Like many women in Bangladesh, Nurjahan was married at a very young age. Her husband died when their only son was three years old. 58 years old Nurjahan now lives with her son and daughter in-law at Savar. She contributes in managing the family by the earning from her grocery shop. During lockdown imposed for curbing COVID-19, their family was affected badly. Her son who is a garment worker lost his job. The whole family was dependent on her income.
“My grocery shop was shut down most of the time during lockdown as I could not afford to buy grocery items for my shop. The cash I received from SEEP during this crisis has helped to start my business again.”
The impact of COVID-19 on the livelihoods of urban poor, particularly those who are working in the informal sector is acute.
39 years old Johora is the only earning person of her family. “My husband left me when my youngest daughter was of 2 months. I survived with lots of struggle and somehow managed to run my family.” Her three daughters are married now. She lives with her youngest daughter at Kornopara, ward 6, Savar.
Johora runs her tailoring and clothing selling business at her home. “The rate of buying clothes during pandemic is low. I rarely find customer come to me for stitching dresses. My daily income has been almost stopped. During this crisis, borrowing money from relatives or neighbor is impossible. After getting the Cash Support from SEEP, I managed to pay the due money to the grocery and registration fee of my youngest daughter.”
310 vulnerable families including Johora and Nurjahan got Cash Support of BDT 4500 through mobile transfer in Savar Municipal area under the Hygiene and Behaviour Change Coalition (HBCC) Project Supported by Unilever and implemented by Save the Children in Bangladesh in partnership with Social and Economic Enhancement Programme-SEEP.
Hazi Md. Abdul Gani, Mayor, Savar Municipality said, “We are very delighted that SEEP and Save the Children has come forward to support the vulnerable people, especially women during the pandemic. I believe that they will able to utilize the money to manage their family and tackle the present situation”
