ISSUE FOUR 2026
Best CATCH The
IS A SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD
P.2 Turning Ponds Into Possibilities P.5 Adult Literacy: It's Never Too Late P.7 Choose Kids' Gifts of Hope this Christmas
Turning PONDS INTO POSSIBILITIES
For Lima and her family in Bangladesh, a few fish fingerlings have grown into an opportunity to earn an income, put food on the table, and educate her daughter, Anna.
In 2025, Lima and her husband received fish fingerlings through our school community project where Anna goes. With care and proper feeding, they raised healthy fish and made a good profit by selling them. With the money, they helped cover Anna’s school expenses, too. The fish also provided a necessary source of nutrition for the family. Now Lima hopes to expand her fish farm using mixed fish farming techniques and is encouraging other families to learn about the opportunities fish farming can offer. Lima’s experience shows what can happen when families have the right support and 2 Response by Asian Aid Issue Four 2026
practical knowledge. To help more families make the most of their ponds, our partner team in Bangladesh organised a fish farming training session led by local Fisheries Officer Mr. Hossen. Parents and other community members learned to improve fish production, care for their ponds, and make better use of the resources they already have. The initiative helps families access more nutritious food, to earn an additional income and to provide a valuable source of protein in a community with high protein deficiency concerns. For Mr. Hossen, the growing interest in better fish farming practices is encouraging. “Equipping families with practical skills can help them make informed decisions, improve
their livelihoods and build greater financial security,” he says. For Lima and her family, the benefits are already taking shape. And with more families gaining the knowledge to make their ponds productive, a small resource can become something much bigger: healthier families, stronger livelihoods, and new Help a family learn hope for the fish farming skills and future. provide them with the
resources to establish a fish farm today.
Skills THAT MAKE A
DIFFERENCE
“The knowledge I have gained will help me increase fish production and support my family’s livelihood. I’m grateful,” Ebadul, who trained in fish farming with Mr Hossen. "Today I learned that before farming fish, the pond must be prepared. The inside and the banks of the pond must be kept clean. Netting needs to be put up all around so that nothing can cause any harm. Food must be provided based on understanding the needs of the fish. Thank you for this!" - Renuka "Through this training, we were able to understand fish farming very well. Sir explained it to us beautifully. Firstly, whether it is a pond, ditch, or low-lying land, the weeds must be cleared thoroughly. A net must be put around the four sides. My husband farms fish, and we have learned a lot." - Sima "I am delighted to receive the fish fingerlings. I firmly believe that I will be able to make a profit from these fish fingerlings and bring prosperity to my family. Therefore, I am forever grateful for the project." - Alo Response by Asian Aid Issue Four 2026 3
At Christmas, we love giving gifts! And some gifts keep helping families all year round. On each Christmas bauble, draw or write one gift that will last a long time.
Hope THE POND GROWING
BEYOND
Fish farming is just one way your support is helping families put food on the table. Through goat and duck rearing too, parents in Bangladesh are learning practical skills to care for their animals, support their families, and improve their livelihoods. “We have benefited greatly from this duck training. We rear ducks at home, but when they fall ill, we could not understand the symptoms, what disease
happened, and how to administer the medicine. We also learned how to keep the duck coop clean. We can now teach others around us what we have learned. Today's training was very good. Thank you.” - Hashi "Today we were able to learn the rules and regulations of goat rearing in detail. The trainer explained everything very well. We are all able to learn and understand. Goat rearing is a highly profitable business with almost no expenses. Goats give birth twice a year. If proper care is taken, goat milk is nutritious. It is possible to help our family grow financially. Many thanks." - Jhunu
Hint: Scan the QR code on Page 7 to find ideas of gifts that are helping other children like you. 4 Response by Asian Aid Issue Four 2026
Adult LITERACY IT’S NEVER TOO LATE became sentences. Then came a moment she will never forget. Her daughter handed her a schoolbook, and for the first time, she read a sentence aloud.
At 38, she had spent most of her life believing that learning was not for her. As a child, she never had the chance to go to school. Later, raising her own children, she longed to help them with their schoolwork - but the words on their pages remained out of reach. “I always felt bad when my children asked me to help them,” she says. “I wanted to, but I didn’t know how.” Then she joined an adult literacy class in her village. At first, she was nervous. But with every lesson, she grew more confident. Slowly, letters became words, and words
“That day, I felt proud,” she recalls. Today, she continues attending classes, determined to learn more. She dreams of reading independently, helping her children, and feeling confident in everyday life. For her, your help is about more than learning to read. It is about discovering what’s possible when someone gets a second chance. And it is never too late to begin.
IN THE LAST YEAR ALONE...
800 115 257 520
Parents and community members benefitted from livelihood programs
Women completed tailoring courses
Parents and community members participated in self-help groups
Kitchen gardens provided additional income for families
Thank you for your support!
