Bangladesh
What does work mean to young disabled people in Bangladesh?
In many countries, employment doesn’t always seem to be an urgent issue for disabled people. But in Bangladesh, which has undergone huge social and economic change over the past thirty-plus years, it most certainly is. The economy is changing for … Continue reading
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Filed under Bangladesh, Employment
“I never thought I’d work in a factory” – disabled people in Bangladesh’s garments sector
From outside Bangladesh, the garments sector there is probably best known for low wages, poor working conditions and some horrific industrial accidents. But inside the country it’s driven industrial growth and social change. Over 4 million people work in the … Continue reading
Filed under Bangladesh, Case Studies
Lessons from mainstreaming disability in poverty reduction in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, one of the projects I worked on was a project dedicated to supporting poor people in towns and cities across Bangladesh. UPPR was dedicated to supporting three million poor people, and my work was to make sure that … Continue reading
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Filed under Bangladesh, Mainstreaming, Social Protection
Reflections on 4+ years living and working in Bangladesh
It’s hard to describe Bangladesh because some of the first things that come to mind are the things that you don’t like. It’s poor, dirty, unfair, horribly horribly unfair, and inconvenient. I’ll probably tell you about the inconvenience first, the … Continue reading
Filed under Bangladesh, Personal
A summary of what we know about disability and poverty reduction in Bangladesh
I’m excited to be able to share with you recommendations on including persons with disabilities in poverty reduction based on field experience in Bangladesh. After discussions and a couple of rounds of drafting, we’ve been able to produce a summary … Continue reading
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Filed under Bangladesh, Mainstreaming
Way more than we thought: a father, a mechanic, a disabled person and beyond
A few months ago, I’m speaking to Mosharrof on the phone. I’d never met him, but I did know him from a video: A father, a mechanic, a trainer, an entrepreneur and disabled – in that order. It’s less than … Continue reading
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Filed under Bangladesh, Case Studies, Employment
Faces of disability in Bangladesh: medicine, mushrooms and politics
All the usual suspects are here, at the disability fair. Outside I meet some NGO/charity types that I know. Walking in, a colleague in government greets me. Before long, I’m talking with some disabled people, too. Everyone’s here, for a … Continue reading
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Filed under Bangladesh, Social Model
Do you sit or squat? Toilet-makers in South Asia need to ask this question
It’s time for a toilet break. One of the problems poor people face in this part of the world is that they don’t have toilets or clean water. Language here starts getting complicated pretty quickly – the Millenium Development Goal … Continue reading
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Filed under Bangladesh, Mainstreaming
“Who will marry your daughter?” — thoughts on disabled beggars in Dhaka City
Unfortunately, disabled people are often most visible in Dhaka as beggars. Key intersections, religious festivals, shopping areas, outside fancy restaurants: all are places where you can find people asking for money. Helplessness and visible impairments are played up to. A … Continue reading
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Filed under Bangladesh
Spending time with local disabled people’s organisations – pictures from Narayongonj
A seminar on disability! I’m there. This one is in Narayongonj, an industrial sprawl of a city 30km South of Dhaka. Liton is a good friend and the main organiser. He is the president of Narayangonj Sodor Upazilla Disability Development … Continue reading
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Filed under Bangladesh, Disabled People's Organisations