Field Trip to Khulna

Thanks to Sarder, our Field Coordinator at ICCCAD, I get the chance, together with other Visiting Researchers, to go on a field trip - fully organised and payed by our research institute.

We visit the city of Khulna, where the local NGO ADAMS is working with so-called "slum dwellers". Many of these women are climate refugees: They came to the city after cyclones had destroyed their homes and assets. Now they are working as housekeepers, earning 1500-2000 Taka a month.

The "slum" area is owned by the local government, which is renting houses here to about 15 000 to 20 000 people. This means that the housing condition is relatively secure - but for the costs of 700-1500 Taka rent.

ADAMS is providing microcredit for "slum" dwelllers (the major activity for most local NGOs in Bangladesh), but also offer pre-schooling for the children of microcredit recievers. Lamia is only 3 years old, Her mum accompanies her to lessons. She hopes to enable Lamia and her two sisters a better future by investing in their education.
Government schools are generally free of charge on lower levels, but for 9th grade education of Lamias older sister, the family has to pay a small fee. Better equipped private schools are unaffordable for the poor.

ADAMS is also running two training centres for skill development in Khulna city and in Mollahat Upazila within the Khulna division. These centres, as well as their guest houses, are pretty posh. I get the impression that giving microcredit to the poor is not such a bad business, after all.

While engeneering and construction trainings are offered to men only, women can take computer courses. Espat Jahat Lisa, 22 years old,  is taking this course because she wants to work in an office. She is not married yet. "I want to have a career first", she tells me.

The sewing courses are reserved for women. Some of them walk to the training centre for two hours to recieve the training.
After six months the course participants can apply for a microcredit to buy their own sewing machine, and start a small business at home. For stitching together one kameez, they will get about 30 Taka, and 80 for a three-pieces combination with pants and scarf.

Many of the ADAMS so-called "beneficiaries" live in the village next to the training centre in Mollahat. It's a remote area, and people are striving for alternative job opportunities besides agriculture to improve their living conditions. 90% of the loans go to women.

Tania is a 25 years old mother of two children. She took a sewing course seven years ago, and is now running a small business in her house to supplement her husband's income as a driver.
Tania tells me that she borrowed 6000 Taka to buy the sewing machine, which she had to repay in weekly restallments, staring 15 days after recieving the loan. The condition was to pay back 7000 Taka within one year. Tania managed to do that - but no one at ADAMS wants to answer my question about what happens if you fail to pay back the loan.

Note: Bangladesh is divided into seven Divisions, which are named after the big cities within the region. Each Division is sub-divided into Districts, Upazilas, and Unions. So, there is Khulna Division, Khula Disrict, and Khulna city; and within the Khulna District, there are several Upazilas and Unions.