Handicrafts are one of the most popular small business ideas amongst displaced women around the world, and the women of the Rohingya widows block are no different! Last year we had supplied five sewing machines for the widows block as well as hired a trainer through our partner organization so the women could learn how to sew at a professional standard. This year, I went back to check in on how things are progressing and whether there were any gaps which I could support. Joshna and Senwara, two women from the block with small children, told us they had made clothes for their kiddos and others during the colder months. Their friends – other women in the block – had started selling handmade clothing in the area, but soon the market became oversaturated with other female tailors with the same idea. This didn’t stop them from losing interest in this trade though. They continued to teach each other, building on their skills, and started to experiment with other techniques. We … [Read more...] about Stitching Together

We’re back in the Rohingya widow’s block with our partner Anando, supporting women by amplifying their talents and voices! One of my favorite things about being back here was spending hours of time having conversations, learning from the women about who they are, what their life is like, and their hopes for the future. It was during these conversations that I learned that many of them had gardens and fields back home, where they grew all sorts of fruits and vegetables to sell as well as to supplement their meals. A lot of women worked alongside the men of the household tending to these gardens. This was one of the biggest things they missed about their home, along with the open fields and ample space to roam around. While we couldn’t relocate them into homes with open fields, we definitely COULD bring gardening tools and seeds and saplings to them so that they could find a bit of comfort in what was once familiar. We were even able to provide training in best … [Read more...] about Growing Power

When you step into the Rohingya camps in Bangladesh, you see children with the biggest smiles, playing with homemade toys, trailing their older siblings everywhere you look. Some attend informal schools or religious schools. The very few that can afford it may have in-home tutors, which provide additional support to the kids in the evenings. While some families may earn a small income thanks to the small businesses they’ve started – selling tea or vegetables, or perhaps offering salon services – most of our friends living in the widows block don’t have enough to support their families and buy many of things I had as a child, like spare clothes and toys. During one of my visits, we came with our hands full of toys, sports equipment, and board games for the littlest kids of the block. I have never seen such excitement over blocks and balls! Faruq, an 8-year old boy with a boat load of curiosity and a much bigger heart, told me that they hadn’t played with many of these toys … [Read more...] about Space to Play

Hello hello everybody! It's Shamaila, back in Bangladesh and doing the doable with our partner Anando! I'm visiting the incredible Rohingya women at a refugee camp near Cox's bazaar, who I had worked with before but hadn't seen in quite some time. It was so wonderful to see - and work with them- again. Given the unease around what the future holds for these women and their families, we felt that a reunion, complete with an afternoon full of fun, joy, and connection was in order! Many times, meaningful friendships with people like me, a person from outside their community, signifies hope that change is possible. This afternoon of fun was the perfect way to solidify everything that came with our friendship. We kicked off our time together with a lunch party featuring a handpicked menu delivered from a local lunch hotspot that the Rohingya community rarely got to frequent. With gratitude in her eyes, one of the women said, “This is the second time I am eating meat since we fled … [Read more...] about Rekindling Friendships

A few months ago, we brought you stories and change happening with the refugee Rohingya community. Today we're visiting with those friends again, doing what we can to get some families and communities on the road to recovery. Everybody can relate to the feeling of getting a great haircut - you feel refreshed and primped. You feel good. But this Rohingya community simply haven't had that luxury since they left home. Nearly everyone we talked to hadn't gotten a haircut since they arrived in the camps so many months before. We wanted to bring a little sense of normalcy and pride back into their lives. We offered free hair cutting services to everyone in the Gundum community, a neighborhood in the camp. By the time we arrived in the morning, the haircuts were already in process and people were lined up and ready to have a trim. People joked with each other about how much they needed a haircut and how much better they looked afterward. Joy began to grow and spread as more … [Read more...] about The Little Things