Quotes Collection from Research in Bangladesh

Claude’s remarks on quotes:

• I selected a lot of quotes from the 3 intermediates reports, because there are many. I considered
as “quote” a full sentence explaining an idea, not just a one or two word characteristic. So I
didn’t take many of them in the characteristics of the dimensions tables.
• When 2 quotes are about the same idea, I selected the most complete or explicit and in
preferabily those from people with experience of poverty.
• I didn’t selected many of the very “obvious” quotes such has “I am poor because I have no
money” because quotes must show that we pushed the people to think more than this for the
research and in many ways they did. Most of selected quotes link different aspects of life, or
aspects of life with feelings.
• The choice of quotes must be carefully studied in short documents to reflect the outcomes and
also the approach of the research as well as possible.
• I choose rather quotes which help to understand a situation more deeply or which express also
the feelings of people about a situation or a difficulty.
• I tried to correct the language and to make right sentences.
• Here I listed the quotes according to their origin (peer group) in each of the reports.
• Sometimes there is the name of the author, but in the public documents about the research we
can’t keep names, but specify “practitioner, academic, people…. “ Can be also: “farmer; day
laborer, housewife, children at work...? Maybe precise also rural, urban?
• The quotes of the children are very relevant and sometimes precise about an important issue,
specially those from the children at work from Dhaka, that’s why I selected most of them.

Intermediate Report Module 1 and 2 (RuRAL ADULTS)

NRT
Picture exercise with NRT p 17
Lenen: “Modern city life brings with it environmental pollution from which everybody but especially
the poor suffer. What might seem as development, can create a lot of problems on another level.”

Observations (body map NRT?) : P 18

Afsana Mimi (student) said "When a person live a slum area, often his richer neighbor is cooking good
and tasty food. As he cannot afford this type of food for his family, his nose just have these food
smell”.

Jalal said: "People who live in slum area have bad smell coming from their clothes because there is
lack of fresh air and sunlight. After washing them, they cant dry their clothes properly, so the clothes
smell like dampness".

Rafiqul said: "Poor people don't have fridge. Sometimes they cook rice for lunch and dinner at the
same time, but often rice become fermented with the heat and after eating them they have to suffer by
stomach problem"

Tahamina said: "A disabled person always think if his or her leg or hand could be like a normal person,
they also would earn"
PKS, Muktagacha, Mymensingh. P 29
Poverty snake
Check all the paragraph p, I took mainly whole sentences, other elements are very interesting but not
direct quotes
woman named Shefaly thought for a while and said "Poor". She said “only poor people know what is
poverty”.
Then an old man said poverty brings turmoil in a family so his word was "Turmoil". The next woman
said "Human". She mentioned only human creates "Turmoil" no other creature does this.
Then she said "Quarrel" because she thinks people sometimes quarrel with each other without any
reason.

Body map P 34
“Chairman and local leaders don’t listen to us when we go to tell them our problems “

Sherpur Mixed adult group P 35

Picture exercise
Woman:“Most of the time poor people’s children are suffering by malnutrition. For that they can’t play
well and can’t study well”

Halima showed a picture and said “ some kids are talking together about education. They are poor, their
parents cannot afford privet teacher/lesson for them. That’s why they cannot make a good result. And
they have lack opportunity to have proper education.”

Rotna said: ”many people live in the high land on the hill and they have many problems. Like, water
problem, road problem, hut problem. That’s why Rotna thinks that many times the hill collapses and it
makes damage, sometimes some people dies. That’s why it is related with poverty.

Maleka said: “because of lack of money we don’t have electricity in our home therefore we have to
suffer in summer”

Talima said “if poor people can make small savings all together then they can buy some cows and then
they can sell the milk. This way they can improve their family situation”.

Rupa Said “if people would work together as a unity then they could do many things”

Kailakuri Ethnic Minority p 37, 38

Orpa: “we don’t have cultivation land except hut land. We cultivate other’s land as a share and we work
for other to make income and by this income, we maintain our family. For this reason, the word crop is
related to poverty.”

Shamoly said. “I have more members in my family. We are living hand to mouth by the income of my
husband. I can’t give clothes to my children; I can’t afford my children’s education expenses. We can’t
do anything due to lack of money”
Shoma said: “We are poor people. We can’t send our children to school regularly because of money
problem. We can’t afford private lessons for our children. Because of being less meritorious student,
they get very less chance to get job.”

