Bangladesh/People and Projects

Spotlight in the field: Bangladesh, Week 9

(28 March 2013)

Local children in Rangpur

"I cannot thank the Bangladesh team enough for their hospitality, and for allowing me to see their fantastic work in the field"

Week 9

This is my last blog from my visit to Bangladesh! I therefore want to talk about our healthcare work, and how simple things are helping to save lives and communities.

Currently, the majority of our healthcare work is undertaken Rangpur. Our mobile health clinics are essential in reaching the most vulnerable people. It means we can work in the poorest parts of Bangladesh to make sure everyone has access to a doctor at least once a month.

We have been helping women have operations for uterus polyps, which can be cancerous. We cover all hospital and medical fees are covered. Alhamdulillah, we have a contract with a hospital to provide 300 operations over a three year period.

We also help people with cataracts. This simple operation takes no more than 15 minutes, and gives people back their sight – and their lives. By May this year insha’Allah (God willing) we aim to restore the sight of 1,000 people.
We also work in schools and communities to promote child health awareness. We discuss topics from nutrition and sanitation, right through to child trafficking.

In the flood-prone North West, we are also heavily involved with disaster risk reduction (DRR). Here, DRR involves a lot of plinths (raising land)!
I met Mohammed Saidul Rahman, a labourer who lived on lower land as this was closer to work. He told me that when the floods came, he and his family had to grab what they could and dash for higher land. The items they couldn’t carry, their homne and livestock, where all taken by the floods. The cycle of having to replace all they lost to the recurring floodwaters, pushed them further into poverty.

The plinths that we built allowed a number of families to live together on raised land. They are constructed with a slope, where grass is grown – this makes sure they are not eroded by floodwaters. We also provided latrines and a water pump, so they had access to clean water and sanitation in the longer-term.
The plinth gives families like Mohammed’s stability and security. He can now grow things on the raised land near his home, and keeps more livestock and poultry. When the floods come, he has food and his home and livestock are safe. He earns extra income from selling milk and eggs. Alhamduillah, Islamic Relief’s teams consider pretty much everything that the beneficiary needs.

I was also able to visit a plinth where 30 of the most vulnerable families now live, permanently. They have a wonderful sense of community. From these households, we set up a village development committee, who decided who needed to live on the plinth. We trained all committee members on first aid, search and rescue and shelter management, so they are better prepared when the waters return. The committee has also set up an emergency fund, to which they all contribute and lean on in times of emergency.

Women are valued members of the committee, which we also train on flood preparedness. This includes very simple things like keeping dried fruit, portable cooking stoves and medicines.

I’m delighted that we’ve also raised the local market, and outside of the flood season the plinth is also used as a marketplace so the land is maintained. In the flood season, the land becomes a safety zone and over 100 families will live here – that’s why we’ve installed water pumps and latrines here too.

Local children in Rangpur

Bangladesh has a 10 per cent Hindu population, and during my stay in this country I met many Hindus that we help. We give help where it is needed most – not based on creed, race, or any other factor. If someone needs help, we help them.

Spending time in Bangladesh has really opened my eyes to the fantastic work that we do, as partners with other international charities, and as leaders in the field.

I cannot thank the Bangladesh team enough for their hospitality, and for allowing me to see their fantastic work in the field. Thank you to everyone involved with Islamic Relief – you really are helping some of the world’s most vulnerable people, changing lives and transforming communities. Thank you to the beneficiaries for allowing us to help them. Most importantly, thank Allah (SWT) for the knowledge I have gained in this trip.

Alhamdulillah, I have seen real-life solutions in Bangladesh that are allowing people to lift themselves out of poverty. Dignity, not charity. Solutions we can deliver because of your support.