Bangladesh Atpara
$35,229 needed of $78,553
Implementing Organization
World Renew
Program Summary
This program builds upon the successful work of World Renew and local partner SATHI on nutrition focused agriculture in the neighboring subdistrict of Kendua. Women’s and men’s savings groups are being established and a few members of each group are being trained as model farmers. They learn environmentally friendly agriculture methods which they model and share with others in their community. All of the local savings groups come together to form a People’s Institution that is a long term presence in the community. The People’s Insitution advocates for the community and helps people work together to address community challenges and provides an ongoing training and learning resource long after the program is complete.
Success Stories
Vegetable Gardening is Catchy!
The hardships Suraiya’s family experienced when her husband broke his hip are a thing of the past now that Suraiya is growing vegetables, raising poultry, and selling her surplus production and fertilizer. Her husband, formerly the sole earner in the family, fell while climbing a tree to cut wood. Losing his income meant Suraiya had to step in. She tried making and selling hand fans, blankets, mats, and pillow cases, but her hard work didn’t pay off.
Around this time, she joined a women’s savings group started by local partner SATHI. Her group was asked to elect a member to be trained as a Model Farmer in nutrition and food security, and they chose Suraiya. She participated in five training modules including vegetable gardening, organic pest management, pile composting, worm composting, and raising poultry. She agreed to share what she learned with three others in her group as a peer educator.
Taking her skills back home, Suraiya started growing vegetables very successfully. After covering her family’s nutritional needs, she began selling her surplus. She took a loan from her group and started raising ten ducks and five chickens. When she’d paid off that loan, she took another to increase her vegetable and egg production. Her garden is now full of vegetables year-round, and the meat and eggs from the poultry provide protein and bring in additional income. She regularly produces, uses and sells worm compost and natural fertilizers and insecticides as well.
When neighborhood children gather to watch her work, she invites them to help her so they, too, can learn about growing healthy food. Many children are actively cultivating vegetables and poultry along with their parents now, thanks to the inspiration they got from Suraiya. Something that brings her special pleasure is being able to help others by giving them vegetables from her garden, which her previous poverty did not allow.
Suraiya says, “Our village is now known locally as a ‘family vegetable garden’ village. Vegetables are growing everywhere. If any neighbors have any empty outdoor space, we advise them to grow vegetables. Every family in our village cultivates some vegetables throughout the year. People come from other villages to see our vegetable gardens. And if anyone wants advice, we give them advice.”
Bangladesh Kendua Program
Led by World Renew and Local Partner Sustainable Association for Taking Human Development Initiatives (SATHI)
Note: The Bangladesh Kendua Program was successfully completed in January 2025. World Renew and SATHI are now building upon their learning and experience in Kendua as they begin a new program in the neighboring subdistrict of Atpara.