Water1st staff made a monitoring visit to our Bangladesh partner in December 2017. This is one of the stories that inspired us and we wanted to share it with you.

DSK, our local partner in Bangladesh, has formed the Khadun Community-Based Organization to facilitate the implementation of water and sanitation programs. A young woman named Sharmin (photographed above) is the president of the organization and presented us with the results in her community since 2014.

Increasingly, people are moving to the city to find jobs and the community has experienced dramatic growth in just four years. It was reported that there were 400 households (1,349 people) residing in Khadun in 2014, compared to 890 households (2,980 people) today. Originally, there were just 20 good water systems and 8 good toilets in the community. Thanks to DSK’s assistance, there are now 68 water systems and 40 toilets. The average family is saving an hour a day in water collection time and $6-$10 dollars a month in reduced cost for water and medicine.

DSK has also provided funding for a water and toilet project at the Progressive Pre-Cadet High School, which serves 350 students. In addition, DSK has completed a drainage system and footpath in a low-lying area that was susceptible to repeated flooding and sewage backup. With DSK’s support, the community has opened lines of communication with local government and are requesting better access to public services.

With so many people moving to Khadun, additional water systems and toilets are still needed, but the work and progress of DSK and the community is impressive!

Thank you for making this program possible. What you are supporting is rare. You are changing people’s lives permanently in Bangladesh.

Learn more about our Bangladesh program.

We feel very fortunate that so many of our supporters are able to travel with us to learn more about our work and to meet the hard working people in our project communities. Our partner organizations and our project beneficiaries feel respected by your visits and that makes us extremely proud. If you’re interested in traveling, please contact us.