Market stalls making a difference

Stories | December 14, 2023

Around the world, people with disabilities face significant barriers. Environments are often not accessible and attitudes not accepting nor understanding. This makes breaking the cycle of poverty and disability extremely difficult.

In Bangladesh, CBM Australia is working with local partners to improve the financial wellbeing of people with disabilities by helping them access training and employment opportunities, as well as mental health and other support services.

One person to benefit from this project is Sarossati, a woman with a physical disability who, with support from the project, has been able to open a small business and earn more money.

This was made possible by the hard-working project team and partner Organisation of People with Disabilities, who successfully advocated to the local government that she be allocated a stall at the local market, so that she has the opportunity to open her own small businesses.

And that is exactly what Sarossati has done. Having been allocated a stall, Sarossati has opened a shop selling food and tea to passersby. And the benefits of owning her own small business have stretched beyond improving her income. She is now a role model, showing other women with disabilities what people with disabilities can achieve if given the opportunity.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to improve my financial stability while also creating a new identity as a role model for other women with disabilities in my community. I am grateful to the local government for giving me this opportunity and I’m also thankful to the Organisation of People with Disabilities members for their advocacy effort on my behalf.”

CBM Australia acknowledges the support of the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) and thanks our implementing partner, the Centre for Disability in Development (CDD).

Image caption: Sarossati (right) and her assistant (left) inside her shop at the local market. 

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