Brighter Dawns is a non-profit organization committed to resolving health issues in slum communities in Bangladesh. Our current goal is to make significant progress towards improving health and quality of life for residents of a slum in Ward 12 of Khalishpur, a city in Khulna, Bangladesh, by providing resources and education that spread effective sanitation. This includes building tube wells for clean water and sanitary latrines to reduce the spread of disease, as well as holding hygiene seminars to teach local women and schoolchildren the importance basic but essential sanitary practices such as hand-washing.
Our Mission
Brighter Dawns aims to prevent and treat existing health issues while improving overall living conditions in the slums of Bangladesh.
Our Origin
In the summer of 2010, Tasmiha Khan took a family trip to Bangladesh that transformed into something much more. While visiting family in Khalishpur, a district of Khulna, Bangladesh, Khan ventured into a nearby slum known as Ward 12. She was shocked to find people living in this crowded settlement just a short walk from her relatives’ home, and was even more amazed when the local women reached out to her and welcomed her into their homes. Touched by the hospitality of the people she met, she felt compelled to help them improve their lives by combating the many health risks they face each day.
Now operating as a 501(c)3 non-profit registered in the state of Illinois, Brighter Dawns has successfully completed a pilot project with the help of WPCF, the Davis Projects for Peace Foundation, and many other supporters. The organization is currently conducting research to determine the direction of its next project in order to continue addressing urgent health needs in Ward 12 and other slum communities in Bangladesh.
Learn more about the water and sanitation crisis in Bangladesh
Pilot Project
September 2010 – July 2011
Brighter Dawns’ first goal was to provide access to clean water and sanitary conditions for 1,000 households of Ward 12. The project achieved this through the establishment of sanitation education and supplies for households such as soap and sanitary napkins. The project and its implementation 
were conducted in partnership with the World Peace & Cultural Foundation (WPCF).
- Target Population: 1,000 households (approximately 5,000 people)
- Total Budget: $15,329
- 10 tube wells
- 9 sanitary latrines
- 3 community monitoring officers trained to lead health seminars for women and school-age children
- 1,000 hygiene kits containing one month’s supply of soap, sanitary napkins and household cleaning materials – distributed to a representative from each household that attended the first seminar in July
- 9 community members appointed to monitor quality of wells and latrines in their neighborhoods, and to collect voluntary user fees to pay for cleaning and maintenance