Kannon said: “We are poor and we have less income, so we can’t buy and eat nutrition foods. For this
reason, we are always attacked by diseases.”

Shovita Rema said: “we are poor. That’s why we can’t repair our hut where we live. In rainy season,
water come into our hut, we can’t sleep well with our children. In my family only my husband has
income. It’s very hard to maintain my family by one income.

Pritilota said: “we can’t eat properly. We have crisis in our family all the time. Very often we get sick. If
someone gets sick in my family, I can’t get treatment.”

Lina: “It is hard to bear all my family expenses because only my husband has income. I wish to keep
animal and take care them and make income to solve my family’s problem.”

Tunni said: “in my family we get sick very often. But because of money problem we can’t get
treatment in proper time and we can’t get well. “

Cholita said: “we can’t maintain our family by only my husband’s income. If I would have enough
money, I would start a grocery shop to make income. It would increase our family income and the
poverty would reduce.”

Chondona said: “we are not able to install a latrine lack of money problem. We make toilet here and
there, that’s why we are always ill. So we spend a lot of money to visit doctor and to buy medicines.”

Orpona said: “we are poor. We don’t have land to live and no cultivation land. If we would have land, it
would fulfill our wish to cultivate. We wouldn’t lack of nutritious food.”

Shadona Rema said: “our house condition is not good. We live in broken house. In rainy season water
get into our houses. At that time we can’t sleep well. With our income we can’t buy food for everyday,
we can’t go to doctor; we can’t send to our children to school, we can’t buy clothes. That’s why we
can’t also not repair our houses.”

Shamoly said: “every people need money, it doesn’t matter if the person is rich or poor. Money is such
a thing which is needs every time. To make income we don’t have land, we don’t have job. We have
maintained our family by day labor work. We have to make our children educated, so that in future they
can make income for our family by getting a job.”

Tiger Widows Gabura P40

“Before, I used to wear old clothes given by other people, now I could buy one by myself”
“Before, I always had to go door to door to get rice water to drink, now I can eat my own food 3 times
a day”
“It will be very hard to get my 2 daughters marries, because their father is dead”
“I have to suffer a lot of violence, stigma and harassment in the family, in the community because my
husband is dead ( he was killed by the tigers)”
“My younger son is school age, but he has to earn and I am feeling bad of having to eat from his
earnings”
“I had to get my daughter married though she was very young and not educated”
“I don’t have my own house and have to stay at my son’s place and his wife always having bad words
to me”

Ranking rural communities group, MOK 2, Module 2, p 55, 56

Obayedun (Huzurikanda, man): “poor people who are not educated are looking for someone else for
help. If you have chance to be educated, you can solve your own problems

Shumoti (Kailakuri, woman): poor people don’t know how to take good care of their kids, because they
didn’t have opportunity to go to school. Sometimes it creates mental tension when you don’t know how
to do something. “

Shukkuri (Sherpur, woman): “I had no opportunity to go to school, I am in tension, I don’t want the
same to happen to my kids, education is the most important”

Lolita (Kailakuri, woman): “if you have always tension and no mental peace, you can’t do anything and
education can’t help you.”

Moina: “If husband and wife always fight with each other, violence, hitting, there is no mental peace in
the family, there is no medication for this.”

Obayedun: “if am ill I cannot got to work, earn money, so I am in a tension I how pay school fees for
my kids, pay money for family costs.”

Moina: “because of lack of money we have to work in others house, the house owner doesn’t pay what
is due, they don’t behave well, we have to suffer such things because we have no money.”

Shukkuri: “I have no money, how to assume daily costs of family, this cause of hard tension, how will I
do the next day. If I have money, I have no tension.”

Lolita: “if I have money, I can fix my broken hut, I don’t have mental stress, I can do things well.”

Shumoti: “If you have mental stress and tension, money cannot help you, If you are not happy inside,
having problem with children, people dying in your family, money cannot help you.”

Aktar Hosen (man): “If you have more money, but nobody loves you in the family, money cannot help
you, you cannot buy love. In human life love is more important. If you don’t get love, then, you have
no mental peace.”

