tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486389151908082222024-03-12T22:02:50.732-07:00Bhola's ChildrenBhola's Children is a charity which supports Bhola Garden, a home and a school for orphaned and disabled children on Bhola Island, Bangladesh.
The blog includes photos, videos, and regular news updates from Bhola Garden. We hope you enjoy it!Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-2392805362636810142018-03-19T07:13:00.002-07:002018-03-19T07:13:29.761-07:00A Belated Update from Bhola
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<span class="s1">Rather belated New Years wishes.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The children and I hope 2018 will be a peaceful and prosperous year for us all. Yes, I spent New Year’s Eve with the children and we had a great time. The boys decorated their room to welcome me and everyone was in festive mood, with a large bonfire and music from Zakir’s friend Faisal and his group, who travelled down on the launch with us from Dhaka and stayed on for several days. My New Year’s gift was a new auto-rickshaw, the Philip Westbury sadly having had to be sold.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinah with the boys</td></tr>
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<span class="s1">The Dhaka boys, four at the deaf school, four in the training centre, and Hasnur who is now in an excellent school for the blind, came home and all holidays were postponed until after my departure. So we were a full house of 31 boys and 27 girls. We celebrated gold and silver medals in the Special Olympics, the boys will be in the finals in Dubai in 2019. It is always a joy to see the older children playing with the young. It reassures me that we really are a family, always our dream. Whatever happens in the future, I pray that this ethos of Bhola Garden will be preserved. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">We are giving a much-needed coat of paint to the hostel building before the monsoon. There has been discussion about our original<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>buildings which are in dire need of repair, so much so that lessons now take place in the dining room. We have an estimate for the total replacement of both flat roofs and, since my return, I am delighted to report we are well on our way to finding sufficient funds for this. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>My own parish church, Our Lady of Grace in Chiswick, has made Bhola’s Children part of our annual Lent Project. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I spoke for a couple of minutes at the end of all 6 Masses on the second Sunday of Lent and am thrilled to say that the money is coming in. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Many, many thanks to my generous priests and fellow parishioners.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picnic on Eunus's Farm</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Back to Bhola and my January visit. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We did all the usual things. Kind Eunus allowed us to have our picnic on his beautiful farm and paid for all the food and drink. We also had our traditional excursion to the river bank at Valumia, but this was a bit more of an adventure than usual: Iqbal was only able to find one boat to take all of us who dared and who were not too heavy… I still can ‘t believe they got me into the very flimsy leaking motorised craft, that we survived the jaunt and somehow they hauled me out. I had visions of the headline “50 protibondi and old white woman drown in the Bay of Bengal”.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px;">Zakir and Kamal have reluctantly decided to stop growing vegetables in Valumia, since they are constantly washed away by the monsoons. Instead we have planted hundreds of lemon trees and hope to sell the produce. Thanks to Eunus, we have been able to rent the triangular strip of land in front of the boundary, which will give us more security and space to grow vegetables.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Physiotherapy is going well and it is wonderful to see the improvement it makes to several of our children.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1">A<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>welcome addition to our family is Ismail. He was previously our part time accountant and is<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>now fulltime, living in the boundary with his wife Samira and Abdullah, 6 months old. Ismail is a great support to Zakir and the office they share, on a corner of the tailoring building, is a triumph of tidiness and efficiency – the first time I’ve said that of any of our offices! Ismail speaks good English and is working well with Sandy.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Zakir’s wife Neera and daughters Sara and Nora were with us all the time, and are a great joy. The girls love being in Bhola, and I only wish there was decent education on the island so they could live with us – although Neera would miss the Dhaka shops! Zakir has friends in Bhola, including the Mayor who invited us to a barbecue in his vegetable-storage factory, very cold! but its lonely life for him much of the time.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">And yes, it was cold! The coldest in 50 years, by late afternoon we were fetching socks and jackets, and it didn’t warm up till nearly 11 in the morning. Not a place suited to cold weather, although it was pleasant sleeping under two blankets rather than a mosquito net. And I blessed Jet Airways for their sleep suit which I put on every evening under my salwar kameez! If I go again, it will be late January!</span></div>
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<br />Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-68034909134709616662017-10-12T02:19:00.004-07:002017-10-12T02:20:37.079-07:00Freda Graf reports on her recent visit to Bhola<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">August 2017</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It was monsoon time when I visited Bhola’s Children which meant high humidity, tremendous downpours and the loudest thunder I have ever heard. There was not a sound from the children, as they were so used to it, but I thought the world was coming to an end! The terrible flooding in South East Asia had little impact on Bhola as they are conditioned to it and have effective strategies in place to minimise the problems. Unfortunately, the rice crop has been wiped out and this will have a dramatic impact on the basic foodstuff, leading to a significant increase in cost. This in turn will impact on our budget and the money we send out to Bhola’s Children.</span></div>
