Hawa Begum: The woman Korail turns to in times of need

Hawa Begum has lived most of her life in the narrow alleys of Dhaka's Korail slum, where families struggle every day to survive. Like thousands of others there, she lost her home in last year's devastating fire. 

Yet in January this year, when Dhaka North City Corporation announced the Nagorik Padak 2025 for the first time, it was the name of this ordinary woman from Korail that appeared in the "advocacy" category.

For many residents of the settlement, Hawa Begum has long been a familiar face — someone who shows up in times of crises, organises people when problems arise, and quietly works to solve issues that affect the community.

The only SSC graduate among 200 families

Hawa Begum was born in Kaukhali upazila of Pirojpur district, into a poor day labourer's family. She was one of seven siblings, and her childhood was marked by hardship.

Despite financial difficulties, her father encouraged all his children to study. Hawa attended the local primary school and developed a strong interest in education from an early age.

In the evenings, when the village would grow quiet, she would sit under the dim light of a kerosene lamp and study.

Her father could not read or write, but he remained deeply supportive of her education.

From the first grade onward, Hawa ranked first in every annual examination. Her family could not afford private tutors, so her teachers often taught her free of charge. Each year, as a reward for standing first in class, the school provided her with two sets of school uniforms.

Encouraged by teachers, Hawa prepared for scholarship exams, but her mother's death and later illness disrupted her chances. As financial pressures mounted, her father arranged her marriage after her SSC test exam, hoping she could continue her studies. 

Despite encouragement from her teachers and father, Hawa's education stalled after marriage as she moved to Dhaka and began working in a garment factory. Even when her father sold trees to enroll her in a village college, she could not return, and the years slipped by. 

A chance encounter in Korail

One day, while she was cooking at her home near the Bou Bazar graveyard area of Korail, a group of Brac workers arrived to conduct a survey.

During the survey they discovered that among about 200 families in the area, Hawa Begum was the only woman who had passed the SSC examination.

At that time, Brac was looking for volunteers for a community programme. They offered her a job.

In 2008, Hawa left her Tk1,200-per-month garment factory job and joined Brac for a salary of Tk1,800.

It was only a small increase in income, but it marked the beginning of a different path in her life.

She joined a primary healthcare project and received training on maternal health and adolescent health issues. Soon she began visiting homes throughout Korail, counseling pregnant women, new mothers, and teenage girls.

She distributed eggs, milk, and oil provided by the programme and ensured that the mothers actually consumed the nutritional support intended for them.

She advised women about family planning and sometimes even visited police stations to raise awareness about health issues.

On occasions such as Global Handwashing Day, International Women's Day, and World Breastfeeding Week, she would organise discussions and community gatherings to raise awareness.

Over time, her salary increased to Tk4,000, along with additional benefits. During this period, her first daughter was born, and she began balancing work with motherhood.

Hawa Begum holds a scale model she received along with her ‘Civic Award 2025’ from Dhaka North City Corporation. Photo: Mehedi Hasan 

Educating street children

In 2013, after the birth of her second daughter, Hawa joined another four-year pilot project with Brac as a Junior Field Organiser, earning Tk14,000 per month.

The project focused on educating street children and children struggling with drug addiction.

Classes were conducted in both morning and afternoon sessions. Along with basic lessons, the programme included discussions, games, and practical skills training such as making garlands or bead necklaces.

The aim was to keep vulnerable children away from drugs and crime.

Hawa conducted field visits, monitored activities, and worked closely with the children.

After two years, the project ended. She was offered a transfer to Sunamganj, but instead she moved with her family to her in-laws' home in Barguna.

Hawa's work has not been without risks. During the pandemic, when UNDP was distributing five bars of soap to each family, a group of men claiming to represent the media tried to seize the supplies. "I argued with them and warned them that I was recording everything," she recalled. However, she admits that fear sometimes remains. "I cannot always be brave. I have to think about my daughters," she said.

Work with urban agriculture and sanitation

In 2019, Hawa returned to Korail and began working with UNDP.

