Monday, February 22

This morning we loaded up all of our luggage and headed out earlier than normal. We had another long day ahead of us. Leaving Dinajpur we drove to Nilphamary to the ministry center there. This center is in a very rural area. Once again we were greeted by the children of a CDC which meets at the center. We were at this center to learn more about the Self Help Groups (SHG), and the Income Generating Activities (IGA), so we were given an introduction to what they were and what they are intended to accomplish. Both of these groups are designed to help the women of the community earn money and have a voice in family and community affairs. They do this by establishing low interest loans to the women and education in how to manage money, create income generating activities, and make their voices heard. There are 39 of these groups in this immediate area, with about 2500 women involved.

After being served refreshments we walked into the nearby village where one of the IGA groups were having their weekly meeting. One of the topics they were discussing was an up-coming vaccination fair and how to get the community involved in getting their families vaccinated. After the meeting one of the ladies invited us to her home to show us how the IGA had helped her improve her family’s living conditions. With the money she had made she had been able to provide a tin roof to her home, and outfit her home with furniture and a battery-powered television. There is no electricity in her village.
We also saw a couple of small shops that had been established through these self-help programs. It is amazing how these women have improved their income and living conditions through these programs.

 

Returning to the ministry center we were served lunch and then we said our goodbyes and got back on the road for the 4+ hour drive to Bogra. We are now at the Hotel Naz Garden in Bogra and will be staying here until Friday morning. It is a very nice hotel. Tomorrow is a down day to relax, do laundry, recharge our batteries, etc. We were originally scheduled to be in Bogra on Tuesday, but as often happens the schedule has been changed and we are here a day early.