The first time Trisha got her period, she thought something was wrong. No one had explained what was happening. In South Khurushkul Union of Cox’s Bazar, menstruation was not something girls talked about. It was whispered about, hidden, and often misunderstood. Like many girls in her village, Trisha felt fear instead of understanding, and shame […]

For Mohammad Alam and Khaleda Begum, sanitation was not just a household concern. It was a daily source of stress and insecurity. Living in Bharuakhali village of Cox’s Bazar with their ten children, the family survived on Alam’s small income as a sweeper and Khaleda’s earnings from domestic work in other households. Meeting basic needs […]

In the hard-to-reach village of Ghunapara in Cox’s Bazar, Sufia Begum spent years worrying about something most people rarely think twice about: access to safe drinking water. Her husband’s income as a day labourer barely covered their basic needs, and with five young daughters to care for, the family had no means to install their […]

HYSAWA’s commitment to safe water access reaches far beyond remote villages. It also focuses on supporting ethnic minority communities that often remain underserved in national development efforts. One such community is the Rakhine Para in Jhilonjga Union, Cox’s Bazar. Families from the Rakhine ethnic minority living there faced daily challenges in accessing safe drinking water. For […]

Jharna Das, a resident of Jhelongja Union in Cox’s Bazar, lost her husband six years ago. Since then, she has been the only guardian for her five daughters and one son, navigating immense challenges daily. Jharna works as an office assistant at a private bank, serving tea to officers and performing various tasks just to […]

Peering through the leaves, a powerful moment reveals as an adolescent girl engages with HYSAWA’s Menstrual Hygiene Session. In rural Bangladesh, stigma often hides these vital conversations, but HYSAWA is breaking barriers and raising awareness. Since 2008, HYSAWA has focused on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) to help women and girls manage their periods with comfort […]

Who: Taslima Akter Location: Sabrang Union, Teknaf Upazila, Cox’s Bazar District Occupation: Student Age: 20 Until Last year, we used to drink the water available in our area directly. In this area, we easily found water 15 to 20 feet deep under the ground. We thought the water was safe, as it seemed clean and […]

Shayera Khanom, mother of four, lived in the Valukia village under Ratnapalong union of Ukhiya. Her husband died 5 years ago. She alone handles the expenses of her whole family. It is very tiresome for her to maintain the expenses of the four children all alone. To earn bread for her family, Shayera works at […]

Who could have imagined that one single safe water source can mean safety to many girls? This is a story of 3 sisters whose lifestyle has changed by installing a deep tube-well in their premises. Julekha Khatun (20), Jobaida Akhter (18) & Monoara Akhter (16) are 3 sisters among the 5 children of Goltaz Begum […]

This story is about a handwashing station, which has changed a school’s hygiene practice and culture. The handwashing station was placed in Nidania Government Primary School under Jaliapalong Union of Ukhia, Cox’s Bazar. The school was established in 1934 and it’s a well reputed primary school in the whole of Ukhia. But according to teachers, before 2020, the hygiene culture of […]