The World Bank Group’s Development Finance Trust Funds and Partnerships (DFPTF) in cooperation with the Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC) and the World Bank Tokyo Office will hold the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) dialogue seminar on December 15, 2014.

This session will highlight the achievements of one of the JSDF’s projects in Bangladesh, “Safe Migration for Bangladeshi Workers” by bringing together key stakeholders involved in the project. This seminar will present an overview of the preparation, implementation, and preliminary results of this project. The implementing agency, BRAC, together with project beneficiaries, will join the session via video conferencing from their respective project location(s), to present the key challenges and successes in project implementation.

The “Safe Migration for Bangladeshi Workers” aims to reduce vulnerability of migrant workers and their families in 80 upazilas through (i) better access to accurate and timely information and services for safe migration and (ii) reducing dependency of migrants on middlemen by establishing and strengthening community-based organizations (CBOs).  The primary beneficiaries of this project are the poor and low-skilled population who may be seeking employment abroad. The project aims to benefit 864,000 potential migrants and their families who would receive training and orientation programs in 80 upazilas.

The Government of Bangladesh, through the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment, has also shown keen interest in this project. Safe migration is an increasingly important issue in Bangladesh with regular media coverage of migration problems, leading to enormous public outcry for government action. Under this project,  transparency in the process is being improved by providing key information about prospects of foreign employment as well as the rules and regulations in host countries through partnership with NGOs and government. This project shows an example of using local and national networks to provide safe migration services, which can be scaled up nationwide by relevant government institutions.

Speakers

• Aneeka Rahman, Social Protection Economist, The World Bank Group
• Ms. Sheepa Hafiza, Director: Gender, Justice and Diversity & Migration Programme, BRAC
• Mr. Hassan Imam, Programme Head: Migration Programme, BRAC
• Mr. Abu Zafar Mohammad Sadeque, Programme Manager: Migration Programme, BRAC
  

Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF)

The Government of Japan and the World Bank established JSDF in June 2000, with the goal of providing grants to support community-driven development and poverty reduction projects that empower and directly improve the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable groups not reached by other programs. A unique and valued feature of the JSDF program is that it provides a platform for cooperation with non-governmental agencies and other local stakeholders in the development process. The Government of Japan has support over 300 social development programs and projects, up to the end of June 2013.