Ten years ago we began working in two Dhaka slums. Since then we have expanded our reach to slum settlements in Bangladesh’s three largest cities of Dhaka, Chittagong, and Khulna, and are now implementing hundreds of projects each year.

Land ownership rights are not granted to slum dwellers who typically inhabit 10’x10’ dwellings made from tin, brick, and cardboard. They work long and arduous hours in garment factories or drive rickshaws, earning approximately $2 a day. And with no access to water or toilets, combating illness is a constant battle.

Water1st projects in Bangladesh organize people to build and maintain their own water systems and household toilets. But our ultimate goal is that communities are self-sufficient and organized to solve difficult problems. And last week the power of community organizing was apparent once again in the Dhaka slum community of Kaundia.

The Kaundia Project: transformation happens from the ground up

In 2009, our DSK colleagues worked with the slum neighborhood of Kaundia to establish a community-based organization (CBO), comprised of 25 community leaders, mostly women.

DSK facilitated a process wherein CBO members identified and prioritized their problems: 1/ natural gas connection for cooking, 2/ water, 3/ toilets.

Next, DSK guided the group to develop an action plan to address each problem.

This process has been repeated by the CBO every year since, as they identify their next development priorities and create corresponding action plans.