The Bangladesh Federation has been running a "Health, Education and Vocational Training Programme" since 1982. Set against a background of extreme rural poverty, in a country where there are few educational opportunities for girls and women, the aim is to provide educational and employment opportunities for rural women and girls.

The project has been a success. BFUW expanded activities offered to add health services for women and children, as well as courses in sewing and tailoring. The current project is based in the village of Moghbazar, where around 50 women and children currently attend the primary education course and the literacy programme. Over 100 women and children benefit every week from medical care. The sewing classes, which are proving popular, have resulted in a number of women successfully establishing their own small tailoring and dressmaking businesses.

During 2008, 50 women received vocational training (sewing, tailoring and dressmaking) and all have since become economically active.  In addition, 25 students benefited from the literacy programme and 30 students were enrolled in the primary education classes.

The following examples show how this project has changed the lives of two beneficiaries

:

"Taslima, aged twenty five, is the wife of an unemployed fisherman, who had to stop his business due to lack of capital.  Taslima, after her training at the BFUW project, bought a sewing machine and started a business of her own, using the help of other project trainees.  Now she is earning enough to keep her family solvent and has been able to help her husband start his business again.  Their daughter is a student at the project."

" Reshma, aged fourteen is the daugher of a fruit seller and domestic worker.  She was admitted to the BFUW project primary classes at the age of six and is now studying in a secondary school with the ambition of obtaining a scholarship for higher secondary education.".