Development work is her middle name

Veena (center) and her colleagues from Practical Action visit a light engineering mechanics shop early this year.

In sociology and economics, the poverty circle is described as a social phenomenon where the poor show a tendency to remain poor all their lives and, in most cases, across generations. Certainly, this is why they coined the term “vicious circle of poverty.”

Combating poverty is no walk in the park, especially in countries such as Bangladesh, where, despite continuous local and international efforts to improve its economy, progress has been blocked by severe overpopulation, frequent cyclones and floods, and political troubles.

The good news for Bangladesh is that growth has been a steady 5% for the past few years. And striving hard to contribute to this 5% is Ms. Veena Khaleque, the country director for Practical Action (formerly the Intermediate Technology Development Group, ITDG)-Bangladesh, and steering committee member of the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium.

“Development work” may indeed be Ms. Khaleque’s middle name. Armed with two master’s degrees in economics from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and Dhaka University, Bangladesh, and years of experience under her sleeve, her sincere devotion to help people make their lives better is truly remarkable.

She has been Practical Action country director since 1997, but it was in 1994 when she first realized her true calling.

Joining a nongovernment organization called ActionAid, she managed an urban slum program, working directly with about 1,000 extremely poor women. The program provided the women with credit, health, and education services. “This was an eye-opener for me, and I got first-hand experience and understanding of what poverty, inequality, and deprivation really are, and how much more we need to be doing for the poor,” says Ms. Khaleque. “Since then, my mission has been to make a contribution to the development of Bangladesh.”

Her mission seems to be coming along quite well. Nine years ago, she joined the organization, which was still small in number and had little impact and visibility. Now, the program has grown and is making an important contribution to Bangladesh’s progress.
From a few small projects in 1997, they now have several large programs that reach thousands of poor people in the country. Practical Action has trained more than 100 staff members. Field offices have been established in different regions. The organization has also tested and demonstrated many technologies in the field of agricultural production, food processing, light engineering, small enterprises, and energy and waste management.

All these activities, she says, are now making an impact on increasing income and employment, with technology taking the lead role in bringing social, economic, and environmental changes. Practical Action’s major beneficiaries have been poor women producers, processors, and entrepreneurs.

The plight of people, especially women in poverty, has always held a special place in Ms. Khaleque’s heart, and it pains her to hear about anything that is unjust and illegal. “I am strongly moved by the gross inequalities existing in wealth and power, and information and knowledge between the rich and poor,” she explains. “I feel there should be more balance and equity in the world. I am strongly against corruption, especially when this happens within governments and by responsible people.”

Clearly, her long list of experiences shows how she works hard to contribute to society. As the coordinator of the Canadian Resource Team in 1988-89, she coordinated a training program for landless men and women in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She developed programs for implementation by the United Nations Development Programme for the forestry, environmental, and land sectors of Bangladesh in 1990-91. As a World Bank consultant in 1991-93, she assisted in creating a databank of key economic and financial indicators for Bangladesh.

She says, though, that one of the highlights of her career, aside from being Practical Action country director for 9 years and joining the IRRC, has been as a working mother, which was something she never even imagined before.

Outside of work, she enjoys discussing local and international politics, and she likes to cook for her family during her free time. Cooking gives her real satisfaction and is a way of relaxation and learning for her. This mother of two also enjoys traveling, shopping, and spending time with her children, Raihan and Marzan, ages 12 and 13.

Given a chance to advise youth and her peers, here’s what Ms. Khaleque has to say: “In whatever we do, we must have a long-term goal and commitment. Very little can be achieved in the short run. Development is a long, complex, and challenging process, and we have to continuously strive for it. We must also have a practical approach and mindset to resolve the daunting problems of poverty and change the social, economic, and institutional systems.”
 

Trina Mendoza (t.mendoza@cgiar.org)

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