One of the most rewarding parts of a business is being able to build on previous success and help others. Ken did just that at the beginning of 2017, visiting Bangladesh. After seeing the need in the communities he visited, Ken felt a burning desire to do something more and partnered with a local pastor to help mothers and their children living in poverty.
The goal was to provide daily support and autonomy to women and their children who struggled daily and were often pushed into lives they did not control. Ken and Home Comfort USA could fully fund and build a community center within this community – a brothel area in Bangladesh.
The Goal of the Bangladesh Community Center
The new community center was designed to support education and daily activity for the children in this community. Providing daily school and devotionals, the community center has become an important part of the region.
Home Comfort USA is proud to have fully funded the teachers’ salary, daily meals, shoes and clothing for the children in the area, many of whom had none of these things previously. By partnering and working with local pastors, we were able to identify the core needs of the community and provide support in the way that could help most.
The Needs are Still Many
While the community center is complete and there has been some relief for those living here, there are still many needs with several additional projects pending.
Beyond support in daily life, our goal is to bring self-dependency to the women here who currently work in prostitution to support their families. To do this, three acres of land are needed, on which they can farm goats, cattle, fish, and chickens. By providing a space to earn a living and a source of new livelihood, the goal is to support these women in being with their children and living independent lives.
In addition to the land and means to support themselves, basic services such as a free medical camp are needed in the region as well. This medical camp would serve more than 400 women and children with 4 MBBS Doctors, Dentists, Women’s Specialists, Nurses, and Pharmacists. While volunteers have already stepped forward, funds are needed to support the camp expenses and ensure the resources are in place to provide for the community center expansion.
The Future for a Community Looking Forward
Ken was touched by his time spent in Bangladesh, and Home Comfort USA has been able to provide something in the lives of a community of women that struggles to make ends meet, resorting to prostitution just to care for their children. It’s heartening to see children in this community have a place to attend school and pursue a future, and we hope and pray for the support needed to take the next step in providing more resources to this community.