Hena: “from lack of money I can’t help other people, I can’t tell the truth if there is any thing bad
happening in front of me, I can’t tell any body, because I have no power.”

Shorifa: “because of lack of money, my son cannot go to school, he is working with me and my
daughter can’t get married in a good family.”
Moina: “if you have more money, you can buy respect.”

Obayedul, Lolita: “If you own property (land) when you need money, you can sell your land and have
money.”

Moina: “poor people cannot have benefit from government because, rich people have money and can
buy justice, officers and everything when they are guilty, they can get free, but you can get guilty.”

Shorifa: “rich person even corrupted get love, respect from the society, society always listen to them”

Shukkuri: “if my children are not going to school, it they go to work in the factories, maybe they have
bad friends there, and can do bad things, because they are not educated. And for education, you need
money.”

Obayedul: “good governance is not only in government, it starts in my family. If the father is the
government in the family, he should give love and property to his sons, same for daughter, equally.
Only then my children will learn about good governance, from their family.”

Intermediate Report Module 3, URBAN ADULTS

Bihari Camp Ethnic minority peer group

Picture exercise, p10, 11

Nilufa :"We are poor therefore we have to stay in the camp, rich people have a big building but we
don’t have any. We live in slums.” (Her key word was “No own House”)

Rubina: “My husband works almost whole day but his income is very less and with this less income he
cannot fulfill family needs and children’s educational cost”

Zayeda: “We cannot eat good/delicious food”. Rich people can eat many delicious foods but we can’t.
When we go outside of the camp we can see many delicious foods in the shop but this expensive food
we cannot afford”

Hena “My husband’s earnings are not enough for our family expense. I know how to sew, but whose
cloth I am going to sew? Here everyone’s situation is very bad. Nobody gives us any order for sewing
from outside of the camp. I wanted to work in a tailors shop. But I couldn’t find any job. I want to work
and help my husband”

Saju ”Today I could work and earn some money. I can give 3 times food today to my children. I don’t
know if I get any work tomorrow or not. If I don’t find any work I cannot give food to my children”
(Key word: uncertainity)

Ruksana: ”We are five members of our family. We have only one bed in our small room. It's really
very tough to sleep all together in a small bed.”
Asma “One of my children is always stays sick. The Doctor said he needs to use high commode for the
toilet. But in this camp for 32 families, we have only one toilet with a law commode. And the toilet is
dirty and has a bad smell. The toilet is not enough in our camp”.

Body map men p 12

“Will I be on time at work? Or will I be stuck in a line in front of toilet or shower?”
“Sometimes don’t want to go to the work because of weakness.”
“Waking up in the morning and feeling happy to see wife and kids especially wife.”
“Earning small money after a very hard work, handing it over to wife and wondering how the next day
will be.”
“I Cannot spend personal time with my wife (no privacy).”
“Often parents stay hungry and they give their food to the children.”
“Always going to the work place by walking, not having money for rickshaw.”
Body Map: Women p 15
“If we cannot make breakfast before our husband go to work, husbands gets angry. Sometimes we
cannot make it because of feeling weak.”
“As my mother stays away from her house, she is always thinking about how I am eating, how I am
doing.”

Binpara Ethnic minority peer group. P22, 23, 24

Nomita: "Poor people's children don't have the opportunity to have computer training. If they would
have this opportunity they can earn money in future and their future will be bright"
Uttom Kumar : " Poor people go to the jungle and collect woods and sell those and earn some money."