Response by Asian Aid Issue Four 2026 5
Choosing A NEW PATH
Now, Amrit is choosing a different path. Through a Livelihood Micro-Grant initiative, she received five female goats – and the opportunity to build a livestock business. As her herd grows, she hopes to earn a more reliable income and give her young son a brighter future.
At just 24, Amrit was doing what she could to help her family survive. Living in a mud house, depending on unreliable seasonal income from her husband, and with a young son to care for, she made and sold homemade liquor from her home. 6 Response by Asian Aid Issue Four 2026
Amrit has also become an active member of the Mothers’ Group in her community, and has stopped making and selling liquor. "Soon the goats will give birth, and your support will help reduce poverty in our home,” she says. Her Hope for the Future Amrit dreams of a future where her husband no longer needs to travel far from home to find work, her family has a steady income, and they can live in a permanent house. “We want a stable source of monthly income and a pucca* house where we can live happily,” she says.
Her hopes reach beyond her own family too. She dreams of a village free from alcohol-related problems and conflict, where children can study, find good jobs and live together peacefully. Five goats cannot change everything overnight. But for Amrit, they represent something precious: a chance to leave an uncertain past behind and build a better future for her family. *A pucca house is a permanent, durable structure built using bricks, cement, concrete, steel, and stone for both its walls and its roof.
Livelihood A YEAR OF
OPPORTUNITIES
This year, thanks to your support, our partners worked alongside vulnerable families to help them find a way forward. By visiting homes and listening to the needs of families, they identified practical ways to help. • A single mother in India received female goats to help her earn an income and keep her daughter in school. Other mothers received Black Bengal goats or poultry to help support their families. • In another community, nine women and girls received help to buy sewing machines, fabric, and other materials after completing tailoring training. • Another woman received a printer to restart her home-based printing and photocopy business, while another received equipment to open a roadside food stall. • Two women received loans to begin income-generating activities. • Other families received paddy and vegetable seeds to help feed their children and earn additional income throughout the year. Each gift was chosen to match a family’s circumstances, skills and opportunities.
But It Doesn't Stop There... In only one community in India, more than 100 women regularly attended local Self-Help Group meetings, where they saved together, learned alongside each-other and built a fund they can borrow from when starting a business or facing an urgent family expense. These groups offer more than financial help. They give women a place to support one another and face challenges together. Ultimate Goal? The goal is not simply to provide a goat, a sewing machine, or a bag of seeds. It is to help families make the most of these resources and build a livelihood they can rely on. That is why our partners make regular follow-up visits to help families care for their animals, use their equipment, solve problems, and manage their new activities. You can help make the next opportunity possible for the many other families that face the same struggle. Scan the code to explore our Kids’ Gifts of Hope Catalogue and help parents and their children thrive.
If you would like printed copies of our Gift Catalogue to share with family, friends, at church or school, please email us at contact@asianaid.org.au or call us on (+61) 02 6586 4250 to order your copies.
Response by Asian Aid Issue Four 2026 7
THE BEST CATCH AT CHRISTMAS?
A Sustainable
LIVELIHOOD! Every parent wants a brighter future for their children. But when money is tight, putting food on the table can be a daily struggle. This Christmas, choose a Kids' Gift of Hope and help a family thrive!
I WOULD LIKE TO BUY
Please scan the QR code for the full Kids' Gifts of Hope catalogue.
m School of Fish $18 – Help a family learn fish farming skills and provide them with resources for a secure future.
m Fruit Tree $25 – Gift a family with fruit trees, vegetable seeds, and training to grow their own food.
m New Beginning $50 – Help a family receive a goat, a chicken, or a duck to start a business and supplement their income.
m Business Start-Up $135 – Give a woman a sewing machine, materials, and training to start a home business.
MY DETAILS
m Donate any amount to build sustainable livelihoods $________
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CHEQUE Make payable to Asian Aid Organisation and post with this form.
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FUNDS TRANSFER Call us on (+61) 02 6586 4250 for banking details
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CREDIT CARD
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Name on Card_____________________________________________________
ID ____________________________________ (if already a supporter)
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WAYS TO DONATE TO ASIAN AID
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asianaid.org.au
m CHRISTMAS GIVING STARTS HERE. Request your Kids' Gifts of Hope
MAIL your completed form to: PO Box 333 Wauchope NSW 2446 Australia
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CALL (+61) 02 6586 4250
Catalogue to discover meaningful gifts that change lives.
This excludes our quarterly newsletters. Donations of $2 and over are tax-deductible in Australia. Personal information is collected to process donations, issue tax receipts and send updates about your support.
For more information, visit asianaid.org.au call (+61) 02 6586 4250 or email contact@asianaid.org.au