OBAT HELPERS INC
Empowerment through Community Development
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The main problem that OBAT is trying to address is the cycle of poverty many marginalised individuals are trapped in. OBAT aims to break this cycle and lift these communities out of poverty through its empowerment initiatives.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Empowerment, Education and Health
OBAT HELPERS INC.
Empowerment through Community Development
OBAT Helpers is a US based 501(c)3 nonprofit. Since 2004, it has been serving an unfortunate and forgotten group of people commonly known as stranded Pakistanis or Urdu Speaking who are living in makeshift camps throughout Bangladesh since 1971. More than three generations of this community continue to live in 8 ft. x 10 ft. spaces in abject poverty, with no access to basic amenities. They face a severe lack of education, healthcare and income earning opportunities. OBAT Helpers has been instrumental in providing opportunities for growth and transformation to this community through the areas of education, health, infrastructure development, empowerment and relief.
Since October 2017, OBAT has also been in the forefront of serving Rohingya refugees who have been settling in camps in Cox’s Bazar near Chittagong since the crises erupted in August 2017.
OBAT’S PROJECTS FOR THE URDU SPEAKING CAMP COMMUNITY
EDUCATION & TRAINING
OBAT operates more than 50 educational and training programs and through them, it educates over 8,500 students collectively. These education programs include the following projects:
Schools | Computer Training Centers | Tutoring Centers | Scholarship Program | Preschools | Adult Literacy Program | Education for Working Children Program | Back to School Program | Arabic Education Program.
SELF-EMPOWERMENT
Since 2006, over 1,500 families have been empowered through OBAT’s micro finance program in Syedpur. This program was mainly designed for women entrepreneurs who were offered micro loans ranging from $100 to $1,000. Extensive training before and during the program was also provided to enable the borrowers to run their businesses and to teach them basic financial literacy. The women in the camps are illiterate and the only way to empower them is through education and micro finance. Instead of perpetuating their cycle of poverty by making them dependent on external assistance, OBAT’s program has made them self-sufficient. Currently, the initial project in Syedpur is self-sustained with a total rolling fund of approximately $500,000.
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Jobs are very hard to find for the camp dwellers; discrimination diminishes their prospects greatly. For women, chances of finding employment are much less. They earn a pittance working as maidservants for people. Doing arduous labor in a factory in exchange for a few Takas does not offer any more financial respite either. OBAT’s Sewing and Embroidery Training Centers address this issue by training women to sew and embroider in a four month course. Many of the graduates from these centers are able to start home-based businesses and sell the clothes they stitch in local markets. They are also employed to sew uniforms for OBAT’s Schools’ students. About 250 women are trained annually through this program.
HEALTH CLINICS
Among other problems faced by the camp residents, lack of adequate health care services is an acute issue. Due to extreme poverty and rampant unemployment, they cannot afford to pay the fees or incur other expenditure for their medical treatment at regular clinics. Close to 10,000 people are assisted annually through the two health care facilities operated by OBAT in Rangpur and Syedpur. The two clinics provide routine medical screenings and medication support for common ailments. For all health services, no consultation fee is charged and patients pay only fifty percent of the cost of the medicines.
There are many camps which are located at a considerable distance from OBAT’s Syedpur clinic. To ensure the provision of health services among the people in these camps, a mobile health service was initiated in Syedpur camps in 2011. The Medical Assistant who delivers these services is qualified and experienced and visits the camps every Sunday on a bicycle to provide treatment to ailing patients.
Health education for the camp residents is an integral part of the project to increase their awareness of various types of diseases and preventative measures related to them. For example, how to avoid being exposed to water borne pathogens by drinking clean water or lessons in first aid. Among other things, they are also taught about immunizations, nutritional deficiencies, family planning and practicing proper hygiene. Patients are also referred to other health service providers for lab tests. Follow up of referred patients is also carried out regularly. Malnutrition for kids younger than five years old is a serious issue. Parents of affected children also receive information and advice on improving their children’s nutrition by OBAT’s clinic staff.
