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Introduction

The ‘Happy Home’ initiative has been working with various government agencies since 2016 in the Dhaka Division. They mainly work with street children in Mohammadpur area, focusing on providing shelter and education- the stable and loving environment that all children need. Happy Homes provides a safe shelter and support for 150 girls. They work to give the girls shelter, improved health, and their well-being through providing education and recreation. The girls are also provided with vocational training for a secured future.

Background

Approximately 2 million people live in the slums and streets of Dhaka. Many are forced to move from villages with their families but the transition process is often long and many children become lost or separated from their families during relocation and readjustment. Countless others live with their families on the streets or in slums – and a huge number of children live alone. These children especially girls are vulnerable to violence, sexual abuse, child labour, conflict with the law and trafficking. They suffer from poor health and limited access to education thus limiting their chances of reaching their full potential.

ActionAid provides a safe shelter and support for 150 girls. They work to give the girls shelter, improved health, and their well-being through providing education and recreation. The girls are also provided with vocational training for a secured future.

Category Details
Name Of The Initiative Happy Home
Villages Reached N/A
Allied Organisation Various government agencies (i.e schools, vocational training schools)
Blocks Reached Mohammadpur
Working together since 2016 Districts Reached Dhaka
Division Dhaka
Vulnerable Groups Reached Street children
Focus Areas Of Intervention providing shelter and education - and the stable and loving environment which all children need. five separate homes in five different areas of the city, all of them merging into one large home in December 2016.

Explore

News

ActionAid Bangladesh undertakes to engage children in leadership through cultural movements to bring positive change in society

“I was always afraid of talking in front of everyone. Now I can talk, share my feelings with others. I also had no idea that cultural affairs can bring positive changes to society. But it can! It was great to know about leadership & cultural movement. We, the participants of the training are ready to aware our community of different issues through cultural activities. We will also share our learning with the other child forum members as we have to make many small groups to create awareness. We will change our community, through cultural movement. Thanks a lot, to ActionAid Bangladesh for the support”, uttered a 17-year-old girl, Barsha who was one of the participants of ‘Child Leadership & Cultural Movement’.
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News

Daylong health camp in remote coastal areas in Kalapara has contributed to the health and well-being of children and their families

The objective of this health camp was to raise awareness amongst the deprived and underprivileged people living in the coastal areas.
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News

Children are sharpening their inquisitive minds and becoming proficient in debates

ActionAid Bangladesh (AAB) has organized a debate training to make children proficient in debate and sharpen their inquisitive minds.
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Event

Capacity-building training on child journalism has motivated children to pursue their dreams:

The objective of the child journalism training is to provide children (trainee journalists) with the concepts and the information that will help them to develop responsible news reporting skills that appreciate and respect children's rights.
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Event

Drama and child competition have an effective power of expression

A child from the drama group Meem (15) said, “while developing the drama script, we were not aware of but after finishing we realized every character of the community has a role to prevent child marriage and we can effectively fit the roles. Along with the parents and community leader, neighbor the role I played has a great responsibility and can positively or negatively tackle child marriage situations.”
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Event

Celebration of Child Rights week 2022 in Social Change

“We girls don't get many opportunities to play sports in our community, especially in public places. But this time on Child Rights Week, a friendly football match competition was organized by ActionAid and BNKS. Where I participate as a team leader. Before the start of the game, my team members and I practiced football in our area for a few days. And this practice was the first-time played football in our life. Playing sports refreshes our minds and increases our social participation. Participating in sports also keeps us physically healthy. Participating in a football match has taught me to think that girls can participate in all social activities, it is our right”, shared by D Hola Wang Marma (16 years adolescent child)
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Event

Children from Sunamganj created awareness among community people during Child Rights Week:

One of the performers, Tamanna (15-year-old) said, “We tried to aware others of the alarming issue of our community. Children are engaging themselves in stone lifting work. After flood, the rate has been increased. It is really alarming as they are dropping out from school. To keep this in mind, we, the cultural team planned to aware others through a street drama, and we did it during Child Rights Week. People from different areas enjoyed the drama, someone even cried. I hope this would be helpful to stop child labor at our community.”
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Event

Children of Ghoraghat are moving towards cultural movement:

This year, Children of Ghoraghat celebrated Child Rights Week through different activities. This time, they focused on street drama presentation as through this, the image of the society can be beautifully displayed. As easily as drama leaves a mark on people's minds, no medium can. So, they decided to portray the image & problems of their area through a street drama.
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Event

An Amusing Picnic Day for Children

Jim (05), a young girl, reading in class two, was very happy to take part in the picnic and shared, “We are very happy that ActionAid Bangladesh arranged this picnic for us. Me and my friends participate in the games. We enjoy a lot. On behalf of all I would cordially thanks to ActionAid to gift us an enjoyable day”.
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Blog

6th International Water Conference 2021

ActionAid Bangladesh is going to organise the 6th International Water Conference under the theme of ‘Water, Climate and Justice in the Wake of COVID-19 Pandemic’’ from 27 to 29 January 2021. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, we are going to organise the conference through virtual platform this year.
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Blog

LIFE IN SHAMBLES

On my trip to Sunamganj in April, I met 32-year-old Nazma Khatun who spoke to me about her woes: “All of our cultivated paddies have gone under water. Our livelihood, children’s education, food, treatment, and shelter are under threat as we depend on the paddy. We took Tk30,000 as a loan from a Local NGO to cultivate. I don’t know how I will return the loan.”
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Achievements

880 have reintegrated into society.

1040 girls have benefited from having a safe place to sleep at night.

750 have accessed vocational training.

17,443 girls have accessed drop-in facilities previously.

1,050 have accessed shelter and education.

400 have found employment

Related Projects

Projects

MAKING MARKET WORK FOR WOMEN

In Bangladesh, nutrition and SRH care are interlinked problems: poor food intake causes malnourishment, which leads to poor health and poor SRH perpetuates the inter-generational cycle of undernourishment. Deficiencies in nutrition and SRH care result in poor labor productivity and market performance. One of the key factors leading to (women’s) intake of poor nutritional food at home, poor reproductive, maternal and sexual health stems from lack of life skills (on SRH). Thus, poor reproductive health conditions adversely affect women’s ability to participate in activities outside of the home, which in turn manifests itself as their inability to participate in and shape the market.
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Projects

FGGII

Creating an enabling environment for civil society and human rights defenders to protect the affected communities from the negative impact of large scale infrastructural development projects and violation of human rights. Advocating for reform the land acquisition, compensation and resettlement related policies, and provisioning for safeguard measures in foreign investment projects.
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Projects

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

The campaigns against gender based violence are largely focused on making women more aware to prevent violent situations or what to do when such instances arise unexpectedly. The campaign “ Nari, e juddhe tumi eka nou” lists down emergency response centers and their contacts categorized according to districts. In addition to that, another campaign focuses on the needs of women friendly service centers. The main objective of such centers entail to stop gender based violence and providing social and psychological protection along with legal advice. Further to provide entertainment, social status and networking opportunities for girls, women and children. Gaining Social assistance and improving on required work skills are also expected from such centers. Such centers are also equally applicable for disaster stricken areas. During such instanc
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