(Manira Khanam, SALT Facilitator, Grow Your Reader Foundation)

১৪/৭/২৪

ব্যাসপুর উত্তরপাড়াতে আজকের গ্রুপ সল্ট থেকে উঠে এসেছে ঘুরে দাড়ানোর একটি মুহূর্ত। একক সল্ট থেকে একই ধরনের সমস্যাগুলোকে আলাদাভাবে চিহ্নিত করে ৬ জনের সাথে যারা একই সমস্যা নিয়ে কথা বলেছিলেন তাদের নিয়ে গ্রুপ সল্ট করেছি। বিষয়টি ছিল মোবাইল ফোনে আসক্তির ব্যাপারটা। কথা বলার মাধ্যমে তাদের মধ্য থেকেই উঠে এসেছে মোবাইল ফোন থেকে কিভাবে বাচ্চাদের দুরে রাখা যায়।

(১)দলের মধ্য থেকে একজন শিক্ষার্থী ইচ্ছা পোষণ করে সে…

I am Adila working as an associate at Grow Your Reader Foundation. A few days ago, I learned about something called a SALT Conversation from my colleagues - Sadia, Mariam, Mihsan and Razin. I decided to try it out. I had a one-on-one SALT Conversation with them, and later we had one as a team at work. Reflecting on it now, my feelings are in a bit of a rush. 

After my individual SALT session:

* I felt lighter. It was good to share my story and have others listen and support…

For the past 11 months, I've had the privilege of being coached by Veena Pillai, a certified professional coach and Diversity & Inclusion Consultant in Mumbai. With 25 years of leadership experience and a global perspective, Veena's rich background adds depth to her guidance.

My time with Veena has been amazing. My learning curve went really high, thanks to her insights and support. As our formal coaching time comes to an end, I reflect on the profound impact this experience has…

A Visit to Harijan Palli: Unveiling the Harsh Realities

On 6th July, 2024 Shahida and I, from the BRED team, recently visited Harijan Palli in Tan Bazar, Narayanganj. We were accompanied by representatives from SALT implementing partners in Bangladesh, including Ritu and Mr. Newaz from Global Fund for Children (GFC) under the arrangement of Alokito…

In our fast-paced world, it's easy to forget the power of genuine human connection. The SALT approach- Stimulate, Appreciate, Learn, Transfer- reminds us to slow down and truly engage with others. While focusing on developing these positive interactions, it’s equally important to recognize what not to do. Here I'm sharing some key "don'ts" while doing SALT that I've learned from 'Addressing Root Causes' cohort in Bangladesh. These practices are…

 When we think very generally, we think that the community consists of illiterate poor people, unhealthy environment, beset with various problems.  But I would like to say that there is a treasure in the community where everyone lives happily with each other.  They also have a good and beautiful mind.  The indomitable power to do something within the mind.  But as they struggle in life to survive, they lose that power.  Their dreams and power are buried…

 Same days back Banna went to Basfore.community to do SALT conversation.  Here she found a girl go against the community and walk towards her dream.

Sanjita is a girl from Basfor community. What will happen to the humane way of educating girls in the Basfor society full of prejudices?

They have to give in marriage, do housework after marriage,…

Joining the ARC Initiative alongside five other organizations has been a transformative journey for me and the team at Alokito Kori. While some organizations have moved ahead in SALT conversations, baseline analysis, and community engagement, every organization shares a unified goal: to instill a sense of ownership…

For years there has been a sustainable need for more cultural activities for young people in Zeist, a village in the center of the Netherlands. Despite good education and excellent sports facilities, young people miss places where they can meet each other. Stadslab Zeist (a social project agency) increasingly heard that young people longed for more…

Transforming Communities: A Story of Resilience and Hope In 2016, our community faced a stark reality: only 20 toilets serving 700 households. It was a place where the prevalence of diseases like dysentery and severe diarrhoea cast a shadow over daily life.

As a newcomer to the area, I was struck by the challenges and the urgent need for change. However, amidst these hardships, our community, blessed with abundant natural resources yet lacking essential skills, stood resilient.…

My colleague and friend, Syjo & I did not know what to expect when we started for the visit. This would be our first effort to using SALT in the community.  When we reached, I noticed that the neighborhood was quiet and physically close-knit, offering little privacy. The home was neat and minimalistic, containing only essential, functional items, with nothing to make it particularly pleasant or welcoming—no TV, for instance. The sole caregiver and the sibling of the client was in the…

On the morning of June 6th, Byaspur village in Gopalganj hosted a project inception meeting at Jaynagar High School. This meeting was organized by Grow Your Reader Foundation (GYRF), with funding from the Global Fund for Children. GYRF aims to improve children's education and community well-being through changes in the school ecosystem and the community's…

Some events are remembered forever in our life. A similar incident was experienced by SALT.

Visited a family to take SALT as usual. At that time there was a woman and her two children (boy and girl) in that house. At first we discussed a little. He gave information about his started business. In this he gave information…

I could not go to Vashi village for some days because of the research work in Nandwal village.…

Energy Booster The Ajinkya..

Yes, the energy booster Ajinkya. The name of the person I meet today is Ajinkya. Ajinkya (Invincible) is one who cannot be defeated, (Ajinkya) Invincible is one who has not yet been defeated. Invincible means one who cannot be defeated. Invincible means one who cannot be conquered. And just like its name (Ajinkya), no one can conquer it and no one can defeat it. And this Ajinkya became an energy booster for me today. And that…

Despite being married off by her family at a young age, Shorna apu remained passionate about her education. With the support of her husband and through her own efforts, she has managed to continue her studies and is now a second-year degree student. This achievement is a source of great pride for her.

Apu is concerned about a common issue in her…

সাবিনা আন্টির দুই মেয়ে কোন ছেলে নেই আঙ্কেল কৃষি কাজ করে। মেয়ে দুজনকে নিয়ে তিনি গর্বিত। বড় মেয়ে অনার্সে পড়াশোনা করে। ছোট মেয়ে এই বছর এসএসসি পরীক্ষায় উত্তীর্ণ হয়েছে। মেয়েদেরকে লেখাপড়া শেখানোর তীব্র ইচ্ছার আন্টির তিনি চান মেয়েদেরকে ছেলের মত মানুষ করে তুলতে। যাতে করে তারাই একসময় তাদের বেঁচে থাকার অবলম্বন হতে পারে। আন্টির মেয়েরা সব শান্ত পড়ালেখায় মোটামুটি ভালই পড়াশোনা করাতে তার কোন কষ্ট হচ্ছে না বা মেয়েদেরকে জোরাজুরি করতে হয় না এজন্যই তিনি তাদেরকে নিয়ে গর্বিত।

ছেলে…

The story of Hena Aunty was in the context of the Great Liberation War of 1971. Aunty was around 10 to 12 years old during the war. The war of liberation had started in the country and there was a panic among the people first in the cities and then in the villages. Pakistani forces launched a surprise attack on the sleeping Bengalis in the late night of March 25, 1971. Bengali accepts a brutal death. Within a few days their brutality spread from village to village. Burned down numerous…