Bangladesh Centre for Human Welfare and Sustainable Development (BCHWSD)
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Bangladesh Centre for Human Welfare and Sustainable Development (BCHWSD)
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Currently BCHWSD is carrying out several projects in the south western region of Bangladesh, Important projects of BCHWSD are described in brief.
1. Fishermen community of Kuakata, strategies for their sustenance in an era of globalization. (Funded by DFID)
Traditional Fishing in the Bay of Bengal at Kuakata
This research takes Kuakata, a fisherman settlement in Patuakali District of Bangladesh, as the case study. The study area is a beautiful sea beach on the Bay of Bengal and is inhabited by a group of fishermen both local and ethnic in origin (Rakhain Tribe). However, in recent times, due to expansion of tourism activity in this resort site, the indigenous fishing community are in conflict with the developers. Different actors in the tourism sector (such as owners of hotels, restaurant, shops, business people and different service providers) are basically outsiders in the locality, and they are sometimes involved in a process of displacing the fishing community by buying out their land. Moreover, different construction activities by the public and private sector for tourism development are also displacing the fishing community from their homestead and livelihood. An empirical study has been conducted in Kuakata to investigate these issues. The research also studied the impact of the emerging tourism business in this costal settlement and investigated some strategies for sustenance of the fishermen community in an era of globalization driven by the more powerful market forces.
Beautiful sunset at Kuakata sea beach
Major activities of the project
2. Fish preservation and processing activities of the fishermen community of Kuakata: a remote costal area of Bangladesh (Funded by DFID)
Fishermen unloading fish from their boat
A large number of fishermen communities are living in sparsely populated costal areas of Bangladesh. Their main livelihood is fishing in the Bay of Bengal throughout the year. These people rarely get the real price for their catch. As these communities are very inaccessible for communication by road, rail and water transport from major urban centres of Bangladesh, the price of the perishable fishery commodities is often very low. The villagers rarely have any ice plants, which hinder fish preservation and transport using ice chips. The only alternative for them is to dry the caught fish in the open under the sun. Such drying process increases the longevity of this otherwise perishable fishery commodity. But this traditional drying process is very much rudimentary and archaic, which often reduces the edible quality of these fishes to a great extent. Despite all these drawbacks, the dried and traditionally processed fish (known as shutki) in the end can bring some money for these fishermen in these remote costal villages like Kuakata. However, during the rainy season, the drying process becomes very slow, which is mainly due to clouded sky and increased humidity of air. As a result, the fish stock often starts rotting reducing its quality as well as price. This in turn makes these rural communities more vulnerable to the whims of nature.
Indigenous fish processing activities at Kuakata
The purpose of the study The purpose of the study is to investigate the status of subsistence fishermen community of Kuakata including their traditional fish preservation and processing techniques and to develop modern techniques of fish preservation and processing to improve their livelihood.
3. Water supply and
environmental sanitation conditions on the periphery of Khulna City: A study on
ward number 31 of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Khulna is the third largest city of Bangladesh situated in the southwestern part of the country and lies in the delta of the river Ganges. The city is around 45.65 square kilometers in area (within Khulna City Corporation boundary) having a population of about 1.3 million. Due to geographical conditions, the city is elongated in shape and is flanked by the river Bhairab on the eastern part, and on the western part, by a stagnant river named the Mayur. Khulna City Corporation (KCC) has 31 wards within its jurisdiction, some of which are located on the fringe area. This study is about water supply and environmental sanitation conditions of ward No. 31 of KCC.
Tube-wells in an unhygienic environment in Khulna City
The area of ward No. 31 of Khulna City is 3.66 sq km. In 1998, total population
of this area was about 30,473 and population density was 8325 persons per sq km
(Khulna Master Plan, 2000). The built structures of ward no. 31 are very recent,
except some industries like Match Factory, Hardboard Mill and Ship Yard. Around
52.8 percent of the structures were constructed in the last 10 years. But the
basic services have not developed at a reasonable pace with this development.
11.1 percent household of this ward have no water supply. Drainage facility of
this ward is really awful, 73.6 percent households have no drainage facility. 5.6
percent households have no toilet facility at all and 23.6 percent use hanging
latrine, which is the main cause of major water borne diseases. 56.6
percent households have experienced water logging (Field Survey, 2001).
Hanging latrines over a polluted water body in Khulna City
4. Prevention and mitigation programme for AIDS/HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) in South western Bangladesh
BCHWSD works for the prevention of AIDS/HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) in the South-western Region of Bangladesh mainly in Rupsha, Labanchara, Bagmara, Gallamari and Mohammad Nagar slums of Khulna City Corporation and in selected brothels of Khulna Region (Bagerhat brothel, Dauladia brothel, Baniasanta brothel and Fultala brothel). It also works with the truck and bus drivers of Khulna region.
Makeshift settlement of Baniasanta brothel at Mongla, Khulna
Target Group The target group of BCHWSD are Commercial Sex Workers (CSWs), Migrant Workers, Transport Workers, Adolescents and youths. The key People involved in this poogramme are volunteers and doctors of BCHWSD, Police, Civil Administration, Local Leaders of Pourashava or municipality Chairpersons, Commissioners and Students.
Commercial sex workers at Baniasanta brothel at Mongla, Khulna
Working strategy of BCHWSD for prevention of HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)BCHWSD promotes AIDS/HIV prevention education to the stakeholders and target groups. This includes confidential counselling, especially one to one communication by peers and volunteers in the community. During one to one communication and group discussion session, safer sex information are passed on to the target people. BCHWSD works for condom promotion, condom demonstration and condom distribution to prevent AIDS/HIV and STD.
