Program Emergency Relief Fund (PERF)
According to the National Survey on Persons with Disabilities (NSPD) 2021 report, A total of 1,744,820 persons with intellectual disability (according to the guidelines defining intellectual disability) are registered by the government. This implies that a total of 1,744,820 registered individuals could directly benefit from being exposed to the Special Olympics movement. Many families do not exhibit intellectual disability due to a sense of emotional inferiority complex and it is estimated that the actual number is about 2 percent of the entire population. So in reality, there are about 33,88,000 people with intellectual disabilities in the country. At present, Special Olympics Bangladesh has only touched on this field. Although we currently have a nationwide presence which is working to reach out to this population nationwide and create awareness.
We are excited to share highlights from our recent Coordination Meeting with Community Mobilizers/Trainers of the Project Emergency Relief Fund (PERF), held at the Beautiful Mind School in Uttara, Dhaka. This meeting was an essential step in strengthening our community efforts and ensuring that our programs reach those who need them most. A crucial part of the meeting involved training community mobilizers and trainers on how to input data into the Special Olympics International database. This training is vital for tracking athletes, Young Athletes, Partners & Families. It will help us to make data-driven decisions for future initiatives.
Success Story: Empowering Local Leaders During the meeting, one of our community mobilizers shared a touching story about a Young Athlete who, with the support of PERF, organized a local training camp for peers. This initiative not only improved athletes’ skills but also built community spirit and resilience.