About SHISUK

SHISUK (Shikkha Shastha Unnayan Karzakram) stands for Education, Health, and Development Program. SHISUK addresses sustainable development through community approach involving the disadvantaged and influential class together in the process of socioeconomic development offering more interaction and participation of stakeholders to create an enabling environment for good governance, generation of innovative ideas, initiation of community actions to foster replication of good practices and influencing policy changes. The lifelines of the Bangladesh economy and peoples’ livelihoods are agriculture, agriculture-based entrepreneurship, and overseas migration. Thus SHISUK has been concentrating on these areas in striving for positive change. SHISUK intends to demonstrate management of resources: human, knowledge, land, water and capital in partnership with the community to facilitate self-reliant sustainable development and equitable sharing of benefits.

SHISUK’s model of Community Enterprise Approach has awarded National Gold Medal in 1999 by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Govt. of Bangladesh, and selected as one of the SAARC Best Practices for Attainment of the SAARC Development Goals under the livelihoods category in 2007. Daudkandi, under the Cumilla district, is one of the best practice sites, wherein 1997. It is also cited as a development approach in the 7^th and 8^th Five Years Plan of the Bangladesh Government.

SHISUK is a SEED Award winner 2009 for innovative sustainable entrepreneurial initiative, key sponsors IUCN, UNDP and UNEP

Vision

SHISUK has emerged with distinct mandates in the development field since its inception in 1994. Self-reliant sustainable community development is the motto of the SHISUK. The focus is on the worth of every human being and the solidarity to offer everyone a dignified peaceful existence, regardless of age, gender, origin, religion or political conviction.

SHISUK believes in people's own strength and supports initiatives that come from people themselves. This is based on the principle of subsidiary: people must be afforded the opportunity to work on their own development without outside patronization.

Mission

SHISUK believes that exchange of knowledge and people’s wisdom through the process of participation is the most cost effective means to bring changes for sustainable development. It encourages partnership with the community to facilitate sustainable, equitable and participatory management of existing resources (human, knowledge, land, water and capital) for self-reliant community development. 

SHISHK supports ecological farming and promote safe food and food security through stable and sustainable agricultural ecosystems. It upholds the spirit to work together with the community towards organic farming and move against unsafe use of agro-chemicals that damages life, land and environment.

SHISUK also believes in establishing safe migration process at all stages of migration for livelihood (pre-departure, post departure and reintegration) and upholds ‘right to stay to ensure right to move’ policy. It offers profound respect to the migrant workers and create enabling environment for them to reduce their personal and socio-economic vulnerability. 

SHISUK intent to offer a sharing platform maximizing knowledge among different stakeholders, generation of innovative ideas and approaches, initiation of community actions through participatory research and effective policy advocacy to foster replication of best practices and necessary policy changes for national, regional and international communities. 

Management of the organization

SHISUK is governed by its constitution and 9 member Executive committee. This body is mainly playing role on policy-making issues of the organization and approve the programs and activities implementing by the organization. The Executive Director is responsible to update the progress and the current situation to the EC committee. He is also accountable to the EC to submit annual plan and audit report for approval.

The Executive Director is the head of the program operation. Executive Director serves as chief of the execution part of the organization and keeps bridge between execution and policy making body of the organization. He is responsible to design the program according to the need with other staff of SHISUK. Prepare final report and liaison with Donor and concern authority nationally and Internationally. Monitor the program activities. The program coordinators and assistant coordinators are responsible to present a monthly update report of the program activities and progress.

The senior management team comprises the Executive Director, Program Director, Finance Manager, two Program Coordinators  and three Regional Coordinators. The management team is accountable to the Executive Committee/ Board members through annual reporting system.

The bank accounts are maintained by joint signature of the Executive Director and the Treasurer of the board.

In program implementation process there is always a scope for each of the team members to give their opinions, suggestions & share the ideas each other and in the team meeting. This sort of opinion & suggestions considered very important by the program management.

Working area

SHISUK has been collaborating with the Government of Bangladesh, academia and civil society organizations, private companies/ producers, and other key partners including UN and donor agencies, to bring about desired changes. SHISUK works at different levels starting down from the grass-root levels to the national level and at the regional level outside the country.

SHISUK works at local level with the community and is involved in community mobilization activities in five districts under three Divisions of Bangladesh.  SHISUK is currently working in 10  districts of 4 divisions, Dhaka, Comilla, Manikgonj, Gopalgonj, Barisal, Patuakhali, Jalakati, Sirajgonj, Pabna, and Natore