This informal conversation took place between Ms. AmenaBala(Village: KadirMollarKandi , ward No- 9, Arshinagor UP under the BhedorgoanjUpazilla) and Community Mobilizer (SDS, Shariatpur) Md. AkterHossain on 12th November 2012 to understand the perception, attitude and life style of the respondent.
Ms. AmenaBala is a widow and she has three daughtersstudying in Class seven, six and four respectively and a son who istwo and a half year old.She claims to be discriminated by the Union Parishad and other service providers as sheblamed the Union Parishad Members and other service providers with deep agony in her voice. He said that, nobody would help her in her vulnerable situation;she has a hang latrine and a severely saline contaminated shallow tube-well. She was uncertain about whether the tube-well is arsenic contaminated or not.
She mentioned that for the past two years she has been collecting deep tube well water from a neighbors’housebut now she is too sick to carry water from far away. Instead her daughter often went to collect water from the deep tube well, butshe gets teased by some bad boys and local goons. One day after her daughter was seriously teased one day by a local bad boy while collecting water, she begged for justice to the society but no one came forward to help her, she breaks into tears as she describes her situation.After that incident, she has been drinking her own tube well water, despite the arsenic and saline contamination. She is sicker now andfears for what is going to happen to her teenage daughter and little kid if she dies.
Findings: After hearing her story it was obvious that nobody was going to help her in her situation. She is too poor and sick to live a normal lifeand is in genuine need of safe waterand sanitary latrine.
Recommendation: Sanitary latrine should begiven by SDS to ensure her a hygienic life. Community based deep tube-well needs to be installed in her residence, so that she can meet her need of safe water with dignity.
Evaluation: N/A Note: All information soft copy Source: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/bangladesh_bangladesh_statistics.html