BRAC, an international development organization, began its operation in Bangladesh as a small-scale relief and rehabilitation project in 1972 to help the country overcome the devastation and trauma of the liberation war. Its primary focus was on the resettlement of refugees returning from India. Today, BRAC has emerged as an independent, virtually self-financed paradigm in sustainable human development. It is one of the largest Southern development organizations employing over 100,000 people, 61% of which are women, and working with the twin objectives of poverty alleviation and empowerment of the poor. Diagnosing poverty in human terms and recognizing its multifaceted nature, BRAC approaches poverty alleviation with a holistic approach. BRAC has expanded its development interventions beyond borders as it now thrives to build resources across communities.

The Vision and Mission

BRAC's successful story over the years has been guided by its vision which is a just, enlightened, healthy and democratic society free from hunger, poverty, environmental degradation and all forms of exploitation based on age, sex, religion and ethnicity. The vision is explicitly reflected in the mission statement, which is striving to bring about positive changes in the quality of life of the people where it works.

Major Development Initiatives by BRAC From the time of its modest inception in 1972, BRAC recognized women as the caregivers who would ensure the education of their children and the subsequent inter-generational sustainability of their families and households. Its comprehensive approach combines Micro-finance, Health, Water and Sanitation, Education, Agriculture and Livestock and other Social Development programs, linking all the programs strategically to counter poverty through livelihood generation and protection.

International Programs of BRAC

Having recognized BRAC's goodwill and impressed with its results in Bangladesh, the government of Afghanistan invited BRAC to begin mobilizing Afghan communities and providing development services in May 2002. BRAC Afghanistan now provides services in micro-finance, health, education, income generation and small enterprise development. By the end of year 2005, BRAC was providing financial services to 109,469 women, non-formal education to over 24,000 children and health services to the people in 19 out of 34 provinces in Afghanistan.

Given its experience of post conflict natural disaster relief and rehabilitation activities in Bangladesh and Afghanistan, BRAC responded to the need for undertaking rehabilitation activities and livelihood projects in tsunami affected areas of Sri Lanka on February 2005. Considering development needs BRAC started working in Pakistan in 2006. The international donor community has welcomed and supported BRAC led programs in these three countries.

The successes of BRAC in the international development arena have stimulated a series of discussions, both with African delegations, who have visited BRAC programs, and with donors who work in Asia and Africa. Both the African countries and the donors have encouraged BRAC to join the development campaign in Africa to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and more recently to join the campaign of "ending poverty", which is an area where Africa represents the greatest global challenge. Besides Uganda, Southern Sudan and Tanzania, BRAC is currently in the process of setting up its development initiatives in Malawi.

In Uganda BRAC registered as Non Government Organization (NGO) in January 2006, to undertake programs in Education, Health, Water & Sanitation, Agriculture & Livestock and Microfinance. The Microfinance and Education are the pioneer programs launched in Uganda.