BCHWSD also provides basic education to CSWs and their children, and skill training to the CSWs. It develops peer, who comes from the community and works for the community. The peers are trained in safer sex education, condom promotion and AIDS/HIV prevention to provide services to the community. It runs schools for the children of CSWs who can’t get entrance to other community schools for social stigma. It provides literacy/basic education (reading, writing and counting skills) to CSWs through adult literacy approaches. Skill training on tailoring and handicrafts making are also provided to CSWs so that they can earn a living other than sex business, especially for those who generally don't get clients due to old age and ill health.
Promotion Activity of BCHWSD to prevent and mitigate AIDS/HIV and STD
BCHWSD provides treatment for STD and general health services to the community. In every year, different cultural programmes (folk song, drama) depicting AIDS/HIV prevention messages are organised to raise awareness for the mass. Other than this, in every month video film show (regarding AIDS/HIV issue) are organised in public places for awareness building of AIDS/HIV. It provides training and orientation on HIV/AIDS issues to the quacks, local barbers, students, boatmen, labourers, rickshaw pullers, drivers, fishermen, school teachers and other NGO staff. Orientation and training are provided to raise awareness on this issue and to motivate the people so that they can act as a social advocate.
BCHWSD also educates and makes the community people aware of using safe drinking water and sanitary latrines to develop hygienic environment for the community. It has a “AIDS/HIV” Information Centre” located at its central office to disseminate up to date information to interested persons or groups. It also offers training and orientation to any other group or organisation at a minimum charge. Information dissemination and confidential counselling is the prime objective of this Information Centre. Every year, BCHWSD prepares various Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials to raise awareness of the masses. It includes posters, magazines, stickers and leaflets etc.
BCHWSD also carries out the following advocacy jobs
· Advocacy with local people. · Co-ordination with NGOs, GOs, Local Government and CBOs. · Advocacy with Civil Administration. · Building linkages with NGOs, Local Government & power structure of the society. · Observance of World AIDS Day on 1st December in every year. · Round Table Discussion with key people. · Observance of AIDS Candlelight Memorial & Mobilisation Day.
5. Awareness building for Arsenic contamination of ground water; detection of tube wells contaminated by Arsenic; treatments of patients suffering from Arsenicosis
Arsenic Problem in Bangladesh and the activities of BCHWSD In terms of total number of exposed people, Bangladesh has the most serious groundwater arsenic problem in the world. The contamination occurs in ground water from the alluvial and deltaic sediments that make up much of the area. The arsenic is probably of geological in origin, and is only apparent now because it is only in the last 20-30 years that ground water has been extensively used for irrigation and drinking purpose in the rural areas. The problem has been exacerbated by the fact that Bangladesh has a very high population density, and most of its rural people depends on shallow tube wells for drinking water. Several groups have mentioned the severity of this problem (including government and non-governmental agencies) in seminars, workshops, publications, and in news media at both local and regional levels. Different studies have implied different factors for arsenic contamination of ground water, like acid rain, geological formation, decreasing underground water level, use of fertilizer, insecticide, pesticide, and exposure to industrial wastes. But no such specific school of thought has been successful to establish the real fact.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), the maximum permissible concentration of arsenic in ground water is 0.01 mg/liter for safe drinking. Due to widespread contamination of ground water in Bangladesh, this limit has been revised to 0.05 mg/liter. But still, arsenic contamination level has fairly exceeded this extended safety margin in many areas of Bangladesh. Recurrent exposure to a small amount of arsenic (particularly through drinking contaminated water) does not have any short term effect on human health. But its effects become vivid in the long run when there is rarely anything to do. Drinking of arsenic contaminated water for a long time can cause chronic toxicity. Often the result is mottled skin accompanied by hyperkeratosis, and hyperdresis; malfunctioning of gastro-intestinal system, liver, cardiovascular, and nervous system. For a densely populated country like Bangladesh it can cause a havoc, and this is the most ominous threat for the next generation of the country. Around a million people of Bangladesh are at a high risk of arsenic related illness (arsenicosis), and seven thousand people are already suffering from it.
The aims of BCHWSD are to investigate main reasons for arsenic contamination, improving management information system in this connection, and provision of emergency water supply in arsenic affected areas. It is also working to develop technology for mitigating arsenic contamination, developing long and short term strategy for supply of arsenic free water, and for awareness building in arsenic affected areas of Greater Khulna Region. Other aims include training of health workers, expansion of health care facilities, and develop facilities for employment generation in arsenic mitigation projects. BCHWSD, through its emergency screening program, has taken up an extensive program to survey tube-wells in some selected thanas of Khulna Region. Moreover, through a survey of patients suffering from arsenicosis, in Fakirhat Thana, the project suggests strategic planning policies which could be implemented in other affected areas of the country.
6. Microfinance programme of BCHWSD to support small entrepreneurs of Khulna. BCHWSD has a micro-finance project to support rickshaw pullers and micro-entrepreneurs of Khulna region. 500 subsistence households are the beneficiary of this micro-finance project. The borrowers have formed groups to receive the loans. Loans range from US$ 50 to US$ 200 per borrower. They borrowers can utilize the loan for income generating projects which has been previously approved by BCHWSD staff. These income generation projects include hawking, vending, buying rickshaw, micro-enterprise development, paddy husking, fish trading, growing and selling vegetables, production of crops and handicrafts, rearing livestock and poultry. The repayment is in weekly installments and present rate of repayment is 98%. For More Information Contact: |
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