Meet 3 young people in Bangladesh upskilling their communities

After the birth of her first child, Parveen (34) got a job in a tailoring shop to supplement her husband’s seasonal income as an agricultural labourer. But she had her sights set higher.

Through HILIP-CALIP, Parveen received training in cutting, sewing, and tailoring. She passed on what she learned to two neighbours, and word quickly spread about her sewing classes. Using the fees from these classes, Parveen opened her own tailoring business and employs three assistants.

“Previously, I could not imagine that proper job training could change everything to this extent,” says Parveen. “Now, I see my students learning and working at the same time. With that income, some pay for their own education, while others invest it in their children’s education. It is rewarding to witness what the girls from my village can do, beyond household chores or helping with traditional agricultural work.”

The nuts and bolts of a thriving business

Olok (28) tinkered with bicycles and small electrical parts to become his neighbourhood’s most sought-after mechanic. To take his business to the next level, he enrolled in HILIP-CALIP’s motorcycle maintenance and repairs training. He is now a fully qualified motorcycle mechanic, having earned his certificate from the Bangladesh Technical Education Board.

“Having my own business means I can work throughout the year, even during monsoon season,” Olok tell us. “If my workshop gets flooded, I can still work on-call. And now with better roads and infrastructure, more people in Haor villages are using motorcycles. With my skills, I see my business expanding.”

To pass on his knowledge, Olok runs motorcycle maintenance workshops which are attended by young people who are otherwise unemployed throughout the long flooding season.

Vet on the moo-ve

Though the flooding in the Haor limits what many young people can do, others have created opportunities from adversity by providing services in this typically underserved area. Because the region is under water for so much of the year, visiting the vet with cattle in tow is a challenge. Siddiqur Rahman’s door-to-door veterinary service, therefore, is in high demand.

Following a 15-day training at the Bangladesh Agricultural University, Siddiqur (25) assists livestock owners with everything from artificial insemination and first aid, to vaccinations and deworming. Using his earnings, he plans to open a veterinary drug store in his village.

“By providing artificial insemination, first aid, and vaccination for livestock, I’m not only serving the needs of farmers in hard-to-reach areas, but I’m also making them aware of the health care needs of livestock,” says Siddiqur. “It feels good to be in a business that supports others’ livelihoods.”

Through HILIP-CALIP trainings, the young people of Haor are less dependent on the natural resources of this climatically vulnerable area. Alternative sources of income and good jobs mean they don’t have to migrate to earn a decent wage. By passing on their knowledge, these young people are creating a positive knock-on effect. And by starting their own businesses and creating jobs, they’re giving other young people even more reason to stay.