Women with disability peer group. P 29, 30

Shefali': "Disable person always have the problem to have their rights. For example, I will be deprived
of education, deprived of rights. Teachers think we are the problem for school, there is no ramp or toilet
for a disabled person, so how can we go to school?"
Chumki : "We cannot work our way because we cannot make the right decision. We always work on
the decision of others; therefore, we are far behind".
Shefali: ” the people we work for they have some responsibility but they just don't do that. We cannot
do anything on our own. Their lack of responsibilities makes us are poor. They just think about
themselves".
Tahmina : “Nobody loves me because I am poor. When we go a rich people house they don't allow us
to sit beside of them they ask them us to sit on the floor. When we go to any big office they don't
behave well, nobody wants to listen to us".
Shefali: " To build a good society we have the law. But the persons in responsibility are not doing their
work. Middle-class people and poor people don't get their basic and social rights."
Munni:"In the police station they give all facilities other normal people but not us. Sometimes they
don't let us talk with the police officer in charge. "
Tahmina: “We cannot protest against any injustice because we don't have right or enough information.
If we are properly informed, then we can protest against injustice. But our society doesn't let us know".
Shefali:“Government weak administrative system is not good therefore it is not everyone getting the
right information”
Chumki: "If we want to protest against injustice then we need courage otherwise we cannot have our
rights".
Munni: “when I attend a meeting they don't let us express our opinion".
Tahmina:" They don't value my opinion because I am poor".

Practitioner 1 peer group p 40

Picture exercice
Anny: ”Our country’s roads are worse than in other countries. In Bangladesh, there is always a fear of
being hijacked”
Shofik: “Due to the lack of technical education our country is moving towards to poverty. Some
industry has new technology machines but workers don’t know how to operate it”
Body map
They have to hear the blame for being poor from others.
Practitioner 2 peer group p 53, 54
Saidur: “To have a good job in Bangladesh people have to pay a high rated bribe. “
Zami? :”Poor people are not able to eat nutritious food. Therefore they become physically weak and
most of the time they are ill”
Enam: ”Rich people and businessman are making many big industries, therefore, day by day lands is
distressing for animal pasture”.
Nazmul: ”In our daily life for our own comfort we are using modern things like fridge, AC etc. which
are causing environmental disaster”
Ilma:”There are some people whose self-confidence is very low and because of lack of self-confidence
they cannot do anything despite being qualified”.
Academics 1 peer group. 63
“Normal civilian people, can be affected by political reasons, lack of social awareness and political
war. This issue can affect the people in poverty in the countries “
“This extremely big population and low amount of Transportation systems is a big limitation for a
country. And it's happening because there is no proper planning for it.”
“Some drug addicted persons got addicted because of poverty. Because they don’t have any job to do
and it doesn't get any government facilities for livelihood. This may lead their family towards poverty
and makes them depressed and then becoming drug addicted”.
“Who is representing the powerful people and rich people in the Community? Rich and powerful
people should help the poor and support them. Otherwise, they won't be able to get recover from
poverty”
“Because of poverty people can become lonely. This can bring suffering in their life.”
“If there is no proper transportation system and communication system then it becomes very tough for
people to extend their business and also a problem to go to work. This may cause them poverty.”
“Because of low-income people can’t store their products in cold storage or any other storage system.
For that reason most of the time the products get rotten. Which may cause them poverty.”
Academics 2 peer group. P73/74
Descriptions of dimensions but not directly quotes from individuals
Kalibari slum area (Migrated women) peers groups p.82
Woman: "Education is most important for everyone and it’s also important for a girl. If a girl completes
her study then she will get a job, she will be independent. Otherwise, she will be just a housewife and
for her whole life will be stuck in the kitchen"
Sonia: "As disabled people are the poorest people in our country, disable children also deserve to have
an education"
Day laborers, Shankipara, Mymensingh
Mok session, comparison of dimensions
Practitioners:
“Due to lack of good governance there is a lack of employment and money. Forgetting a job most of
we have to give a bribe. But there is no guaranty after giving the bribe we will get the job. This is
happening due to lack of good governance.”
“If the social condition is not good then the physical and mental condition of people will not be good.
If a country’s social state is defective then everything will become defective.”
éOver Population is another big problem in Bangladesh. The government cannot give all facilities to
this overpopulation. If a farmer or day worker has five or seven children, he cannot fulfill all children
ambition and he cannot earn enough for the family cost. Day by day they become poorer. “
 “Natural resources are being destroyed due to Nature and Environmental Degradation. Poor people
who are dependent on natural resources are facing problems for that.”
Academics
“If people’s physical and psychological state is bad then they can not have any work to do and can't
earn money. Without money, people cannot do anything in life. And also if physical and psychological
is not good people’s life cannot be better although the social condition is as good.”
“To become happy people has to be physically and psychologically fit. If their physical and
psychological state is good then the can overcome everything.”
“If people have no work to do and cannot earn money then they cannot change their
situation/condition. Good governance is really important for a nation but it cannot bring happiness if a
person is jobless and have no money. “
“The people who are living in the area which is Natural and Environmentally Degraded are most
vulnerable. The whole population has to suffer Nature and Environmental Degradation. Even political
stability also cannot solve this problem if Nature and Environment are Degraded.”
“Because of the defective social state family bonds, respect of others, friendly relation between
neighbors are broken and the same things are happening with the drug addicted people.”
“Overpopulation is also a big problem who creates poverty. Because of overpopulation, people cannot
meet their basic need. And if the political situation is not good in the country the young generation gets
involved in many crimes which are destroying our society.”
PEDP:
Roksana: “If people can fulfill the basic needs in their life then they can be happy even in a defective
Social State.”
Bilkis: “If everyone can meet their basic needs then there will be no defective Social State.”
Tahmina: “Inequalities in the society arise if the basic needs aren't met.”
Shujon: “Most of the people became physically or mentally ill for having tension. When people cannot
fulfill their main needs and basic needs then they have mental pressure and tension.”
Jahangir: “If I can give everything to my family I will be tension free. So the basic need is most
important in my life.”
Rafiqul: “If a father doesn’t have any job or any income source then he cannot give the facilities to his
children. So for fulfilling the basic needs, people must need a job and money.”
Jahangir: “I also think that having a job and earning money is the most important thing in life. My
income is not enough for my family needs; if my wife also could have a job then it would be very
helpful for the family. “
Shefali: “Due to lack of good governance, people are not getting their rights.”
Rumana: “Due to lack of good governance people cannot get justice even if they are educated and they
also cannot fulfill their basic needs.”
Shujon: “Lack of good governance is most intolerable than the Defective social state. If there is good
governance there will be no defective society. “
INTERMEDIATE REPORT MODULE 4, CHILDREN

