Activities with international Societies

To align itself with regional and international organizations, the Society has been a member of Asian Federation for the Mentally Retarded (AFMR) and of the Inclusion International (previously ILSMH, International league of Societies for the Mental Handicapped). The Society has played important roles in both of these organizations.

The Society participated and played active role in all the biennial conferences of AFMR with the Possible largest delegations from its general members, office bearers and professionals. The 13th Asian Conference on Mental Retardation(ACMR), an international Conference of the members of AFMR was held in Dhaka in 1997 when the president of AFMR was mrs. Shahar Banu Salam, one of the senior most members of the Society. The Conference was inaugurated by the then Hon'ble Prime minister Sheikh Hasina. It was attended by 133 foreign delegates from 22 countries and 245 local delegates.

Our Society's representatives attended different conferences of inclusion International (ILSMH). Commander (Retd.) A. J. M. Hamed Hossain, a member of the Society was made the Chairman on Asian Affairs at its 11th World Congress held in New Delhi in 1994 and worked as such for 2 years. An intellectually disabled person, Shahen Rasul, trained in Dhaka was chosen as a self advocate and attended its conference held at The Hague in 1996.

Government Involvement

The Government of Bangladesh has shown keen interest for the welfare of the disabled. The Government has therefore involved itself with the programs and activities of the Society soon after the Society had embarked on its pioneering activities for the cause of the Intellectually disabled. But the support has been little compared to the actual requirement because welfare activities for such people are very costly and the number of intellectually disabled persons in our country is very big (estimated number is about 39 lac).

The main building of the Society at 4/A Eskaton Garden has been constructed on land and with funds provided by the Government. The Society obtained 0.33 acres of Khash land for this purpose in 1979-80 and a sum of Tk. 10 lac was granted for making necessary deed etc. The construction work was however delayed for different reasons such as proper acquisition of land, preparation of construction plan and estimates, soil test, grant of fund etc. The Govt. of Bangladesh ultimately granted Tk. 1 core 58 lac for the construction of a building with a 6 storied foundation and the building was constructed in 1989-90. This building at 4/A, Eskaton Garden, is now the Head-Office of SWID. It was inaugurated by the then Hon'ble prime minister Beguam Khaleda Zia and in now known as National Institute for the Intellectually Disabled (NIID).

Our Hon'ble Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia also initiated the first recurring grant @Tk. 500/- per teacher per month for 160 teachers of the intellectually disabled children in this Society in 1994. This recurring grant has been later replaced from July, 2000 by Govt. contribution to teacher/staff salary at the rate of 60% of the teachers/assistants' salaries and allowances, when foreign funding to the Society by NFPU was totally withdrawn and activities of the Society were facing closure for shortage of funds.

The Society and its Branches also received some special grants from government bodies/local autonomous units in consideration of their urgent need. Some Branches were also provided with govt. lands for their schools houses.

The Govt. have also passed Disability Welfare Act 2001 (Pratibondhi Kalyan Ain 2001) for the welfare of the disabled and are providing additional grants through its Jatio Protibondhi Unnayan Foundation.

Assistance from Other Donors

The Society could not have undertaken so many different kinds of welfare activities for the intellectually disabled but for the support of some other organizations, foreign and local, for some specific purposes.

In this connection the support of LEV for the education of the intellectually disabled children of some slum areas of Dhaka city and for a rehabilitation project for suitably trained intellectually disabled persons deserves mention. The society tried to establish and run permanent commercial factories for the rehabilitation of the intellectually disabled with this help.

Bishop Bekkars Foundation of the Netherlands gave the Society technical support for the development of the physiotherapy unit and for the training of professionals in this field in Netherlands, Germany and England for working as physiotherapists. Oxfam, Caritas are such other firms. Locally the Society obtained the highest amount of financial help from late Mia Amanullah of Chittagong for the construction of a 2 storied building with a sum amounting to TK. 45 lac for the Chittagong Branch with a physiotherapy unit and a K.G school for Reverse Integration.

BRAC the largest NGO of our country have also helped the Society and its Branches with big donation. BRAC is also helping the Society to educate the educable unreached intelectually disabled children through its Non-Formal Primary Schools in unreached areas of the Country. At present there are 1062 intellectually disabled children in 440 non-formal BRAC SChool.

Other important local donors for specific purposes are National Life Insurance Co.(for the annual sports of Society), A.F. Mojibur Rahaman Foundation, M/S Shaw Wallace Bangladesh Ltd, Mrs. Tahera Huque and others, Nestle Bangladesh Ltd., M/S Fakhruddin & Sons.