On the road to prosperity...

Members of the Sukher Sandhaney Mohila Samity at Char Pepulia village in Fulchari upazila at a weekly meeting discussing their problems and uplift programmes. PHOTO: STAR

They also know how to develop small trade, backyard gardening, poultry and goat rearing. Many of them are now free of abject poverty by making handicrafts.

They know that early marriage ruins a girl's life and illiteracy is a curse. Many of them know that they can go to court to protest justice, violence against them and dowry.

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Such a situation could not be imagined in Teesta and Brahmaputra basin areas a decade ago when the women folk were fully dependent on nature and mercy of their husbands or family members.

The changes came after some local NGOs, began their activities for socio-economic development of people in shoal areas.

The NGOs are not only giving micro-credit to the poor. They are moving house to house and organising people to be self-reliant and become conscious.

Shoal people are always helpless in getting credit and financial assistance from government or bank to develop agriculture or any small trade to maintain family. Banks do not provide them any loan due to lack of collateral as most of them do not possess any land. They shift to other places when floods engulf their houses.

Oxfam, an international NGO, has been working with the shoal people in Gaibandha since 1987 in collaboration with local NGOs. Besides giving micro-credit, they have introduced 'long term advocacy programme' against repression on women.

The programme is being conducted through four local NGOs-- Gano Unnayn Kendro, Samaj Kallan Sangstha, Ekota and Samokal.

They form women's groups, each comprising 15 or more members, and motivate them to be self-reliant and make them aware of the causes for social ills.

Over 1200 such groups are now working successfully in the shoal areas in four upazilas in Gaibandha district.

Each member deposits k five a week. Instead, she gets loan for small trade and raising poultry and goat.

At weekly group meeting, the members in presence of NGO workers discussed different problems including education, health, sanitation, family planning, social reform and take decisions that would benefit them.

This correspondent was present at a meeting of a group named Sukher Sandhaney Mohila Samity at Char Pepulia village in Fulchari upazila. It was held at the house of one of the members.

Each member was gave her opinion on different aspects of social, professional and uplift activities.

"We had started with a seven-member group in 2000. Now it has 27 members and a saving of 35,000 with a bank," said its president Shahina Begum.

"All of us can read and write our names," said another member Aysha Begum.

"We have stopped early marriage and dowry practice in our village," said Shakina Begum.