Source: Save The Children
THE TRAILBLAZER
Munni is defying stereotypes by becoming the first girl to try fish farming in her community. Keep scrolling to see how she’s inspiring other community members, and leading other girls to defend their rights.
Girls don’t [usually] do fish farming. Their brothers and fathers do the fish farming.
The 18-year-old lives with her mum, dad, brother, and younger sister Tanni, in the ‘Haor’ – a wetland marsh which floods during the rainy season. As the climate crisis worsens, the floods have been more extreme than usual.
“The flood this year was unlike many past floods,” Munni says.
“There was a lot of damage. People had to vacate their homes. Half of our house was sunk in the mud. It was painful.”
Munni’s family was given an emergency cash transfer from Suchana which they used to buy a boat to transport themselves and their cattle around safely, to help meet their immediate needs.
Munni has also taken part in Suchana training to help communities increase sustainable food production in the long-term, and build climate resilient farming techniques to protect against flooding.
During the training, Munni was shown how to farm fish in her small pond and provided with all the equipment.
“Everyone praises that I am doing fish farming, it’s going great. I’ll use the money from selling fish to progress,” Munni proudly explains.
Teach a girl to fish, and not only are you feeding her for a lifetime, but that knowledge has a ripple effect for others in her community. Munni is teaching other people in the community how to fish farm and her neighbours come to learn from her.
Many people come to see the fish. It makes lots of people want to start fish farming. That feels nice.
A crucial part of protecting her livelihood is the simple innovation of a ‘hapa cage’, a fine net installed in the pond, so that the fish can’t swim away during floods. Suchana taught Munni how to use a hapa cage in addition to providing all of the materials.
Munni is also leading the way in girls’ rights, and is a peer leader at her local Suchana Girls’ Group, where she has become an advocate for girls, speaking out against child marriage and advising others on health and nutrition.
These groups are a safe space for girls to spend time with each other, where they’re away from the pressures of household chores and have the time to be children together.
We need to explain child marriages are not good. It’s a crime. This is doing injustice to their daughter.
The group have worked hard to encourage girls to stand up for their rights and to pursue their education. Something that Munni is passionate about herself. She’s been able to use her income from fish farming to help her family, and buy notebooks and pens for her studies.
Munni is now determined to build on the success of her fish farm, study and do work that will help others. And she has the same hopes and dreams for the girls she’s grown up around.
“For the future of the girls in my village, all I hope is nothing else but the girls should be educated and they do good, always. That’s what I want.”
Munni shares her thoughts on child marriage
Munni shares her thoughts on child marriage
