ダッカ市内で立ち退きを迫られたスラムに暮らす家族
【2020年1月の活動報告】
Approximately 730,000 meals (progress rate: 34.7%) were distributed by January against Euglena cookie distribution target of 2.1 million meals for this term (October 2019 to September 2020).
1. A family living in a slum that was forced to evict in Dhaka
Slum housing has been a challenge for many years in Bangladesh. According to the Bangladesh Statistics Bureau Census Report (2014), the number of slums in Bangladesh is 13,935, which is about 4.6 times higher than the previous survey (1997) of 2,991. Among them, the capital city of Dhaka has 3,394 slums, accounting for about a quarter of the total. Reasons for the increase in slums include people relocating their homes in search of employment and educational opportunities, and the influx of rural residents who abandon cultivated land in the wake of natural disasters. The population of Dhaka is as large as about 17 million, and more than one-third of them are said to be slum dwellers. The densely populated and unsanitary living environment of slums makes the living environment of the slums live there. It causes various health damages. In addition to these living environment issues, many slum dwellers are worried that urban development will force them to evict.
The family of Aesha (8 years old) attending SSKS Elementary School, a GENKI program participating school in the Duaripara district slum, one of the large-scale slums in Dhaka, was also forced to evict. Aesha's mother, Asma (38 years old), told me as follows. "I've been living with my family in a slum in the Duaripara district for the last 10 years. The reason we moved in was because there were so many job offers for housekeepers near the slum. Suddenly, in December of last year, we moved to a hut. A court order was issued to evict the state-owned land where it was built and lived. ”The local government had issued an eviction notice in advance, but it seems that Mr. Asma did not receive the notice. .. The eviction work demolished the slum's hut, forcing about 45,000 households to evict.
Aesha's family is currently renting a house far away from the Duaripara district slam, but the current rent (6,500 yen / month) is higher than the previous rent (3,900 yen / month). .. Asma works as a housekeeper and earns 6,500 yen a month, Dad works 15 days a month for 15 days and earns about 8,000 to 9,000 yen, and the eldest son who lives with him works at a clothing factory and earns about 15,000 yen a month. I have received income, but I am sick and my income is not stable. We ask for your continued support so that the GENKI program will provide health support to slum dwellers suffering from fragile living environments.
Photo-1: Slums in the Duaripara district before eviction
Photo-2: Slums in the Duaripara district during eviction work
Photo-3: Aesha and her mother, Amas
2. Bangladesh's economic growth and the poor
In recent years, Bangladesh has continued to grow with an economic growth rate of over 7%, making it one of the fastest growing countries in the world. The poverty rate also declined with economic growth, improving from 31% in 2010 to 24% in 2016, according to data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan. However, among the poor, not only households whose lives are improving due to the benefits of economic growth, but also households who are not able to benefit from it and are suffering from inflation of 5 to 6% per year. There is also. The GENKI Program Report also provides information on the reality of poor children and their families who are suffering from these economic growth benefits.
Thank you for your continued support.
Euglena Co., Ltd.
Overseas Business Development Department / Bangladesh Office