In six working areas of Shamunnay, e.g., Sirajganj, Patuakhali, Kustia, Jamalpur, Saidpur and Dinajpur, six UPs selected to achieving MDGs at the local level. Shamunnay has conducting various activities through citizens’ committees since 2004 (MDGs Monitoring Committee, Agriculture Club, Education Club, Health/Mothers’ Club and Environment Club), encouraging local people to participate in these clubs as members, and trying to achieve MDGs using local initiatives and resources.

Shamunnay arranged training program on Participatory budgeting, gender budgeting, right to information and MDGs for the LG leaders of our selected UPs and municipalities. It also arranged training workshop on economic literacy for the housewives and young journalists.

Since 2004, Shamunnay has been conducting economic literacy programs at schools throughout the country. The objectives of the program are to enhance debate on various economic issues including budget and promote leadership among the future citizens. The main activities include:

• Arrange workshops on economic literature at various schools.
• Publish and distribute booklets on important development policies (e.g., Education Policy, Health Policy) in easy Bengali (like “Budget Made Easier”) so that they can easily understand and organize debate on economic issues.
• Accumulate voices of the schoolchildren for further perusal for adoption at government level.
• Initiate participatory budgeting at school level. In this innovative exercise the local community, students, teachers and other stakeholders will be involved in analysis and discuss on the school budget.
• Organize awareness workshop with the teachers and students at the schools on how to create school budget and ensure the quality of education.
• Arrange workshop and debate on economic issues among the students.

Shamunnay operated relief and rehabilitation activities in Sirajganj and Jamalpur districts among the flood effected people at 2004 and 2007 and also among the SIDR stricken people in Patuakhali on November 2007. We give priority to poor children, women, elderly and physically handicapped people in distribution of disaster relief and rehabilitation.