Lalmonirhat

Last week we were in Lalmonirhat and I we had the opportunity to few different projects but for the most part they were similar to what we've seen in other RDRS working areas. 

One project really stood out for me. We went to the home of one of the girls who had finished the program at the Women's Rehabilitation centre in Rangpur. Now, She makes clothes in her village. She is a survivor of domestic violence as a result of dowry issues, and is now making her own money thanks to the training she received from RDRS. Although she hopes to get married again some point in her life, she expressed how happy she is to be in her father's house and being able to provide for herself and her family. As if that's not enough, she has been teaching other women in the village to makes clothes for all ages so that they too can make ends-meet. Her's is a success story. But that's not what stuck with me. 

After talking to her and hearing her story and how hard her life was; getting married at a young age, the abuse from her in laws etc,we also spoke to her father. Regardless of what his eldest daughter has been through, he told us that now he's thinking about marrying off his younger, 14yr old daughter because that would be one less mouth to feed. It truly made me sad to hear this, especially considering that this is probably the most successful outcome of the rehabilitation.

It got me thinking a lot about the type of rehabilitation offered and how important it is for RDRS to extend their program to the victim's family and community. Clearly it's not just about the individual but there is a deeper problem to be addressed here.