In 2001, when the people of the Southwest side of Bangladesh are neglected by other people, when the people in the rural areas were helplessly moving here and there in their families and domestic animals in search of shelter and food, a group of young social workers came forward extending their cooperation with necessary steps for the betterment of the society. At the same time they realized that the disadvantaged people namely the Dalit people had no education, no idea to cope with the higher class of people, very conservative and bonded with so called religious and social superstitions. Keeping in mind of sustainable development and empowerment to these people, they felt of the necessity of forming an organization. After subsequent discussion, the young group took a decision that an organization which is non-government, non –political, and non-religious will be founded. As the Dalit people like other disadvantaged people are ignored as darkness, they need a light or a star to remove the darkness of ignorance. The organization is finally named as `DHRUBA’ a Bengali word meaning the name of a star. DHRUBA came into formal recognition in 2004 and registered under the Directorate of Social Service, People’s Republic of Bangladesh. At the initial stage, DHRUBA started with personal and environmental hygiene, early marriage, importance of education human rights and use of local resources, etc. As DHRUBA was working for the disadvantaged Dalit people and trying to work all over Khulna district, it attracted the donors. As a result, DHRUBA was registered with the registration of NGO Affairs Bureau in 2012 under the foreign donation rules and regulation. The organization believes in non directive bottom up integrated and participatory development framework and works as a catalyst with the concerned people and aspires a judge-full and equitable shareable society where every individual could be able to live in peace, harmony and justice.
Since inception in 2001 DHRUBA has been working hard to derive away poverty, illiteracy and malnutrition. It aims to assist the poorest sections of the community to ensure effective means of livelihood and social equity. DHRUBA was established with a view to solving the social and economic problem among the target people who are asset-less, destitute and starving people of the country with a particulars emphasis of women and children. Primarily DHRUBA started to organize the women folk for their self-reliance because women are exploited both socially and economically.
DHRUBA aspires for a society where every individual will be able to live in an atmosphere of peace and harmony, i.e., free from human rights violation, exploitation, oppression and starvation where every individual will get equal and transparent shares of the resources belonging to this society. The basic approach of DHRUBA is to promote self-help and self-reliance.
