What are the activities of RISHILPI INTERNATIONAL ONLUS

The Story of RISHILPI

Journey towards a higher social development in Bangladesh

In 1975, two young Italians, Vincenzo Falcone (Enzo) and Graziella Melano (Laura), arrived in Bangladesh and began working in Satkhira among the Rishi, a group of “Hindu caste”, who were a part of the population most marginalized and deprived of South West of Bangladesh. The Rishi had no education, no job and no kind of opportunity. Enzo and Laura realized that the best help was to provide them with work and education, for them to gain some dignity. With their encouragement, their heartfelt motivation and innovative training, some activities began to flourish. For the first time in their lives, the Rishi had a regular income not entrusted to the uncertainty of each day. The project was called ‘Rishilpi’ a combination of two Bengali words: ‘Rishi’ which means ‘outcaste/untouchable/impure and ‘shilpi’ meaning ‘artist/craftsman’.

RISHILPI TODAY

An inspiration for future generations

From those initial small-scale activities, Rishilpi has become today an international organization that offers poor people what they need most: Rural Development, Medical Treatment, Education, Schools and Woman emancipation. Enzo is the general Director and Laura the Honorary Rector. Today the staff of Rishilpi is composed of over 400 people who, thanks to their efforts and their dedication, can work in the ‘Project for Humanity’. This initiative has created a sustainable change that is an added value to the current generation and an inspiration for future generations. It has become a model of self-employment which has already been adopted by other local organization, but has now expanded to reach the entire surrounding community and is recognized as an international organization. Currently nearly 20,000 people directly and indirectly get benefits through different projects.

RISHILPI CRAFTS

An opportunity to work free from the oppression of the ‘caste’

The craftsmanship Rishilpi improves the lives of poor and marginalized communities by creating job opportunities. The initiative of craftsmanship was the first way to become a valuable person and Enzo & Laura’s ‘First Love’ to bring hope to the lives of the untouchable and outcast people in Satkhira district. Rishilpi produces a wide range of craft products with: jute, leather, embroidery, palm leaf, wheat straw, wood, etc.

The finished products are sold out only in Bangladesh, but also exported to Europe, USA, Japan and Australia. There are more than 1200 producers who operate in this area of which the majority are women.

HEALTH CARE AND PREVENTION 

A health program that prefers the youngest

The health program started in 1980 with a small medical dispensary that has now turned into a large rehabilitation center where, everyday about 45 people with disabilities can use the services or rehabilitation. The program includes: 

• Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, special education with assistive devices for children with disabilities and physical rehabilitation services for people with disabilities.
• Community Based Rehabilitation. In 5 different villages, centers were set up to provide rehabilitation services to remote communities. In the Centers patients are treated with physiotherapy, occupational therapy and can attend a special school for mental rehabilitation. Physiotherapy is also aimed at adults who can access it in the same way as younger patients. There are currently around 1300 people, including adults and children, who make use of our health services.

A SYSTEM FOR DRINKING WATER TREATMENT

The water that gives life!

In 2010, through the contributions of Italian friends, a water treatment plant was built to clean the water from arsenic, providing clean water (5000 liters/ hour) to all users of the central village Rishilpi. It will provide soon, clean water even in the surrounding small villages.

EDUCATION

The light of learning for those who do not see a future ahead of them

The education program began in 1994 with the opening of a daycare center in the Rishilpi campus; gradually the small class of children expanded into a large program with three types of institutions: the Rishilpi Centre School (RCS), school of sing language for deaf children, the education program in the village community (PSC). This service has opened a way and a new hope for a better future to many children from disadvantaged communities. Currently there are about 6,500 children and students enrolled each year in the educational project.

• Rishilpi Centre School: This school structure started its journey in 1994 with a commitment to provide education to the children of employees who worked in the handicrafts of the Rishilpi Campus. Today in RCS has become a great institution, with the recognition of Bangladesh education standards, helping to improve the literacy rate of disadvantaged communities. About 500 ‘outcaste’ children are enrolled in the school every year. From 2014, the Rishilpi school will be equalized and recognized by the government up to the tenth class (comparable to our second higher).
• School for Speech & Hearing Impaired Children: One of the purposes of Rishilpi is to improve the access to basic education to all children with disabilities. With the awareness of the existence of a large number of deaf children in the district of Satkhira, to meet their needs, Rishilpi has set up a special and separate school for deaf children. About 60 students are enrolled each year at the school of sign language, promoting equal opportunities, with particular attention to their education. Rishilpi is planning soon to expand this school up to the secondary level, with a specific structure of vocational training. 
• Community Primary School: It is an educational program based on village schoolds for families of disadvantaged children who wish to enter their children in the education system with the knowledge that only the latter is the only way to improve the future of this country. The project has 45 Community Primary Schools (CPS) and 7 early learning Centre (ELC).

SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION

An aid to go to school that is still an unattainable dream for many children.

The program to support the education was designed to encourage the parents of poor children to send their children to school. Thanks to funding from foster adoptions, Rishilpi provides students with everything needed to attend school without burden for the family. This project, started in 1989 with the generous support of many Italian donors, in giving many opportunities to disadvantaged children (including children with disabilities) to complete their training. Currently 4500 students in the Satkhira district each year receive benefits from this project.

A proposal for everyone: to adopt a child is supporting a “son of humanity”.

‘AMAR SONAR PORIBAR’= ‘My golden family’.

An ideal home for young women

The program Amar Sonar Poribar (ASP) –my ideal family- is a special component of the program of support for education aimed at young students. Started in July 2003, its aim is to empower young women so that they are independent, they acquire confidence in themselves and are full members of the society in which they live.

Adolescent girls in sixth class, are automatically enrolled in the program of ASP. Currently the ASP has 1259 students enrolled, 94 groups of teenage girls and 20 committees Marriage prevention. 

The students are encouraged to express the best of their abilities to develop awareness of their own dignity, to promote their social emancipation, and to fight the tradition of dowry. They are paid only to those who do not marry before the age of eighteen.

PROGETTO UOMO

RISHILPI INTERNATIONAL ONLUS

Via dei Tulipani, 5-20146 Milano Italy 

Mobile: +39 349 250 68 61 

E-mail: info@prouomorishilpi.org, website: www.prouomorishilpi.org