The entire 26-member team of FoSHoL-CARE including its Dhaka , Rajshahi and Chapai Nawabgonj staff and five local partner NGOs had a three-day retreat from June 17 to 19, 2006 at Media International Resort at Cox's Bazar. The purpose of the retreat was to reflect on past one year learning (April 16, 2005 to April 15, 2006), experiences that had been obtained while implementing project activities, develop next year plan in the light of past one year and prepare budget accordingly.

During the first half of the first day, June 17, the team discussed and evaluated the one year learning and achievements. Mr. Mahbubul Islam Khan, Governance Coordinator, CARE Bangladesh facilitated the discussion. He initiated question and answer sessions and opened floor for individual comments and opinions, which encouraged FoSHoL-CARE team to recall, recap, and evaluate project activities' progress, limitations, opportunities as well as their performance and potentialities. This discussion helped the team to reflect their learning and experiences when they did activity planning for 2 nd year in the next day, June 18.

In the second half, Mr. M. Zakaria, Technical Coordinator-M & E shared important findings from the baseline survey, which had some guidance and direction in planning the next year activities.

The next day, June 18, FoSHoL-CARE team worked on next year activities in groups of partners and piloting team to identify all possible activities that can be done in the next year time period. After lunch, the groups presented their activity plans. The budget was also prepared against all those proposed activities following the group presentations.

In the closing on June 19, Project Coordinator, Mr. Mizanour Rahman Choudhury thanked all for their contribution in completion of first year of the project and being there in the retreat sacrificing their weekend. He also wished all the best for the 2 nd year project implementation and hoping to see all again in the next retreat.

It was a very successful event since FoSHoL-CARE team seemed to achieve all their objectives in this retreat. They shared and reflected their past one year project implementation related learning; they planned their next one year activities and its budget as well as they all had wonderful time in the beach during the early mornings and afternoons and evenings. The team left Cox's Bazaar in the afternoon of June 19 and reached their respective destinations safely in the next morning. Although the journey was long and hectic, FoSHoL-CARE family enjoyed it a lot.