The “M A Malek Education Scholarship HAEFA 2021” project was launched on December 30th, 2020 with the goal to provide financial aid to meritorious and underprivileged students of Bhawal Mirzapur Haji Jamir Uddin School and College in Gazipur, Bangladesh to support and encourage the continuation of their studies. HAEFA received FC-1 approval from NGOAB of Bangladesh and achieved this goal on May 10th, 2021, when HAEFA awarded the “M A Malek Education Scholarship’’ to 20 students from class six to class twelve. HAEFA’s grant of $2,900 USD (2,43,455 BDT) was 100% distributed among the recipients, with each scholarship amount ranging from BDT. 10,000 TK to BDT. 13,623 TK per student. The ceremony was chaired by Mr. Abdullah Al Zaki, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Gazipur Sadar, and included Chief-Guest Mr. Md. Mohsin, Joint Secretariat, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief of Bangladesh, and special guests: Engr. A T M Zafrul Hasan and Mr. Mohammad Monjur Iqbal.

HEAFA provided funds and logistical support to build a school for special needs children located in Bahar Charaof Cox’s Bazar district. This school, Arunodoy School, will specifically serve students with learning disabilities such as autism. These students have previously lacked the institutional and individualized support they needed, and therefore will greatly benefit from this project.

Fire Safety and Basic Burn Care Training at HAEFA Clinics in FDMN Camps

On March 28, 2022, Md Jahidul Islam, Camp Coordinator of HAEFA's FDMN Cox's Bazar, attended a training session on Fire Safety and Basic Burn Care organized by the World Health Organization & Fire Service and Civil Defense CXB. He then shared and demonstrated the training aspects with the HAEFA staff of camps 1w & 09 on April 10, 2022, focusing on detailed instructions for the proper use of fire extinguishers, the type of fire extinguishers, and scenarios leading to fire incidences.

HAEFA Organizes National Colposcopy Training at BSMMU in Dhaka

A 9-day national colposcopy training was held at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) for HAEFA’s medical team members and government senior staff nurses and midwives. The training was organized by UNFPA and financially supported by HAEFA’s Cervical Cancer Project. The goal was to train the service providers with mobile digital colposcopes and hand-held portable thermocoagulation for diagnosis and treatment, respectively. The sessions included the principles of colposcopy, anatomy of the cervix, the colposcopic appearance of CIN, management of CIN by cryotherapy & thermocoagulation, management of CIN by LEEP, and Bangladesh’s national strategy for cervical cancer prevention and control. A special thanks to Professor Ashrafunnessa with the BSMMU Cervical and Breast Cancer Screening Programme and all of the training facilitators for their time and expertise.

In June 2022, World Health Organization (WHO) and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Working Group hosted a training session on the Clinical Management of Rape (CMR) and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) for health care providers in Cox’s Bazar. HAEFA member Jahidul Islam attended this conference and learned how to clinically manage rape cases and treat IPV sufferers, as well as adopted valuable guidelines including “LIVES” (Listen, Inquire, Validate, Enhance safety and Support) and maintaining survivors’ privacy and gaining their trust. HAEFA stands united against any kind of sexual violence, and we aim to do our utmost best for those who have faced such distressing situations by enhancing our members’ skills and improving our services in whatever way we can.

HAEFA medical doctors in Cox’s Bazar attended a training session on scabies control strategies and treatment that was organized by the World Health Organization. According to the WHO, the most vulnerable groups – young children and the elderly in resource-poor communities – are especially susceptible to scabies, which was designated as a Neglected Tropical Disease in 2017.

To date, HAEFA and partners have trained 434 health care providers, public health and humanitarian workers, and other professionals as trainers for the HERO-Bangladesh Mental Health and Resilience curriculum in collaboration with project HOPE.

Through the ToT model, over 6,000 individuals have received cascading training. Thank you to the many partners (NIMH, BSMMU, DGHS, DMCH) who made this program a success.

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On March 30, 2022, HAEFA FDMN medical team members in the Rohingya camps participated in a training session on the early detection and prevention of disability and its complications. The training was organized by the non-profit aid organization Handicapped International (HI).