Better futures sprouting for displaced Rohingya women after a little nudge

Above: Maksuda with her homegrown chillis. Photo: RDRS

Sometimes a little support can have a big impact.

Through the AHP response in Bangladesh, local partners in the Church Agencies Network Disaster Operations (CAN DO) consortium, named EKOTA, are supporting vulnerable women to take the first step to self-reliance.

Implemented by Lutheran World Federation and RDRS Bangladesh, this livelihoods program provides skills training and household-based vegetable gardening materials to women in the displaced Rohingya population as well as in host communities. The program is targeting single mothers, widows, the elderly and women with disabilities.

Above: Maksuda, Dhola’s son and Dhola in their home. Photo: RDRS

Building on ‘nudge theory’, where a little support or push can build momentum, the program offers start-up livelihoods support for women, aiming to generate longer-term impact in a cost-effective way.

The program has two objectives: that women can generate income to meet their needs, and that they can consume vegetables to enhance their nutrition.

For displaced Rohingya woman Maksuda Begum*, the program has changed her family’s diet and enabled her to earn a small amount of income.

Maksuda is an elderly widow who lives with her daughter Dhola* and her five-year-old grandson. The female-headed household used to completely rely on the World Food Programme for staples. Even with this support, they still needed extra money to purchase fresh fish and vegetables from the market to round out their diet. With no way to earn, they had to ask for support from Maksuda’s son, who has his own family to support. Maksuda and Dhola felt like a burden.

Now Maksuda is able to grow vegetables at home after participating in a training session on using plastic boxes as vegetable gardens in February 2021.

“I was provided with two plastic boxes with some vegetable plants. Both the eggplants and chillis started fruiting in the last two months. I was able to consume some of those with my family and I sold the rest to the local Rohingya market,” Maksuda said.

Above: Dhola’s confidence and standing in the family has improved since she has been able to work for income. Photo: RDRS

“Growing vegetable in the plastic boxes is a great idea. I really like this concept because I can move the plastic boxes anywhere, which means I have a ‘movable vegetable garden’ now. I do not need a fixed place for this. I do not have to get in negotiations and quarrel with my neighbours over the occupation of land,” she said.

“I have now planted two bean plants in one of the boxes. I will keep planting different types of vegetables in the boxes and I’ll also purchase few more plastic boxes on my own to increase my production.”

Her daughter Dhola has also been employed under the program’s cash for work stream.

In this part of the program, women workers plant and nurture locally-adapted saplings in the deforested parts of displaced persons camps and nearby host communities with a view to restoring the natural environment. The workers are all displaced Rohingya, and the program has focused on hiring women to support their self-reliance.

Dhola says the work has improved her confidence and standing within the family. Her husband left her and her son two years ago, and as her family could not afford a dowry for her to remarry she has felt like an ‘additional burden’.

Above: Dhola at work planting tree saplings in deforested areas of the displaced person’s camp. Photo: RDRS

Since June 2021, Dhola has been planting saplings in the camp, working for approximately 15 days a month.

“I contribute a part of my earnings to my brother’s family. This work has made me ‘an important person’ in the family. I have kept some money for myself and have a plan to establish a grocery store in the community. It will be a permanent income source for me in future,” Dhola said.

The AHP response in Bangladesh is now in its third phase, involving all six Australian NGO partners and numerous local partners on the ground in-country. The response focuses on WASH, the protection and inclusion of women, children, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups; education; adolescent reproductive health and support for host communities.