Nature has never made it easy to live in Bangladesh. The country is situated in the low-lying Ganges Delta, formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers, and most of it is less than 10 meters above sea level. The northern part of the country is swamped by annual floods, and the southern coast is battered by cyclones and tornadoes. Millions of people in live in river basins and struggle with the increasing numbers of flooding each year due to the impacts of climate change. According to the Network for Information, Response and Preparedness Activities on Disaster, the 2007 floods saw 332 schools destroyed and 4,893 schools damaged. The floods prevent people from getting access to basic services.
Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha (http://www.shidhulai.org) is working for these people in the flood-prone regions of Natore, Pabna and Sirajganj districts in Bangladesh. Road access is very limited in most parts of the project areas and boats are the only means of transport. Communities live along rivers or canals are mostly the landless, and work as day laborers. The villages have no mains electricity, no telephone lines, very basic sanitation and use water from rivers. Girls and women are not allowed to move around freely due to the cultural norms and many parents and guardians are reluctant to let girls and women travel to distant village or town for education or training. Shidhulai envisions the river ecology as a communications network insisting that, “If the children cannot go to school because of roads going under flood-water, then the school should go to them.'' Shidhulai has converted boats into schools, libraries, healthcare and trainings centers to the isolated waterside communities and bring change to their lives in many ways.
Boat School - New Hopes Against The Impacts Of Climate Change
Village people stand and walk beside the eroding land at Sirajgonj Bangladesh 31 October 2022 Every year hundreds of people become displaced along with their homes agricultural lands school buildings and village clinics due to the impacts of climate change such as flooding river erosion cyclones etc They have been struggling to get a new place to shelter education and health facilities
Boat School - New Hopes Against The Impacts Of Climate Change
A lone dog stands beside an eroding land at Munshigonj Bangladesh 09 November 2022 Every year hundreds of people become displaced along with the homes agricultural lands school buildings and village clinics due to the impacts of climate change such as flooding river erosion cyclones etc They have been struggling to get a new place to shelter education and health facilities
Boat School - New Hopes Against The Impacts Of Climate Change
A fisherman tries to catch fish in front of a damaged building - part of it has already been taken away by the river erosion following a flooding Sirajgonj Bangladesh 01 November 2022 Every year hundreds of people become displaced along with the homes agricultural lands school buildings and village clinics due to the impacts of climate change such as flooding river erosion cyclones etc They have been struggling to get a new place to shelter education and health facilities
Boat School - New Hopes Against The Impacts Of Climate Change
A village girl walks on the dried river bed as she is going to attend her school in a boat Natore Bangladesh 22 November 2022 Every year hundreds of people become displaced along with the homes agricultural lands school buildings and village clinics due to the impacts of climate change such as flooding river erosion cyclones etc They have been struggling to get a new place to shelter education and health facilities Shidhulai has converted boats into schools libraries healthcare and trainings centers to the isolated waterside communities and bring change to their lives in many ways br
Boat School - New Hopes Against The Impacts Of Climate Change
Village girls and boys are in a queue on the dried river bed as they wait to attend their school on a boat Natore Bangladesh 22 November 2022 Every year hundreds of people become displaced along with the homes agricultural lands school buildings and village clinics due to the impacts of climate change such as flooding river erosion cyclones etc They have been struggling to get a new place to shelter education and health facilities Shidhulai has converted boats into schools libraries healthcare and trainings centers to the isolated waterside communities and bring change to their lives in many ways br
Boat School - New Hopes Against The Impacts Of Climate Change
Village girls and boys climb up a small ladder to enter into their school on a boat Natore Bangladesh 22 November 2022 Every year hundreds of people become displaced along with the homes agricultural lands school buildings and village clinics due to the impacts of climate change such as flooding river erosion cyclones etc They have been struggling to get a new place to shelter education and health facilities Shidhulai has converted boats into schools libraries healthcare and trainings centers to the isolated waterside communities and bring change to their lives in many ways
Boat School - New Hopes Against The Impacts Of Climate Change
A school teacher conducts a class for the village girls and boys at a school on a boat Natore Bangladesh 22 November 2022 Every year hundreds of people become displaced along with the homes agricultural lands school buildings and village clinics due to the impacts of climate change such as flooding river erosion cyclones etc They have been struggling to get a new place to shelter education and health facilities Shidhulai has converted boats into schools libraries healthcare and trainings centers to the isolated waterside communities and bring change to their lives in many ways
Boat School - New Hopes Against The Impacts Of Climate Change
A boy reads words after writing it on a black board while attending a class on a boat Natore Bangladesh 22 November 2022 Every year hundreds of people become displaced along with the homes agricultural lands school buildings and village clinics due to the impacts of climate change such as flooding river erosion cyclones etc They have been struggling to get a new place to shelter education and health facilities Shidhulai has converted boats into schools libraries healthcare and trainings centers to the isolated waterside communities and bring change to their lives in many ways
Boat School - New Hopes Against The Impacts Of Climate Change
Boys and girls pose for a group photo along with their teacher after the end of a class on a boat Natore Bangladesh 22 November 2022 The boat school designed with solor panels so that the students can use electricity to use computers Every year hundreds of people become displaced along with the homes agricultural lands school buildings and village clinics due to the impacts of climate change such as flooding river erosion cyclones etc They have been struggling to get a new place to shelter education and health facilities Shidhulai has converted boats into schools libraries healthcare and trainings centers to the isolated waterside communities and bring change to their lives in many ways
Boat School - New Hopes Against The Impacts Of Climate Change
A village tailor shows a girls how to sew clothes as part of skill development training inside the boat school at Natore Bangladesh Many young girls take training to make clothings and try to financially empowered after selling them Natore Bangladesh 21 November 2022 The boat school designed with solor panels so that the students can use electricity to use computers Every year hundreds of people become displaced along with the homes agricultural lands school buildings and village clinics due to the impacts of climate change such as flooding river erosion cyclones etc They have been struggling to get a new place to shelter education and health facilities Shidhulai has converted boats into schools libraries healthcare and trainings centers to the isolated waterside communities and bring change to their lives in many ways
Boat School - New Hopes Against The Impacts Of Climate Change
A visiting doctor from the semi-town does an ECG of a village man inside the boat school at Natore Bangladesh Natore Bangladesh 21 November 2022 Every year hundreds of people become displaced along with the homes agricultural lands school buildings and village clinics due to the impacts of climate change such as flooding river erosion cyclones etc They have been struggling to get a new place to shelter education and health facilities Shidhulai has converted boats into schools libraries healthcare and trainings centers to the isolated waterside communities and bring change to their lives in many ways
Boat School - New Hopes Against The Impacts Of Climate Change
A mother collects medicines for sick her child from the store inside the boat school at Natore Bangladesh Natore Bangladesh 21 November 2022 Every year hundreds of people become displaced along with the homes agricultural lands school buildings and village clinics due to the impacts of climate change such as flooding river erosion cyclones etc They have been struggling to get a new place to shelter education and health facilities Shidhulai has converted boats into schools libraries healthcare and trainings centers to the isolated waterside communities and bring change to their lives in many ways
