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Hashu Das, a widow and grandmother, lives in the Sunamganj district of Bangladesh where flooding destroys the village every year. Despite being situated on high ground, heavy rainfall and water from the nearby Kalni river submerges her home, leaving her with no choice but to seek refuge with neighbors. She takes her small boat and makes the dangerous journey alone, through deep water and waves that seem as high as those of the ocean. “Every year I watch helplessly as the land around my house is eroded,” she told Islamic Relief. “I cannot travel to the market or go to seek help from other people. I cannot plant any vegetables. The situation is almost unbearable for a poor widow like me,” she said.

Her husband worked as a day laborer and died of dysentery more than 30 years ago, leaving her to raise their three sons. Two of her sons and her 10-year-old granddaughter now live with her, providing a small and irregular income for the family.

Since early 2006, Islamic Relief has been working in Bangladesh’s Sunamganj district to help reduce the damaging impact of floods on people’s lives. One aspect of this project has been to raise the land around houses that are vulnerable to flooding, which both protects the houses from water and also protects planted vegetables and livestock.

“I could hardly believe my luck when my house was selected by Islamic Relief,” Hashu said. “Only three weeks ago, I was wondering what will happen to my house if the rains continue. Then the workers came and began raising and extending my front yard. Now it is much bigger than before. And the most important thing is now I can plant my vegetables there,” she added.

Islamic Relief ’s disaster mitigation projects involve community members at every level, using their experiences to design the appropriate work that needs to take place. Local villagers are employed as laborers to provide them with a much-needed source of income and encourage their involvement in community projects.

The first crop Hashu planted in her new front yard was pumpkin. “In the next two weeks, it will be ready for harvesting,” she said happily. “It is only for domestic use but it is enough to feed our family for several days,” she said.