
Bangladesh with the Sreepur Orphanage. Since starting this Project she has
made 29 trips out to Bangladesh in 22 years. She was awarded her MBE for
services to the community in Liverpool and the women of Bangladesh.
She has raised money in order that the women of Bangladesh have somewhere to
go when they are abused, beaten or raped. Most of the women are either
pregnant or have children and their families do not want them. The members were able to see pictures of the various Safe places, Orphanages, Day Centres and Work Centres that she has set up. The women learn to make items (cards, shawls, bags, glasses cases etc) and then Ruby sells these in the UK. She told us about about the facilities which are now much better for weaving and how the weaving has improved. A woman who had been trained for 7 years in the art of weaving was made a teacher but sadly she died. The weaving shop continued and there are always women willing to learn. She covered topics of Acid Women who no one wants but Ruby takes these women in and they stay for training instead of being on drugs. They provide them with vegetables and food. The Embroidery work is another skill that Ruby teaches to the women and they enjoy making items that can be sold.
Ruby explained that we must still buy clothes from Primark because not matter whether the women make clothes for Next, M & S, Matalan or Primark they all earn the same wage. This work keeps them employed and they received £48 per month less tax. They have 3 months training to use a machine for gament making and then they progress to the garment factory.
Ruby is involved with the Straw making and using Jute to make cards. Fair
Trade is another good thing for these deprived women. There was a special Women’s International day and Ruby took part. Ruby talked about Education which has to be paid for and is not like the UK. They depend very much on charity donations and she talked about how kind Liverpool Football Club and Everton Football Club have been in donated the football kits. Life expectancy in Bangladesh is 27 years which is so unbelievable.
They have been fortunate in having a benefactor who helped set up Day Centres for the many Street Children there are in Bangladesh. They have three older children overseeing the project and it has been running now for 2 years. Ruby had brought along some of the beautiful items and the members were able to buy cards and shawls made by the women of Bangladesh.
Further information about the charity can be found at www.sreepurvillage.org