How we help women

We are the only project in Bangladesh offering shelter and training to women and their families, and we are becoming increasingly well known throughout the country.

Arriving at Shishu Polli:

When a mother and her children first arrive, we check that their circumstances meet our admission criteria, and if necessary our social workers visit their village or relatives to ensure that they are truly in need. Once the family has been accepted, they spend a week or so in our clinic so that any illnesses or contagious skin problems such as scabies are diagnosed and cleared.

Immediately on admission, the mother meets with our occupational therapists and sets up an agreed rehabilitation plan, centred around where she wants to live when she leaves SPP and what she would like to do to earn a living, such as agriculture, tailoring, etc. This plan sets out the sections where the mother will work during her time with us, and the literacy, numeracy and hygiene training that she will receive.

Support

Shishu Polli is often the first place where each woman wakes up knowing that she will be safe, will receive nutritious meals, and will have the company and friendship of other women in similar circumstances.

Every month, the mothers hold a meeting where they discuss life at Shishu Polli, any problems and any suggestions for improvements. They also have singing and dancing sessions in smaller groups each week which have turned out to be extremely popular, and a great way for these women to build their confidence. Self-esteem is an important part of learning to manage independence and we provide group and individual counselling to lessen the impact of the abuse and loneliness that they have suffered in the past.

While they live with us, we pay them a small allowance each month plus a compulsory savings scheme where we put money in a bank account so that they have funds when they leave. Each year, the women vote to increase their savings rather than their monthly allowance – a welcome sign that they have started to appreciate that they need to plan for the future.

Most women have few parental skills so they attend training on child rights, managing behaviour, nutrition and health. After the first year, each woman will spend time working as a khala (auntie) responsible for the care of the children.

Length of stay

Each family lives with us for up to five years. For three months prior to discharge, each mother lives with her children in our Halfway House which sits on the perimeter of the village with a gate out into the local community. It has a tube well, water pump and village kitchen so that the families can learn to live together as a small unit before they leave us. We still have more work to do on our post-discharge monitoring, but we stay in touch with each family for a few months to make sure that they settle into community life and that they have sufficient income to live at a reasonable level.

To help more women and their children please
> Make a donation or
> Buy our Sreepur Village handmade charity cards