Anik Mandal is an 11-year old boy with physical disabilities. He lives with his father and mother in a community under Rangpur Union Parishad, Dumuria, Khulna. His father, a day laborer, is the only earning person in his family. A major portion of his income goes into Anik’s treatment and medicines – making them more helpless.
Moreover, the safe water crisis adds a new dimension to the sufferings of the hardcore poor family. Anik’s mother has to walk miles to fetch safe water for her family. During monsoon, it becomes very difficult to get fresh water as her area gets inundated in rainwater.
Around three months ago, our Community Organizer Nibedita Mallik went to visit their area for baseline survey to select a site for installing new tube well. She talked to the community people and came to know about this family. Nibedita then informed our Technical Officer about the site and also the sufferings of Anik’s family.
On a fine morning, HYSAWA Khulna team went to visit the area and talked to the community whether they had any problem if the tube well was installed in the premises of Anik’s home. Hearing about HYSAWA’s visit, the Chairman of the Union Parishad himself went to the area to facilitate the work process. He then noticed Anik and talked to his family about his health condition. At one point in their conversation, he came to know that despite being physically challenged and extremely poor, Anik did not get the social safety net facilities. Immediately he informed his secretary to enlist Anik’s name and details in the government’s Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme – which would give 30-kg rice and 500 BDT per month. Not only this, but the kind-hearted chairman also promised to renovate their ramshackle house.
HYSAWA’s intervention not only solved Anik’s family’s safe water crisis but also brought luck and prosperity to their life. Soon they will get a safe water point at their arm’s length and also a better place to live.
Case study collected by Communication & Documentation Officer, HYSAWA. November 2018.