To achieve the mission of the organization, on the basis of the organizational experience, community needs, area context and addressing the targets of National Plan of Bangladesh as well as MDGs, GUK has identified following eight strategic approaches that are considered in planning and designing all programmes and projects.
1. Human resource development and sustainable institutions building
Through this approach, GUK provides emphasis on enhancing the life skills and capacity of poor and extreme poor people through transferring knowledge, information and resources. Simultaneously local level institutions are built and brought them in the united platforms for empowerment, leadership to be confident and self dependent with collective voice for bargaining their rights and entitlements. They have also been linked with broader networks for sustainable actions.
2. Quality education for all children
Education is the basic right of people that has effective influence in changing people’s behaviour, mindset and culture. GUK is assisting in attaining the targets of the government ensuring quality education for poor students especially for the school drop outs and reaching out children of river islands (Chars) and remote areas. The organization is following this approach through Non Formal & Formal Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and Technical institutes emphasising inclusive education for Children with Disabilities (CWDs) and ethnic minorities.
3. Sustainable livelihood for extreme poor
Poverty reduction means to create resilient livelihoods for the poor and extreme poor with the protection measures of income erosion. This approach has been maintaining through capacity building, employment creation, income generation, asset transfer, entrepreneurship development, small economic supports, micro insurance, private sector engagement and market access with fair prices to ensure the development of life and livelihoods of people in food insecurity.
4. Gender equality and women empowerment
The women are being deprived and exploited due to patriarchic influence, social power structure, discrimination, culture and lack of human rights. As a result, social injustice, insecurity and disparity between men and women exist and women are becoming victims to domination, exploitation, and violence that generally not recognized as criminal offence. To address this situation, efforts have been continued with awareness, motivation for leadership and active participation of women in decision making process in creating violence free family and society with changing mind set, respect, and commitment.
5. Community resilience on disaster management and climate change
Bangladesh is one of the worst victims of natural disasters and climate change. The northern part of the country is also vulnerable of various disasters. The people of these areas have to survive fighting against river bank erosion, flood, drought, cold spell, tornado and seasonal food crisis. GUK has been working to enhance the capacity of disaster affected people and implementing programmes extensively focused on disaster risk managements through Participatory Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (PVCA) and Community Risk Assessment (CRA). The organization is also working on climate change issue to increase the capacity of vulnerable people on adaptation measures towards resilience.
6. Health, nutrition and WASH
People are not getting their due rights and entitlements due to lack of awareness, information, access and limitation of service providing organizations. In this regard, the poor people living in remote areas are the most victims. GUK is working for these deprived people with providing basic health, nutrition and WASH supports, and continuing facilitation with motivation and advocacy for minimizing the gaps between people and service providing organizations.
7. Good governance and democratic environment
There has been distance between the common people and service providing organizations for lack of transparency and accountability in getting services although all kinds of people irrespective of caste, creed, colour, religion and gender should have to get these equally. GUK is continuing this programme to create democratic environment through advocacy, motivation, civic education, access to information, and participation of common people with decision making institutions for ensuring accountability and transparency.
8. Action research and Innovation
GUK has a separate unit for action research with different facilities and trained staff. The objective of this approach is to enhance information and evidence-based interventions through collecting scientific, sound, harmonized and public available data. As per findings of the action research, the organization analyzes impacts of different interventions as well as takes innovative ideas and approach for programme planning and designing.