South Asia

In May 2010, women leaders from across Bangladesh participated in the Third Women's Convention of The Hunger Project-Bangladesh's Unleashed Women Network. They celebrated their many achievements which included stopping 645 early marriages, testing 13,357 tube wells for arsenic and building sanitary latrines for 7,445 families.

In early March, the Indian upper legislative body passed a constitutional amendment that would require that women hold 33 percent of seats in federal and state legislative assemblies. If passed into law, this amendment would change the landscape of women's rights in India.

A.K Manik is part of our Youth Ending Hunger program in Bangladesh. He has established a library in his village, which is actively used by community members and students. Manik also started a literacy center to teach basic literacy and numeracy to villagers.

Young volunteers from all over Bangladesh came together near Dhaka in November to take part in a leadership training, planned by the British Council. They developed the tools to inspire action in their communities and gain a new awareness of the importance of citizenship.

One unfortunate event after another left Jesmeen drained of assets, deprived of a loved one, and with little prospect for improvement. Still, she never gave up hope for a better future. With the help of THP-Bangladesh, Jesmeen conceived a new vision for her life and gained the skills to put it into action.

Youth in Bangladesh are leading the charge to eradicate hunger. In Dhaka, young THP volunteers formed a "human chain" to commemorate an international event and advocate for progressive change.