CATARACT SURGERY PROGRAM
With no access to health care, many camp residents do not get the eye care they need and remain untreated for their vision related illnesses. The surgeries are carried out in partnership with local hospitals and one surgery costs about $40 per person. We are grateful to the RS foundation and HCI (Human Concern International) for their contributions toward the cataract program since 2014. Since the year 2012, over 2,500 cataract surgeries have been conducted in different camps.
RELIEF & FAMILY ASSISTANCE
OBAT provides financial assistance to the sick, elderly and widows in the camp communities. Thousands of families have been helped through the Ramadan Food Distribution and Qurbani Meat Distribution programs. These programs are conducted around the two Muslim festivals celebrated in the camps. Relief projects are also undertaken by OBAT in case of a disastrous situation, for instance a campfire or a natural calamity such as floods or cyclones. On an average, 75,000 people are assisted each year through this program.
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
To address the dearth of potable water, OBAT has installed deep and shallow tube wells in different camps to provide better, safe and clean water for the camp communities.
Other projects such as renovation or construction of new bathrooms, community centers, drains and sewage systems have also been very beneficial for the camp residents. At present, over 130,000 people are benefitting from these projects.
YOUTH PROGRAMS
OBAT Youth Think Tank
OBAT Think Tank was formed in December 2012 to utilize and involve the vast and untapped potential that is present in the youth of the camps. It is an organized group led by the youth of the camps and works hand in hand with the OBAT staff. The main goal of the Think Tank is to organize and involve the youth with positive community building activities. The group aims to keep its members focused on the betterment of youth, while simultaneously improving their leadership and communication skills. It also works on spreading awareness regarding health, safety and a clean environment.
OBAT Media Production
OBAT Media Production (OMP) was formed in January 2015 to utilize the latent talent of the youth volunteers residing in camps. Through OMP, the youth are trained in making videos, documentation, presentation and photography etc. Through these mediums, they are able to share the stories of their fellow camp residents with the rest of the world. Learning these skills will also be invaluable to them if they decide to pursue a career in this direction.
ROHINGYA RELIEF PROGRAM
In October of 2017, OBAT also started responding to the critical situation that resulted after an influx of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh. The Rohingya escaped from persecution and genocide in Myanmar to seek protection in Bangladesh. With the Rohingya crisis unfolding at the doorstep of OBAT projects, we made a strategic decision to provide humanitarian assistance in the immediate aftermath and apply solutions and lessons learned from the Urdu-speaking camps to help the recently displaced individuals. Key OBAT staff from the Urdu-speaking projects have played an important role in spearheading the Rohingya relief efforts. OBAT's current relief strategy in the Rohingya camps has and will be addressing medical, educational, nutrition and emergency needs.
Currently, the following projects have been undertaken by OBAT’s Rohingya Relief Program:
• Providing families with emergency supplies. Shelter reinforcement kits distributed to 23,000 people.
• 5 stationary medical camps (3,600 ppl. treated)
• 10 learning centers for 1,000 kids. Nutritional support is also provided to them. Digital learning program for 90 students.
• One medical center that treats around 150 patients per day
• 82 tube wells to provide clean water
• Sewing center for women
• Playground for kids
• 2 community centers, 9 bridges, 12 pathways,
• 1,504 + sturdy shelters built for monsoon season
Organization information resources:
Company Profile Video: https://vimeo.com/167057560
Link to documentary OBAT HELPERS: http://bit.ly/1cw24YC
Link to 2019 electronic annual report: http://bit.ly/2019OBATAR
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
No. of students training in computer training centers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Empowerment, Education and Health
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Students undergo basic & specialized computer training which greatly improves their chances of finding employment. Collectively, all 10 centers educate more than 200 students.
Total no. of students receiving scholarships
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Young adults, Adolescents, Children, Preteens, Social and economic status
Related Program
Empowerment, Education and Health
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The scholarships range from school education to college degrees.
