Project Dalit

Nuheen Khan, Photo: Courtesy

Nuheen Khan, with his small group of volunteers, started working with the Dalit community in Natore in 2012.  Running a project that involves the Dalit community was not easy to do. People's attitudes  toward the subaltern community has always fallen under a stereotype. He has been fighting against all the conventional ideas persisting in the society. Thus, the idea to educate the subaltern people has given birth to a noble organisation Garbo Bangladesh Foundation (GBF) on December 15, 2012.

Nuheen says, "I needed an organisational setup to carry out my work. I talked to some of my friends who are into social work, and with their help I set up Garbo Bangladesh Foundation." Natore is his father's hometown, and his uncle and other relatives provided the required local support to carry out the project.

Since its inception, Project Dalit has been providing educational support to 70 harijon children. On the other hand, the Dalit Alternate Livelihood programme trains 8 Dalit women on sewing craft. "We touch the lives of everyone in the community (about five hundred) some way or another."

The "Dalit Alternate Livelihood" programme started on October 23, 2014. One of his uncles, Abdus Salam, who has been awarded the Ekushey Padak for his contribution in the language movement, came forward to help him.  With Abdus Salam's, financial aid GBF is currently providing sewing training to eight Dalit women in Natore. "Our goal is simple. We want to help Dalit community members to enter different job sectors, and we provide the required training and business setup consultancy." Nuheen is trying to build an income model for the Dalit women. He believes that only economic independence can change their situation and can print a firm stand in the society. He says, "I believe in working with a community first, understanding their problems, and then developing localised solutions to those problems. Grand development theories just don't work here."

The first component of the model is to establish a quality school in the colony. Well educated, hygiene conscious students can send a big message to the mainstream society and at the same time it will help change people's perceptions, Nuheen believes. A proud young man, Nuheen's eyes glitter while sharing the success of his Dalit students, "Our students have already won prizes in district level school competitions for a stage performance. I believe they can go even farther if we extend our support."

The Dalit Alternate Livelihood programme will help break the notion that Dalits only have to sweep and clean. GBF's other projects are in the pipeline; these will address issues such as community hygiene, beautification of the colony and so on.