Soriya Banu, a Community Correspondent with Video Volunteers, is the only earning member of her family of four and is employed at a local NGO where she conducts First Aid Training and works on health care literacy and access. Soriya uses her tools as a Community Correspondent to bring impact to issues ranging from road conditions and water contamination, from…

Soriya Banu

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Nur Islam, a 12-year old boy from West Bengal is constantly in pain, unable to attend school or play with this friends. But Nur wasn't always like this. He was a healthy and playful child who loved studying. But a year ago, while crossing the 'road' of his village Chaspara Muriyalipara he fell and hurt himself.

"I broke my leg at school time because of this road," Nur tells Soriya Banu, our Community Correspondent in West Bengal. Since then he has been bed-ridden and in pain, away from education and friends. Treatments for Nur are proving futile, as his mother explains, "We have spent a lot of money so that he can walk and yet, he can't get well."

The road that Nur mentions is a long stretch of water-clogged dirt road that connects more than 4,000 residents of the area to the world outside. But the abysmal state of the road has hassled the residents rather than easing connectivity. Just like Nur many children, youth and old people have gotten hurt while trying to cross the water-laden roads as they step gingerly on steps made of cement bags.

Walking through the stagnant waters has also lead to many health problems amongst the citizens. Najiya Parvin is a school-going student is filled with both, anger and questions as she tells Soriya the problems faced by the community, "We wade through these infected waters to reach school due to which we have sores on our feet. Can't anyone see our condition?"

Soriya took the video evidence to the panchayat president Farhana Khatun who has assured to direct funds to build roads in Muriyalipara. The lack of metallised road has led to Nur's disability. Would you want another child to suffer the same fate? Call Farhana Khatun on +91-6702796166 to ensure that Muriyalipara gets metalised roads as promised.  

This video was made by a Video Volunteers Community Correspondent Soriya Banu.

Community Correspondents come from marginalised communities in India and produce videos on unreported stories. These stories are ’news by those who live it.’ They give the hyperlocal context to global human rights and development challenges. See more such videos at www.videovolunteers.org. Take action for a more just global media by sharing their videos and joining in their call for change.