JANUARY 22-28, 2004

Progress in strengthening local democracy

Summary of the trip report from Bangladesh by John Coonrod, Vice President

The purpose of this visit to Bangladesh has been to gain a deeper understanding of The Hunger Project's ability to empower people to end their own hunger by strengthening local democracy. One of the first lessons I learned is how important our animator training is to this process.

January 22, Mymensingh

Me, with the Mymensingh animator team.

Animator training at the Fisheries Research Institute, Mymensingh including many government officials.

Shortly after arriving, we departed for Mymensingh, a district north of the capital of Dhaka, to participate in the final day of an animator training attended by 15 UP (union parishad - the basic unit of local democracy) chairmen and members, along with other government functionaries, teachers and students. People had just completed their declaration process, and were about to launch into their action plans.

The animator training is an intensive 4-day training that causes a fundamental breakthrough in people's perception of themselves and their role in society. One full day is spent engaging with the principles of The Hunger Project. A large part of day 3 is spent on the cycle of malnutrition and women's rights.

Within the past two years - in order to expand the number of animator trainings - The Hunger Project has trained 300 "volunteer trainers." The quality of these trainers is extraordinary - they truly have people discover who they are, and the possibility of achieving a new future.

One after another, the UP chairmen shared how arrogant they had been before the training - how sure they were that nobody could teach them anything - and how the training had opened their eyes to what's possible in their unions by mobilizing the people. Among the items on their planning grid - to hold an animator training in each of their unions over the next two months. The goal is to training a "critical mass" of animators, usually about 150 within each union, who can then mobilize the people and have a coordination meeting each month with the UP.

January 23, Goyhata Union, Tangail District

Goyhata is a union with a lot of animators who, for three years, had been working successfully with the UP government - which was then swept out of office in elections last year. There were lots of worries that new government typically like to toss out everything from the past government - including partnership with The Hunger Project! 

I attended a meeting of 65 animators with the new Union chairman. The animators shared of their success in forming self-help groups to mobilize savings and gain access to training in fisheries, poultry and other income opportunities. A woman who served on the past UP shared the work of her committee to stop violence against women. The chairman said he'd really no idea that all this was been going on. He not only promised his support, but committed to take and host an animator training in the next two weeks. (Photo left, the Chairman being greeted by animators)

We visited a number of the self-help groups to see their successes. As we drove between two villages, we were urged to make an unscheduled stop to visit a "coaching center" built by the father of one of our young animators. A coaching center is an informal school, and usually small. The elderly father had been diagnosed with heart problems and urged to pay for a bypass operation. Inspired by his son, he said he would rather invest in a legacy for the people. He built a school for 200 students in his area - grades 1-10 - and teachers from the college volunteer to teach there.

 

Badiul with the founder of the "Challenge Coaching Center" shown at right.

The "Hunger-Free Society" - one of the 65 self-help groups created by animators in Goyhata, who've arranged for every member to receive training in an income-generating activity.

January 25, Dhaka

We attended a session of an animator training in Dhaka that included 14 officials from the Dhaka municipal corporation, among other officials from government and NGOs. Some of the participants had been, themselves, freedom fighters in Bangladesh's liberation struggle in 1971. They shared they were thrilled that they now had new camrades. The Dhaka municipal corporation was so pleased with the result, they are sending 30 officials to the next animator training, and the Mayor will host a day-long Hunger Project workshop for all the ward commissioners in the city.

We attended a mass march of "empty pitchers" by villagers from 36 villages downstream from Dhaka, to protest the destruction of the river by untreated waste from Dhaka-based factories.

The protest, part of a campaign now in its third year, attracted attention of all the papers and the national television news. While action has been promised, it has not been forthcoming. While The Hunger Project has been very successful in mobilizing action at the local government level, here and elsewhere, it has not yet found a way to break the logjam of partisan divisiveness and corruption at the higher levels in Bangladesh, despite our ability to mobilize many individuals influential at that level.

January 26, Botighata Union, Khulna District

If you ever want to visit a union where the partnership of animators and local democracy is working, just drive 6 hours south of Dhaka (including 2 beautiful ferry rides) to Botiaghata Union. 

In Botiaghata, the chairman and 10 of the 12 UP members have taken the animator training. In this and the two adjoining unions, more than 500 have taken the training. Together they've already carried out campaigns to ensure safe drinking water for all (no easy task as underground arsenic has seeped into many wells) and are in the midst of campaigns to ensure safe sanitation in every village.

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UP member Khanum Mulik, representing wards 7,8,9, with women in a self-help group she formed.

A union is made up of 9 wards - each with a representative on the UP - plus 1 woman elected by 3 wards. The three women in this UP were clearly a team, and were proud of the progress made by women in the union. Education rates in this union are unusually high both among women and men, and the women attribute this high rate of education with low incidence of violence against women, low incidence of rape and a far greater mobility by women throughout public life. I saw women everywhere in the markets there (still unusual in most of Bangladesh).

New income earning opportunities generated by Botiaghata animators: cell phone use (left), papaya (above).

Tailoring business.

January 27 and 28 - meetings with staff

One of the highlights of every trip for me is working with the staff - and Bangladesh has the largest Hunger Project staff, and one of the most eager to learn about everything working everywhere in The Hunger Project. The documentation team members all learned how to set up websites, as they are setting up Bangla language sites to empower two of national advocacy coalitions we've catalyzed, and discussed their growing expertise in producing high-quality videos of their work. The UP strategy team met to decode what's working, not working and next breakthroughs needed in strengthening local democracy, and the newly-formed fundraising team gained clarity on the laws of fundraising, the distinction of Hunger Project investment, and set their first target! 

The newly formed Bangladesh fundraising team sets its target.

Conclusion

In an political environment that continues to be difficult at best, The Hunger Project Bangladesh is thriving, growing, and empowering more and more people to take control of their own lives and destinies. Women are stepping out of their homes, and speaking out on issues in their family and village. Our thrust to strengthen local democracy is working at the local level, principally due to the power of the animator training to transform the mindset of officials. The next great challenge is to create more support for local government among the upper levels of government. Stay tuned!