Chum Wellness Partners with BRAC: Fostering Mental Health in the NGO Sector

BRAC mental health partnership program with Chum Wellness
June 14, 2026

When an NGO the scale of BRAC invests in a corporate mental health programme, it sends a clear signal to the wider development sector: employee wellbeing is not a perk, it is infrastructure. At Chum Wellness, we believe an organisation’s greatest asset is the mental and emotional wellbeing of its people, and we recently had the honour of partnering with BRAC, a prominent leader in the development and NGO sector, to launch a comprehensive corporate wellness initiative. This immersive programme was designed to combat workplace stress, foster resilience, and equip employees with the psychological tools they need to thrive.

The challenge: high-pressure environments in the NGO sector

Working in development and humanitarian work often involves tight deadlines, immense responsibility, and continuous cognitive engagement. Field teams and programme staff carry the weight of communities they serve, frequently without pausing to attend to their own emotional load. Left unaddressed, these high-stress factors can contribute to employee burnout and chronic anxiety. Recognising the importance of a psychologically safe workspace, BRAC partnered with us to implement a structured intervention focused on stress management and mindfulness training, a considered approach to workplace mental health in Bangladesh that many organisations are only beginning to prioritise.

What Chum Wellness delivered: a BRAC employee wellbeing programme

Our team of certified therapists and psychologists conducted engaging, hands-on corporate counselling sessions built around resilience and mindfulness. Rather than one-off talks, the curriculum was practical and repeatable, giving staff tools they could carry back into their daily work.

Programme pillars

  • Practical mindfulness techniques — teaching employees how to anchor themselves in the present moment and steady their attention during demanding days.
  • Emotional regulation — cognitive-behavioural strategies to process frustration and maintain clear, calm decision-making under pressure.
  • Work-life harmony — establishing healthy boundaries to prevent burnout and protect long-term wellbeing.

This blend mirrors the structured support we build into our corporate wellness programmes and our wider Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for organisations across the country.

Inside the sessions

The programme came to life in the room, with facilitators guiding BRAC teams through interactive exercises, group reflection, and applied mindfulness practice.

BRAC employees taking part in a Chum Wellness corporate mental health session
BRAC staff settle into an opening mindfulness exercise led by Chum Wellness facilitators.
Chum Wellness therapist leading a resilience training workshop for BRAC teams
A certified Chum Wellness psychologist walks the group through emotional regulation techniques.
BRAC employees in a group discussion during a Chum Wellness employee wellbeing workshop
Small-group discussion helps BRAC colleagues share pressures and practise healthy boundaries.
Chum Wellness corporate counselling session in progress with BRAC development-sector staff
Hands-on practice closes the session, giving staff tools to take back to their teams.

Why it matters for teams in Bangladesh

Across Bangladesh, conversations about employee wellbeing are shifting from stigma to strategy. When a respected institution like BRAC treats mental health as part of how it looks after its workforce, it makes it easier for other employers in the development sector, and beyond, to follow. A well-designed intervention supports retention, sharpens focus, and helps people feel genuinely cared for at work. You can read more about how we structure these engagements on our Chum Wellness for Business hub, or explore another engagement in our programme case studies.

Bring a wellbeing programme to your organisation

If your team is navigating high-pressure work and you want to invest in a mental health programme grounded in practical, evidence-informed care, we would love to help. Request a proposal and let’s design a programme that fits your people.

Browse all Chum corporate programs →  ·  Corporate wellness for your team