Rohingyas P 7
Mamun said: ”In Myanmar Rakhanis and Militaries tortured us, killed our relatives, Rakhanis and
Militaries cut off Rohingya people’s hands and legs. For saving ours lives we had to hide in jungle.
There was no food in the Jungle. We became very weak because of lack of food. Now we are in
Bangladesh and Bangladesh is really very hot for us. The temperature is too high and we feel it could
burn our skin”.

Hafez said: ”In Myanmar, I was going to school. But Rakhains and Militaries didn’t let us go to
school. In Bangladesh we also cannot go to school for money. His keyword was “No education
rights”, “Due to lack of money cannot have education”,

Begum said :”When we were hiding in the jungle Rakhines and militaries attacked us in the jungle.
Many Rohingyas killed by Rakhains and Militaries. Somehow we escaped in Bangladesh. My father is
the only person who could earn for the family, but he is ill now. I have five more sisters. There is no
one in our family who can work outside and earn some money”.

Nur Banu said: ”We had to leave our country because Militaries burned our houses. Rakhains killed our
relatives. Many women have been tortured. Many women were gang raped by Militaries”. “We
couldn’t sleep at night because of being scared”, “girls and women couldn’t use any cosmetics and
couldn’t wear good cloths/be well dressed (for the fear of being raped)”. After long time I can
eventually sleep safely in Bangladesh.”

Hasina said:” There is no older person in our family who can take care of us who can earn money. I
have three sisters and two small brothers”.

Milon Night School for children into child labor p 17

These quotes are given as explanation of what children say in the report, I turned the into quotes

Aysha: “I work as a house maid with my mother. In the afternoon I sell cake. Like oil made cake, bapa
cake and chitoye cake.”

Tamanna “My mother works as a brick breaker and I am studying.”

Shojib ” there is a place in Dhaka named Islampur there I work in a cloth shop”.

Shadad: “city people get water from the government water supply. In the city, the rich people have a
motor pump to get water. Illegally, rich people get a connection from the government water supply. So
as water supplying from the government is meant for all, the rich people gather much water in their
tank. As a result, the poor people don’t get enough pure water.”

Aysha:”We are many people but the huts are small. We are 4/5 members our family but one small hut
which is not enough for us all to sleep.”
Shewly said: ” we don’t have own land for a hut. It’s painful in my mind. Me and my family we have to
sleep in a rented house. So one big part of our whole income is spent to pay for the rent.”

