BANGLADESH IS ON!!

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this is a short one this time....

for those of you who are involved in hands on disaster response (HODR) and have been following the news lately, you are aware a devastating cyclone (Sidr) hit the impoverished country nearly one month ago, ruining what little infrastructure the country already had, taking the lives of thousands of livestock and affecting millions of people in terms of loosing their livelihood, harvests and crops. no bueno?!

didn't hear about it? yeah, well, even though it was one of the worst disasters to hit bangladesh in the past decade and a half, it didn't seem to get much "air time." they never do. that's why we are here. to try and make a difference in whatever way we can. disasters are happening at such a rapid pace these days, no one can possibly keep up with all of them. hands on does it's best to go where they know they can make a difference.

after nearly three weeks on the ground, our assessment team (who left pisco, peru to head to bangladesh on the other side of the globe) has decided there IS a need for Hands On to deploy and has decided that on january 5, 2008, a new project will begin.

now, what to do. i think is is fairly obvious what i am going to do, what isn't is so obvious is HOW i am going to finance getting there. if anyone out there has any suggestions, extra holiday cash laying around or other tips, i'd love to be in the know.

even though the news has literally JUST come out (within the past hour), i have been thinking of going since the cyclone first touched land. i have made the long and arduous decision to stick out the project here in pisco, travel a month or so afterwards and then head back to the part of the world I love the most, Asia.

thanks for listening.

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