FEATURE: "Don't Worry, I Was a Beggar Once"
LWF World Service Associate Program Empowers the Marginalized Rural Poor in Bangladesh
DHAKA, Bangladesh/GENEVA 26 June 2006 (LWI) - "Don't worry, I was a beggar once." Sakhina Khatun comforts beggars with these words whenever she meets them on walks around the countryside near her village, Uttar Singargari, in Bangladesh. This is what she was, but no longer.
A few years ago her husband died, leaving her destitute at the age of 40. As her grown-up children were unable to give her more than just a roof over her head because they had their own families to support, her only option was to beg for a living. She was already too old to work in the fields and, because she had no skills training, there was no other job to go to.
But in 2003, Sakhina's life made an about turn. She heard of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Integrated Food Security Programme with the Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS), an associate program of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Department for World Service (DWS).
The RDRS, one of Bangladesh's longest-serving and largest NGOs and a lead actor in rural development, has been an LWF/DWS associate program since 1997. Since beginning as a DWS program in 1971 following the war of independence, the RDRS has continually challenged the causes and effects of poverty, ignorance and powerlessness.
The program now covers 9,902 square kilometers, and works in 46 contiguous upazilas (sub-districts) in northwest Bangladesh, far from the economic and political power centers in Dhaka, Chittagong, and even Rajshahi. The aim is to provide knowledge and create access to skills and resources for all. The program focuses on agriculture, community development, and health and economic activities, reaching some one million villagers through its work. A very important branch is the Eye Care and Rehabilitation Center for the visually impaired, where blind children are trained to live with their disability. Over 30,000 patients are treated annually.
The Integrated Food Security Programme, in which Sakhina is now involved, is backed by the engineering department of the Bangladesh local government. It aims to improve food security and the nutritional well being of poor rural households. During the lean season, families with little income, and who would otherwise go without food, are employed to build roads, playgrounds, flood shelters, plant trees, and so on. They do this according to the "food-for-work" principle. In the long run, it is hoped that their situation will have improved enough to enable them to join the standard RDRS group development activities.
This is how Sakhina came to build roads, working hard but also earning money, much more than she had ever had. After two years of hard labor building roads, she became strong, and had saved BDT 600 (USD 9). She not only acquired skills, but also joined in the training offered by the RDRS, leaving begging behind her.
Her efforts were worthwhile. When the project came to an end, Sakhina joined an RDRS group activity, borrowed BDT 2,000 (USD 29) from the organization, and started her own business. She bought two goats and lent some money to her children who had supported her as best they could. They invested the money, and were soon able to repay the debt to her. Today, Sakhina has her own business. She sells bread, sweets and groceries, in a roadside shop in her village.
Sakhina's story is only one of many success stories of which the RDRS can be proud. Thanks to its long-term commitment in the Rangpur Dinajpur area, the NGO has earned the trust and confidence of the people there. (607 words)
(Contributed by the RDRS, with reporting from Iris Kohler, a trainee in the LWF Office for Communication Services.)
More information on the Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service can be found at: www.lutheranworld.org/What_We_Do/DWS/Country_Programs/DWS-Bangladesh.html
*This article is part of the ongoing LWI Features on Healing focusing on the LWF Tenth Assembly theme, "For the Healing of the World." The series highlights the relevance of the Assembly theme in the different contexts of the worldwide Lutheran communion by presenting projects and activities aimed at promoting reconciliation and healing. This theme continues to be an important aspect of the LWF's work even after the 21-31 July 2003 Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada.
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(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 140 member churches in 78 countries all over the world, with a total membership of 66.2 million. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)
[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF's information service. Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an article contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]
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