No. of families receiving charity and food assistance
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups, Economically disadvantaged people, Internally displaced people, Refugees and displaced people
Related Program
Empowerment, Education and Health
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This includes clothes, food, assistance after a natural disaster and help with other pressing needs. 2016 onwards nos. also include distribution of meat at the festival of Eid-ul-Adha
No. of students enrolled in Working Children & Adult Literacy Program
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Empowerment, Education and Health
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Working children program provides basic literacy skills to children who need to work to support their families & hence cannot attend regular school.
No. of women graduating from sewing centers in a year
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Empowerment, Education and Health
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
No. of students enrolled in schools and preschools
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Empowerment, Education and Health
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
No. of students enrolled in tutoring centers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Empowerment, Education and Health
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Tutoring centers prepare students to pass the various levels (held at completion of elementary, middle & high school) of government exams in order for them to proceed to the next level of education
No of cataract surgeries conducted in a year
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Empowerment, Education and Health
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
No. of people receiving treatment from health clinics in a year
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families
Related Program
Empowerment, Education and Health
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In 2018, OBAT also started addressing the health needs of Rohingya refugees- hence, the significant increase in refugees.
No. of beneficiaries of water and sanitation projects
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Empowerment, Education and Health
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This includes all the population benefiting from clean water projects and construction of bathrooms, sewers etc.
Number of health outcomes improved
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth, Economically disadvantaged people, Internally displaced people, Refugees and displaced people
Related Program
Empowerment, Education and Health
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Metrics: 1. Mortality rate of mothers & new borns 2. Better eyesight after cataract surgeries 3. Patient experience 4. Safety of Care 5. Timeliness of Care 6. Better quality of life post care
% of students achieving A's and B's in HSC or 12th grade Exam
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Empowerment, Education and Health
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The High School Certificate Exam is required to be taken by the Bangladesh Board of Education at the end of 12th grade. Only students passing this exam can progress to the next academic level.
% of students receiving A's & B's in SSC or 10th grade government exams
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Young adults, Preteens, Economically disadvantaged people, Internally displaced people
Related Program
Empowerment, Education and Health
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The Secondary School Certificate Exam is required to be taken by the Bangladesh Board of Education at the end of 10th grade. Only students passing this exam can progress to the next academic level.
Number of students enrolled
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Empowerment, Education and Health
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Around 10,000 students are enrolled in our institutions every year.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
OBAT's principal goal is to empower displaced and refugee communities through education, health and other empowerment initiatives.
In order to empower the IDP camp residents and Rohingya refugees, OBAT has the following goals that it intends to achieve within the next 2-4 years.
• Develop and enhance its donor base
• Increase board members and enhance effectiveness of the board.
• Expand the program services to cover more camp areas and people served and improve the quality of current programs
• Attract nongovernmental funding, corporate and matching grants.
• Employ newer and more current tools for fundraising.
• Strengthen internal systems within the organization.
• Increase media presence to promote organization's work
• Enhance the volunteer pool
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The following strategies will be used for meeting the goals stated in the section above:
Goal: Develop and enhance donor base
Strategies:
a. Conduct more country-wide fundraisers by forming Friends of OBAT chapters in different cities in the US. This strategy is currently employed by OBAT in seven different states in the United States. About 2-3 more groups are expected to be formed in the next 2 years.
b. Introduce peer to peer fundraising. This strategy will be implemented through a peer to peer fundraising option on OBAT's website.
c. Tap into Giving Circles. This idea is taking shape throughout the country and offers a lot of potential where expanding the current donor base is concerned. We intend to reach out to some of these groups and to introduce the organization to them as a prospective cause they can support.
d. Initiate planned giving. Current and long-term and recurrent donors will be given the option to include OBAT in their wills, trusts or financial plans.
e. Research companies that offer matching gifts programs. At present, some of our donors are employed by Microsoft which matches the donations of its employees. We intend to conduct research on other companies that offer such programs and inform our donors if they belong to any such organizations.
f. Explore donor advised funds and community foundations. This is another area that is as yet unexplored by OBAT and which can be a source of potential funding
g. Establish an endowment
Goal: Expand the size of the board
Strategies:
a. Invite well connected community members to the board
b. Request current members to recruit new members.
c. Invite long-term and recurrent donors to the board
d. Divide the board into committees and entrust each committee with overseeing a particular strategic area.
