(from marc in bangladesh)
a few days ago one of our volunteers ('allia' from australia) was walking through the market when she encountered another foreigner. being that this isnt common they struck up a conversation. after an exchange of pleasantries and contact information they bid each other farewell. i followed up with an introductory email referring him to our website and inviting him to join us at our base in rayenda any time he (or his colleagues) might be in our area. i am always eager to make people connections, always looking for a "fit" for HODR, always looking for "that meeting" (where we exit high-fiving over the future success of our affiliation).
i didnt hear from allias' contact. then, one day as i was working, my phone rang displaying an unrecognized number. it is risky to have a cell phone here. "friends" call. the typical dialog is as follows: "HELLO?, hello. THIS IS RAKIB, IS THIS MARC? this is marc.. HELLO. HOW ARE YOU?, i am fine, how are you?HELLO WHERE, HELLO, MARC? WHERE ARE YOU? i am working. WHERE ARE YOU? i am in rayenda. OK BYE. ok, bye rakib, OK BYE" in this case i answer, it is a western voice (easy conversation), the voice of clint (from america) and we have a great conversation. it seems we may have similar interests and establish a meeting time for the next day.
during our meeting we find more and more common ground. his "team" (banded together by profession but based all over) has been assessing in bagerhat division and especially sharonkohla upazila. they have small projects that they might be able to fund, but are concerned about implementation. they are wary of local contractors. their funding would go much farther if they didnt have all the labor costs and the difficulties over poor project management. the excitement is growing, there is eye contact that indicates a kinship. i ask about funding, connections, short term plans, long term plans... all of the usual talking points. there is a connection of kindered spirts who are striving to do the right thing, to help, to help those who need it most, without the need for credit or recognition, to do it because it needs to be done. it is eery and gooseflesh inducing.
in my mind i have a question, that with the right answer, will be the cement to hold a team effort together. if i was playing cards, i had an ace, or a one-eyed jack and it was time to play it.
"so, clint hanna, you mentioned working in cambodia, do you know piper campbell?" he replied "yes, she is a rising star and she is my boss!" my reply is obvious to those reading this....."piper campbell is your 'boss' and her father is my 'boss', he is the co-founder of our NGO."
small world, sometimes to the point of inducing tears.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Project Pisco goes out in style
Like many things that HODR does if you didn’t know any better you would probably think we planned it all…well we did…in a kind of plan as you go spur of the moment kind of way.
106 volunteers gathered along side 25 Pisco community members at HODR’s favorite Pisco restaurant, site of our famed “Meat Club”, As de Oro’s.
Volunteers paraded down the buffet line with mountains of food somehow even leaving left overs!
We then held a different type of All Hands Meeting this one had a wireless mic and huge PA system. Individual volunteers introduced community members and thanked them for their efforts to help HODR and their community. Our local friends then addressed the volunteers (with Leah translating).
Some friends offered prayers, others tears but all expressed how eternally grateful they are for our work to help them recover.
Like “angels from the sky” HODR volunteers descended upon Pisco one local remarked. Project Pisco will close its doors shortly having hosted 500+ angels from the sky.
106 volunteers gathered along side 25 Pisco community members at HODR’s favorite Pisco restaurant, site of our famed “Meat Club”, As de Oro’s.
Volunteers paraded down the buffet line with mountains of food somehow even leaving left overs!
We then held a different type of All Hands Meeting this one had a wireless mic and huge PA system. Individual volunteers introduced community members and thanked them for their efforts to help HODR and their community. Our local friends then addressed the volunteers (with Leah translating).
Some friends offered prayers, others tears but all expressed how eternally grateful they are for our work to help them recover.
Like “angels from the sky” HODR volunteers descended upon Pisco one local remarked. Project Pisco will close its doors shortly having hosted 500+ angels from the sky.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
what do you think of......
...when someone says 'playground'?
for me it is the children (everywhere!) and the equipment.
in bangladesh it is 50% different.
the children: laughing, running, screaming, climbing, jumping, shouting, pushing, falling, skipping, whistles blowing, teachers torso looming high above the beehive of activity.
the equipment: swings. big banks of swings set high on sturdy a frame with children pushing their feet up to dizzying heights and slashing backwards so high that the chains bow and then jerk at the fall. tall slides with their upright back and curved graceful chute where the shiny slide pan has been polished by the seatpants of the masses. teeter-totters where the heavier child (or children) has the lighter child (or group) dynamically outweighed and will only at their mercy push up to let the other down. and a dizzying carousel whose occupants are spun off only to stand staggering between nausea and hysteria. and monkey bars, and hopscotch routes, and tire traps, and basketball hoops, and, and, and......
but, there is no playground equipment here.
oddly, in our assessment of the schools, most of the headmasters dont even know what the pieces are. maybe they have seen photos of a slide or have visited dhaka and seen a swing-set, but they would never think of having such things at their school.
the things we take for granted.
marc, from the playground in, bangladesh
for me it is the children (everywhere!) and the equipment.
in bangladesh it is 50% different.
the children: laughing, running, screaming, climbing, jumping, shouting, pushing, falling, skipping, whistles blowing, teachers torso looming high above the beehive of activity.
the equipment: swings. big banks of swings set high on sturdy a frame with children pushing their feet up to dizzying heights and slashing backwards so high that the chains bow and then jerk at the fall. tall slides with their upright back and curved graceful chute where the shiny slide pan has been polished by the seatpants of the masses. teeter-totters where the heavier child (or children) has the lighter child (or group) dynamically outweighed and will only at their mercy push up to let the other down. and a dizzying carousel whose occupants are spun off only to stand staggering between nausea and hysteria. and monkey bars, and hopscotch routes, and tire traps, and basketball hoops, and, and, and......
but, there is no playground equipment here.
oddly, in our assessment of the schools, most of the headmasters dont even know what the pieces are. maybe they have seen photos of a slide or have visited dhaka and seen a swing-set, but they would never think of having such things at their school.
the things we take for granted.
marc, from the playground in, bangladesh
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