The Chitalmari community programme
The Chitalmari community development programme is in the
Bagerhat district, 220km south of the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka.
World Vision reaches 122 villages with a total population of
127,520. World Vision's partnership with Chitalmari started in 1991
and is envisaged to continue until 2014, when the community will be
fully equipped with the resources and skills to take ownership of
its own development. In the past year, significant improvements
were made in the current focus areas of education and health.
Issues covered: Health and
education
Updates on World Vision's work
Education
- 77 per cent of primary school children and 79 per cent of high
school students passed their final exams in 2011, thanks to
improvements to school infrastructure, the distribution of
educational materials, and raising community awareness on the
importance of education.
- 57 programme centres were established where college students
volunteer to support school children with extra tuition in subjects
with which they have difficulty.
Health
- To provide safe drinking water to communities and reduce
water-borne diseases, nine ponds were excavated and 40 plastic
rainwater-harvesting tanks installed, benefiting 2500 people.
- 1680 children and 610 community members were educated on the
importance of improved hygiene and sanitation practices.
The Chitalmari community is in the twentysecond year of its
development journey with World Vision.
Life on
the ground in Chitalmari
Education lifts a family out of poverty
Kamona
Participating in World Vision's development projects has
empowered 31-year-old Kamona, her husband Shusil, 38, and their
three children Rithu, 10, Tanmi, 13, and Subrata, 5, to embrace a
life of hope. The family used to struggle to make ends meet on
Shusil's income as a waged labourer. When Tanmi became sponsored by
a generous Kiwi family, World Vision encouraged Kamona and her
family to participate in different projects. Kamona blossomed as
she learned more about health, hygiene and sanitation, vegetable
production, cow rearing, fish farming, rice cultivation, disaster
preparedness, and leadership. These days, Kamona not only
contributes to her family's income, but she is also an active
community leader. Her children are healthy and they all attend
school. At age 30, Kamona has also returned to school to complete
her secondary education. "World Vision's training not only made me
skilled to increase our income, but also gave me a new attitude.
Now, I know the advantage of education and feel the joy of social
work in my community," said Kamona.
Bangladesh at a glance
Bangladesh has the highest population density in the world. The
country's land area is slightly smaller than the South Island of
New Zealand, yet, is home to about 162 million people. A
combination of frequent natural disasters, internal political
strife and corruption affects the people's struggle to rise above
the poverty line.
World Vision's training not only made me skilled to
increase our income, but also gave me a new attitude. Now, I know
the advantage of education and feel the joy of social work in my
community.
- Kamona, 31, Chitalamri