As a low-lying country along the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Every year, communities face increasingly severe climate disasters such as cyclones, flooding and saline invasion, which affect their agriculture-based livelihoods. Socially, women in Bangladesh have low social status and gender-based violence is widespread. Particularly, over half of girls in Bangladesh are married before their 18th birthday and consequently drop out of school. Children in poor families are also often deprived of learning opportunities as they struggle to access schools or engage in child labour for the family’s survival. As a predominantly Muslim country, Christians in Bangladesh make up only 0.3% of the population, and local churches are generally small, lacking in biblical knowledge and resources.
We support Disaster Risk Reduction work in disaster-prone coastal areas in the south, mobilising local people to form disaster management committees and nurturing them to develop climate-resilient crops and alternative livelihoods. In response to the issues of child marriage, child labour and gender-based violence, we support local leaders to educate on and advocate for the rights of women and children, particularly those with disabilities, in the urban slums of Dhaka, the capital. We also support local churches and communities to take part in providing quality, accessible and holistic primary education to disadvantaged children, particularly in rural areas. Moreover, we equip local churches through education on Integral Mission and holistic development and encourage local Christians to respond to the needs of their local community with local resources.
