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Monowara is 35 years old and lives in a small village on the outskirts of Dhaka in Bangladesh. She has two sons and two daughters, the youngest of whom, Juthi has learning disabilities. Juthi is not able to attend the local school and needs a high degree of care and attention to engage her and keep her safe.
Monowara’s husband worked as a rickshaw puller, a physically exhausting job which meant he was out of the house for much of the time. They were struggling financially but Monowara was unable to go to work due to her caring responsibilities. When Carers Worldwide and CDD started working in the area, she joined the carers group in her village and took Juthi along with her to meetings. She saw other carers taking small loans to set up income generation activities and dreamed of being able to do the same herself. However, with Juthi needing such high levels of care, this hope looked set to stay just a dream.
But then, thanks to the COSARAF Foundation and other generous donors, Carers Worldwide and our local charity partner CDD were able to open a community caring centre in the village and Monowara’s life changed. She enrolled Juthi in the centre, applied for a small loan from the carers group and achieved her dream.
Now, Monowara runs a successful small roadside café selling snacks and tea, while Juthi attends the centre each day and follows a bespoke programme of education and therapy. While Juthi is learning and developing, Monowara can focus on her café, safe in the knowledge that Juthi is being well cared for. In fact, the café is doing so well that Monowara’s husband has been able to give up his job as a rickshaw puller and join her working in the café. Truly, a family transformed.
“Centres like this provide a vital service to disabled children and their families. Without them, the children and their mothers face the prospect of no education and a life of poverty. Knowing that their children can attend the centre, where they are safe, educated and develop social connections, mothers can earn a living, regain their self esteem and secure the futures of their families. On behalf of all the children and carers benefiting, we would like to thank the COSARAF Foundation for their support of the community caring centre in Monowara’s village.”
Ruth Patil, Development Director, Carers Worldwide
