The rains are here!

Lately it's been hot. Like really hot. The actual temperature is in the high 30s, but with a 90% humidity and zero relief over night it has been horrid! Oh, and did I mention I have no air-con and I wear long pants, a long top and scarf in this weather?

But tonight - sweet relief! The rains came! I did't even care that the open stormwater/ sewer drains have started overflowing in the streets, and that when I arrived home I had to hose my feet and shoes down from unmentionables. The rains have arrived and it brought some cooling winds for some sweet relief!

Here are some pics I took of the first rain of the season, while I was stuck in traffic tonight in Chittagong.

Home sweet home!

Bangladesh is a land of contrasts. There are very poor, and there are very rich. My hood in Chittagong, Khulshi, is the fancy part of town. Some days I feel guilty, but to be honest, most days I'm just very relieved and grateful! 

The best thing about our apartment is the location. It is next to a big green hill and it is QUIET! No horns, no sirens, and it is the only place in Chittagong that I've actually been able to hear birds chirping! And for me here, that is bliss!

The apartment complex (we're on the second floor!)

Entrance foyer

Lounge/ dining room

Spare lounge room. Otherwise known as the bowling alley.

 The kitchen

Our Eastern toilet! (it's ok, we have 4 other western ones)

My bedroom!

My en-suite (yep, we all have them!)

View from my bedroom window. Green!! No people!!

View from our stairwell. The neighbourhood kids are playing cricket every arvo!

 Views from our roof.

 As I mentioned here furnishing our apartment has been a bit of a trial! And a month in, the place is still looking pretty empty! But off-white bare walls or not - it's home! :)

To give, or not to give?

Probably the most stewed over question for those travelling/living in developing countries. To give or not to give to beggars?

I've been overwhelmed by the number of children, disabled and very old begging here in Chittagong. I think I've tried everything, keep a straight face and keep walking and try to ignore them. Give money to the disabled only. Give food to children, not money. Acknowledge them, smile and say no. Only give food to individuals not when they are in groups.  I know not one of them is the 'right thing' to do. And I know that you don't feel better about the situation by doing any.

Fatima wearing the Salwar Kameez my friend gave her

But a friend here has really inspired me to do what you can with those who God has placed in your path. Not money, but sometimes just a smile and acknoledgement. One of the best things about living in a place is that you get into routines, and you can form relationships. My friend has been passing Fatima, (the crippled beggar above) every Friday on her way to church for the past month. Fatima can only walk on all fours, due to a leg/ hip deformity. One time my friend was just smiling and started chatting to Fatima when she was passing, when Fatima said that she would really like a new outfit. So the next week my friend bought an old Salwar Kameez to give to her.

She was so touched that she insisted that my friend visit her house the next Friday afternoon for lunch so that she could say thank you.

So on Friday, three bideshis (a few of us were invited for moral support!) trekked out with Fatima and her daughter on a rickshaw to her home for lunch. (I was pretty nervous in that rickshaw ride!)

When we arrived It was humbling beyond words as Fatima and her husband cooked us a big meat curry, bought sprite from the shop for us to drink, and fanned us down when they saw we were pooled in sweat.

The rest of the housing community area were in disbelief that we actually turned up! Most of the community were outside the door for the few hours we were inside visiting.

Bangladesh is a country of 150+ million people, and two thirds are living in poverty - it's totally impossible to give to everyone. But seeing the life and generosity of just one has softened my heart, and given me a little understanding of the power not of giving money, but friendship and love.
It was a pretty special afternoon.

Just sayin'...

...and I did I mention I have a spare bedroom? 

Yes! Come and visit! :)

This weekend I will take some pics of my Chittagong apartment to further entice you!

Out in the field

My role here in Bangladesh is to try and build the capacity of the local World Vision staff in their water and sanitation projects, and build connections with other NGOs working in the WASH sector. WASH is the trendy development acronym for water, sanitation and hygiene.

This week I went out with the local project staff to see what projects WV are currently working on.

