Where We Work

Savings program for sex workers (Photo: Gazi Nafis Ahmed, Save the Children Australia)

Bangladesh

Creating Access to Alternative Life Choices for the women and children of Daulatdia brothel (CAAB) project

The Creating Access to Alternative Life Choices for the women and children of Daulatdia brothel (CAAB) project began helping sex workers in 2001, aiming to improve the psychosocial condition of women and children living in Bangladesh’s largest brothel.  Save the Chidren Australia is working together with Save the Children New Zealand to deliver this project.

Children are provided with:

  • access to basic education through a primary school – both children from the brothel and children from the wider community attend the school
  • vocational training and/or linkage with existing training centres in fields such as leather craft, driving and carpentry for boys
  • six early childhood development centres give children aged between three and eight a space to learn and play
  • life skills education enabling them to protect themselves from potential exploitation and abuse e.g. sex education.

It also helps women in prostitution by:

  • providing basic education and literacy opportunities 
  • a savings program enables sex workers to deposit and withdraw money as they need to.  This gives them greater financial security and independence, as well as giving them the opportunity to plan for their future and the future of their children
  • alternative income-generating opportunities
  • reducing the number of sexually transmitted diseases through education
  • providing information on nutrition and child rearing.

Working with local partner NGOs, Save the Children Australia also assists a committee of local women to influence change within the brothel.  Changes achieved include a cemetery from the brothel community, a savings program and anti-discrimination campaigns to help integrate the children into society.

 

Download the Creating Access to Alternative Life Choices fact sheet [Adobe PDF, 123 Kb].

 

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