29/01/2026
On 27th January 2026, local partner Association of Voluntary Actions for Society (AVAS) organized a Lesson Learning Workshop to share insights from Non-Economic Loss and Damage & Small-Scale Adaptation due to Climate Change project under Christian Aid’s CCASE programme engaging local government representatives, journalists, development practitioners, youth group and obviously the community itself. We're proud to share the remarkable impact of this transformative journey of the Manta community in Barisal, Bangladesh.
The Manta are one of Bangladesh's most marginalized populations—approximately 10,000 people living entirely on boats along the rivers of Barisal. When this project began in 2023, they weren't our primary target group. But as we worked in the region, we couldn't ignore their extreme vulnerability to climate change and systemic exclusion from basic services.
The depth of the exclusion was terrible, including:
• 99.2% dependent solely on fishing with daily earnings of just BDT 400-500 (when fish were caught)
• 84.7% of children out of school
• 71.9% without healthcare access
• 72.3% lacking sanitation facilities
• 98.3% never accessing government benefits
• Only 31.4% of children with birth certificates
• No NGO presence—the community was completely invisible to the development sector
Our Integrated Response: From March-2023 to January-2026, our partner AVAS worked with 200 Manta households (~1,000 individuals), along with the existing working areas (~2,400 individuals) to address their interconnected vulnerabilities through:
• Livelihood diversification training & cash grants
• Multi-Purpose Community Centres for children's education
• Mobile healthcare services
• Water, sanitation & hygiene support
• Climate resilience & disaster preparedness sessions
• Civic identity documentation support through advocacy
The Transformation
Economic Empowerment
• Alternative income activities: 2.5% → 66.4%
• 88.3% received skills training (up from 0.8%)
• 81.3% reported increased income
"Before, we only knew fishing. Now we can make nets, sell clothes, or do small trade. We feel more capable to run our families."- Female (34) from the community
Access to Education
• 89.8% now participate in MPCC education
• Parents seeing visible improvements in children's reading, behavior, and confidence
• 55.5% report reduced stress knowing their children are safe while they fish
"Our children used slang and did not know how to speak in good manners. After attending this school, they now talk to us very nicely. We are delighted about this."- Male (41) from the community
Access to Healthcare
• Mobile doctor consultations reached 427 community members in total
• 57.8% report significant positive health impact
• Treating conditions families didn't even know required care
Citizenship & Dignity
• Adult National IDs: 69.4% → 92.2%
• Children's birth certificates: 31.4% → 75.0%
• 82.8% now confident accessing social services
"This has strengthened our recognition as citizens of Bangladesh."- Youth (M/24) from the community
Climate Resilience
• 72.7% received disaster preparedness training
• 51.6% now use life-saving safety equipment
• Life jackets, solar lights, and emergency supplies reducing fear and trauma during storms
A Ripple Effect of Recognition: Our work has catalyzed broader change beyond our direct interventions:
Growing NGO Engagement
• When we started, zero NGOs were working with the Manta community
• Today, 4 additional NGOs have begun programming to address unmet needs including FSS, WaSH, and Education
• The community is no longer invisible to the development sector
Government Responsiveness
• Community members, empowered by documentation and voice, placed a formal request for graveyard access
• Local government has agreed to consider the request following the legislative process—a historic acknowledgment of their rights
This marks the first time government has formally recognized their civic needs. These developments signal a fundamental shift: the Manta community is moving from exclusion to recognition, from invisibility to agency.
The project demonstrates the power of integrated, rights-based programming for climate-vulnerable communities. By addressing economic, educational, health, WASH, climate, and civic dimensions simultaneously, we've created synergistic impacts where progress in one area reinforces gains in others.
This transformation wouldn't have been possible without the dedication of our implementing partner AVAS, whose staff worked tirelessly on the rivers of Barisal to reach this mobile community. We're deeply grateful to the Manta community themselves for their trust, resilience, and willingness to embrace new opportunities despite decades of marginalization. Our sincere appreciation goes to local government officials whose collaboration opened doors that had long been closed, particularly in facilitating documentation and service access. And finally, we acknowledge the CCASE programme for recognizing the urgent needs of climate-vulnerable communities and making this integrated intervention possible.
