Where no one has worked before : innovations behind WaterAid’s WASH work in Bangladesh tea garden communities

Considered to be one of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups in Bangladesh, the tea pickers of the northeast have historically eluded development interventions. Tea pickers reside in communities within the large tea estates, and are beyond the reach of government or non- government organisations (NGOs). WaterAid in Bangladesh and local partner IDEA explain how they have successfully brought water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) to the tea pickers and their community despite the institutional and attitudinal barriers of tea garden managers and owners. The program inspired the construction of community latrines and developed resource centres to engage adults, teenagers and children in WASH issues using theatre, music, discussion, play and literature. This program is a remarkable example of how practitioners can use persistent advocacy and innovative approaches to reach communities that otherwise lie beyond mainstream development activities. Lessons from this program have also been incorporated into a report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to water and sanitation. [authors abstract]

This case study is one of sixteen from the Towards Inclusive WASH series, supported by AusAID’s Innovations Fund.