On 8 March, four young women who had served as interns at HealthBridge’s partner organization, Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB), presented their plans to create a water-based transport network in parts of Dhaka.

The women are all students at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and were coached by their professors as well as WBB staff. Also present at the seminar were leaders of the two major environmental movements in Bangladesh, as the Bangladesh Institute of Planners, a senior political journalist and others.

Their plan makes great sense—make use of existing waterbodies and connect them so that people can travel easily and cheaply without having to use the crowded roads. But the other part I particularly appreciated was the sense of nurturing young people to develop and present ideas, so that they can take an active role in improving their cities—not just by creating a report and presentation, but by showing it to people who can advocate for its passage.

This is just the kind of collaboration we hope to continue nurturing at WBB through our rapidly-expanding internship program.