I spent about 20% of the time looking at projects and sitting in on community meetings and education sessions; and the other 80% of time chatting with the hoard of kids and community people who were bemused and delighted to see a bedeshi (foreigner) in their community! They gave me mangoes and made me sing an Australian song! (...obviously my mind went blank at such a request. I went with Advance

 Australia Fair!?!)

In the community I visited, World Vision had installed 12 septic tank latrines 1 year earlier. The families who received them were very eager to tell me that they kept them clean and well maintained and since the latrines were installed they had noticed a big decrease in diarrhoea and cholera in the community!  Here are some of the grateful recipients!

But now feel pretty challenged by the task ahead, and am feeling very under qualified! Can me being here really benefit these communities? But my colleagues have been very encouraging and one said, "it's the many small steps that lead to the transformation." 

I know that these faces below and the grateful families I met will definitely be my motivation while working here this year!!

The new normal

It's funny how in only three and a half weeks things that were once crazy, weird and odd, now seem kinda normal.

I snapped a few pics over the last few days of regular things which are now very much my new normal!

1.  Constant sweaty everything. 

2.  The orna (scarf). A modest girls best friend here in the 'desh! It's essential when leaving the house or      in the presence of a man! I usually just wear it the back-to-front scarf way, but the over the head look is good for trying to remain (slightly) anonymous, to keep the rain/ sun off and for covering above mentioned sweaty hair.

3.  Open drains. Yep, all of them are open! No, that's not just stormwater in there! My constant fear when in a rickshaw is that the waller with mis-judge the road edge and I will go in! 

4.  Being treated like a rock star. It's good and bad. It feels ridiculous that because of my skin colour people treat me so differently. But it was also hilarious when the owner of our apartment wanted a photo with us after signing the lease!  

5. House guards. It's now totally normal that my apartment building is guarded by men 24/7. The front gate is locked and I have to bang loudly for the security man to come and let me in. There are also about 5 other guys that hang out down the bottom of the building. I'm still figuring out what they all do. 

 6. Safety standards. I don't want to ever think of this as normal, but after seeing this kind of thing several times a day, these sights are a new kind of 'normal'.
I don't think these guys signed off on a working at heights permits for this one.

7. Shopping. After having just stockpiled an entire new wardrobe, I feel I am now somewhat of an expert in the new normal of Bangladeshi clothes shopping! As previously discussed, there's definitely no k-mart here! Normal shopping now is going to the fabric markets for selecting material, the other fabric market for trying to find material for matching ornas (scarfs) and shalwar (pants), buying decorative bling from the trimmings shop, then taking it all to the tailor for assembling. Here is the lovely Michelina (new friend!) helping me to translate at the tailors!

New life. New normal things. 

World Vision Bangladesh 40th Anniversary

Last Thursday, World Vision Bangladesh celebrated their 40th anniversary! And I was apart of the celebrations! There was a big official celebration in Dhaka, and then each of the Area Development Programs had their own celebration, I joined with the Chittagong ADP. 

Apart from seeing my colleagues dressed in their gorgeous saris (I went with borrowing my housemate Katie's flashy Shalwar Kameeze number), the most memorable and moving part of the day was having some of the World Vision sponsor children and WV initiated Community Based Organisation there! 

I actually got a little teary as the gorgeous children got up and performed dances and music items for the entertainment. They were so amazing! Kids from 8-16 danced, sang songs and played instruments. As well as going to school, World Vision has a cultural program for their sponsor children, and to see the kids on stage was so moving! Their lives and future really have been transformed!

(This is me with the Chittagong ADP sponsor kids who were there. Gorgeous! and oh so sweet!)

I had only been at work a week, but I treated as an honoured guest! I was specially introduced and seated with the government officials, I was even asked to make a speech! I'm pretty sure about 80% of the audience couldn't understand a word I was saying, but it was fun! and humbling to be apart of it.

 Here are the ladies of the World Vision Chittagong ADP 

 The whole World Vision Chittagong ADP team!

Oh, and after lunch, I tried PAAN!  A little strange - but thankfully no red mouth stains!

I am so excited to be contributing in a small way in the coming year!

Congratulations World Vision Bangladesh!