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Published: September 8th 2006
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Market in Dhaka
Newmarket, huge market in Dhaka where you can get everything, including Neonatal ICU text books.. if only they weren't 5 kgs! After a lovely few days with Cam and Nic (top Aussie friends living in Dhaka for 1 year with Australian Youth Ambassadors) Cam and I headed to Shampur (aprox 45 min CNG/taxi ride south) on the outskirts of Old Dhaka to my organisation, Jonoshastha Seba Kendra (JSK).
Cameron and I were greeted by the whole staff and then had lunch with the chairman, managing director (MD) and project director (PD). Cam had to leave for work so I said goodbye, (at that moment the 'What the hell am I doing?!' thought crossed my mind) and holding back tears I went to my home stay.
I truly am living like a King! My room is at the top story of a house currently under construction, but my room has been finished especially. There is a great breeze (Very handy with the load shifting, rationing the limited power supply by turning off power to selected areas) but that has to be weighed against risk of Mosquitos (Dengue fever is rampant). I have a huge bed, a tv! and a fridge! I think it is possibly the best room in the entire region. I feel a little bad, but they are very accomodating and
JSK staff
Lining up to give me flowers! attentive people. It is bizzare though, I go onto my personal verandah and look strait into the slums. The people get very excited when they see me and wave and call out and gather to look, so I have taken to hiding behind the curtains so as not to draw attention. I also have a personal maid, Shamima. At first she was to sleep on the floor in my room so I wouldn't get lonely, but after much convincing that I didn't need anyone and I would not get scared, she brings me my meals instead. It is a bit uncomfortable, but I have finally convinced her to eat with me. Which is very wonderful because they feed me so much and there is no way I can possibly eat it all, so I make Shamima he he he. And because she's not supposed to, she won't tell anyone. Shamima speaks little English and I, little Bangla, fortunately I have 2 dictionaries so we mime and converse that way. The down side to the home stay is there is no such thing as 'privacy' in Bangladesh, thus I have visitors, some I know, some friends of people I know, some
Us
MD, me, Nic, Cam, Chairman and his 3yo son Junai in my room, the meeting place! curious randoms, knocking on my door from 8 am to 11pm, who sit on my bed and chat away while I am still in my pyjamas. So a little time out with Cam and Nic is most welcomed!
The next day I arrived at work and the whole office presented me with flowers (ever wondered what it feels like to be royalty, come to Dhaka). Every time I entered the room, the office would stand. I have quickly learnt how to say 'Sit, sit!'
JSK is a local NGO that provides free health care to the poorest and needy people of Shampur. They have one real doctor, one pretend doctor or physio depending on what they need, a pharmacist, a path lab and an xray machine.
Okay, nursing buddies, look away:
The medical staff have varying degrees of training, there is a lot of overprescribing, under diagnosis, questionable hygiene and diagnosis by x-ray.
"I did an xray, to see if she had a UTI"
I find it hard to sit in the clinic as an 'observer' when I know a woman presenting with 2 previous miscarriages, currently 3 months pregnant and suffering abdominal pain needs something other than pain
School
We visited a local primary school. The children were very excited. killers... but how to make changes?
On the plus side, they seem to do an excellent job of providing health promotion and education to a wide variety of people. There are 20 field workers who each target a seperate area/group with messages such as Breastfeeding, Sanitation, Nutrition, Child health etc
And that brings me to my project! Yes! I finally have one! HIV/AIDS is becoming a major problem in the region, so my job is to talk to garment workers (very poor people who do 12 hour shifts, (he he like 6b!) with minimal wages under very bad conditions, they often strike and have protests regarding work conditions) and find out their level of understanding/awareness of HIV/AIDs and create a program for JSK to run.
Heard the news about Steve Irwin, you'll be happy to know he made it into the Bangla newspaper.
Thanks for the emails too! It's a very happy thing to hear from you all!
Hope all's well.
Take Care
Carol
Bangla word's I think you'll remember, Bad: Karap
The Near Death Experience Orna Count (NDEOC):
Caught in wheel of rickshaw x1
Small child running behind rickshaw grabbing on to orna = strangulation
x1
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fiona (kats sis)
non-member comment
omg- you are amazing to do this!
Hi Carol i came to mums house and found this on screen. You are very brave! what beautiful people. I look forward to the next installment