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The children were all fundamentally well despite the usual colds and fevers that are typical for this time of year. It was good to see the children having great fun in the pond, jumping, splashing and playing in the water. All the children are taught to swim which is a necessary skill to have when you live in an area surrounded by water.</div>
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I was especially pleased to see Nayan (a boy with multiple disabilities) confidently playing and swimming. He has had intensive physio for the last year from Dilruba, our qualified physiotherapist. She comes to the Boundary for a few hours each week and she has trained our staff in proper physio. Dilruba can diagnose the problems and develop treatment plans for each of our children. She then instructs our staff to look after a group of children. This has made a significant impact on the care the children are receiving and hence the improvement.</div>
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The older boys are attending a Training School in Dhaka where they are learning skills to enable them to get employment when they have finished. I visited the school which is very impressive where they teach a range of skills including farming, mechanical engineering, IT and tailoring. The boys seem to be very happy and thriving there. Zakir and I collected the boys and brought them back to Bhola for the holidays.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">The carpenter is continuing to teach the boys the basic skills in woodwork and now that the older boys are at school, the younger and the less able children are having a chance to learn.</span></div>
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We had a wonderful farewell party where the children entertained me with singing by a girl with Downs syndrome and a boy with multiple disabilities. The girls danced in unison and it was fascinating watching how a blind girl could almost manage to dance in union with the others. The deaf boys wrote and performed a very entertaining play about a thief who was of course captured by the end of the play.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">It was the end of term and the children were doing examinations and preparing to go home for the Cow Cutting EID holiday. </span><span style="text-align: center;">By the end of my stay most of the children had gone and an eerie silence had descended on the home.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> The staff could have a well-deserved rest and prepare for the next term.</span></div>
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I spent Cow Cutting Eid with Zakir’s family in Dhaka and it was a most interesting experience. The day before Eid, there were cows everywhere in the streets and on Eid day I watched them being butchered, very cleanly and humanly. My curiosity about this arises from the days I was an operating theatre sister. The tradition is the meat is divided three ways, to the poor, to relatives and the family keep the remaining third. Many poor people come to Dhaka specially to collect the meat and the crowds gathered outside the rich people’s houses.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Zakir, our Director, has been managing the home in a very efficient and thoughtful way. </span><span style="text-align: center;">He has a very good relationship with both the children and staff.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">He has the skill to be friendly and yet have the respect of the staff.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">The children love him and he is very good at playing and having fun with them.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> We do hope he will continue for a long time to come.</span></div>
Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-1501433187039051862016-12-10T01:01:00.002-08:002017-01-22T03:24:18.491-08:00Freda's report from BholaMy annual trip to Bhola’s Children was very successful and worthwhile. It was great to see so many new children and meet up again with familiar faces. The children seem very happy and are working hard at their schoolwork but still have plenty of time for fun and games.
The newly installed CCTV not only makes everyone feel more secure, it also has the bonus of enabling Zakir to keep an eye on the classrooms, so the children are now quiet and well behaved.<br />
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<img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaDkL22YSr756EsnMLdpY0IeKaXx0oPOD6kwHO0XdFj1Uh9slMkTUOhaBW39iompVT_fjI5DsXoWiJKjUA0JbwxUtl-NsqgaI2lV9uP_o9IbiDrNNdidGvlWz44iFfF4wqQ7rOHWMJw/s320/image1.jpeg" width="320" /></div>
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I was especially pleased to be able to welcome the new qualified physio Dilruba, who has joined our staff. Dilruba is able to provide proper treatment plans and help our existing staff to execute the care correctly. She suggested we purchase an ultrasound machine to treat children with muscle spasm, pain, and help relieve contractures. Thanks to the very generous donation from The Funding Network we are able to agree the purchase and also buy a resistance exercise bike. This will help build up the muscles of the children with deformities.
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It was a delight to see so many of the children developing technical skills. They were all very enthusiastic and keen both to watch and take part. It was great to see our new drill being used by the physically handicapped boys who are learning skills that will enable them to support themselves in the future. We are very grateful to Cumbria Overseas Aid Trust (COAT) for their very generous gift.
