Supporting communities to reduce risks and improve their livelihoods

When Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh in 2017 they were immediately helped by families living in one of the most impoverished and vulnerable regions of the country. Incoming displaced people outnumbered the population of Cox’s Bazar by almost 3 to 1, putting and immense pressure on land, water and the local economy. Currently, one million refugees live in crowded camps, with little prospect to return home. A “forgotten” crisis worsened by the increasing risk of cyclones, flash floods and landslides that threaten the lives and livelihoods of the Rohingya and the host community, fueling potential conflicts.

Better preparation to face emergencies

Helvetas works with Rohingya refugees and host communities to strengthen their resilience to natural disasters, improve their economic opportunities, and to foster social cohesion. Resilience starts with ensuring people can safely reach schools, markets and health centers. That’s why communities in villages and camps participate in short-term cash-for-work activities by cleaning drainage ditches, repairing roads, pathways and stairs damaged by rain, or planting bamboo trees to control soil erosion. Residents, together with local authorities, decide which interventions are more urgent and who among the most disadvantaged in the community will be employed to complete the works.

Communities are also engaged in mapping the risks from cyclones, flash floods and other environmental hazards to develop a disaster response plan. Families and local authorities discuss together the possible impacts and decide the necessary measures to mitigate them.

In host communities, we work in particular with schools to promote a culture of safety. School Disaster Management Committees comprised of students and teachers develop plans to better respond to natural disasters and emergencies, and they also collaborate to make schools a safer place for everybody, for example by organizing activities to raise awareness on child marriage. Boys and girls in refugee camps work on the same issues through interactive popular theatre and other activities.

Economically empowering women

In Rohingya camps there are very few green areas and families do not have many opportunities to cultivate a garden. But with the appropriate agroecological techniques it is possible to grow nutritious food even in very small spaces. With the help of Local Service Providers (LSPs) from host communities, we accompany Rohingya women to start their own vegetable production, sometimes just in a few bags or on a strip of land outside the shelter. LSPs organize trainings on how to prepare the seed bed, a sack bag or control pests with organic methods and they regularly visit growers to offer individual advice. Through these exchanges Rohingya and local communities have more chances to build trust and foster social cohesion.

In host communities, besides supporting families to start their vegetable gardens with the assistance of LSPs, we also work with small farmers to boost their opportunities to sell their produce to markets, supermarkets and restaurants, thereby improving their family’s income.  

The economic activities in the second phase of the SHINE project focus in particular on empowering vulnerable and marginalized women. They are supported through entrepreneurial skills trainings, the development of safe and inclusive spaces for income generation, and fostering market linkages for women-led businesses.