Bristi : “In our society, we see many children who are orphans. There is nobody who can support
them.é

Aysha: “I don’t like the environment of the hut because my father always busy with his work. I don't
have a mother and I am alone at home.”

Shojib said, “Lack of sister’s love”. He said I have no sister, so I am deprived of sister love.”

Nargis : “I can’t buy storybook, that’s why I can’t read it. I want to read a storybook. My mother works
in another house as a housemaid. She can’t give me money to buy storybook.”

Lamia: “In my school, we have teachers but we need a better teacher to get the best education.
After school, my mind does not want to go to work.”

Shewly: “I don’t like school benches. In our school, we don’t have enough benches to sit. The benches
what we have, also not good. Most of them are broken.”

Lamia said, “Lack of help in education. My father is a tea seller. He has a very low income. He can’t
afford my education expenses such as private lesson, school fee, uniform, books, pen. He and my other
family members are not educated. So at home, nobody can help me, in my study.”

Bristi : “I am studying now, but I think that I will not be able to study at the college or university
because my father is a van (tricycle) driver. We don’t have other income.”

Shewly: “I don’t like to make a quarrel with others in school. I want to study there”

Tamanna: “Education expenses are very high in Bangladesh, especially in Dhaka. For this reason, the
children who are living in poverty can’t go to school. The children who have to work or the children
who live in the slum area can’t go to school.”

Nargis said: ”The environment getting damage by Iron and cement. Now people make are making
buildings instead of bamboo/straw/wood/tin made houses. People are cutting the trees and forest. Also,
the machines which are producing iron rod and cement, polluting the air by leaving black smoke in the
air.”

Lamia “The sound of machines makes problem. There are a lot of mill-factory, a lot of garment
factories in Dhaka. In these factories, people are using a lot of machines and those machines are
making a huge noise. So it’s very hard for poor people to study or to sleep.”

Shewly : “I don’t like the noise pollution. In my area, the density of people is very high. Some are
cooking, some are talking loudly, some are playing music, children are screaming etc. So it is always
noisy. I don’t feel comfortable here.”

Shojib said,” I don’t like garbage”. He explained that city people are throwing plastic, poly ethylen,
household rubbish here and there. There are no enough dustbins. The bad smell is always coming to our
house. Tamanna said, my neighbor’s children watch TV in high volume. My another neighbor’s has a
small shop. So from the shop with the TV always loud, the sound is coming to our hut. It’s very
difficult for me to concentrate on studying..”

Bristi: "my father is a van driver. Though he wants to work every day. He does not get work every day.
We don’t have another income source. We have a bamboo/wood/tin made a hut. We don’t have
electricity. That’s why the hut is hot almost all the time. It’s hard for us to sleep there.”

Emon: “I can’t go to school on time because of work. I work in a pant’s factory. Sometimes I feel tired
after work. I don’t get leave from my work the same time every day. Sometimes I can’t come back
home in time because of the traffic jam. That’s why I can’t go to school on time.”

Shahadad said, “I don’t like to see the broken roads. In my area all roads are broken. We can’t walk
throw by them, we can’t drive bicycle there. In rainy session they go under water. Nobody is trying to
repair them.”

Shojib said,” I feel afraid to back from my work. I work in a small fabric shop. It’s far away from my
house. I get leave from my work at 10 pm at night then I feel fear to comeback home alone.”

Emon: “I work in a pant’s factory; where I have to work with a big machine. But it is a risky job, my
hand can be cut by that machine anytime.”

Shojib: “I work in a fabric shop. Many times I need to cut the fabric by scissor. Sometimes I feel fear to
cut my fingers.”

Aysha: “I work as a household in other houses. But rich people don’t allow me to use their toilet. I have
no other option. So when I work, all the time I feel afraid.”

Shojib: “I don’t like the people who take the bribe. In Bangladesh, many people take bribe which
makes poor people poorer. “

Shanta said: “I don’t like those people who disturb the girls. There are many stupid people who are
narrow-minded and disturb the girls in many ways. Because of them, girls don’t feel comfortable.”

Shojib:“My family members don’t hear what I say. My family members do not want to listen to my
words. They always think that my opinion is not important.”