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While I was in Dhaka, I visited the only deaf Secondary school in Bangladesh which was very impressive. It is a government supported school and there is a boarding department run by the Bangladesh Deaf Society. All being well some of our older boys will be starting there in January at the start of the new school year. I also visited the Baptist Mission Integrated School where two of our blind children attend. This school used to be specifically for the blind but has had to bring in able bodied children in order to survive.
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Bangladesh has introduced a new law which bans fishing for a couple of months during the spawning session. We thought this was going to mean the fish for our children would cost a lot more. Fortunately, the exact opposite has happened, the Coastguards confiscate any fish caught and telephone us and other homes to collect the fish. Somebody’s punishment is our reward! Our fridges are now full of fish and the children are getting a healthy diet.
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The Coast-Guard Jonal Commander, Efram Hossain, visited the Boundary and was very impressed at what we were doing and wanted to help us provide milk for the children. He feels this is a very important for the children’s growth. He and his friends are going to give us three cows which we will keep at Valumia and will be cared for by Kamal and one of our boys. He has provided us with the materials so we can build a cow shed and we can get the milk delivered to the home on a daily basis. So Zakir is off to the market to buy the cows!<br />
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I had a very helpful visit to the new Superintendent of Police, although we had no particular issues to discuss it was good to be able to thank him personally for his help and invite him to visit the Boundary. All foreign visitors to Bhola are meet by the police on arrival and escorted to the Boundary. We have to inform the police when we leave the Boundary as the police will provide an escort. The authorities are obviously very nervous since the Artisan tragedy as a lot of foreign staff from NGOs have left Bangladesh. It is rather fun being escorted by very handsome young men!
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I also visited the Assistant District Commissioner who welcomed us very warmly. He is a delightful man, helped enormously by his ability to speak very good English. He had spent a year at Northumbria University with his family. His wife is a Doctor and Zakir extended a very warm invitation for his wife and family to visit the Boundary.
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The day starts at the Boundary at 6am and it is very impressive to watch the children doing their early morning exercise. This is very well run by one of the older boys Gias, who manages the children in a fun but disciplined way.<br />
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<br />Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-63693808313777304992016-09-23T09:59:00.003-07:002016-10-04T01:43:49.637-07:00Weddings in Bhola GardenWe think we should call Zakir “Cupid” – since he joined, three of our female staff and our own Faruk have “tied the knot”!<br />
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Faruk has been with us all his life. He was born with cerebral palsy and is part paralysed down the right side. He is now in his thirties and longs to be married. He is the gate keeper and every morning he can be seen sweeping the boundary and checking the tube wells. <br />
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A couple brought their daughter in some four weeks ago. She was about 16 so too old for us to accept. But when Zakir saw that she was paralysed down her left side, he proposed for Faruk and both Sharmin and her parents agreed.<br />
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In true Bangladeshi fashion no time was wasted, the marriage took place almost at once and the parents went home. Two weeks later Faruk accompanied his bride to her parents’ home for the Eid holiday and, for the first time in his life, had people he could address as mother and father.<br />
Salina is a widow, and the mother of our dear Sonali, now 11 and severely disabled with cerebral palsy. Salina also has a son who is in the local boys’ orphanage and visits us on all holidays.<br />
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Since we have known Salina, she has had at least two offers of marriage but neither suitor was prepared to take Sonali as well. Naturally Salina, who is a wonderful mother, rejected both proposals.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mofiz and Salina</td></tr>
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We are delighted to tell you Salina has now found a new husband who is more than happy to be a father to both her children. Mofiz was widowed earlier this year. His children are grown up, he has his own house near our campus, and until recently he worked for Heed Technical Training College. Mofiz proposed last month and the marriage took place yesterday.<br />
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Sandy and Freda are both about to visit Bhola and will have the good fortune to celebrate two marriages. I am deeply envious!<br />
