SLUM WELFARE COOPERATIVE SOCIETY

Example of:

• Community Initiated and Managed Program

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Increasing landlessness in rural areas is causing the rapid growth of cities in Bangladesh. As a result of the huge pressure on urban resources, slums are growing. In eastern Dhaka, residents of the slum community of Khilagaon banded together to form the “Provati Bastee Kalyan Samabaya Samity,” or Slum Welfare Cooperative Society, to deal with the problems they faced.

This endeavour illustrates that there is enough room for both public and private sector participation in the urban affairs.

• “improve their shelters;
• construct on-site, affordable infrastructure, particularly services like water, access roads, drains, sanitary latrines and energy supply; and
• acquire land elsewhere to resettle other members of the Society” (ADB, 1).

The Society was able to raise funds for improvements despite the low income level of members.

“Employment generation and household income have been increasing, partially as a result of the activation of the Society” (ADB, 2).

Infrastructure improvements met with resistance due to the fear of higher rents. However, gradual improvements are being made by individual homeowners and a small plot has been purchased by the Society as a resettlement site for some of their members.