BRAC, Chevron jt venture hit new heights

A launching ceremony of phase II of the Jibika project, a collaboration between BRAC and Chevron, was held recently in Dhaka.

Representatives of Government of Bangladesh, BRAC, Chevron, IDEA and Village Development Organisation were present on the occasion, said a statement.

Muhammed Ahsanul Jabbar, Additional Secretary, Energy and Mineral Resources Division,

Ministry of Power, Energy & Mineral Resources, Government of the People's Republic of

Bangladesh attended as chief guest.

Also present were Ismail Chowdhury, Director, Corporate Affairs, Chevron Bangladesh; Alexander Yelland, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Chevron Asia South; and Anna Minj, Director, Community Empowerment, Gender Justice & Diversity, Integrated Development Programme, BRAC. Matiul Islam Nowshad, CMgr, Senior Director, Operations and Strategic Initiatives, BRAC chaired the event.

The program highlighted the achievements of Jibika Phase I, followed by an outline of Phase II's

vision and objectives to strengthen the governance of the 110 Village Development Organizations (VDOs), developed under this project. Muhammed Ahsanul Jabbar lauded the partnership between BRAC, the world's largest development organization, and Chevron, Bangladesh's largest international oil company, in bolstering the socio-economic development of vulnerable communities residing near Chevron-operated gas fields in Greater Sylhet.

Mr. Ismail Chowdhury said Chevron's Corporate Social Responsibility programs impact on

thousands of lives in north-east Bangladesh. Jibika, the first project under the Chevron Bangladesh Partnership Initiative, is an example of a successful collaboration between BRAC and Chevron that has been supporting VDOs and promoting entrepreneurship amongst its members in the Sylhet, Moulavi Bazar and Habiganj districts.

Alexander Yelland acknowledged the Department of Cooperatives for their efforts in making a positive and sustainable change in the communities where Chevron operates. He appreciated the great work already done towards the capacity development and governance of these VDOs. Mr. Yelland also mentioned that Chevron's social investment programs primarily focus on economic development, health and education, thereby supporting several Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) adopted by the UN.

Anna Minj, conveying her wishes for the lasting success of Phase II, congratulated all the 110 VDOs for their efforts in leading the organisations towards sustainability.