SHORT HISTORY OF THE GOOD EARTH
We are an NGO working for social change and poverty alleviation in Bangladesh. We teach self-reliance and we stress on Human Rights as the basic tools necessary to bring changes in the lives of the poor.
The Good Earth believes that real change can occur only when the community is involved development must be bottom up. Trickle down policies are not sustainable; both government and community need to be involved in a holistic framework. This requires effective private public partnerships in development – dynamic, evolving and participatory. To this end, TGE is involved in creating bridges and developing partnerships between government and non-government organizations to promote the common objective.
TGE is an active member of the Federation of NGOs in Bangladesh.
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) have become a major vehicle for change and hope to the teeming millions of Bangladesh over the past few decades. Many of the solutions have been innovative and unique, some of them attaining global recognition. And yet much remains to be done. The intellectual and moral challenges inherent in the development goals of social justice, good governance, human rights, poverty reduction, environment protection, disaster management, social awareness against AIDS/HIV, healthcare facilitation, sanitation, safe drinking water, literacy for all, gender equity, children rights, disability care, human dignity are the issues of our time, and at the cornerstone of sustainable solutions. Establishing The Good Earth is a testament in those needs and reality. Beginning in 2000, Good Earth has addressed itself to the issues of "Change" and "Development" in the context of these monumental challenges. Removing illiteracy, providing health care services, extending training facilities for income generation, taking up projects for treatment and welfare of the persons with disability, extending public education activities regarding use of latrine and provision for safe water during flood, livelihood improvement of the marginalized people of backward areas specially char, haor and river erosion areas, extending microfinance programme for income generation, advocacy for good governance and gender equity, and undertaking research initiatives designed to lift rickshaw pullers from their poverty have been some of the remarkable works the Good Earth accomplished in the recent years.
Capacity building and community support have been the twin pillars around which Good Earth has attempted to build a sustainable path to development. A dedicated group of individuals at Good Earth, patrons and well-wishers specially the support from the government and development partners such as the World Bank, UNICEF have been critical elements. Participatory and pro-active initiatives have contributed to measurable poverty reductions in real terms. Good Earth's support to pre-primary schools in the working areas of Chandpur, Comilla and sirajgang districts has gained tremendous recognition. These schools are not only meeting the basic educational and nutrition needs of some of the least-advantaged rural children of the area but have also become role models for promoting child right issues. At the same time Good Earth has initiated activities to promote women's rights and women's empowerment in the project areas. In addition, the awareness work being carried out in the Char and haor areas has also received recognition for its success. In sum, Good Earth has been focusing on identifying the causes of poverty in target areas and addressing them as core activities.