Nargis:” I feel sorry to hear my parents cry. My elder brother who is addicted. He is grown enough up,
but he is not making any income. Sometimes he gets aggressive on my parents to get money from them
to buy drugs.”

Shewly “I feel bad because of the family’s misunderstanding. I feel bad when I see one is blaming on
others without reason.“

Emon said,”I don’t find my job interesting. I want to study, I want to go to school regularly. I don’t
want to work every day.”

Shojib said:”I don’t feel comfortable to work alone. When I work alone, I feel boring. I can’t talk to
anyone.”
Shahadad: “People criticize me because I am the oldest among the students in my class. When I go to
school then people make fun of me, they say: this one is oldest but still going to school".

Shahadad said, “Lack of cooperation from relatives. My grandmother wanted to sell a bit of cultivation
land. But the buyer cheated with her and took her hut land. Her relatives or neighbors did not help her.”

Shewly said: ”Prejudice”.In my area there is a man, people call him Ozha (Shaman), people also
believe him . To get rid of from diseases people go to him.”

SK Hospital Slum, Mymensingh P 27

“Children from the rich family go to school and continuing their study but children from a poor family
are getting married early because of poverty.”

“As all thechildren were playing, one of my friends was sitting alone. He was very sad. When we asked
him why, he said he didn’t have lunch not even breakfast because there is no food in their house. When
we offered him food from our home, he didn’t accepted.“

“The school walls were broken by a storm and also the school was damaged. There is nobody who can
rebuild the wall and fix the damage.”

“The slum is very noisy. This is a bad environment for study. Children cannot concentrate on their
study in such a noisy place.”

“There is no electricity in the slum. In the summer it is intolerable to stay in this congested area.”

“The elder children do not get clothes at any festival because they have younger brothers and sisters.
Parents can not afford new clothes for all of them. In this situation, most of the time elders do not get
clothes.”

“Elder sister did not complete her study due to lack of money but she works for the younger sister to
study. She works as a housekeeper.”

“Poor people always have been neglected by the rich people. Rich people even don't behave well with
the poor.”

“It is very painful for me that my younger sister had died after her birth. When my mother was
pregnant, she did not have food properly.”

“If they get sick they do not get help from others because they are not aware. The slum is very noisy.
This is a bad environment for study. Children cannot concentrate on their study in such a noisy place.”

“Every year thousands of crops are damaged due to haistorms. Because of this farmers are affected
badly, the government does not pay any compensation. “

Huzurikanda School, Huzurikana,Nakla,Sherpur p 36

Ripon drew a picture of a farmer. He said” This farmer is very poor. He needs some laborer who can
help him in the field but due to lack of money he has to do everything alone. There is another person in
my drawing, he is going to the forest to collect fire woods because he has no money to bye firewood”

Riad: “My father is working so hard. There is no one who can help my father. I want to help my father
but my father don’t want me to work because it is very tough work and it could harm for me”

Simla:”Due to natural disaster, flash flood and river erosion we lost our crops and land. My father took
a big loan for repairing our house. Now he is worried how he is going to pay it back”.

Shila: “There is no space for kids in small houses. Children want to play in a big playground, but it is
not possible for those who live in the city”.

“We don’t like to see anybody talking aloud or shouting at us in the school “

Practinioners, Mymensingh, mod 4, p 51

Sultana said” lack of safety,” “I’m a service holder, my child alone at home. There is no one who can
take care of my kid.”
Nobin said”Stigma,” “ When a woman gives birth to a disabled child, we always blame the woman.”
“My uncle was quarreling with his neighbor and suddenly my uncle was injured very badly then he had
to go to the hospital. They were quarreling just for an egg because my uncle was very poor.”
“Farmers can not cultivate their crops due to lack of water in summer, they don't have enough money to
buy a water pump. “

MOK session Module 4

Comparison of dimensions children: p 66

Arifa: If there is no security in human life then basic needs will not help them get rid of fear.

Practitioners
Tahmina: “I couldn’t study more because I have many siblings. My father's income was nor good
enough to effort all my siblings educational cost. My mother used to work at another house. My parents
neither could give us time because every day they have to go to work and run after money. For me,
Money is the most intolerable thing.”