
Today is World Book Day and The Sreepur Village would like to take this opportunity to share with you the story of Alo, a 45-year-old mother of four children and whose name means light.
Alo, real name Sobeda Begum, lost her husband 12 years ago just before the birth of her youngest son. Her husband was an agriculture labourer and the only earner of the family and one day he never returned home. Due to Alo’s early marriage she never had the opportunity to go to school.
Recently, The Sreepur Village initiated a programme for the safeguarding and development of young children - a modified Anchal Programme of Centre for Injury Prevention Research of Bangladesh - CIPRB.
After much research, it was noted that the children were most at risk between 9.00 am and 1.00 pm so, by setting up the Anchal Programme the children, under proper management and supervision, are now able to be kept safe while their mothers or family members attend to other activities. The programme also helps in the early development of children. An Anchal is a centre managed by trained ‘Anchal Ma’ (mothers), the supervisors who provide children with care and the opportunities to play and learn.
The environment in which women can acquire and retain literacy skills is shaped by various forms of social, economic and religious restrictions and for poverty-stricken women in rural Bangladesh, the opportunity to study is simply not an option. Instead many women stay at home spending most of their lives as housewives. which can create conditions where literacy skills can be lost which in turn leads to a new form of vulnerability. Our mothers are the best example of this vulnerability.
The Sreepur Village believes in addressing women's literacy to improve confidence and the quality of lives. This helps to reduce poverty, increases work opportunities and in doing so improves the mother and child’s health and well-being.