Dear All,

Subject: Durjoy Nari Shangha signed agreement as Lead Organization
for implementing GFATM Technical Package 909

It is my pleasure to inform you all that Durjoy Nari Shangha, a sex
worker's organization based in Bangladesh signed an agreement as Lead
Organization of a consortium of 8 organizations for implementing
GFATM Technical Package Title: Provision of Essential Services to
Street Based and Hotel/Residence-Based Sex Workers – GF 909 in 25
districts under 3 Divisions in Bangladesh.

This is within GFATM Round 6 Project: HIV Prevention and Control
among High Risk Populations and Vulnerable Young People in Bangladesh
supported by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
(GFATM) received by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW),
The Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and managed by
Save the Children USA.

The agreement was signed in a ceremony held in LGRD Auditorium, Dhaka
on January 24, 2008 in presence of Secretary Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare as chief guest. Other high level government officials,
representatives from non-government organizations and UN agencies
present in this occasion. In all, eight Consortia signed agreement
for eight separate packages in the ceremony. All the Consortia
including the consortium lead by Durjoy Nari Shangha has been
selected for implementation of a particular GFATM Package through a
competitive process.

In this glorious occasion the Executive Committee of Durjoy Nari
Shangha in a resolution remembers those who contributed in anyway to
attain this auspicious achievement throughout the selection process.

The Executive Committee specially remembers A. S. M. Enamul Hoque,
Chief Advisor – Durjoy Nari Shangha who inspired Durjoy to be a lead
organization, organized to constitute the consortium and prepared and
wrote the technical proposal which considered highest ranked
technical proposal by the proposal evaluation committee. The EC
thankfully remembers the organizations for their kind consent to be a
member of a consortium that lead by a sex workers' organization,
Durjoy Nari Shangha. The EC also remembers all leaders and members of
Durjoy Nari Shangha, existing and proposed project staffs for
rendering all sorts of supports as required.

Special appreciation is to the person who voluntarily rendered his
support to EOI preparation. Appreciations are also to the persons for
assisting in technical and financial proposal preparation. The EC
expressed their satisfaction over the whole selection process and
appreciated the proposal evaluation committee for maintaining the
transparent and impartial process. Last but not least Save the
Children USA deserves the appreciation for managing selection process
efficiently.

Implementing Partners for Technical Package 909. Provision of Essential Harm
Services to Street Based and Hotel/Residence-Based Sex Workers (SB&H/RB FSW)

Lead Organization: Durjoy Nari Shangha
Associate Organizations:
Action Aid Bangladesh
Bangladesh AIDS Prevention Society (BAPS)
Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum (BMSF)
Peoples Development Community (PDC)
Sylhet Jubo Academy (SJA)
Asiatic Marketing Communications Limited (Asiatic MCL)
MRC-Mode Ltd.

Durjoy Nari Shangha has emerged as a sex workers organization since 1998 with
the aim of uniting sex workers across the country to build their and their
children’s self-esteem, increase their mutual respect, enhance their skills and
capacity, and establish their social dignity and human rights. They have
received the Red Ribbon Award at the International AIDS Conference in Toronto in
2006 for outstanding contribution to the front-line response to HIV and AIDS.

They have implemented successful projects on HIV prevention and human rights in
Dhaka, Khulna, Dinajpur, Hili, Burimai, Saidpur, and Rangpur.

The other consortium members are:

Action Aid Bangladesh, based in United Kingdom, started its activities in 1983
in Bangladesh with the objectives of changing the capacities of people and
groups whose rights have been denied and violated in obtaining justice. It now
works in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Jamalpur, Netrokona, Bhola, Galachipa,
Bogra, Rangamati, Satkhira, Manikganj and Chandpur districts. Its target groups
include adolescent girls, young women and children in the streets, disabled
people, indigenous communities, landless groups, men at greatest risk of
contracting and passing on sexually transmitted infections and HIV, and sex
works.

Bangladesh AIDS Prevention Society (BAPS) has been involved with multiple HIV
prevention approaches for almost 10 years in collaboration with CIDA, Action
Aid, FHI, UNESCO and UNFPA across the nation.

Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum (BMSF), a media community based
organization since 1997, has been involved in human rights activities,
communication & advocacy on HIV and AIDS and media networking in collaboration
with NASP, UNDP, UNOPS, CARE Bangladesh, HASAB, UNICEF, UNAIDS and BNF.

Peoples Development Community (PDC) has experience in working with sex workers
since the year 2000. It has also been working on general and reproductive
health, nutrition, family planning, and literacy with the government for the
past three years in 4 districts.
Sylhet Jubo Academy (SJA), since 1991, has specialized in youth training
projects to develop their economic prospects, and now focuses on combating the
problems of poverty, illiteracy, unemployment malnutrition, disease and
rehabilitation with in all four districts of Sylhet Division, covering over half
a million people. It has also been involved in implementing HIV/AIDS prevention
activities for Hotel-based Sex workers and their clients.

Asiatic Marketing Communications Limited (Asiatic MCL) has been operating in
Bangladesh for 37 years and has developed as a leading advertising agency. It
now also engages in multi-dimensional national communications efforts including
those to support HIV and STI prevention campaigns.

MRC-Mode Ltd., established in 1991, is one of the largest research organizations
in Bangladesh, has wide experience in conducting HIV related qualitative and
quantitative research needs assessments and KAP surveys among drug users, tribal
populations, street children and sex workers.

Objective of this package:

To rapidly scale up HIV essential services to Street-Based and
Hotel/Residence-Based Female Sex Workers (SB & H/RB FSW SB & H/RB FSW)
populations at higher risk and vulnerability.

The active participation and involvement of target group self-help associations
and associated community based organizations (CBO) is recognized to be a key
factor in the success of such interventions. Strengthening of their capacity
therefore is considered a vital component of this package. Selected
organizations will be familiar with and build upon examples of successful
implementation with these target sub-groups (including interventions which
target gatekeepers such as hotel and residence managers and other employees and
landlords). There will be provision of 40 Drop-in-Centers and to reach 10,000
female sex workers.


With best regards.

Shahanaz Begum

President
Durjoy Nari Shangha
e-mail: <durjoy_98@...>