Community-based Efforts to Resolve Waterlogging Issues in Pechakola Community

[Bayazid Bostami]

Recently, People of Moddhopara area from Pechakola community were facing the problem of water clogging. People might have to stuck at home due to recent heavy rainfall specially children and women. Women and children suffer the most, unable to navigate the flooded roads safely, which disrupts daily life, schooling, and work. Despite years of enduring this problem, the community did not think of the solution.

However, Through the community mobilization process of SALT, proactive group of young girls was able to identify the problem and decided to solve this problem. With the help of group SALT in community, they all agreed that action needed to be taken, and every option for drainage had to be looked into. According to the plan, in a remarkable show of solidarity, Jumuna group member organized themselves to find a solution for draining the excess water. They made the decision to ask for donations from the community in order to support their endeavor and speed up the drainage of water. With the collected money, they rented a pump to drain the accumulated water. This is how they resolved the issue with collaborative approach and people get their normal life.

This initiative is a powerful example of community-led problem-solving and the impact of collective action in addressing local challenges. It is quite admirable how united the community has been in the face of difficulty to identify and solve the issue, after SALT. The faith and confidence that the community placed in these young leaders was crucial in obtaining the required funding.

The aspiration of this story is to create a future where community development is driven by the people themselves, using their collective strengths, leadership, and solidarity. The Moddhopara initiative is a first step toward creating a community that not only resolves its own issues but also gets stronger as it overcomes obstacles one by one. As they proceed, the community understands that in order to adopt more long-term fixes that will ensure a permanent solution to this problem. In this regard, they are planning for wider community engagement as well as the local government's assistance and advocacy for permanent solution.