Shokhi for improving health, legal and information services to urban slums
Emdadul Hoque Howlader
Emdadul Hoque Howlader
Rapid urbanization raises many concomitant social, economic, public health, environmental, and health system challenges especially in slums areas of mega city like Dhaka. Rising infectious and non-communicable diseases, unsafe housing, transportation and physical environments, lack of access to affordable and quality health services are the key challenges to meet. Moreover, inequity in opportunities found everywhere that are compounded by poverty, race, ethnicity, gender, age, migration status and place of inhabitation etc.
WHO estimated that 828 million people represented by the persistence of urban slums worldwide. The latest census report in Bangladesh says 1.06 million people live in urban slums in Dhaka and massive influx of the poor people routinely turn to slums and squatter settlements for shelter. These slum areas are often left out of major city networks for access to health-care and legal services. As a developing nation, government alone cannot provide all the services to meet their needs. For supplementing government, many NGOs are involved in slum improvement activities.
Shokhi, a consortium project of four NGOs is one of them. Consortium members are: Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) is for legal aid services and policy advocacy, WE CAN Bangladesh (Amrai Pari) is for social mobilization, information service and media campaign, Marie Stopes Bangladesh (MSB) for health awareness and health information services and Bangladesh Womens Health Coalition (BWHC) for satellite based sexual and reproductive health services.
Shokhi works together with women in urban slum communities giving them a friendly support, enable them to raise their voice for protection of their rights and empower them to improve their daily lives.
Shokhi in health awareness
A typical conservative society like us, women are very much timid and shy to tell their health problems especially reproductive health to others. Also they are not well educated about the issue. Health workers, working in SHOKHI project visit door to door to create awareness among the slum women about primary knowledge on reproductive health and also provide the necessary health services.
As Nasrin Begum (32) from Korail bosti, Dhaka said:
I was suffering dermatitis in my pelvic region since last two years with rash, infection and pain. And it made my life despondent. My husband got the wrong idea about me. My conjugal life became disrupted.
I told it to my husband. He then brought me to a local doctor. I took some medicines as advised by the doctor but the result was not satisfactory. Situation went worse to us, especially in our marital life. In February 2016, I attended a change maker meeting organized by Shokhi project and got the information about their services and some necessary hygiene issues. I visited a paramedic working in that project. After taking his advice and some medicine, my condition was improving rapidly. Finally, I get fit and am leading a happy connubial life.
For women, illness makes them susceptible and helpless against domestic violence and abuse. Shokhi is paying back a healthy life to lots of women living in squalid slums in this city through their comprehensive services including awareness building, health and legal services.
Shokhi works for legal and information services
On 17 November 2017, my husband Zillur Rahman Zakir demanded 200,000 taka as dowry to me. He is a side conductor of a building construction farm. I was unable to afford it though I gave him a big portion of my earnings several times before. On a stage of hassling, he stabbed me ferociously in my different body parts. He cut my tendon of my wrist. I got severe injury. While screaming loudly, some of my neighbour came forward to help me out and brought me to the nearest hospital. After filing a case against my husband, police came and arrested him. Situation went worse when I lost my working ability. I, then went to Shokhi project for legal support. Shokhis paralegal worker recorded my words and sent me to BLAST head office. They hired a panel lawyer for me. The case is now under investigation by the police.
- said Nargis (36), Boro Jutar Potti, Mohakhali slum, Dhaka
In our society, women are not considered equal to their male partner. In general thinking is that they are always dependent to male. So, they cannot avail all the benefits and rights independently. Shokhis field workers and panel lawyers are always trying to change this mindset among the mass.
Shokhi focuses:
Preventive and protective services
One Stop shop for health, legal and information services
Doorstep services and awareness through mobile field based paralegals, information facilitators, paramedics and health facilitators
Evening services for working women
Emphasis on womens economic and social empowerment
Solidarity building among women, girls and men in the community to overcome social, economic, and legal barriers
Research and advocacy for reforming laws, policies and practices for SRHR issues
At present, Shokhis skilled paralegals, paramedics and facilitators are working individually among the slum dwellers and they are in believe that the life of these
impoverished people will change positively soon.
