From the Field: Meet the inspiring leaders of Dargah Sharif, Bangladesh
Empowering Community Leaders Meet the leaders of Dargah Sharif, a neighborhood of Khulna, Bangladesh, home to 3,000 people. This committee was organized and trained by
*This does not include indirect improvements when neighboring households see the DSK approach and copy designs with their own financing.
Empowering Community Leaders Meet the leaders of Dargah Sharif, a neighborhood of Khulna, Bangladesh, home to 3,000 people. This committee was organized and trained by
Visit the community of Tarabo, Bangladesh: “Now we feel good about our neighborhood.” Only 2% of wastewater for 18 million people living in Dhaka is
The leadership of our partners during this unprecedented pandemic has proven nothing short of extraordinary. The effective and unified actions of our in-country partners are
The Character of DSK Shines Bright
The urban slum communities we support in Bangladesh consist of hard-working rickshaw drivers, domestic & textile workers, and other low-wage earners. They survive one day at a time, without personal savings or a safety net. When their work is disrupted by a pandemic, their families are instantly impacted and at great risk. Our partner organization, DSK, is second-to-none when it comes to the technical aspects of our systems, and is also deeply committed to the health, economic security, and dignity of the people they serve. DSK is working tirelessly to mobilize urban slum communities to protect themselves from the spread of COVID-19. They are going door-to-door to educate residents on transmission pathways of disease and hygiene practices people can use to protect themselves, including frequent handwashing, wearing masks, and sanitizing home environments.
Water1st works in urban slums in Bangladesh’s three largest cities—the capital, Dhaka (population 18 million), Chattogram, (4 million), and Khulna (1 million). They have no legal access to public water supply or sewer systems. Adding to the crisis is the rapid increase in urban slum populations in Bangladesh: 150,000-400,000 new residents arrive each year from rural areas seeking a better life for their families.
In these squatter settlements, renters are forced to buy water of unknown quality at very expensive rates. There are no sewer pipes in these neighborhoods, so waste from ‘open’ toilets flows right through the community, making living conditions extremely unhygienic, and sanitary toilets a high priority.
