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 were very very dirty. At that time the situation in my community was really bad and it is difficult to explain. Since then there has been a drastic change in hygiene behaviour. Mostly in the last 2-3 years. People are more accepting of change than in the past. I think it is because of higher education levels, both formal education as well as awareness from radio and television messages.
I first started thinking about hygiene when all the children in this village were getting sick. I realised that only by washing hands you could reduce disease. When my youngest son was only three and a half years old he had serious diarrhoea. It went on for 11 days. He now works as a salesman in Khulna.
As I realised the benefits of practising simple hygiene steps I thought it would be better to share with others. I always have shared, but now as a HYSAWA project Community Volunteer I work in a more structured way to motivate others. I think messages about hand washing and safe water use are the most important things.
This deep tube well was installed through HYSAWA in 2010. Around 30 to 35 families use this tube well. Before it was here I would walk to a deep tube well over 1 km away. The water was saline but we had no choice. There were shallow tube wells closer but they are contaminated with arsenic.
I get honour from people. I do this for the community and myself. I think results can only be achieved when everyone is involved. I work with 65 households in 3 villages. People are becoming more and more interested. I think we will get better and better. People will be ready to accept change.
Now that the season is changing and summer is coming children are getting affected by pneumonia, cough, fever and older people are suffering from fever and headaches too. Still, it is less than before. There is no diarrhoea.
Case study collected by Communications Officer, HYSAWA. April 2011.