After the animator training there was a question from the participants what could be the process to address the local problems jointly and how they could remain united. Then in return they were asked to storming brain and try to find out a way regarding the questions. So the ward action team is a result of the collective thinking of trained animators. It is a team formed with total trained volunteer of each ward and who are supposed to meet at least once in a month with a view to identify local problems and find ways of solution collectively. According to the decision of trained animators there should at least one team be formed in each ward .So there are 9 ward action teams in a union.Lipi Akter is a leader of such a ward action team of ward number 5 in Dapunia Union. Last 16th November there was a meeting of the team led by Lipi in the yard of one team member’s house. The meeting was attended to 15 volunteer including 7 women. At first, they set up some agenda. The agenda fixed by the meeting was
I) To find out and prioritize local problems
II) To chalk out programs to address these problems
III) To develop a socio-economical map of the ward and identify resources & risks
The members applied the brain storming method to identify local problems and found out some current problems which are: child marriage, gambling, mismanagement of community health centre, women oppression, sexual harassment (eve-teasing),vulnerable infrastructure and unemployment.
- The meeting also goes forward to chalk out some immediate tasks for addressing these identified issues. They came to a consensus that child marriage and eve-teasing is a big but hidden problem and every volunteer is decided to arrange at least one court yard meeting in each para. In the case of gambling they decided to have an advocacy meeting with Union parishad. The issue of mismanagement in community health clinic also tagged in the same meeting agenda.
- A socio-economic map of this ward also decided to develop by the team. Three volunteer are made responsible to ensure it within 7 days.
Some community people who are not member of this team also attended the meeting voluntarily and they announced about their eagerness to work with this team. Ward UP member and Union coordinator also took part the meeting and motivated to others to come forward to this movement.