Apasen International visit first neurodevelopmental disability centre for children in Korail slum, Dhaka, Bangladesh – March 2014

March 2014: Zakir Hossain Parvaj, Training and Development Officer, HCS and Penelope Mawson, Senior Consultant, for APASENTH International visits BRAC’s Neurodisability Centre in Korail Slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Limia Dewan, Manager, BRAC Education Programme and volunteer teacher, Rowena Begum, explain the improvements in the children attending this newly opened centre. The visit in February was part of a week-long trip to build partnerships, develop projects, and consult with stakeholders – including poor parents caring for children with disabilities.

Apasen International is developing detailed architectural designs for a multi purpose resource centre in Sylhet Division that will provide a range of services including respite care, day care, and training facilities for health care workers. We will be launching a capital appeal for this project in the near future. The land has already been very generously donated by Jalalabad Ragib Rabeya Medical College.

Monday 20 October 2014 – House of Commons, Westminster

Apasen International, pledged at its launch event in October at the Palace of Westminster to address the chronic lack of health and education services for vulnerable children with disabilities in Bangladesh.

The Minister of State for International Development, the Rt. Hon. Desmond Swayne MP, spoke at the event and congratulated Apasen International on their strategy saying it was ‘vitally important work’.

Mahmud Hasan, Chief Executive of Apasen International, said at the launch:

“Poor households with a disabled child are one of the most marginalised and vulnerable groups in society. Poor diagnosis, lack of treatment and facilities, social stigma and discrimination, and worsening poverty and hunger, all make the situation worse.”

The event was extremely well attended with more than 100 influential people who wanted to show their support for this crucial neglected issue in international development.

Guests included key influencers from parliament, international development, health and social care, disability groups, national and ethnic media, and British Bangladesh businesses.

Rushanara Ali MP, chair and host for the event at the House of Commons, said:

“I am delighted to see that the dream of Apasen International taking its expertise to help the most vulnerable in Bangladesh is becoming a reality. Their work in my constituency and Tower Hamlets is truly exemplary.”

The Chief Guest was Nasima Begum, Secretary of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Bangladesh, who spoke passionately about the need to focus on autism spectrum disorders in particular and welcomed Apasen International in helping the government build momentum in this key area of public health.

Other speakers included well known parliamentarians and diplomats including: Anne Main, Chairperson of the All Party Parliament Group for Bangladesh (APPGB); Baroness Uddin; Richard Fuller MP; and Khondker Talha, Deputy High Commissioner for Bangladesh in the UK. They spoke of their respect of Apasen’s work in the UK where its care workers are providing more than 3,000 care hours every week in different London Boroughs.

Prominent members of the British Bangladesh business and media community also voiced their support including:; Murad Qureshi AM, London Assembly Member; Pasha Khandaker, President of the Bangladesh Caterers Association of 10,000 members, and several other VIP guests.