The Kuakata

Sisters excel in prawn hatching programme

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Sisters excel in prawn hatching program

The Bangladesh Youth Employment Pilot program is educating young men and women to work in the prawn hatcheries. Among the students, the sisters Rina and Lipi, stand out and excel despite of a challenging background.

Rina and Lipi work at a hatchery in Kuakata

Two sisters have excelled in the Bangladesh Youth Employment Pilot program, and they hope to go even further in the future. Rina and Lipi come from a family of four girls, their family has no land and their farther works as a van-puller. This background means that they are among the lowest in Bangladesh in terms of income and respect. Therefore participation in the Bangladesh Youth Employment Pilot program is “do or die” for Rina and Lipi as their economic situation cannot improve without employment. The program is therefore an opportunity to help them not only to survive but to thrive.

With the support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Working for Better Life has, so far, introduced 73 girls to the male dominated world of prawn hatching. The girls in the program are 18-30 years-old, and come from backgrounds with acute poverty and family crises. The project will in total educate 360 youths in two sessions, the first 45 days and the second 25 days.

Both sisters are highly regarded by the trainers. Despite their background they have proven ability and capacity to achieve and have shown inspirational dedication and academic results. The sisters hope to find employment upon completing the program either through job offers or farm loans. Although none of their family members work within the fishing industry the girls are curious to explore it as they see it as a means to achieve self reliance and do something on their own.

In the cities of Banladesh 100s of girls have joined factories and are now doing what is considered mens’ work but this has taken time. Entering women into the hatcheries will also take time. Because of this, the girls realise that working alongside men in the hatcheries may pose problems with for example hassling or security. In order to avoid this, the Bangladesh Youth Employment Pilot has talked to both the men and women about these problems and how to solve them. Rina and Lipi are aware of the issues but feel confident that a mixed-sex group of employees would provide them with conditions they could feel confident with. The sisters even see the opportunity of finding husbands within the prawn hatching industry. It is because of girls like these that the project has faith in that it will chance the lives of some and open the doors for many women, states the local coordinator, Mostafa Shiblee who is also the Managing Director of Shiblee Hatchery & Farms Ltd (SHFL), the host hatchery in Kuakata.