Bangladesh

In rural areas in the north- and south-west, we’re partnering with local civil society organisations to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of vulnerable young people – especially girls and young women.

Taking a youth-led and community-based approach, we’re adopting a holistic approach to tackling the root causes of poor youth SRHR by working at a range of levels – from individual young people to entire villages, and from families to healthcare providers. We’re promoting comprehensive peer education, setting up girls’ clubs, and supporting community-led action against child marriage, including through the development of Child Marriage Prevention Committees.

In Birampur and Parbatipur districts, we've trained youth club members to use interactive theatre performances to challenge harmful social norms around child marriage and girls' education. In doing so, we've engaged thousands of families, community members and local decision-makers in the issues that negatively impact girls' health and wellbeing.

Using drama to challenge harmful social norms

Through our home-based early childhood care and education (ECCE) programme, we’re supporting around 5,000 young Rohingya refugees to reclaim a sense of their childhood in the Cox’s Bazar camp. Building on our proven ‘sister to sister’ approach, we’re training older girls and young women from the Rohingya community to act as teachers, mentors and facilitators, who then open up their homes to young learners.

We’re also building 12 Learning Centres, run by community and youth volunteers, which will provide vital safe spaces for over 1,000 children aged 6-14 to play and learn.

Through providing targeted vocational training in in-demand trades - including mobile phone repair, solar technology and horticulture - our employability and entrepreneurship programmes have improved the job prospects of over 3,100 women and young people in rural areas, whilst supporting over 100 female and young micro-enterprise owners to develop their business and increase their income.

Growing Together

The Growing Together project increases smallholder farmer household incomes through a three-pronged approach encompassing community development, agronomic training, and improved access to markets.

Farmer Centres, led by local entrepreneurs, provide access to training, machinery, agricultural inputs, and financial services. These centres develop invaluable linkages between smallholders and large (inter)national buyers, supporting local producers to benefit from more stable and profitable contracts.

We support hundreds of farmer groups – including those specifically for women or young people – where members discuss and address issues within their community, such as child marriage. Each of these groups maintains a demonstration plot, enabling farmers to test new techniques and – importantly – share their learnings with their peers.

Farmers on the project have seen yields increase by 20%, and incomes increase by an average of 200%. Improved agronomical practices also mean there is less need for expensive and harmful inputs, with a 70% reduction in the amount of fertiliser used per kg of harvest.

Overcoming rural poverty through farming innovations