up to the organizational existence. But it is mentioned here that development partners are also welcome to participate in the implementation of core programs.  The concept of non-core programs (ii) the organization will not develop any services that are already available among state agencies at the local level; rather, the organization will mobilize the poor to present and mediate their legitimate claims to those agencies, aiming to promote responsive and accountable government. Donor-funded projects also are included in non-core programs. The good governance programs in COAST have four components i.e., i. social mobilization to mediate legitimate demand of the poor, and ii. Facilitating access to the local government, iii, institutionalizing democracy, and iv. advocacy for policy and behavioral changes (i.e., to minimize gaps between policy declaration and policy implementation especially of the state agencies). In respect of institution-building, COAST is promoting People’s Organization (PO) which is a community-led community organization working as an alternative power structure.  The POs are not only for social mobilization for legitimate demand mediation, but it is also for participation/consultation in the management of the programs and organization. Apart from all those components of core programs, there is a non-core program that is either partly cost recovery basis or fully supported by external funding. COAST emphasizes cost recovery and the gradual diminishing of external dependency.

COAST Trust on 30 and 31st March 2020 has distributed Tk 16.00 lakh to 8 coastal districts like Bhola, Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, Feni, Laxmipur, Patuakhali, Barishal, and Jhalakathi and 37 coastal upazilas to Deputy Commissioners and Upazila Nirbahi Officers with Tk 50 thousand and Tk 25 thousand respectively in the government created coronavirus welfare fund. But in Bhola district, it has given TK. 1 lakh and Charfession and Kutubdia Upazila it has given Tk. 50 thousand and Tk. 2 lakh respectively. Notably here that, this money has been spent from COAST Disaster Mitigation Fund created from the microfinance service charge.

Considering the situation, since March 10, various activities have been undertaken in 9 coastal districts in their working areas. Earlier, the organization continued its vigilance program at various stages. For example, creating awareness videos, promoting shows on Facebook, creating and distributing leaflets, building awareness regularly among members, and follow-ups during home visits. Also, guidance and motivation are provided to employees through regular video conferences. This money has also been managed from its Disaster Mitigation Fund.

Other activities undertaken by COAST were: the distribution with awareness discussion with 9.5 lakh leaflets in the families, schools, colleges, madrasas, religious institutions of Bhola, Barishal, Noakhali, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Patuakhali, Jhalakathi, Laxmipur, Feni districts. The leaflets were distributed to 1,35,700 member-participants of microfinance programs, in 237 union Parishads, 51 Upazila Parishad, 9 zilla Parishad, 539 religious’ institutions, 299 madrasas, 434 primary schools, 280 high schools, and 140 colleges. district and Upazila offices, and health complexes. Besides, the community radio-Radio Meghna, located in Charleston, is regularly broadcasting awareness stories, information, news, and PSAs, the programs are also online countrywide.

Besides, on 20 and 28 March 2020 in an attempt to raise awareness of the Rohingyas, 2.80 lakh leaflets were printed in the Burmese Language and distributed to 9 camps and 77 camp mosques with group discussions. Leaflets were also printed in Bengali. Total 6 different videos in 3 languages (Bangla, Burmese, and Chittagonian) are also made, and from 11 March, those are uploaded through the COAST Trust’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The organization published five different types of leaflets. Notable among them were the World Health Organization’s leaflet on relief from mental stress, the icddr,b and the Department of Health Prevention’s message on preventing the virus, how to stay home quarantine, the punishments if home quarantine isn’t done properly, and so on.

Future Strategies

• To ensure stable and knowledge based human resource
• To extend program coverage in Chandpur, Bagerhat and Khulna districts
• To consolidate financial sustainability
• To reduce the management cost to increase surplus in microfinance program
• To ensure primary health support at 60% member participants
• To strengthen social business program for alternative income and reducing dependency on MF income
• To establish market outlet and online marketing for doing business
• To establish three or four storied building and training facilities with accommodation of 50 persons for Sonarpara branch in Cox’s Bazar.
• To raise awareness to protect the COVID-19 pandemic
• Robust fund searching efforts/ searching new fund sources, focusing foundations and charity based international organization, specially organizations working in different countries but yet to reach Bangladesh.
• Should consider short term and small budget projects
• Introduction of cloud funding, off course international communities
• Considering to attract CSR funds of Bangladeshi institutions/specially Banks.
• Searching funds for advocacy
• Using online platforms for fund searching

Website link of the organisation

Link: www.coastbd.net