Project Need: $23,906
Project field workers motivated a group of village women to meet for adult literacy training. They did this—six days a week for eight months. At this point in time, with functional levels of literacy in reading, writing and arithmetic, the group formed themselves into a saving
cooperative.
The group pooled their savings and loaned it out, in turn, to group members for income
generation projects, and project staff provided further development training in social and health related topics. The group members were also encouraged to continue to develop their reading and writing skills through the use of a project provided small-box book library.
The cooperative group continued to meet on a weekly basis for a three year period. At the end of this time the group had accumulated a pooled saving of $1,185. This money continues to be loaned to members of the group for fish farming, small retail business and agriculture. These projects have improved the member’s standard of living and caused their status in society to increase, as well as inspiring others.
It is our policy that at the end of three years groups form their own internal leadership. This group has hired one of their own members to serve as the paid cashier for the group on an on-going basis.
Kushtia Community Development Project
The Kushtia CDP began with the vision to see the communities living in the Kushtia and Rajbari districts, in the undeveloped western side of Bangladesh, improve their quality of life through the better use of their own resources.
