Where we work

Sustainable futures for communities

Currently we have over 900 learning and savings groups across 7 areas of Bangladesh, highlighted in the map to the left. We have chosen to run learning and savings groups in these areas as they are particularly needy and vulnerable places, where women are deprived and mistreated.

In many of these places we originally carried out emergency relief work in response to natural disasters. Eventually our groups help disaster torn communities to develop and recover in a sustainable way.

Other communities that we choose to work alongside are disadvantaged from either being remote and hard to access, or a low-caste minority group, such as the Hindu communities within many city slums. 9.2% of people in Bangladesh adhere to Hinduism yet the major religion practised in Bangladesh is Islam ( 89.7%). We work successfully within both these communities, and are experienced in helping them to develop in culturally sensitive ways.

Once we have a management base in an area we expand into nearby locations based on needs assessment. For example in Bogra our intention is to increasingly focus on the western fringes of the Jamuna river where there is more poverty and many people displaced by flooding. As one project matures another will open further along the riverside.

As well as expanding along the Jamuna river, we are also aiming to set up groups in the river eroded areas and emerging sandbanks in the Meghna estuary, and on the Southern coastal area of Kalapara. There is desperate need in Kalapara due to the affects of cyclone Sidr.