Her work involved field-level counseling for expectant mothers and organising seminars on public awareness issues. Initially she earned Tk300 per day.

After eight months, she joined another UNDP project with a monthly salary of Tk8,000, where she worked for six and a half years.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, she continued working in the field, distributing soap and medicines, conducting awareness campaigns, and counseling families.

She also worked on adolescent health and menstrual hygiene awareness, often organising courtyard meetings with entire families.

In 2022, she joined an organisation called Nagar Abad, working under a professor from Smith College in the United States. The programme promoted urban agriculture, encouraging families in Korail to grow vegetables and other food in limited spaces to cope with rising living costs.

Starting with only a few participants, the initiative has now grown to include around 150 farmers.

Hawa also became involved in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes.

Her work included attending stakeholder meetings, managing water metres, monitoring household water use, and participating in local water management committees.

Preventing child marriage

Hawa was also part of a community committee to prevent child marriage.

She often worked with families to ensure that girls forced into early marriage due to poverty could continue their education.

In one case, she persuaded a mother to send her ninth-grade daughter back to the village to avoid a love marriage. Eventually the girl resumed her studies and completed higher secondary education before marrying into a stable family.

Community support and savings groups

Beyond formal projects, Hawa has organised community savings groups.

Each group had about twenty members, and every month members contributed Tk50 or Tk100 depending on what they could afford.

The collected money was used to support families in emergencies so that residents could help one another through their own collective resources.

She also worked on issues such as preventing school dropout, seeking legal aid in corruption cases, and contacting hotlines in cases of abuse or accidents.

Her efforts gradually made her a trusted figure in Korail.

She also began counseling young men involved in drug use, often meeting them personally and trying to guide them away from addiction.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Hawa's works received the "Nirbhaya Award" from The Daily Star for her contributions during the crisis.

A fire that destroyed everything

Until recently, Hawa's family had managed to maintain a relatively stable life.

Her elder daughter now studies Accounting at Titumir College, while her younger daughter is in eighth grade.

But everything changed during the massive fire in Korail last year.

Her house had burned once before, in 2004, but the recent fire caused far greater damage.

Almost everything was destroyed — furniture, household items, certificates, books, awards, and even her daughters' belongings.

"I had kept all my certificates, diaries, and awards in an iron trunk," she said. "I thought the fire would not reach inside it. But when I opened it later, there was nothing left except ashes."

Among the lost items was the Nirbhaya Award she had received during the pandemic.

Life after the fire

Currently, Hawa continues to work with UNDP, conducting surveys related to water and housing.

She is also involved in a natural water purification project, which uses plants, vegetables, and fish to help purify water naturally.

Her monthly income is Tk12,000, while her husband earns Tk15,000 as a driver.

Out of this income, Tk10,000 goes toward house rent.

After losing their home in the fire, the family moved to a small rented room in the BTCL area of Banani. The room has been divided into two parts—one for their daughters and the other for the parents.

The kitchen and bathroom are shared with other tenants.

Facing threats

Hawa's work has not been without risks.

During the pandemic, when UNDP was distributing five bars of soap to each family, a group of men claiming to represent the media tried to seize the supplies.

"I argued with them and warned them that I was recording everything," she recalled.

The men eventually backed away.

However, she admits that fear sometimes remains.

"I cannot always be brave. I have to think about my daughters," she said.

She also says that sometimes she faces pressure to prioritise certain families when aid is distributed. There have even been threats that she will be "dealt with" after elections.

Recognition from the city

Despite these challenges, Hawa continues her work in Korail.

Her dream is to one day establish a community-based organisation dedicated entirely to the welfare of Korail residents.

When she received the Nagorik Padak, she felt a moment of validation.

"When I entered the room and saw everyone standing with flowers to congratulate me," she said, "I felt that maybe I had truly managed to accomplish something."

Not everyone in Korail understands the significance of the award.

But many young girls in the community see her differently.

Some tell her, half joking and half serious: "If Hawa Apa is there, we would even jump into fire if she asked us to."