Rashida: A New Participant

Rashida married when she was just 12 years old. After years of abuse, her husband left her to remarry. With her children, Rashida moved to the chars, to live closer to her family. Rashida often resorts to begging. She cannot afford vegetables, eggs or meat, and the family only eats once or twice a day.

Nurjahan: A New Participant

Nurjahan and her husband moved from Dhaka to the chars because it was too expensive in the city. He works as a day labourer and often migrates for work. Their first child died because they were unable to afford medical treatment. The couple have a two-year-old daughter, and Nurjahan is pregnant again.

Halima: A New Participant

Halima married when she was just 12 years old. Her husband rejected her because of a physical disability in her leg. On the chars, Halima works as a maid. She earns enough to feed herself and her mother twice a day. They have moved around eight times due to flooding and erosion, making them extremely vulnerable….

Monowara: A New Participant

Before joining the CLP, Monowara’s family was assetless. In the last few weeks, they have received a heifer through the CLP’s asset transfer project . The heifer is pregnant. When it gives birth, Monowara plans to sell the calf. She and her family will be able to drink the milk the heifer produces and sell the remainder...

Morzina: A New Participant

Morzina and her husband Obaidul have not received a formal education. Obaidul works as a day labourer, but his work is irregular and poorly paid. The family has moved home roughly 17 times due to flooding and erosion.They do not have a latrine or tube well. They still live very close to the river and remain vulnerable.

Bachani: Building Assets and Improving Lives

Bachani and her husband were once extremely poor. Char erosion forced Bachani to move out of her home to a new char multiple times. This insecurity made it very difficult for the family to escape extreme poverty. In 2008, Bachani purchased a cow and a calf using the CLP asset transfer grant…

Parul: Building Assets and Preventing Quarrels

Parul and her husband Sulaiman used to quarrel frequently. They attribute this to the poverty in which they lived. In 2008, the family received a heifer from the CLP, alongside livelihoods training that included management and care of the animal. From this starting point they have accumulated a considerable number of assets…

Santi: Building Assets in the Chars

Before joining the CLP Santi struggled to feed her family, had no productive assets and was not respected in the local community. After joining the CLP in 2007, Santi participated in the Village Savings and Loans (VSL) group, a CLP initiative which provides a safe place to save and take loans from…

Aklima: Diversifying Diets in the Chars

Before joining the CLP, Aklima and her family were very poor. They usually ate only once a day, and could not afford to buy meat. With the CLP asset transfer grant, Aklima bought a cow for Tk.17,000, sold it and reinvested the money into land. Now the family eats far better than they used to…

Nilufa: Improving Food Utilisation in the Chars

Before the CLP, Nilufa was food insecure. She was always the first to sacrifice meals to provide for her children. Her children were always ill, suffering from diarrhoea and cholera. She links this to poor access to sanitation and clean water.

Monowara: Accessing Food in the Chars

Monowara was once extremely poor. Her family’s eating habits were dependent on her husband’s irregular daily income. They never ate enough protein and often picked wild vegetables, such as pumpkin leaves and wild spinach. Such practices are considered by char dwellers as a clear sign of food insecurity.

Hazra: Safe WASH During Floods

Hazra joined the CLP in September 2011. As part of the Programme’s support, her homestead, tube well and latrine were raised on a plinth above the highest known flood level. This plinths now keeps her family safe from the floods and allows her to access safe water and sanitation throughout the year.

Nilufa: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in the Chars

Before the CLP, Nilufa was food insecure. She was always the first to sacrifice meals to provide for her children. Her children were always ill, suffering from diarrhoea and cholera. She links this to poor access to sanitation and clean water.

Shahida: Improved Water Supplies

When is a water supply not just a water supply? When it creates a whole new vision of the future for a family.

Anowara : A Union Parishad Member

Anowara never used to go out. She was shy and did not have the courage to speak in front of people. In 2008, using the CLP asset transfer grant, Anowara bought a cow and a lamb. Not only have the value of her assets increased, but following the CLP social development training, she feels more confident….

Shahazadi: Empowering Women in the Household

Shahazadi does not have fond memories of family life before joining the CLP. She was very dependent on her husband. He wouldn’t allow her to go outside the house to work. She had very little influence upon the decisions made in the household that affected her life.

Moiful: Empowered in the Community

Prior to joining the CLP, Moiful felt that she had a low status in her community. Her confidence was low, and she did not feel that she could speak to many community members, especially men.

