BritBangla sponsored Arifa with Plan International

Click to read communications from Arifa
Arifa was born on 6 June 1997, is muslim and lives in Jagannathpur village in Bangladesh. BritBangla will receive Annual Progress Reports and communications from Arifa. If you are interested in keeping up to date on Arifa, wish to send her a letter or a gift then email Taryn at: taryn@britbangla.net

Introducing Arifa
Arifa is a friendly girl whose favourite game include playing with dolls, playing with cars and playing local games. Her mother tells Em Dad, Plan member staff, that Arifa always says that when she is older she would like to be a teacher. In this part of the world children grow up fast and all must play a part in the family’s progress and survival.
Although they still have time to play they must also help with the daily chores. Arifa helps to take care of younger siblings.

Afirfa spends most of her time with Sharifa and Sarmin who are her best friends. She does not attend school because she is too young. Children who are too young to go to school spend the day around the homestead, playing with other small children and being looked after by older siblings or neighbours.

Plan is hopeful that Arifa would be able to write to BritBangla or send a message after achieving full confidence. They are keen to learn more about us and the country in which we live in. Although children in this community are very shy about writing to someone in a different country Plan will encourage her to communicate with BritBangla in her own personal way. Perhaps through a small drawing. It is very exciting for Arifa to receive a letter or a photograph from a friend abroad. Plan have seen the wide smiles which this can bring to a child’s face!

Introducing Arifa’s Family
There are 3 family members living together with Arifa.
Momina (25), who is Arifa’s mother. At the moment she is working as a housewife.
Anowar (33), who is Arifa’s father. At the moment he is working as a labourer.
Mirajul (2), who is Arifa’s brother.

At home the family speak their local language, Bangla.

Arifa and her’s Family’s Health
Momina told Plan that Arifa has been in good health during the past 6 months. This means that she was one of the fortunate ones as still many children suffer from diseases that could be prevented. Mirajul is currently participating in a growth monitoring programme which will help to highlight a possible lack of nutrition and thus ensure healthy development. If Arifa or any of her family is sick, they can go to a traditional healer, a journey of about forty-five minutes. If there was an emergency case, the family would have to travel about one hour to get to the nearest hospital. This makes it nearly impossible for them to receive emergency treatment.

Where Arifa and her Family Live
Arifa’s family live in a small house made of mud and sticks with a corrugated metal roof. Arifa’s family does not have their own latrine and have to use an open field or public are for their needs. This creates a lower level of hygiene and increases incidences of disease, particularly amongst the children.
The house is owned by the family with a legal title. Momina told Plan the house is in a poor condition. This means that living conditions are not very healthy.

In many areas of Plan’s work a lack of access to clean safe drinking water all year round is a real problem and can cause and increase in common water-borne diseases such as diarrhea and cholera. Throughout the year Arifa’s family get their water from a borehole with a hand pump that is in the house backyard. There is sufficient water during both rainy and dry seasons. Due to lack of appropriate treatment, the water is not safe for the family to drink.

Arifa’s family uses an open fire to cook their daily meals and their main fuel is dry leaves. For lighting the house the family uses kerosene lamps. Momina says this ends the day early as the lack of light make it difficult to work or do household chores in the evening. Arifa’s family, like their friends and neighbours have a very small income and it is a struggle to be able to meet their basic needs. However, the families in the Jagannathpur community have a rich social life. During their spar time, Arifa’s family loves talking with friends, telling and listening to stories and playing local games.

Message to you from Em Dad, Plan staff member
Plan understand development as a process, which engage children and adult to recover their self-confidence, establish an alternative future and work collectively to achieve their vision. Plan Bangladesh has developed a Child Centred Community Development Approach (CCCDA) based on human and social development to develop the capacity in the area of, (a) Community Ownership (b) Children’s Participation (c) Indigenous Knowledge and Resources (d) Personal and Institutional Transformation. We are now putting more importance on sustainable development following three point core strategy of demand creation, facilitation of community management and promotion of quality service and also applying the approach, which covers the interests, results and benefits to Sponsored child, family and community.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about Arifa and her family. Plan will be working with Arifa’s family and all families in Jagannathpur to identify their most basic needs which may be in health, education, housing or income. Each individual will play a role and contribute what they can in terms of manual labour, local materials, technical expertise or financial contributions to ensure a brighter future for Arifa and other children like her.

We hope that your friendship with Arifa will be unforgettable experience and that it will give you the opportunity to learn more about another culture far away. Your contributions will allow our team here to create opportunities for the family and their village community to help them solve some of their serious problems. Next year you will receive an Annual Progress Report, and we hope that we will then be able to show you some of the first proud achievements which Arifa’s family have made. Until then thank you for giving Arifa a chance!

Communications from Arifa
January 2004:
Photo of Arifa & Arifa & Mum
Letter in Bengali - Arifa has drawn a picture of a flower for BritBangla members.
Letter in English
Programme Update 1
May 2004:
Photo of Arifa & Arifa & Dad
Programme Update 2
Photo of Community Womens' project

ARIFA UPDATE SUMMARY AUGUST 2004

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