Last Thursday, Chief Administrator of the Central Goldfields Shire, Noel Harvey, provided members with a fascinating but sobering look at the country of Bangladesh which in simple terms, is characterised by extreme density, extreme poverty, and a love of cricket. Noel shared his involvement with a group called Anika, which is changing the lives of many people in Bangladesh through a program called "Symbiosis". Symbiosis strives to educate women so they may improve the circumstances of their families. As they become educated, women are working together in groups to save money and fund business projects of individual women in their group. Through such funding women have been able to set up their own small shops, buy and sell cattle, and one woman even purchased a new home for $45 AUD - money raised from the sale of a cow!