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Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-79297769192529198382016-09-23T09:59:00.001-07:002016-09-23T09:59:20.821-07:00THE FUNDING NETWORK SELECTS US TO PRESENT AT THEIR LAST EVENT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJhYHj0rBLaD68Ol5n0bcCsn1RCGDF_jQOkcU7JHXQ1J7iXsptTlWg3k5I1lFdIaLjWwCgCtF2E-5-1Q6Jvxujmx_OoBFXipizbmILEWBQcMlzirY1zJzRRH0fp3IKTV44R7XY9r48w/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJhYHj0rBLaD68Ol5n0bcCsn1RCGDF_jQOkcU7JHXQ1J7iXsptTlWg3k5I1lFdIaLjWwCgCtF2E-5-1Q6Jvxujmx_OoBFXipizbmILEWBQcMlzirY1zJzRRH0fp3IKTV44R7XY9r48w/s640/unnamed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were so very pleased to be selected by TFN to present our charity at their event on 15</span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 9.6px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">th</span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> September. We were one of four charities – two UK-based and two working overseas – and we each had a target of £6,000.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our ask was for a part-time physiotherapist and a carpenter, and we are happy to report that we more than achieved our target. Zakir, who never wastes time, has already taken on a part-time carpenter. Here is a photograph of his first lesson.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "questrial"; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>To The Funding Network and to all their guests and supporters:</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "questrial"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is a huge thank you from Bhola’s Children for your generosity last Thursday evening.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "questrial"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The committee members of Bhola’s Children Special School Bangladesh, Zakir, the staff and all our children have asked me to thank you for donating so generously.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "questrial"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was thrilled to have an opportunity to tell you about our charity, thank you for listening and for your positive feedback. We all hope you will want to keep in touch and possibly even visit our home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "questrial"; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dinah Wiener </span></div>
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Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-42886009947840965142016-06-16T01:16:00.001-07:002016-06-16T01:17:18.202-07:00Received a wheelchairs from CoastGuard<br />
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From Zakir, our Director:<br />
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Dear All,<br />
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I am glad to inform you that we have received five wheelchairs from CoastGuard on 14th June 2016. They handed over the chairs along with support for two other regular schools in a event with many media and other distinguished guests. Myself and Tanvir attended.<br />
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We have good relation with them and they have been a good support. They promised more support in the future years.<br />
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Best regards<br />
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Zakir<br />
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Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-17430118815950281672016-04-13T01:05:00.001-07:002016-04-13T01:05:03.610-07:00Our children sing farewell to Philip Westbury<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
Dinah has known and loved Philip for ten years. He was so disabled at birth, he was not expected to live three days. Instead, he lived nearly 31 years.</div>
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His mother Helen was the first donor to set up a substantial standing order. When we asked for sponsorship for our auto rickshaw, we painted each donor’s name on it. Helen made up the shortfall and we thought it appropriate to put Philip’s name in full. Philip sadly died just before Easter and the children made this video in the hope of comforting Philip’s family before the funeral on April 15th.</div>
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Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-17181489390700642402016-03-10T23:56:00.000-08:002016-03-10T23:56:10.384-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is a year since Zakir took over officially as Director of Bhola’s Children Protibondi School, now renamed Bhola’s Children Special School – Bangladesh (BCSB). Anne and I were delighted with what he has achieved. The atmosphere in the boundary was excellent, everything indoors and out was neat and tidy, and the staff seemed happy – although stretched to their limits since we now have 53 children – 31 boys and 22 girls. We urgently need another teacher and a full-time labourer to help Dipok and Iqbal.
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My great joy was seeing our three deaf boys Ahasan Ullah, Hassain and Sharadat going off to the secondary school having passed their exams.
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Zakir’s improvements to the boundary are good. The Director’s accommodation on the roof of the tailoring building is excellent. The able-bodied boys all sleep in the old tailoring room, those with mobility problems have a room on the ground floor. Asma seems very happy to use the old physio room for tailoring, and physio next to the entrance works very well. We now have a visitors’ door with a bell so the gates don’t need to be opened and a small waiting room. Faruk is pleased with his doorman’s office. The girls all sleep on first and second floors of the hostel, with Shefali and Sima as house mothers. We noticed how quiet it was in the early mornings without the boys below!
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We had a very friendly and productive Committee meeting early in the week, with all our BCSB trustees present. They are a really helpful, intelligent and influential group of men – but we hope to have a woman on board soon. We agreed a new Memorandum of Understanding which Shawkat and I signed later in the week. They have asked to use our logo, which of course pleases us and new letter heading has been designed.
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We have a new DC (District Commissioner) with whom we had a useful meeting. Unlike the previous very unpopular man (Freda and I had experience there!) he saw us promptly, was extremely charming and positive about our work, and visited us on Saturday morning. He has only just arrived in Bhola and told me it was his first official visit. As well as a tour of the boundary and a dance show by Sima and the girls, he and I laid the foundation bricks for the wall around the land I bought only about 8 years ago, and for which the dispute has been settled at last! It has been named Goyal Ghar which means cowshed, although I see it more as a pasture. The wall is being built now and we hope to have cows in residence next year!
