Please join us in congratulating Coady partner the Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB) who are celebrating 50 years.
We are proud to work alongside CCDB now, and throughout the past 50 years, as our connection dates back as far as 1972.
Currently, CCDB is one of five ENGAGE partners working to advance gender equality and poverty reduction by enhancing women’s capacity to participate in the social and economic life of their communities. The initiative is funded by Global Affairs Canada.
Through Engage, CCDB is working at the community level to support the formation and strengthening of local women’s organizations to address issues of climate change.
Eric Smith (Project Manager, Engage) says,
“From the early days following the Bangladesh Liberation War and providing emergency relief during independence to a transition to grassroots development and leadership, then empowerment and microfinance and now incorporating the most pressing issue of our time, climate change, you’ve placed people – most often women – at the heart of what you do. Coady is honoured to have walked alongside CCDB for over 50 years”.
Meet Sahanara, who speaks in this short video about her experience as the secretary of a CCDB-Engage women’s group.
“Previously [before forming the women’s group] we couldn’t talk much, couldn’t solve any problem but it has changed now. We realized that self-confidence is most important to us. If we don’t have self-confidence within ourselves, if we can’t believe in each other, we won’t be able to accomplish any task.”
Eric adds,
“I want to note how dedicated and collaborative our colleagues have been at all levels of our organizations, in community and internationally. Together, we navigated a global pandemic, several natural disasters, and other turbulent situations. We come to know each other, laughed and told stories, and shared our expertise and best practices with each other through online conferences, regional courses, learning forums, and more. While we may formally partner on projects, the relationships and shared history sustain our work together”.
Congratulations to our friends and colleagues and CCDB on reaching this impressive milestone, and we look forward to celebrating many more with you in the future.