Women with disabilities in Bangladesh marching forward
Women with disabilities (WWD) have been marching forward with capabilities and commendable role in different arenas of development in Bangladesh. They are gaining prominence day by day and lighting the way forward.

Ranjana selected as International Bridge Builder of Harvard University
Umme Kulsum Ranjana, has been prestigiously selected as one among ten International Bridge Builders of Harvard University for her contribution in organizing women with disabilities’ rights movement in Bangladesh. Ranjana is a woman with physical disability and the President of Protibondhi Narider Jatio Parishad (National Council of Disabled Women-NCDW) a nation-wide network of organizations working with the women with disabilities in Bangladesh. Now Ranjona is participating in the International Conference of Bridge Builders at Harvard University, USA to deliver her speech on Experiences of Mobilizing Women with Disabilities in Rural Bangladesh held on 6-10 April 2009. Ranjona is the first Bangladeshi woman who has been selected for this award.

This year’s Bridge Builders will come from a diverse array of countries. They bring with them a wealth of experience on critical issues such as social enterprise, rural development and women’s rights. The conference is a rare opportunity for those interested in policy to share the knowledge and practical perspectives of ten incredible individuals who are successfully creating better lives for their own communities.

The 2009 International Bridge Builders Conference invites innovative pioneers from around the world to share their successes in fostering positive social change within and beyond their communities. These leaders are the ‘Bridge Builders’: rare individuals who cultivate solidarity between the multiple stakeholders involved in international development, grassroots movements, and social justice campaigns. This year, the 10 Bridge Builders exemplify commitment to public service and bring to Harvard a wealth of practical experience on many critical issues.

Nine other Bridge Builders are Gildo Cuamba from Mozambique, Veronique Kittirath from Laos, Robeto Killmeate from Argentina, Frederick Ouko Alucheli from Kenya (person with physical disability), Jacquelyn Akello from Uganda, Harman Kaur Sharda from India, Mitslal Haile-Selassie from Ethiopia, Fernando Figueroa Solano from Bolivia and Magda de Castro from Costa Rica.

For further information please visit at
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/kssgorg/bridgebuilders/Site/the_bridge_builders.html


Masuma’s 13th Solo Painting Exhibition is going on

13th Solo Painting Exhibition ‘My Dream’ of Masuma Khan started at Gallery Zoom of Alliance Francaise de Dhaka on 3 April 2009 and will continue until 17 April 2009. Masuma Khan, a woman with severe physical disability, who has been recognized as a renowned painter in Bangladesh. She started painting at her very childhood at the age of three. Previously she was awarded President’s Medal as a talented child artist; Jaycees Prize; Anonna Award as the recognition of one among ten best women personalities in Bangladesh. Masuma got her graduation degree from the Institute of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka.
Masuma Khan’s 13th Solo Exhibition includes 18 paintings. She obviously loves to experiment with form in many of the works presented at the exhibition. She tried for a blending of the abstract with the reality which made her paintings interesting. Love as human emotion pervades all her paintings. The artist deals with the subject with her own style. The other aspect of her paintings is the hope that she always gives out.

At present she teaches painting including students with disability/special needs at South Breeze School, Dhanmondi, Dhaka.
Contact of Masuma Khan: 7114638, 01711678483

Spondon Get-together and PWDs' Excursion held

`Spondon Friends’ Circle’ organized a get-together and excursion on 27 March 2009 at the Pine Forest of National Botanical Garden, Dhaka Bangladesh. People with disabilities from diverse background and types enthusiastically participated in this auspicious event. People with disabilities gathered in this event to learn each other, make individual friends & fellows to share their knowledge and experiences to find their common matters where they can help each other to address their own challenges.
“Spondon Friends’ Circle” is an effort of AWDP-Bangladesh to create an avenue for free sharing of information, experiences, views and opinion on the issues of their own and to strengthen their relation and friendship among all categories of PWDs at very individual level.

During this get together a festive environment was created at Pine Forest where people with disabilities enjoyed full freedom of their choice for sharing and performing things whatever they liked to (talking, chatting, singing and other performance). Participants celebrated birthdays of ten PWD friends and marriage anniversaries of three PWD members of the Friends’ Circle. It was a very exceptional and emotional event that ever-held among people with disabilities in Bangladesh. They also celebrated marriage of a couple with blindness Jolly and Shohel who have been newly married. They participated in ‘Spondon Friends’ Circle get-together for the first time. They mentioned that it was an amazing experience for them to feel the warmth of friendship from Spondon Friends.

Participants felicitated Jannatul Ferdous Ivy for her excellent literary works and two publications during the Ekushe Book Fair in February, one of which was bi-lingual. (her blogsite is http://jannativy.blogspot.com). It’s a great blessing of almighty Allah that Ivy could save her life just before a couple of days when she was attacked and badly injured by a group of miscreants. She attended the event though she wasn't fully cured. Participants wished her early recovery. PWD Freinds also felicitated Antora Ahmed for her big achievement, promotion to the post of AVP of AB Bank Foreign Remittance Department. She is the first PWD who could reach up to this level in the Banking sector in Bangladesh. (her blogsite is http://antorabd.blogspot.com)

There was no preset agenda for this get-together. But the participants shared on many issues. Prevailing scenario of opportunities of participation in the socio-cultural and recreational activities of all categories of PWDs, accessibility issues, challenges/barriers of getting married/having conjugal lives by PWDs, real understanding of the category specific difficulties and limitations of PWDs, advantage and limitations of group affiliation of people with same types of disabilities and others.

The venue Pine Forest was a very beautiful, green and natural place of the Botanical Garden where PWDs of all categories got their access to most places. Getting such a favorable environment people with disabilities started talking and chatting from the beginning to the end. Young participants didn’t forget to get aloof at downstairs of lotus pond or behind the bushes in pair. They expressed their feelings by saying that they dreamt for participating in such an event for long and `Spondon Friends’ Circle’ brought their dreams in to reality. 54 participants attended this get-together. The next get-together is expected to be held at an accessible historic place of the country.