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Helping Rohingyas become economically productive

In conversation with Brae ED Dr Muhammad Musa

Mohammad Al-Masum Molla
Apart from monsoon-induced landslides and repatriation in the short and long term, one major challenge for the Rohingyas camped in the hills of Cox's Bazar is to enhance their economic capabilities so that they have meaningful lives.
Brae, the biggest non-governmental organisation in the world and also the biggest on-ground responder to the crisis, is planning to replicate the successful models from its social enterprises to develop the economic capacities of the Rohingyas.
In a recent interview with The Daily Star, Dr Muhammad Musa, executive director of Brae, said: "We have already finished a ground-level assessment to find productive avenues for the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals. Now we are planning to implement capacity building, training and livelihood projects following our successful social business models."
Leading Bangladeshi fashion brand Aarong, a sister concern of Brae, currently has a network of 65,000 artisans around the country. These artisans, mostly women, are first given training and raw materials for making handicrafts. Aarong then directly buys back their products. The proceeds from selling these items are then invested back in Brae's development projects.
Dr Musa - a public health specialist by training with an illustrious career in leading humanitarian, social development, and public health organisations - said Brae is now trying to adopt this model for the Rohingya community, based on the assessment findings. Rohingyas will first receive training in making both Bangladeshi and Burmese handicrafts, and then be given raw materials; the finished products will be bought back.
"We will buy back the products and sell them. The proceeds will be invested for the welfare of the Rohingyas and also the host community," said Dr Musa.
LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME
"Rohingyas can't just continue to remain passive receivers of relief and emergency services," Dr Musa said.
Brae identifies that the young adults are among the most vulnerable groups who might fall prey to social ills such as drugs and trafficking. One way to prevent this would be to engage them in productive activities so that they can see the value and worth of their lives.
When Rohingyas arrived, they were traumatised but now they are becoming frustrated and
aggressive.
“We are engaging young Rohingyas in various ways. We have initiated a leadership programme to give them training on how to build a positive society, "DrMusasaid.
REPATRIATION
Repatriation of the Rohingyas, which is now almost unanimously considered by most responders as the biggest challenge, is not a bilateral issue between Bangladesh and Myanmar anymore.
Dr Musa said Myanmar can start gaining trust by rehabilitating the Rohingyas who were displaced from Rakhine but didn't come to Bangladesh and
tookshelterelsewhere within Myanmar.
“If they are rehabilitated, it will be a good demonstration. It will give the Rohingyas [in Bangladeshi hope and trust. They will be encouraged to go back voluntarily, "said Dr Musa.
"The UN and other organisations should make their voices louder. The fear is that if they stay [in Bangladesh) for a long time, the plight of Rohingyas will lose the attention of the international community. This year we haven't received the necessary funds. If we do not get funds, who will feed this large number of people?" he said.
OTHER MAJOR CHALLENGES
The top official of the world's largest NGO identified several short-term challenges which should be addressed immediately.
Rainfall-triggered landslide in monsoon is now the biggest short-term challenge, as vulnerable people do not want to relocate, and there is a chance of disease outbreak as water is contaminated.
In addition, tension between the host community and the Rohingyas is on the rise, a shortage of funding and deforestation must also be addressed with immediacy.
EDUCATION
Brae has already set up 354 learning centres in and outside the camps. It now plans to set up at least 750 such learning centres for both Rohingyas and the host community in the comingmonths.
At Brae’s learning centres, Rohingya children are being taught a curriculum in the language of Myanmar, basic mathematics, and English. Half of the teachers are Rohingyas who were given training on methods of instruction and the other half from the host community.
"Since the beginning, Brae has been working to complement and support the government's
initiatives to help Rohingyas, "Dr Musa said. COMMUNITY-BASED PROTECTION
To protect the vulnerable Rohingya women and children, Brae has so far set up 50 community-based protection committees comprising entirely of Rohingyas.
"We do not know what happens inside the camps after 5pm. So, we have to depend on them [the committees]. We have trained them so they can identify potential threats and act accordingly. If any incident takes place, they can take action through arbitration," he said.
Brae has also distributed 10,000 solar lamps so that women can go to the toilets and move freely at night.
TheNGO alone has set up 15,000 toiletsand 1,500 tubewells (including 250 deep tube-wells) for the Rohingyas.
"We have also set up a water testing lab there to examine the quality of water. Every day, we collect around 100 water samples and examine those to find if anything is wrong and take measures accordingly," Dr Musa said.
He also said Brae alone cannot do everything.
"We are doing our part but other organisations should also come forward," he said.
Till date, the organisation has built 28,868 shelters, provided healthcare services to more than 350,000 people and distributed over 72,000 water purification tablets among the Rohingyas.