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The vegetables in Valumia are spectacular. I have never known the land looking so tidy (that goes for the gardens in the boundary too) and so productive. Kamal is doing a great job and has become a valued member of the family.
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Zakir and I work well together, which meant we got all the business out of the way early in the week so we could all enjoy ourselves later. We had the usual sports day and I won my first ever prize – third in musical chairs against the female staff, Anne and Zakir’s wife Neera!! The picnic was not the usual ordeal: due to a wonderful thunderstorm one night and heavy rains, which cleared the air, most of the river banks were muddy, and the women said taking food to cook outside was no picnic for them! Instead we all had an excellent lunch together at home, dressed in our best. We then piled into microbus and tractor trailer – Ronazid kindly drove the latter, it being a Friday – and went to a river bank where the boys swam. Zakir found a little motorised sailing boat which we ladies boarded for a trip up the river. Games afterwards, and everyone thought the day was a great success.<br />
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<br />Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-19236475775462772202015-11-02T10:30:00.001-08:002015-11-02T10:30:28.953-08:00Surma weds!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When Surma was ten, she refused the advances of an older boy and he threw acid in her face. She survived although for some years she didn’t want to go on living, until she fell in love with a distant cousin Bacchu. They had a little boy, whom we call Babu, who is nearly ten. Bacchu came to live in Bhola Garden, where he was a hard worker responsible for agriculture and market.<br /><br />Unfortunately Bacchu was led astray by one of our older students, whom he has married. We miss Bacchu as a worker, but he now employed in a similar institution some way away.<br /><br />We were delighted to learn that Surma has found a new husband. It was a second marriage for both, so the wedding was a low-key affair but Surma looks very happy and her new husband seems nice. We wish them much happiness.<div>
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Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-1530774523581646462015-10-15T03:10:00.007-07:002015-10-15T03:15:08.596-07:00Bhola’s Family - by Freda GrafIt was great to return to our home for disabled and orphaned children on Bhola Island and to find there was a great feeling of a family again. Everyone is much happier and working well together. <br />
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Our new Director has created an effective team and the staff responds to him extremely well. Zakir’s family fit in very naturally and Neera (Zakir’s wife) has a good relationship with the staff. It is a happy place to be and like all families they have their arguments but Zakir is kind but firm in keeping discipline. <br />
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Our new Housemother, Shefali appears to be a very positive member of staff, firm and slightly aloof which is what is needed to cope with the tittle-tattle that inevitably goes on. Shefali is responsible for the kitchen, cooking and buying produce although all the staff and some of the children help with the preparation of the meals. She manages the kitchen quietly and efficiently. She is responsible for the smaller children but needs help with the older girls who can be very naughty.<br />
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A number of new children of different ages, with a variety of disablements have joined us. They have settled very well into the home and have become part of the family. It is not difficult to find new children because there are many disabled children on Bhola. This is sadly due to the poor level of maternity services and the prevalence of first cousin marriages.<br />
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I attended a very positive meeting with the Bangladeshi Trustees, where many issues relating to the home were discussed. It was good to welcome two new Trustees, an ex headmaster of the local school and a Principal of the local college who has recently retired. Both the new Trustees are very interested in the home and are well respected members of the community. Zakir hosted a barbecue for the Trustees and staff to meet together. He is an excellent chef and it was a very enjoyable and positive evening.<br />
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My visit coincided with the celebration of Cow Cutting Eid, which was a fascinating experience for me. I had images of blood everywhere and it being a rather unpleasant situation, however I have never seen such a clean and gentle killing of an animal. It was done in such a humane way and I found the subsequent butchering fascinating but then I am a nurse and it was so much cleaner that working in the operating theatre!<br />
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The Boundary (the home and garden) is looking smart and has been cleaned up since our last visit. The main buildings have been washed; in fact I thought they had been painted. The vegetable gardens have been organised and have been divided into rows. Groups of boys have responsibility for weeding and caring for the crops. New concrete pathways have been made around the side of the campus and some vegetation has been removed to protect the boundary wall. The boys and staff under the direction of Zakir have done all the work.<br />
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It was my first experience of visiting during the monsoon, although it should have ended before I arrived. Yes, it is wet and when it rains – it is a downpour. I will never grumble again about our heavy showers! The humidity is very exhausting especially when it stops raining and the sun comes out! I shouldn’t complain as I was only there for a short time. Consequently, much of the land at Valumia was under water but it won’t be long before the new planting will start.<br />
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It was wonderful to see how the home was moving forward under the excellent leadership of Zakir. It was the best visit I have had and it was very positive to hear Zakir’s plans for the future especially with the ideas for the rehabilitation of the older children. <br />
<br />Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-89920496062878780962015-06-24T01:08:00.000-07:002015-06-24T01:08:07.844-07:00New website and Director for Bholas Children as Ali RetiresWelcome back to our new <a href="http://bholaschildren.org/">website</a> which we have updated to reflect the changes in Bhola.<br />
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Ali turned 62 in March and decided it was time to let a younger man take Bhola’s Children forward.
