The Start Network Assembly is the network's highest governing body, made up of representatives from each member agency. The Assembly is taking place this week in Bonn, Germany, kindly hosted by Network member Welthungerhilfe.
The Assembly is an opportunity to come together to learn how the network has progressed over the past six months; build on the learning to tackle shared challenges, and make decisions on the Network’s future and strategic direction.
Below is the learn presentation for the Start Fund national hub in Bangladesh.
Learn about the national Start Fund in Bangladesh
Since May 2017, there have been eight activated alerts in Bangladesh, with disbursements totalling £2.1 million. These included responses to cyclones, landslides, flooding, a fire in a slum in the outer Dhaka area, waterlogging and river erosion. All of these were allocated and commenced within the 72 hour Start Fund alert cycle. The projects reached a total 135,000 people and had with implementation support from 12 local partners.
We have been taking additional steps to contextualise the Start Fund alert process; more meetings are being carried out in person instead of virtual learning exchanges the Bangladesh team carry out half day in person learning exchanges. The Start Fund handbook is being translated into their local language, Bangla.
Since December 2017, the Bangladesh team have carried out the Civil Society organisation mapping exercise. The purpose of this was so that more local organisations would be able to access Start Fund Bangladesh and participate in the decision making, as it was originally designed. The mapping explored the capacities, barriers and geography of relevant organisations who wanted to partake. This led to 396 local organisations responding to an open call for an expression of interest. These numbers were very impressive, they represented the momentum and recognition, that Start Fund Bangladesh is building in-country. As a result it is nationally being recognised as a funding mechanism which is supporting a more locally owned and accessible structure. Following on from the expressions of interests that were received, Start Fund Bangldesh will perform a capacity assessment, due diligence checks and then there will be a selection of approximately 25 local and national organisations that will be able to access Start Fund Bangladesh and participate in decision making.