Cash-for-work: Building the foundation of better life

Six months ago, Nurul faced one of the most desperate nights of his life. "It was 1:00 am. My wife had labour pains, but there wasn't any transport available, and the roads to the hospital were damaged," Nurul recalls. "With the help of my neighbour, I carried my wife to the station, one-kilometre away from here,  to take her to the hospital."
This situation is common for the pregnant women in the remote village of Hatimura in the Ukhiya sub-district of Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, where Nurul lives.

To help families develop better lives, World Vision, through the USAID-funded Emergency Food Security Program, provides 5,600 BDT (USD 68.21) per month to each of the 4,760 beneficiaries engaged in the cash-for-work program. Together they are repairing 15 kilometers of community roads in the Ukhiya and Teknaf sub-districts of Bangladesh.

Nurul shared his experience earning wages while repairing his village and bringing changes for both. "It was fun working to repair our road and make money from there. The road is for our good, so we worked patiently," says Nurul.

"Since the road is repaired, we have benefited in different ways. Transport service is available in an emergency. Previously, farmers suffered big losses paying high labour costs when selling their crops due to bad transportation services, but with the road repaired, they are making interest now. Fishing and other businesses are also running well recently."
Now, Nurul, 35, is a blessed father of two daughters. His wife Saleha, 23, and the new-born baby are in good health.
Nurul has dreams for his daughters. He has become an active member of the World Vision led Savings for Transformation (S4T) group, where he can save money and take loans for self-help, make interest and get his capital back with interest in a large amount after specific years.

"I want my daughter to be a nurse. When she was born in the hospital, nurses were serving the mother and new-born. They looked nice with their uniforms. My daughter will serve people and will become an example in our village. But I need money to educate her. So, I'm saving money for her from now on," shares Nurul with a happy face.

"I hope nobody will face trouble in emergencies as I had. I am thankful to World Vision for helping us by repairing our village road. It is a great help to us."