A small step from you can help us walk miles

To ensure the rights of the persons with disability an organization named Drishtihin Kalyan Songstha (DKS) was formed in 1999 by Md. Khalequzzamn, a person with visual impairment in association with other persons with disabilities in his area. This small organization was situated in Comilla district located about 100 kilometers south east of Dhaka city.

In the beginning DKS was merely a self help groups but later on with their vision and hard working they became a local registered NGO fighting for the rights of persons with disabilities. It was a dream for DKS to get registration from Govt of Bangladesh. Being less empowered less capacitated they were struggling to get the approval and thus getting funds to run their organization. It took them long 12 years to get capacity building and small funding support from any organization. With funding support from the Disability Rights Fund (DRF), Turning Point Foundation is helping this DPO to win against the battle they were fighting for 12 long years. The Genenral Secretary Md. Khalequzzamn of DKS mentioned that “with all our good wills to work for the community we could do little all these years because we could not manage any fund.” He also mentioned that “a little positive attitude from Donor and government can help the organization like us to prove that we can bring change in the lives of persons with disabilities’.

DKS got a strong footage at the local level after getting support from TurningPoint. It was a revolutionary milestone for the community to see that a small self help group of persons with disabilities are receiving support from other organizations; it was a land mark for the community and the stakeholders to see that this small DPO is capable of organizing awareness and advocacy events with technical and little funding support. Earlier the community did not have trust and confidence on them. But the support which DKS received from TurningPoint, has enhanced their confidence and courage. Now with support from TurningPoint DKS is campaigning to implement CRPD at local level.

DKS has mobilized support from the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Comilla district to provide warm clothes and blankets to the ultra poor including persons with disabilities. They had also arranges several meetings with the local government to implement CRPD at local level. DKS has proved that with little support from another DPO, DPOs can act and provide services to the community like any other local or national NGOs.