Washington, DC – The wine was poured, the fruit and cheese platters were ready, and the GFC conference room had been transformed into an elegant space, complete with flowers and tablecloths (with a little help from the GFC development and communications teams). A diverse crowd of filmmakers, GFC staff members, donors, and peers from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and the greater nonprofit community mingled and chatted. The event? A reception, co-hosted by GFC and the Pulitzer Center, honoring Mohammed Rezwan, founder and director of Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha (Village Self-Reliance), a former GFC grantee partner working in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is densely populated, and many people live in low-lying, flood-prone areas. Recently, regular seasonal flooding has become more severe, endangering residents and restricting access to schools and essential services. Shidhulai focuses on reaching isolated, rural areas of Bangladesh, with an emphasis on bringing environmental training, human rights awareness, and basic education to children, especially girls. GFC supported the organization’s boat schools from 2004 to 2008. These boat schools bring solar-powered, mobile classrooms to isolated children, providing Internet access, basic education, health education, and library services. In fall 2008, Shidhulai won the prestigious GFC Sustainability Award, given to GFC’s most effective and successful grantee partners. Read more