March 21st was the religious festival of Eid in Bangladesh. This year's Eid was really a little different for me. Like every year, I prayed Eid prayers, hugged everyone, and exchanged greetings. But this time, it seemed that not only the joy of the festival, but also some other feelings were working inside.

What I felt the most was the sincerity and acceptance I received from the people of the community. Through the SALT process, a kind of family relationship has been created with the…

That day in Charbin Para was unlike any other. The gentle winter sun, colorful decorations all around, and the festive spirit in the air made the entire community come alive with joy. It was the day of Saraswati Puja—a sacred occasion to seek the blessings of the goddess of knowledge.

The youth team of the community had been preparing for this day for a long time. Their plan was not only to celebrate the festival but also to distribute educational materials among young children, so…

After my mother’s death, Megha became my first child. She was only 10 years old then, studying in Class Four. As a father, I always had a dream that my daughter would study well and grow up to become a doctor. So, from an early age, I kept telling her that she must study hard to become successful in life. However, I never asked her what she actually wanted or what she loved.I believed that sending her outside for coaching or extra classes would help her learn better. So, I often told her to…

An attempt was made to have an individual SALT conversation with a 23-year-old woman from a marginalized community. When the facilitators arrived at her home, she was alone. They greeted her warmly and tried to start a conversation, but she refused to talk. The next day, they visited again, but this time she did not even open the door. This was unexpected, especially because all the facilitators were women. Feeling concerned and curious, the team spoke with a neighbor to understand the…

Report on Community Toilet Issue and Its Solution

Village: Folwariyan Tola, Maharajganj

Date: 16/03/2026

In Folwariyan Tola, Maharajganj, a community toilet was built about two years ago by the government and the Gram Pradhan for the people. The purpose of this toilet was to provide safe and clean sanitation facilities to the community.…

On 24th March 2026 when the Dhagagia Social Welfare Society (DSWS), India staff came together for a SALT conversation on Zoom, the first thing that struck me was that DSWS is a caring organization that holds a space the staff cherishes. For instance, Saloni said, how much she likes being in the organization, they have a lot of fun working together. Hriday da head of…

  When work first commenced in Moudihaat(Cluster–II)—located within the South Gouripur Gram Panchayat—in August 2025 using the SALT methodology, local residents identified severe filth and scattered waste throughout their neighborhood as one of their primary concerns. Due to the absence of a designated waste disposal site, refuse had accumulated in the…

On 21 January, I met Rohan. At that time, I conducted a SALT activity with him and we also discussed masculinity. During that conversation, he openly shared that he did not like painting and putty work at all. But because of family expectations, responsibilities of age, and the social pressure that “a man must do some kind of work,” he continued doing it. From his words, I understood that he was not working only for money; he also wanted satisfaction, mental peace, and to do something he…

March 8th... Across the world this day is celebrated as 'Women's Day' with great enthusiasm. In some places, speeches are delivered, while in others, garlands are exchanged. However, the women of Nandwal village in Kolhapur district decided to do something different and path-breaking this year. Two women's self-help groups (SHGs) in the village came together and decided that this year's Women’s Day should not be limited to a mere celebration, but should be observed by bringing joy into…

In 14 No Bamun Gheri Village, we recently initiated a Group SALT session with a group of men from the community. Before commencing the session, we engaged in a discussion about the nature of SALT and the rationale behind it. This helped create a comfortable environment where participants could freely express themselves. As the session unfolded, it became a powerful platform for sharing thoughts,…

During today's SALT session in the Basa Line area of Bhatpara Tea Garden, 32-year-old Anurag Gurung shared the biggest 'proud story' of his life. The story was so moving that everyone was stunned—eyes welled up, hearts overflowed. There was pride in Anurag ji's voice, not just of success, but of the triumph of humanity.

*Anurag's Proud Story*…

Grow Your Reader Foundation (GYRF) is proud to be a grantee of the Dhaka American Women’s Club (DAWC). At the end of last year, Manica, Chairperson of the FAWCO Foundation (of which DAWC is a network member), visited Bangladesh. She met with us and we shared about our ARC initiative, including the grandparents’ storytelling sessions, the…

“I now have fewer expectations from others,” said Ashika from UNICON Nepal, where she works as a community facilitator.

When I asked if ARC (Addressing Root cause initiative) had affected her life in any way, her answer surprised me. Ashika explained that she belongs to a spiritual group where she had heard teachings about self-reliance and expecting less from others. SALT provided her a way to practise the teaching in her own life.She began to see her…

Namaste everyone, my name is Hritu Khanal and I am a documentation officer of SHAKHI-Friends of women, Nepal.

When I joined the ARC/COHORT of Nepal four months after its initiation, it took me some time to truly understand what SALT is, how it works, and how it should be practiced. Initially, the concept felt new and slightly challenging. However, I began by conducting SALT conversations with my office staffs. I met each staff member individually, listened to their stories, and tried…

গত বছর ব্রেড অর্গানাইজেশন ও ধারা অর্গানাইজেশনের সাথে অনলাইন মিটিংয়ে অংশগ্রহণ করে আমাদের ব্যাসপুর কমিউনিটির হিজলিপাড়ার আপারা। এই মিটিং এ অংশগ্রহণ এর মাধ্যমে আমাদের আপারা অন্য কমিউনিটির মানুষদের সবজি বাগান সম্পর্কে জানতে পারে। জানতে পারে কিভাবে সবজি বাগান এর পরিচর্চা করা যায়। এই মিটিং এর পর থেকে আমি আপাদের মধ্যে ইতিবাচক পরিবর্তন লক্ষ্য করেছি।…

The Pechakola community celebrated International Women's Day on March 8, 2026. The day was celebrated differently with the joint organization and participation of all members of the community's Jamuna Dal, Tia Dal, and Chalo Aangga Jaya group. I say different because this time the organization was from the community. I always see which organization or office…

Today in the Bhasa Line area of Bhatpara Tea Garden, during the SALT session, a 30‑year‑old young man, Mr. Kartik Gowala, shared the proudest story of his life, which is deeply inspiring for me.

A few years ago, an elderly woman in our village suddenly fell ill. She had no son. She had one daughter, and her husband had already…

Today we visited a village called Majilang in Pokhara, Nepal, where the Kopila Nepal team is facilitating community-led responses under the ARC initiative. We were joined by SALT facilitators from  Peace for People and Shakhi.

We facilitated a SALT conversation…

In today's SALT session, I witnessed pure inspiration unfold through the words of Sant Khariya, a 16-year-old schoolboy whose story of compassion left us all in awe. As we gathered in our tea garden village, Sant shared how, just days ago, he spotted a 62-year-old grandfather tumble into a ditch while riding his bike on the way home from school. Without hesitation, Sant rushed to the scene. With a friend's help, he not only rescued the bike but personally escorted the injured elder to the…

Today I met Shrikant Ramchandra Shelke in Shelakewadi village. Everyone calls him “Maharaj” (this is how temple priests are respectfully addressed). He had to go out for some work, so he did not have much time, but still he gave me one hour to talk. When I reached his house, he was playing with his grandchildren. The bond between a grandfather and grandchildren is beyond words. When I sat with him, the children also quietly sat nearby. First, I introduced myself. Then I asked him to remember…