Yesterday, The Sreepur village celebrated Victory Day (Bijoy Dibos) which begun with the national flag proudly waiving high above the school campus.
As part of the day's celebrations, the Sreepur Village’s Cub Scout team attended the National Victory Day programme that was being held at Sreepur upazila (sub-district) and out of the 25 teams in the sub-district level, the Sreepur Team won 2nd prize for their ‘Parade Display’.
A number of other activities were also taking place at The Sreepur Village, like an art competition. Runa Akhter, a child in grade two, participated in this competition and explained to us, “In my art I portray our (my) victory. I think victory means win. Now we have freedom to do anything, it is our country. I love my country.”
A war movie entitled ‘Shamol Chaya” was also available for the children to watch, and finally in the afternoon, a drawing competition was also held which ended with a prize giving ceremony.
Celebrations were not only limited to The Sreepur Village, Bangladesh. With the support of The Bangla Scott Trust, local communities in Edinburgh came together to support The Sreepur Village in a memorable Victory Day event. This was a great opportunity for people to see some of the creations made by the women of The Sreepur Village Outreach Project, as well as to sample a number of Bangladeshi treats. Local press and MP Deidre Brock were all keen to learn how one person has, over the last 29 years, helped to change the lives of thousands and thousands of impoverished women and their children.
We are really grateful to the support of The Bangla Trust and to all those who attended this vibrant event as it is with the support of others that more vulnerable women in The Sreepur Village are able to provide their families with hope for a brighter future.
Out of the blue, at the tender age of 13, Chia found herself sitting on a bridal stage, about to marry a man who was 35 years old. Her parents had arranged the match, finding the man from their nearby locality in Bhairab.
He was a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) businessman who occasionally sold vegetables and fruits on the street. Chia's aspirations and youthful dreams were abruptly interrupted by this sudden marriage. Instead of books, she found herself with kitchen utensils in her hands. She went from feeling like a princess to becoming a servant overnight.
Sumi's journey is a testament to her resilience and determination to create a better life for herself and her child. Her success serves as an inspiration to all those facing adversity, reminding us of the transformative power of support, training, and the opportunity to rebuild one's life.