When I was in my community, I used to wait in a long queue to pay my electricity bill, said Shanta, a mother of two children who hails from the northern part of Bangladesh. She also added Another big risk is keeping cash at home.
Shanta and her two daughters came to live in the Sreepur Village in early 2020. Sadly, Shanta lost her husband after the birth of her second child and after he passed away, Shanta and her children became helpless.
After arriving at the Sreepur Village, Shanta has been busy participating in their literacy programme where she is learning basic literacy as well as digital literacy.
In the digital literacy class, Shanta has been learning about digital devices, using the internet, mobile banking, as well as online ticket booking for buses and trains etc.
“I now know how to use a smartphone and I can even browse the internet”. Shanta said with excitement. “I can also manage my finances through mobile banking”, she happily added.
Shanta told us, “When I return to my community, I won’t need to go to the bank for paying electricity bills, I can pay any bill through Bkash and along with these facilities, I’ll be able to make money transactions by mobile phone”.
Shanta concluded by saying that she couldn’t wait to share with her friends and relatives how the Shishu Polli Plus has empowered her with new skills which now includes digital skills that everyone around the world is using.
The Shishu Polli Plus would like today’s technology to be tomorrow’s opportunity for more destitute single mothers living all over Bangladesh.