Reaching everyone with safe water and improved sanitation means reaching EVERYONE – no matter what their age, gender or specific needs are. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) specify that we must put the people who are hardest to reach first and that we must leave no one behind. The story is about one Asiya Khatun, […]
Who: Shanaz What: Tube Well Caretaker and Community Volunteer Location: Betaga Union, Fakirhat Upazila, Khulna District Occupation: Farm labourer Age: 38 I have lived here since birth; my mother purchased this land where my house is built 40 years ago. I lost my father in the liberation war. My mother could not stay in that […]
Lovely Khatun lives in a village called Kismat Jhonjonia in Rampal Union of Bagerhat district of Bangladesh. She is 33 years old, unmarried and used to work as a fish trader in the local market. Despite being called ‘poor’ by some, Lovely has always been interested and motivated to engage in social work and develop […]
This story is about the construction of five community latrines by the HYSAWA Fund in Bangladesh. In 2010 the Roghunathpur Union Parishad, Dumuria Upazila, Khulna District was selected to participate in the HYSAWA Fund initiative; which is supported by the Government of Bangladesh, AusAID and Danida, to promote decentralised and sustainable WASH service delivery by […]
Who: Razia Sultana What: Community Volunteer Location: Sreefaltala Union, Rupsha, Khulna Age: 46 Occupation: Life insurance agent and NGO worker This is the place I was born and grew up. I live here with my husband, one daughter aged 16 and one son, 19. I was five in 1971. Most of the people here then […]
Name: Md. Altaf Mahmud What: Union Parishad Secretary Location: Mulgar Union Parishad, Fakirhat Upazila, Bagerhat District Age: 48 I have been Union Parishad Secretary since 1984. In this Union for almost 21 years. That coconut tree outside was planted when I first became secretary. The water and sanitation crisis is big here. Before all these […]
“A new beginning for Union Parishads” is how Betaga Union Chairman Mr. Swapan Das describes the opportunities afforded to his team and constituency by HYSAWA. A chairman recently re-elected to his third five year term said that never before had he been entrusted with the responsibility to manage, monitor and administer the people, projects and […]
Who: Khadija Begum What: Ward Member, Shatgombuj Union Parishad (Wards 7,8,9) Location: Shatgombuj Union Parishad, Age: 42 I have lived in this Union Parishad for 30 years. I was married when I was 12 and so moved here. My husband is a businessman, in the fish industry. Now he is over 50. I never imagined […]
Who: Prodont Mondol Location: Oraburia Village, Rampal Union Parishad, Rampal Upazila, Bagerhat District. Occupation: agriculture worker Age: 46 My family has been living here for over 100 years. My father, his father, his father and his. My father died when I was 16. I became responsible for all of the family, so I left school […]
“We are hand-to-mouth people, but we can claim that we have one great luxury that many rich people do not have, it is our latrine” said Aklima, a housewife dwelling in the slums of Rupsha Majhir Ghat. Her neighbours, Al-Amin, Kali Sikder, Sultan, Rina, Minara, Moyna, Monwara and many others supported her while she was […]