Goal: Attract nongovernmental funding and matching grants.
Strategies:
a. Apply for funding from approximately 8-10 private foundations in one year.
b. Research individuals from current donors who work for corporations that offer matching grants.
Goal: Employ newer and more current tools for fundraising.
Strategies:
a. Use peer to peer fundraising
b. Explore crowd funding sites
Goal: Strengthen internal management systems within the organization
Strategies:
a. Finetune all internal processes
b. Obtain accreditation from BBB wise giving alliance
c. Offer more training opportunities to the staff
d. Optimal usage of Salesforce, a customer relation management software.
Goal: Increase media presence and promote organization's work
Strategies:
a. Enhance the website's features and functionality
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Internal assets:
• A committed and involved board that hails from different walks of life.
• A qualified and experienced staff in Indianapolis for attending to the operational, planning, development and marketing needs of the organization.
• Stringent policies and procedures in place for a smooth operation of the organization.
• Highly transparent in finances. All financial documents are available on the website for public viewing.
• An administrative set up in Bangladesh that has been created to ensure optimal performance efficiency. Every city has its own administrative staff that oversees all the projects located in that city. All projects, in turn have a qualified staff, for example teachers, trainers, medical staff who work within a strict regulatory framework.
• Organization stays abreast of current technological and regulatory changes and incorporates them into the functioning of the organization.
External assets:
• OBAT partners with local Bangladeshi NGO's, ISDCM (Integrated Services for the Development of Children and Mothers) and PRANTIC UNNAYAN for the effective implementation of its programs on the ground.
• Within the local Indianapolis community, OBAT has built strong ties with the St. Luke's Methodist Church, Congressman Andre Carson's office, Provocate - a local think tank, Indiana University School of Law, RESULTS, Center for Interfaith Cooperation, Islamic Society of North America, The student association at Indiana University and the International Center. In the past, OBAT has held walks to benefit Second Helpings and Sense Charter School. The organization is always engaged in an ongoing effort to develop more partnerships with organizations locally and in Bangladesh. Recently, a group of Bangladeshi delegates visited OBAT through a program of the International Center. All four members represented NGO's in Bangladesh. Now, back in Bangladesh, they have already started visiting OBAT's projects to determine where they can offer their expertise and work on different projects in conjunction with OBAT. Two such projects, a medical awareness camp and a dental treatment camp were already held in Dhaka in partnership with the organization, One Degree Initiative, in Bangladesh.
• The donor base of OBAT is consistent and growing.
A great resource that OBAT has started using is Salesforce, a CRM software which will aid the organization in further streamlining its donor management system. It will not only increase the efficiency of donor management but will also increase the productivity of the staff by making information more accessible and more effectively used.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Every year...
Over 130,000 people have access to clean water and sanitation facilities.
More than 9,000 students benefit from a myriad of education programs
Almost 45,000 people receive treatment from OBAT's Health facilities
Close to 300 women are empowered through sewing training at OBAT's Women Empowerment Centers
Over 75,000 people benefit from the Family Assistance and Qurbani Programs
The ultimate and long term impact that OBAT intends to produce in the camps is to make the camp population self-sufficient and empowered by providing them means to educate themselves or train them with skills needed to find employment. It recognizes that this goal is not possible to achieve if other issues related to health or unsuitable living conditions act as a hindrance. Hence, its health and infrastructure projects aim to provide the camp residents with adequate access to basic amenities of living.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
OBAT HELPERS INC
Board of directorsas of 03/27/2024
Mr. Anwar Khan
General Motors
Term: 2004 -
AFSHAN KHAN
ANWAR KHAN
Dr. Henna Qureshi
Tanweer Mallick
Megan Sharp
Qaisar Shareef
Harris Syed
Dr. Zia Moiz
Hannah Croucher
Dr. Minal Ahson
Sabeen Sheikh
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 09/13/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.