Sajeda, 28, lives with her husband in Block K–10 of Camp 18 in Cox's Bazar. She fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh about a year and a half ago in the face of fear and atrocities. Her fearful life started seeing a gradual change over the period of time since she started visiting the Multi-Purpose Women Center (MPWC) facilitated by ActionAid. 

Sajeda attended various sessions offered from the center to raise awareness and information. She learned basic literacy skills, empowerment and leadership skills, food and nutrition, disaster risk reduction in life skills sessions. She learned about child marriage at the awareness sessions, HIV, nutrition, reproductive health and vaccine, family planning, water purification, cyclone preparedness and so on. MPWC staff helps her with information and other support whenever she needs. She also received a Dignity kit which helped in meeting her sanitary needs.

Photo: ActionAid Bangladesh

 
 “My husband now allows me to work and he values my effort and contribution in the family.”

Sajeda is now more confident in speaking up and taking a stand for her rights and for the rights of other women in the community. She aspires to improve her skills, learn about business, to support her family as well as to become financially solvent. She is committed to train other women and contribute to their economic empowerment. She is emerging as a women leader in the community through her aspirations and engagements. She is one of the women who are leading other women to the CiC office for finding solutions to their problems and for raising their voice. She says, “my husband now allows me to work and he values my effort and contribution in the family.”