People living along the Sundarbans belt have long been suffering from scarcity of safe water for drinking and domestic use. MRDI’s CSR programme intervened in two villages – Bon Laudob and Koilashganj where safe water supply was ensured by re-excavating ponds with provision of filtering device, eco-friendly ovens were distributed and skills training on sewing and stitching was provided to women of the villages.
News of the success of the intervention spread over the neighboring villages where similar problems existed. Women of the villages raised demand to MRDI for similar interventions for them. Meanwhile, media coverage and MRDI’s publications on CSR drew the attention of corporate sector and other stakeholders. A leading international bank, operating in Bangladesh – HSBC came up with a proposal to support similar intervention in a village in the Sundarbans. Accordingly, a nearby village Dhangmari was selected for provision of safe water, eco-friendly oven and skills training for women.
Activities of this intervention — distribution of ovens, skill training on tailoring and hand stitching for women and introduction of rain-water harvesting system have created opportunities for the people to live a better life.