We were lucky enough to persuade Zakirul Haque, whom we have known for many years, to join us as our new director.<br />
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Here he is with his wife and two daughters. As soon as we have created appropriate accommodation, they will join us in Bhola.<br />
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Meanwhile we now have a strong local committee, with whom we work closely. The Managing Trustee was a Lt. Colonel in the Bangladesh army who, on retirement, set up a successful life assurance company.<br />
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He speaks perfect English, as does Zakirul, so telephone conversations are now easier. He is known to his friends as Manik. He and his wife, and another trustee, have all been in London for a few days which gave us an opportunity for a very productive Trustees Meeting.<br />
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On Sunday we had Open House here in Cornwall Grove, so that as many donors as possible could meet Manik. Luckily it stopped raining just in time for us to lunch in the garden.<br />
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Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-39935114309211366242014-08-11T08:10:00.000-07:002014-08-11T08:10:21.145-07:00Freda runs for Bhola's ChildrenYesterday our wonderful trustee Freda, who has not done any serious running before, completed the 10 k run in Regent’s Park in aid of Bhola’s Children. To date she has raised over £800 for our charity.
Back in Bhola, our children ran at the same time. They sent their good wishes.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRIp0Mj26NkAU_8_ydbKgkEZXeMroIOrqmyprPArju0Y6dqzKpO6YFZZPlJpZ7Ty5YbULh7CqCami19R91VsBTmFpkVYiEtu-Afl6sTh_-ZvQa2uYhjpowPBXUZHQIf0rnvmmQyoXiQ/s1600/Snapshot+2014-08-11+16-06-34.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRIp0Mj26NkAU_8_ydbKgkEZXeMroIOrqmyprPArju0Y6dqzKpO6YFZZPlJpZ7Ty5YbULh7CqCami19R91VsBTmFpkVYiEtu-Afl6sTh_-ZvQa2uYhjpowPBXUZHQIf0rnvmmQyoXiQ/s320/Snapshot+2014-08-11+16-06-34.jpg" /></a>
Here is Freda’s account of her marathon:
As you may be aware, the date of my momentous running event coincided with the arrival of a certain Hurricane Bertha. It was thus with some trepidation that we arrived at Regents Park this morning. Running with umbrellas (or 'borrowing' bin bags from the friendly street cleaner we passed en route) was contemplated, but it was soon all too apparent that we would not have been wetter had we decided to swim to the start and thus all further attempts to stay dry were futile.
However team morale was as high as the water level, and with a determination and stride pattern that Mo Farah would have been proud of, we set off only a mere 20 minutes after most of the field (as you know punctuality is not our strongest event). In fact Amy started so late that the 'start' line had been turned into the 'finish' and thus when she tried to cross the line she was accosted by a somewhat irritable race organiser. It only dawned on us later that had she been allowed to she would had inadvertently 'won' the race!
With true courage in the face of adversity (some would say akin to that of the Jamaican sprint relay team in Glasgow) we battled on against fierce winds and thrashing rain overcoming everything that Hurricane Bertha could throw at us. A strong 'sprint' finish resulted in a 'Team Graf' personal best time of 1 hour 24 minutes. As you might suspect we are expecting to hear from the Olympic GB selection team in the next few days regarding our availability for Rio.
Joking apart there was no way on earth you would have got me running around a flooded Regents Park for an hour and a half without knowing I had all your support behind me. Your generosity has humbled me and will make the pain I endure getting out of bed tomorrow (when my entire body has stiffened up in protest to today's exertions) seem completely worthwhile.
The children in the home at Bhola went running at the same time as my run in support of our effort. I am sure their run was equally as wet with the added discomfort of the heat.
