Introduction:

On 15 December 2025, the Byaspur community came alive with warmth, laughter, and joy as they organized a Knowledge Fair in the yard of Sahanara Apa from Uttarpara. A total of 205 participants, including community members from Hijlipara, Uttarpara, Katakhali, Dokkhinpara, and Joynagar…

সময়ের সঠিক ব্যবহার মানুষকে বদলে দেয় এই কথার বাস্তব উদাহরণ তৈরি করেছে পেঁচাকোলা কমিউনিটির “চলো এগিয়ে যাই” ইয়ুথ টিম। অবসর সময় নষ্ট না করে তারা ভাবতে শুরু করল, কীভাবে নিজেদের মধ্যে থেকেই কমিউনিটির মানুষদের জন্য কিছু করা যায়।

ইয়ুথ সদস্যরা একসাথে বসে আলোচনা করতে গিয়ে দেখতে পায়—কমিউনিটিতে অনেক মানুষ আছেন যারা নানা ধরনের অসুস্থতায় ভুগছেন, কিন্তু…

১৫ ডিসেম্বর ২০২৫, ভোর ৫টা ৩০ মিনিট। তখনও আকাশ পুরোপুরি আলোকিত হয়নি। কিন্তু আমাদের ভেতরে এক অদ্ভুত উত্তেজনা আর প্রত্যাশার আলো জ্বলছিল। বাংলাদেশ রুরাল ইকোনমিক ডেভেলপমেন্ট (BRED) টিম থেকে হুমায়রা আপু, আশিক ভাই, বায়োজিদ ভাই এবং আমি—আমরা সবাই রওনা হলাম গোপালগঞ্জের ব্যাসপুর কমিউনিটির উদ্দেশ্যে। আমাদের ARC কোহর্ট পার্টনার Grow Your Reader Foundation…

On December 15, 2025 we were very happy and excited to go to Byaspur Community in Gopalganj to participate in the Grow Your Reader Foundation Community Knowledge Fair. From Bangladesh Rural Economic Development (BRED) Organization, I, Ashiq Bhai, Humaira Apa and Rowshan Apa started our journey at 5 am.

After a journey of about…

On October 14, a SALT session was organized with the Bhatpara Niche Line community. The idea behind the session was rooted in the philosophy of SALT — just as salt adds flavor to food, this approach brings sweetness and strength to relationships and community bonds. SALT is a method that helps community members recognize the power that already exists within them, encouraging positive dialogue and collective growth. This session also focused on an essential and sensitive topic — Gender-Based…

I had the opportunity to introduce the SALT way of working to three organizations- DSWS, PJKS and SSDC in Global Fund for Children’s Mangrove Hills cohort in India-  This is what I learned from total 52 staff members.

Appreciation creates responsibility- This came from Pompa di. I learned that responsibility from the heart does not…

জীবনে আমি বহুবার মেলায় গিয়েছি। আবার কয়েকবার মেলার আয়োজনের সঙ্গেও যুক্ত ছিলাম। স্কুলজীবনে প্রতি বছরই পিঠা মেলা, বিজ্ঞান মেলা, বই মেলা কিংবা বৈশাখী মেলার আয়োজন করতাম। রঙিন সাজ, আনন্দ-উচ্ছ্বাস আর মানুষের ভিড়ে সেই মেলাগুলো ছিল প্রাণে ভরা। মেলা মানেই ঘুরে ঘুরে দেখা, কিছু কেনা, হাসি–আনন্দ—সব মিলিয়ে এক ধরনের উৎসব।

কিন্তু ‘নলেজ ফেয়ার’ বা ‘জ্ঞান…

On 11 December 2025, the first self-assessment (Self Assessment) process was conducted with the youth of Nandwal village. Earlier, on 29 September 2025, a shared dream-building process had been carried out with the youth group. Only those boys who had participated in that process were invited again for the self-assessment.

The youth who participated in this discussion are farmers. As the sugarcane harvesting season is currently underway, only a limited number of youth were able to…

During today’s SALT session in the Nichhe Line area of Bhatpara Tea Garden with 35-year-old community member Ramdhani Lohar, the conversation on masculinity was truly inspiring.

Through the session, several of his strengths came forward — such as caring for family, being a problem solver, and having positive thinking.

When…

Basa Lane SALT Session: From Gender-Based Violence to Equal Upbringing—An Analysis. I, Nityam Ghosh, as the SALT facilitator, conducted this session and witnessed how open community conversations plant seeds for deep social change. On December 10, 2025, this session was more than a discussion—it was a mirror to the community's self-reflection, spanning GBV realities to dreams of equality for the next generation.…

   I had a quick conversation with Rina Hansda, a lady from the Santal community in Kewda village. One day, she and her daughter were going to harvest paddy in the field. Then a delivery boy was driving a car at a high speed past them. Suddenly, a dog came in the middle of the road, and the boy lost control of the car and fell. My daughter and I immediately ran after seeing him and saw that the car had fallen on him in such a way that one of his legs was crushed under the car and I saw that…

Over the past month, UniCoN completed rounds of organizational self-assessment together with our team, guided closely by the GFC team. This was not just a technical exercise—it was a deep process of reflection, learning, and dreaming for the future. We explored our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats through a detailed SWOT analysis, trying to understand exactly where we stand as an organization at this moment.

But the process went far beyond identifying…

गिहारा समुदाय फुलवरिया महाराजगंज  आठ लड़कियों ने काम करना शुरू किया

हमारे समुदाय के लोग किसी भी लड़की को बाहर काम करने के लिए नहीं भेजते थे ना तो उनको पढ़ने भेजते थे ना तो वह कोई काम कर सकती हैं उनका कहना था कि बाहर मत जाओ माहौल खराब है लोग सही नहीं है घर पर रहो घर के कम करो और इतनी ज्यादा रोकथाम थी कि कोई भी लड़की घर से बाहर काम करने के लिए…

Hello team,

A few days ago, during the second part of the SALT Conversation on “Masculinity” held in the Bhatpara Tea Garden Nichhe Line area, some very deep and inspiring reflections emerged.

To begin, we asked participants a simple question linked to their daily lives:

If I visit your home and you are not there, and I…

The true strength of any community lies in the mutual support and empathy shared among its members. The experience of Biki Chik Braik, a resident of Bhatpara Tea Garden, Nichhe Line, beautifully illustrates this reality.

When one of his friends lost his wife, the grieving family faced both emotional and financial hardship. In that difficult moment, no one came forward to help — except Biki. Understanding his friend’s distress, Biki took the initiative to arrange funds for the funeral…

When the mind is prepared, change becomes possible. Sameer Patil, a young man from Nandwal village, has proven this through his actions.

For the past three years, the Avani Smile Team has been working in Nandwal village. Here, I work with the youth and men, helping them identify their strengths and encouraging them to take positive steps.

During these three years, a strong bond developed between Sameer and me. As time passed, the trust between us grew, and our connection turned…