Tara Banu — House Repair + Sanitary Toilet
The Crisis: Exposure, Snakes, and Starvation
Tara Banu, an elderly widow living alone in a rural village near Moulvibazar, was facing an unimaginably dangerous living situation. Her mud-and-bamboo house was built on the edge of a steep slope, which was slowly eroding into a nearby pond. The foundation was collapsing, and the tin walls were riddled with holes. Snakes from the pond frequently entered her living space through holes in the mud floor, forcing her to sleep in constant fear. Furthermore, she had no toilet facility, and during Ramadan, she was breaking her fast with nothing but water and dry rice.
She had been staying at her daughter's house to escape these dangers, but she felt like a burden to her son-in-law's struggling family. We Do Charity stepped in to completely reconstruct her living conditions.
The Repair & Sanitary Post-Construction
We raised 27,140 BDT to rebuild her home. To build a sanitary toilet, we also redirected 8,000 BDT of savings from the Project 10: Ramadan 2025 campaign. The project was executed on the ground by local volunteer Arif Islam Bandhan, who worked day and night performing manual labor himself. Our team reinforced the foundation with sandbags, built cement posts, and installed a bamboo fence lined with protective nets to prevent soil erosion. We sealed the snake entry holes and successfully built a modern, functional sanitary toilet. Iftar meals were also provided daily to Tara Banu during the construction.
Itemized Expense Breakdown
- Building Materials (Tin, Posts, Sandbags): 11,942 BDT
- Sanitary Toilet Construction: 7,000 BDT
- Workers' Wages (Carpenters & Masons): 6,000 BDT
- Transportation of Materials: 1,535 BDT
- Service & Miscellaneous Fees: 663 BDT
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why wasn't the tube well installed?
A: A clean tube well would cost an additional 7,000-8,000 BDT. Since we met the main target for housing and sanitation first, we prioritized those structural needs. A tube well will be planned for a future phase.
Q: Who supervised the construction on site?
A: Local volunteer Arif Islam Bandhan did the site supervision and hard manual labor himself, working with local builders to secure the foundation.
Q: How does this project relate to others in the WDC network?
A: This was our second construction project, applying the lessons learned from Project 5: Reshna Begum's Renovation, and directly sharing funds from Project 10: Ramadan 2025.
The Impact
Functional sanitary toilet built. House foundation strengthened. Sand bags added. Cement posts and bamboo fencing. Nets against soil erosion. Snake entry holes sealed. Tube well not installed (couldn't raise additional 7,000-8,000 BDT). Iftar meals provided during Ramadan.
Beneficiary Spotlight
"Elderly widow living alone. House nearly falling into adjacent pond. Snakes entering through floor holes. No toilet. Fasting with only water and rice during Ramadan. Stayed at daughter's house feeling like a burden."
— Tara Banu (individual)
Financial Transparency
| Expense Item | Cost (BDT) |
|---|---|
| building materials | 11,942 |
| workers wages | 6,000 |
| transportation | 1,535 |
| service fees misc | 663 |
| toilet construction | 7,000 |
| Total Spent | 27,140 |
Project Notes
8,000 BDT for toilet came from savings of Ramadan 2025 iftar fund.
Media Gallery
Project Facts
Funds Raised
27,140 BDT
Beneficiaries
Tara Banu — elderly widow living alone. House nearly falling into adjacent pond. Snakes entering through floor holes. No toilet. Was staying with daughter feeling like a burden.
Location
Bangladesh (village near Moulvibazar, specific village not stated)
Timeline
2025-03-16 → 2025-04-16