Many thanks again for your support
Freda “just call me Mo” Graf
PS I couldn’t have done any of this without the support of my Team – a big thank you to Bethan and Amy
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpveYTHWznNj5XaCuLtgMRaPv42vuiH6iWprZbR335K9jhbw-hG6-2uBHyxBic6ggJ95Zcjs-SB1QVrS-JbvTUg3nc6Js8jpuos5luwdofsNdf56oFcBQx40jf4Ld4BYbRXAcP56ftFQ/s1600/dear+freda.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpveYTHWznNj5XaCuLtgMRaPv42vuiH6iWprZbR335K9jhbw-hG6-2uBHyxBic6ggJ95Zcjs-SB1QVrS-JbvTUg3nc6Js8jpuos5luwdofsNdf56oFcBQx40jf4Ld4BYbRXAcP56ftFQ/s320/dear+freda.jpg" /></a>Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-14449024143781517852014-05-20T07:59:00.000-07:002014-05-20T07:59:30.219-07:00Allan's report on his first visitI found my first visit to Bangladesh and to Bhola an extremely exciting and happy adventure.
Ali greeted and welcomed me on arrival at the airport and in the first few hours I experienced travel by rickshaw, auto rickshaw taxi and by evening overnight ferry – fantastic!
The care and attention given to us by Ali continued when we arrived at Bhola’s children. Thanks also to experienced travelers Anne and Simon who helped guide me through the many wonderful experiences in Bangladesh.
Highlights of my trip included being with the children at Bhola, their warmth and friendly nature only exceeded by their energy, fitness and agility. I loved the morning run and brisk walks with the children.
Several exercises as warm up routines seemed to go down well with the boys and lost little in translation. Together we played cricket, catch and a game of ‘footie’ - all in temperatures of 30+ degrees!
Trips out with the children were a great experience. The willingness of the children to help and support each other was impressive. Peer guidance and order seemed to come naturally to the group, demonstrated by everyone helping to load breakfast onto vehicles that would transport us to Valumia. Here, in what we might call a garden or allotment site, we were served an al fresco breakfast in a lovely, tranquil environment.
One of my most vivid memories is of the Bhola boys and girls climbing trees and positioning themselves on high branches for their picture to be taken. Their fantastic fitness and agility gave me some wonderful, colorful pictures.
Allan Gall
April 2014.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEX5r_5PpmZ4MFwmfohbc71vuzxEBSVeRv7YkRU5wAt6DmBMHjumbjxpdxBY-Y0Z6mwnlYTOro5XFq1f7bmUsaAkCAoYRbRU9I-CamYWlPrMgiCsFsQsZjIfbU3EsnY2cDDb4_Uwi08g/s1600/Banbladesh+2014+102.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEX5r_5PpmZ4MFwmfohbc71vuzxEBSVeRv7YkRU5wAt6DmBMHjumbjxpdxBY-Y0Z6mwnlYTOro5XFq1f7bmUsaAkCAoYRbRU9I-CamYWlPrMgiCsFsQsZjIfbU3EsnY2cDDb4_Uwi08g/s320/Banbladesh+2014+102.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMTnNXODUd68h4tUmX-sVfHjr8gls5KlDrQOW5J9fVVybhvPB2W4JGfjAlUmNeVynoHrluhCpdynetkvI_q5uJwRA3Pg3G-c4gzf4SmElHJey579Xv7_q1qgc6PKejy6REhEkOtwZBQ/s1600/Banbladesh+2014+177.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMTnNXODUd68h4tUmX-sVfHjr8gls5KlDrQOW5J9fVVybhvPB2W4JGfjAlUmNeVynoHrluhCpdynetkvI_q5uJwRA3Pg3G-c4gzf4SmElHJey579Xv7_q1qgc6PKejy6REhEkOtwZBQ/s320/Banbladesh+2014+177.jpg" /></a>Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-48684318269820445952014-05-09T03:33:00.000-07:002014-05-09T03:33:26.753-07:00Anne's report on her recent visit Back in Bhola
8th – 15th April 2014.
We arrived in Bhola early on the morning of the 9th April. At this stage, it’s a homecoming for me as I’ve been to Bangladesh a dozen times; Simon at 3-and-a half is on his second visit, and for Allan, a fundraiser and supporter, also from Scotland, it was his first time anywhere in SE Asia – it was a great introduction.
