Balancing Act launches in Bangladesh

| 27 March 2024 | 47 views

Balancing Act Co-Investigator Dr. Reshma Nuri reports on the latest launch of the Balancing Act project in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

I had the privilege to join Ms. Ruth Patil, Development Director at Carers Worldwide, to support the launch of the SSHRC-funded project, Balancing Act, at the Centre for Disability in Development (CDD), Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. My visit to my home country to support the project’s launch was filled with excitement and proved to be an enriching experience. During this time, I had the opportunity to meet all the key individuals from the local partner organization who will be supporting the implementation of the Balancing Act project.

On February 12, 2024, we first met with Mr. Moinul Islam, Senior Coordinator at CDD, at BRAC CDM. Following that, we went to CDD where we met with Mr. AHM Noman Khan, Executive Director, Mr. Nazmul Bari, Director and other staff members working at CDD. After these meetings, we attended an annual Pita festival, a celebration of traditional Bengali cakes, organized by the local government. Carers of persons with disabilities were selling homemade cakes at the festival and we purchased some to support their business.

On February 13, 2024, we launched our SSHRC-funded project—Balancing Act. Around 50 participants joined the event, including persons with disabilities, carers, and formal support providers. Participants expressed their genuine interest in contributing to this participatory action research. Some quotes from participants that stood out are:

AHM Noman Khan, Executive Director, CDD, added, “A formal support provider can come and go, but a family carer will always be there.”

Ms. Kulsum, a family carer, said, “I am ready to take any initiative for carers and persons with disabilities. I request you please join us and support us.”

AHM Noman Khan reiterated the importance of collaboration in this research endeavour, “This [SSHRC funded] project will enable us to gain evidence on what works best for disabled people and carers, and this will help us in advocacy efforts. This will bring positive change for everyone…it is a great pleasure for us to contribute to this global research.”

After the launch of the research project, we visited several activities implemented by CDD and Carers Worldwide to improve the lives of carers of persons with disabilities. One significant initiative was the establishment of Community Caring Centres. These centres were created to provide respite to carers, facilitate socialization among carers and provide a platform for sharing stories. Additionally, the centrs offer opportunities for children to learn, play and receive therapy services. I was impressed by the dedication of the volunteers working in the centres, who support children with disabilities and their carers. This informal support within the formal system was truly inspiring.

After visiting the Kalinagar Community Caring Centre, we attended the monthly meeting of the Kalinagar Carers Self-Help Group. We also visited several income-generating activities for carers of persons with disabilities supported by Carers Worldwide and CDD. Learning about the positive outcomes of these activities and their ripple effects on the lives of carers and their family members was truly enriching.

On February 14, 2024, Ruth, Moinul and I visited SWID Bangladesh, an organization working with children with intellectual disabilities. On that day, SWID Bangladesh organized a cultural event to celebrate the first day of spring. We enjoyed performances by carers and children and youth with intellectual disabilities. Following the event, we joined a meeting with members of the Bangladesh Alliance for Carers, which was formed with the support of Carers Worldwide and CDD. The members of the Bangladesh Alliance for Carers shared their plan to bring carers from all over the country under the alliance and lobby with the government to enact legislation to support carers. Once again, I was thrilled to learn about their efforts to unite carers and advocate for policy changes to provide better support for carers.

On February 15, 2024, Ruth and I visited the Society Community Caring Centre and a health camp held at Sandip Community Caring Centre. The health camp was for carers of persons with disabilities supported by CDD and Carers Worldwide. At both events, I had the opportunity to speak with carers of persons with disabilities and gain insights into the positive impacts of community caring centres and health camps.

Overall, it was an enriching experience to learn about CDD and its collaborative activities with Carers Worldwide to facilitate access to formal and informal support for carers of persons with disabilities. I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Moinul Islam for organizing such an incredible event for the launch of the Balancing Act project and for facilitating our visits to various activities jointly implemented by CDD and Carers Worldwide. I am also grateful to the entire CDD and Carers Worldwide program teams for their hospitality and warm support during my visit.

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