Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service Bangladesh (RDRS Bangladesh) works with many partners, both national and international. Their mission is to help the rural poor and their organisations to establish and claim their rights, to build their capacity and confidence, and to promote good governance and improved access to opportunities, resources and services. The Norwegian Church Aid and the Strømme Foundation are currently co-operating with RDRS.
27/05/2008 :: RDRS is an non-governmental organisation working to empower the rural poor in northern Bangladesh. It was set up by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in 1971 to help refugees. RDRS Bangladesh became an autonomous organisation in 1997, but still works closely with LWF.
Ambassador Ingebjørg Støfring recently travelled to Rangpur and Dinajpur to see the Norwegian supported projects of RDRS there. During this field visit she observed activities in a maternal clinic, a children's education centre, an adolescent girls centre, a tribal women’s skill development training centre, arbitration and mediation committees, and a HIV/AIDS prevention centre for sex workers.
A number of Norwegian organisations are involved in development work in Bangladesh through direct co-operation with various implementing partner organisations in the country. The Strømme Foundation, the Norwegian YMCA-YWCA, the Norwegian Peace Corps, Forum for Women and Development (FOKUS), the Norwegian Church Aid and the Norwegian Missions in Development are all active in Bangladesh (see links in the right hand column).