Youth Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship
RDA believes that youth are the key drivers of social change and rural transformation. The organization focuses on equipping young people—especially those unemployed or out of education—with market-relevant skills, leadership development, entrepreneurship training, and employment opportunities. Through vocational training, ICT skills, apprenticeships, startup support, mentorship, and soft skills development, RDA empowers youth to become self-reliant, innovative, and economically independent, contributing meaningfully to the sustainable development of rural northern Bangladesh.
Education for Children & Adolescents
RDA promotes equitable access to quality education for children and adolescents, particularly in marginalized and rural communities. Our initiatives focus on reducing school dropout, strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy, and enhancing adolescent learning. Through improved learning environments and close engagement with families, schools, and communities, RDA ensures that every child grows with dignity and gains the knowledge and opportunities needed to realize their full potential.
Health & Well-being
RDA enhances community health through preventive awareness, nutrition support, adolescent and reproductive health education, and strengthened linkages to government health services. With a special focus on vulnerable groups—including women, children, adolescents, older persons, and persons with disabilities—RDA works to improve health outcomes, reduce preventable risks, and build long-term community health resilience.
Livelihoods & Rural Economic Development
Rooted in the rural socio-economic realities of northern Bangladesh, RDA promotes livelihood enhancement through skills development, micro-enterprise support, income diversification, and financial inclusion. By empowering small farmers, day laborers, and low-income families, RDA helps break the cycle of poverty and creates sustainable pathways toward rural prosperity and economic stability.
Women’s Empowerment, Gender Equality & Disability Inclusion
RDA applies Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) as a cross-cutting principle across all programs. The organization promotes women’s economic empowerment, leadership, safety, and rights while taking strong measures to prevent child marriage and gender-based discrimination. RDA ensures that women, girls, and persons with disabilities have equal access to opportunities, services, and social protection, fostering a more just and inclusive society.
Child Protection & Child Rights
RDA is committed to ensuring that all children grow up in safe, nurturing, and protective environments. Through community-based child protection systems, safeguarding policies, case management, awareness initiatives, and collaboration with government institutions, RDA works to prevent abuse, exploitation, child labor, early marriage, and other harmful practices. Our goal is to help every vulnerable child survive, learn, and be protected.
Agriculture & Food Security
RDA supports farmers in adopting climate-smart agricultural practices, improved technologies, and diversified crops, while strengthening market linkages and value chains. Our interventions include sustainable farming systems, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, home gardening, and enhanced food security for vulnerable households. These efforts help build resilient agricultural livelihoods in the face of environmental and economic challenges.
Environment, Biodiversity & Climate Action
Recognizing the escalating climate risks in northern Bangladesh, RDA advances environmental conservation, ecosystem restoration, and community-led climate adaptation. Activities include climate awareness campaigns, biodiversity protection, water conservation, tree plantation, and promotion of climate-resilient livelihoods. RDA works to reduce environmental degradation and strengthen the long-term resilience of communities and ecosystems.
Disaster Risk Reduction & Humanitarian Aid
RDA strengthens community preparedness for disasters such as floods, cold waves, river erosion, and drought—frequent in northern Bangladesh. Our initiatives focus on early warning systems, preparedness training, community emergency committees, and rapid, coordinated humanitarian response. RDA ensures that vulnerable and at-risk families receive timely and lifesaving assistance during emergencies.
Social Enterprise Development
To promote sustainability and reduce reliance on external funding, RDA invests in social enterprises that generate income while producing positive social impact. These initiatives support youth- and women-led businesses, skill-based enterprises, agricultural ventures, and eco-friendly products. Profits from social enterprises are reinvested to strengthen community development programs and support long-term organizational sustainability.
Social Welfare Services
RDA delivers comprehensive social welfare services to marginalized and vulnerable populations—including older adults, persons with disabilities, widows, orphans, and disadvantaged households. Services include counseling, legal aid linkages, community support groups, referrals to government services, and targeted social assistance. All interventions uphold humanitarian principles, dignity, and social justice.