Action: Stand-Up

In Action: Stand-Up, CommunityAction helps families become economically self-sufficient. We ask what they want to do and then help them in making their plan come true. Extensive case reports are kept and each case is followed-up for a few months to ensure proper utilization. Most of our Zakah fund is used to run this project.

Unlike recent practices, the real goal of Zakah is to bring in economic self-sufficiency. A 2007 estimate shows, if Zakah was collected properly from Bangladesh, it would amount to Tk 14thou crore, which is 20% of the national budget!

Some Case Studies:

Sokhina Khatun, 60years old, was being pulled into the vortex of compound interest.

History: There are 8 members in this family and only the eldest son earns (Tk 10,000/month). He sends back Tk 2000-4000/month to his village at Andharmanik, Barisal for the rest of the familyRecently, due to an emergency, they went into a deal with the area’s ‘mohajon’ – borrowing Tk 12,000 (with a compound interest of Tk 3000/month) against one of the only pieces of land they owned.

Result: They couldn’t get any crops from their land plus their debt was going to pile up to a threatening level.

CommunityAction gave her Tk 11,000 with the assurance their total debt of 16,000 (i.e. 12thou plus already incurred interest) would be paid off asap.

Follow-Up: She has kept her promise. Her eldest son raised the necessary amount and their debt has been paid off.

 

The picture shows Irene’s dad and son. They were found on the streets in exactly this condition.

• History: On the right you see Irene’s father, a rickshawpuller who had been left bedridden and catheterised after an accident. Her husband had abandoned her, so she had to fend for the baby and her father all alone.
• CA gave them Tk 10’000 (in 4 installments) and utensils to set up a tea shop. We also counseled them on how to best utilize their resources.
• Follow-Up: Last we heard, Irene and her son had been successfully rehabilitated to their village (Chaipara of Comilla).

Kabul Sheikh, 32 years, was a rickshaw puller.

History: With an income of Tk 250/day, it was difficult to support a wife and 2 small children.

Stand-Up Action: He proposed buying a van (Tk 14,000). He had already saved Tk 6000, we gave him Tk 8000, taking an assurance from him that he would use the extra money to get a license for this van.

Follow-Up: His income has doubled to Tk 450/day, sometimes it even spikes to Tk 1300/day. So, that’s Tk 12-14thou/month!

After his monthly expenses are met, he still has some money left over which he saves. He plans to open a corner shop in the future.
He has bought a fridge for his wife – so that she doesn’t have to cook in the morning before going off to work as a maid. In fact, he’s hoping very soon his wife can stop working as a maid and get a well-deserved rest for good :)

Md Shahin Alam

Previously a night guard, now, with CA’s help, a shop owner.

History: He has 6 dependents, one of whom –his sister– is invalid. He couldn’t subsist on his salary of only Tk 3000/month.

After extensive interviews and planning with an Actioneer, he submitted a detaile proposal to return to his village (at Dolapara, Lalmonirhat) and run a shop. His estimated monthly profit would be double his previous salary.

• Stand-up: CA gave him Tk 10,000/= which he supplemented with Tk 4000/=.
• Follow-up: He called us on the first day he started his shop. Sales were going brisk! His future looked bright!
• He’ll be updating us in the future – stay tuned! [
• 1.He has since called us regularly with update on his situation. He earns about 1200/1300 takas per day now.

The Actioneer working with him asked whether he intends to save any of this money. It appears he had never thought of saving before! He said he will try.
2. He called in the middle to say he’s started saving about 10-30 takas per day. Everything else is going well.
3. He has saved enough to buy a goat with 1200 takas! For a person who was struggling to make ends meet — this is amazing!! His wife is very good at taking care of animals, so she’ll be looking after this aspect of the family’s earnings

Story of Noman, an orphan boy of Sabuj Gram, Laxmipur

History: This boy is an orphan. He has three elder sisters and two brothers. Two of sisters got married but one of them harassed by her husband and now she is staying with her mother. The boy has to maintain a 6 members’ family. They don’t have even a piece of arable land, only a small homestead land. His mother is sometimes begging for arranging food at last once in a day. Noman lost his father when he was 2 years old.

Stand-up: CA gave him thousand first time and later 5 thousand more to start a rice shop. This intelligent boy thought some more. He starter to sell some house hold stuffs like: soap, sugar, salt, oil etc with rice.

Follow-up: He is so nicely run his own shop. We plan to visit his shop and want to gift him a nice sign board and a donor wants to donate him a mobile set with business sim to start flexi-load business as well :)

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