The Aloshijha Women’s Group in Sohogolpur

One of CDP’s women empowerment programs runs in Sohogolpur, a small village in Western Bangladesh. Most women in the village are illiterate, married off in their early teenage years and have several children. The village men have a hard time supporting their families and the women long to be economically independent. CDP, under Tripty Biswas, established a self-help group for women in the village, which they named Aloshijha women’s group, meaning “Light of the Women” group.

The women also received training in stitching Kantha quilts and general sewing skills. The earnings from the sales of their products enabled the women to put aside some savings. Together with a donation, they collected enough funds to invest in a tree and vegetable garden project for the village, that now provides families with homegrown produce and a degree of food independence. Within the framework of the gardening initiative, CDP beneficiaries are also taught about organic fertilisers, vermicomposting and poultry farming.