Rahela: Inspiring Change

Champa: Improving Nutrition in the Chars

Champa claims that, before joining the CLP, she had never eaten three meals in one day. The family’s poor diet led them to suffer from severe protein deficiency. Champa’s eldest son was diagnosed as extremely malnourished and anaemic. In February 2006, Champa joined the CLP…

Mustafa: The Life of a Livestock Services Provider

Mustafa Kamal was once a day labourer in Dhaka. Mustafa undertook training to become a Livestock Services Provider (LSP), but earned only around Tk.3,000 per month. In 2011, the CLP provided training which enabled him to improve the service he could offer and grow his business…

Umma: The Life of a Village Health Worker

Umma grew up on the chars.After completing her secondary education, she struggled to find employment. When the CLP started working in her village she received training to become aChar Shasthya Karmi (CSK), a village health worker. This has changed her and her family’s life…

Hawa:Living with a Disability in the Chars

Hawa and her family have struggled living in the chars, as she lives with a mild intellectual disability, which has affected her social interactions. Before the CLP, Hawa and her husband both worked as day labourers. They did not earn enough money and did not always manage to eat three meals a day…

Sajeda: Overcoming Disability in the Chars

Sajeda lives with her four children, her husband Khaleque, and her father in law Amir. Both Khaleque and Amir are visually impaired. As two adult family members are unable to work, the household has always had an unstable income and struggled to obtain enough food...

Lalbanu: Sheltering Neighbours During Floods

Lalbanu lives in Kurigram, a district often affected by floods. As part of the CLP support, Lalbanu’s homestead was raised on a plinth 60 cm above the highest known flood level. This is the first year her family is remaining safe and dry during the flood season. Her plinth is even providing shelter to surrounding non CLP participants.

Hazra: Safe WASH During Floods

Hazra joined the CLP in September 2011. As part of the Programme’s support, her homestead, tube well and latrine were raised on a plinth above the highest known flood level. This plinths now keeps her family safe from the floods and allows her to access safe water and sanitation throughout the year.

Shahera: Protecting Assets During Floods

Shahera joined the CLP in 2011. Her homestead was raised on a plinth above the highest known flood level. Not only does this keep her safe, it also protect her and her neighbours’ assets. Three families and their assets are now living on Shahera’s plinth and a total of 40 cows are being sheltered.

Anwara Begum : CLP raised plinth providing essential protection during the floods

Anwara Begum is a previous CLP participant from cohort 2.2. Anwara lives in Khadaimari Village in Kurigram District, one of the areas most affected by the 2014 floods.

Temporary migration because of the floods: a thing of the past for Joyena Begum

Annual flooding can be incredibly disruptive; particularly if you’re an extreme poor household living on the riverbed of one of Bangladesh’s mighty rivers such as the Jamuna. Households have no choice but to temporarily leave their homestead in search of shelter on higher ground or in flood shelters; both of which are likely to be on the mainland.

Robina and Ruzina: Dedicated Students

Robina and Ruzina were students of one of the CLP’s schools, who have both attained A+ in the recent primary school examinations. They are now continuing thier success by enrolling in a nearby high school. They both aspire to be doctors so that they can serve their community…..

Shahida: A Supportive Mother

Shahida has three children and her husband works as a day labourer. She has always dreamed of sending her children to school. Ever since her daugther joined the CLP school, Shahida has been helping her daughter with her homework.

Khorsheda: A Dedicated Mentor

Shah Alam : A Responsible Chairman

Shah Alam Lalu is a Chairman of a CLP School’s Centre Management Committee. He has been involved with the school from its construction, as he donated the land for the school himself. He is also a proud father; his daughter also achieve an A+ in the recent primary school examinations.

Solema: Using bKash Beyond the CLP

Solemas is one of the first CLP core participants to have registered with bKash. She has just received her first stipend payment using the cash thransfer through mobile service. She has started using this service to facilitate personal cash transfers with her husband…

Mazeda: Increasing Convenience and Flexibility

Mazeda is a very busy woman and has set priorities. Being the only working member of her family, she works hard to care for them and support them financially. The CLP’s use of bKash to distribute monthly stipends has made the process more convenient and flexible for participants. It has made Mazeda’s life easier…

Monika: A New Way of Receiving Her Stipend

The CLP has helped Monica register with bKash. She has been given a SIM card linked to a bKAsh account. Earlier, Monika received her stipend payment during Social Development group meetings. Monika now has a mobile banking account into which the CLP transfers her stipend each month……