Anicha: “My dream is to be able to walk on my own!”

Confined to her home

A small square window cut out of a sheet metal wall, this was Anicha's only contact with the outside world when Humanity & Inclusion (HI)’s teams first met her in November 2023. For many years, the young woman had been confined to her room, forced to spend her days on her bed for want of an assistive device or mobility aid, such as a wheelchair. As a result of spending so much time lying down, Anicha's body had stiffened to the point where it is still difficult for her to move her hands and feet.

Anicha, 38, has cerebral palsy. She lives alone with her 60-year-old mother. Her father died some years ago, a loss from which the mother and daughter have never recovered, according to Kana Rani Sarkar, HI’s psychologist in Kurigram, Bangladesh.

Her house is regularly flooded

Anicha has always been very dependent on her mother who is becoming less able to take care of her on her own. Mother and daughter live isolated in this flood-prone neighbourhoud of the town of Kurigram.

“When there’s heavy rain, particularly during the monsoon season, everything is flooded and we can't get out of our house. And it attracts snakes – and that scares us”, says Anicha's mother.

In November 2022, HI's team met Anicha and her mother.

Her first steps…outside!

HI has provided the young woman with a wheelchair to improve her mobility and a commode for her toileting needs. She has also been given a soft grip ball to improve the functioning of her hand.  

After just four physiotherapy sessions, Anicha can already take a few steps, supporting herself on the parallel bars. She also does daily exercises between sessions to improve her posture and walking.

“My dream is to be able to walk on my own… and I can feel that day is coming", she tells us.

HI Bangladesh is currently running three projects in the Kurigram region. The first is an emergency response project focused on strengthening the capacities of local partners. The other two projects are long-term and aim to support people with disabilities and their carers through rehabilitation, mental health and psychosocial support services. HI is also providing economic support to these vulnerable groups to help them increase their income through local livelihood activities, and is working on the resettlement of communities affected by flooding in the region.