Truthfinding
We choose to share the uncomfortable truth rather live according to a comfortable lie. In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. As there are two ways to be fooled. On is to believe of what is not true. The other is to refuse to believe what is true.
Right to Identity
Identity cannot be found or fabricated, but emerges from within when one has te courage to let go. In the social jungle of human existence, there is not feeling of being alive without a sense of identity. We value the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 8: Every child has the right to an identity. Governments must respect and protect that right, and prevent the child's name, nationality or family relationship being changed unlawfully.
Family Preservation
If you want to help a child, help the family. Programs aiming at Family reunifications, Counselling, Education, Mediation and Family Support Projects focusses on the child's well-being. Family preservation NOT adoption separation.
Our Values
We strive for significant and sustainable IMPACT
We value AUTHENTICITY & DIGNITY
We are always LEARNING and DEVELOPING
For us ACKNOWLEDGEMENT is key
We treat everyone EQUAL and with RESPECT
We are INCLUSIVE
We are a committed PARTNER
Our Vision
Our mission is to solve at least 50% of the cases that involves a missing child since 1971, strengthen the position of mothers and children and guard their wellbeing as a form of child protection and family preservation.
We believe in – “If you want to help a child, help the mother.” Every person is a child to their own parents.
We want every child, everywhere, at any phase in life, to be able to say:
“I want to know my authentic Identity” “I want to know the truth.” “I want to be respected for the person I really am.” “Now I need to receive the proper support.” “My voice is heard.”
The Right to Identity protection and access to information, truth-finding, and respect for the dignity of every child and mother.
Our Strategy
We are guided by our Strategy to 2030.
Inspire a movement for change
Create a safe society for children
Improve income security
Deliver inclusive human action
Promote gender-inclusive systems
Support healthy lifestyle
Challenge violence, abuse, neglect
Take a stand against child and female exploitation
Embrace technology
Foster lifelong learning
We Act as:
- Supporter
- Convenor
- Thought Leader
How do we contribute with our efforts to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and associated targets for the sustainable Future We Want?
SDG 17 seek to encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. Multi-stakeholder partnerships are the vehicles for mobilizing and sharing knowledge, expertise, technologies and financial resources.
Shapla Community is sharing knowledge, expertise, technologies and financial resources with partners in Bangladesh in the area of education and personal development while exchanging local experiences and resourcing strategies.
While our fieldworkers could be facing long workdays for travelling and family tracing, in all kinds of harsh conditions such as heavy rains and oppressing heat, or getting lost in slum areas, we make sure they get the time to recover. Besides, we provide counseling sessions for their emotional well-being.
Together with our partner, we provide proper education and training on specific skills. The students are all underprivileged children or from a complicated family system. Through the school program in the project, they are learning the basic knowledge, where our program provides specialization on communication skills, interviewing, reporting and empowering. We follow the collaborative way of learning, project-based, crossover, inquiry and social learning.
We embrace inclusivity and gender equality. Since Bangladesh is yet a male-dominated society mostly, we are consciously working with women. We open certain positions for them and empower girls to grow and develop their self-consciousness and social skills. At the same time, we serve as an example by treating all students equally and show to the boys what their female colleagues are worth and with a supportive attitude are capable of.
As the nature of the work we facilitate is humanitarian work, in the social sector, it is considered to be decent work. The work itself, as well as the student, do not get appreciation from the organization only, but moreover from the people they’re helping with their work. Whenever a case is being solved, it is such a grateful job, that it is rewarding on various levels.
The majority of the team members, as well as the main group of clients we serve, belong to a community that can bridge the gap between the countries. As we are all very much aware of inequalities, discrimination and migration, we are very conscious about defending the human rights of our target groups.
As we facilitate Family Support Projects, we encourage the construction of sustainable housing/buildings in terms of floods and hurricanes. The community-based projects need to serve the entire community in a sustainable way.
We embrace inclusivity and gender equality. Since Bangladesh is yet a male-dominated society mostly, we are consciously working with women. We open certain positions for them and empower girls to grow and develop their self-consciousness and social skills. At the same time, we serve as an example by treating all students equally and show to the boys what their female colleagues are worth and with a supportive attitude are capable of.
We seek active collaborations and joint programs in order to achieve the SDG goals. One of the main facilitations towards collaboration is the establishment of a networking platform between the two countries of The Netherlands and Bangladesh.
Read more in our Policy Plan
Meet Our Team
Sigrid
Asad van Gelderen
Peter op 't Eijnde
Kana N. Verheul
Suma de Heij
Jarina
Irani Otten
Dino
Ibraheem Paling
Sampa Bala
Renu
Razu
Shejuti
Zinia
Mahrufa Rahman Neela
Masud Rana
Mehedi Hasan Ribee
