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ARTICLE |
Dhaka Ahsania Mission |
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How Ganokendras Affect Lives Anjura Begum Anjura Begum is 35 with two children aged 14 and 12, both going to school. She is married to day labourer Nasir Ghazi. They are a respected family, able to support themselves and participate in the community’s decision-making. But it was not always so. They used to be poverty-stricken, with a meager income inadequate to feed themselves. Anjura Begum did not know how to read or write and had no idea of how to improve their lives. However, she was eager to be literate and to be an income-earner. Anjura got to know about DAM’s basic education course and its continuing education programme. She enrolled in the basic literacy course and completed it. With her new reading skills, Anjura Begum started to read information, education and communication materials provided at her local community-run ganokendra or people’s centre. Here she learnt the various aspects of homestead farming, and obtained a loan from DAM. As her income from these crops grew, she was able to buy two milking cows and later on, goats and a bicycle, and to construct a tube well after meeting family expenses, including education for the children.
Anjura Begum says that at the
ganokendra, she learnt about the rural power structure, local resources,
opportunities for economic improvement, marriage, divorce, polygamy, the
environment, health and nutrition as well as many other things which
contribute towards improving the quality of her life. Five years ago, DAM established a ganokendra in Rogaghurampur in Jessore, a village comprising 450 people in 100 households, of which 63 are active members of the centre. During this time the following things happened:
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