Blogs from Bangladesh, Asia - page 7

Where do I begin... At the start of the week I visited the FFC (Families For Children) Orphanage here in Uttara. The orphanage was founded by a Canadian woman who recognized the need for a home for war babies that were orphaned after the war of independence in 1971. After the war babies grew up and moved out of the home, other orphans were taken in and now there are two facilities supporting a total of 143 children, 47 of which have special needs. FFC provides them with shelter, food, and education, as well as covers the cost of any required medical expenses. Many staff employed at FFC came as destitute mothers and had no place to go too. The sense of community within this organization is profound. The children are truly cared for, loved and ... read more

Since my last blog it’s been quite the opposite as it was before... I have been keeping extremely busy! In the days that followed I spent a great deal of time at the University and even got to assist one of the medical-surgical course instructors with her lecture. At the end of that week I travelled outside of where my home base is in Uttara and headed to Savar for an entire week. There was very limited internet access there, hence the gap in blogs. The name may sound familiar to you, as it was the town where the garment building collapsed. It is also the area where one of the most renowned Bangladeshi health facilities exists – CRP (The Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed). The centre opened in 1979 and is the only ... read more

It's only been a few days, but I know many of you are wondering if I made it okay and how things are going so far... After the longest journey of my life, I finally made it! There was a hartel (general strike) the day I arrived, so pretty much everything was shut down. Thankfully the airport still continues to operate during hartels, and rickshaws are still cycling people to and from. A hartel is usually organized by a political party to allow the people of Bangladesh who are in favour of their views to demand change over certain laws and government operations. Lately, there have been many as an election is quickly approaching. As some of you are aware, there have been recent hartels that resulted in violent activity. I know that worries you, but ... read more

I've been in Bangladesh only nine days, but there is just so much to write. It's felt like a long continuation of my visa application struggle - a hectic, frustrating, nonsensical but eventually incredibly rewarding roller coaster ride. I'm currently writing from Cox's Bazar, the longest natural beach in the world, but on this blog entry I want to go back to the start of my time in Bangladesh to describe my initial impressions of this unique corner of the subcontinent and perhaps Asia's best kept secret. Quite inevitably, my first journey in Bangladesh - that from the border with India, into Dhaka - went rather badly. The strikes (hartels) that so often rock the country have been increasing in frequency recently due to the upcoming elections. Rival parties tend to throw their weight around by ... read more

Bangladesh is choc-full of charities and NGOs. It’s a volunteer’s paradise because there is an endless number of organizations that need help. This weekend I visited the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed (CRP), which is a very well-known organization in Bangladesh. Hospitals and clinics all around the country refer people to CRP for services, which are usually provided for free. Few people can afford health care here, and fewer have any form of health insurance. If you break your back in Bangladesh, CRP may be your only hope. Every year they host an Open Day, welcoming in neighbors and thanking sponsors. I was invited to attend as part of a group, which has worked with CRP inpatient children for years, helping them with physical rehabilitation in a swimming pool. We were greeted warmly by ... read more