After the thrill of a ride in our new auto-rickshaw, the children, armed with Bangla flags and bright flowers, were on hand to greet us – a wonderful, warm welcome for all three of us, but clearly Simon was the one they were waiting for… He had a fantastic time playing with the ‘big boys’ and was using sign language in no time; it took him longer to accept the girls as they were, apparently, a bit ‘kissy’! Allan, a marathon-runner, was accompanied on his early morning runs by up to 10 boys in flip-flops, on other days Ali led them in a brisk walk.
It was a pleasure to see so many new faces amongst the familiar ones. A couple of the younger girls had only just arrived and were busily settling in, whereas old friends had – just as they do in all families – grown up and moved on. Not moved too far though: we spoke to Tasnur and Dilruba, and met Maksud in the street. Everyone appeared to be healthy and in good spirits. The older children are going daily to the local primary school. It’s not easy for anyone, as they don’t have an interpreter, but they are persevering, and signing and lip-reading classes continue in the boundary. There was much singing and dancing too – there always is – and cricket was the name of the game most evenings.
Official awareness programmes and day-long picnics were shelved for this visit, given the average temperatures of 35 degrees, but we managed trips to Valumia (the new access road is shaping up and the pond is being dug out - very slow and hot work), Supari Bagan, the river, the second bridge – for the sunset – and Bhola town. One highlight was the ‘water melon’ trip: Ali, the three of us, 32 staff and children, and twenty gigantic watermelons on an outing in the tractor/trailer combo. With the crowds that followed, there was certainly plenty of unofficial awareness-raising!
Our last day coincided with the Bangladeshi New Year and Nahian’s ninth birthday, so an evening party, with Ali’s signature dish of ‘sweet rice’ – and when the Bangladeshi’s call something sweet, they really mean it – and a lot of fun and games.
There were the usual types of challenges! The new air conditioner on the third floor caused the electrics to fuse and added to the thrice daily power-cuts… Eventually the very tenacious electrician triumphed (at 11pm) and the system, used sparingly, is a nice addition. The microbus kept breaking down due to the lack of clean fuel but again was eventually fixed and fixed again. But on the upside, the brand new gas supply, promised to Bhola Island for years, finally arrived. This long-awaited main-line gas means there is a viable alternative to the outdoor wood-fire method of cooking, which is welcome during the hottest days and the wettest monsoon.
On the plane on the way home, Simon asked me, wistfully, if he could, please, have four big brothers, ‘just like my new friends in Bhola.’ Clearly, Ali and Bhola’s Children worked their usual magic on all of us and I remembered over again why this is such a very special place and part of my very extended family.
I would say it was one of the best of visits ever… except that I say that every time!
Anne Hamilton
08/05/14
Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-14135080358285561712014-03-05T08:18:00.000-08:002014-03-05T08:20:13.545-08:00Photographs taken by Dinah in February<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnaSmETTyEurB3UBw2rmaIa4cLKIeCMDf57GzmhIVl5YyKJsW4PJp5kaa6cG2VksfmbWqe8nAPcBC8VGRh1pScJSNBFURj6Mg2zBW9YEpHEpY5YPC1DvNEq50rTpS1mvnC8AqZcDRnkA/s1600/at+Supari+Bagan.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnaSmETTyEurB3UBw2rmaIa4cLKIeCMDf57GzmhIVl5YyKJsW4PJp5kaa6cG2VksfmbWqe8nAPcBC8VGRh1pScJSNBFURj6Mg2zBW9YEpHEpY5YPC1DvNEq50rTpS1mvnC8AqZcDRnkA/s320/at+Supari+Bagan.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrYTk6mnG_CxgHIysDAowl_X7eCYpTN4lAySPakqydyB1XTOIF6AKC0ZrfxL_9r8Hz_5zyN4T-Hyo1r3g3WqY_Ky-JFVeOmxlJIJgoC4jnVClifvCIGSB_vAtT6Zy_5twqAcrLybV_w/s1600/with+Ruma+and+autorickshaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrYTk6mnG_CxgHIysDAowl_X7eCYpTN4lAySPakqydyB1XTOIF6AKC0ZrfxL_9r8Hz_5zyN4T-Hyo1r3g3WqY_Ky-JFVeOmxlJIJgoC4jnVClifvCIGSB_vAtT6Zy_5twqAcrLybV_w/s320/with+Ruma+and+autorickshaw.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf49mh7SXIT4u7BIK0bXkSd4vOhR_nB75wUDP-1lppmTpwqARqxBd7X3aFM3rckS79WINPRAnoLTdsnpuUHQLB-NSrLzW34RlVogxfOq_xsUu6WpOdei6oSi3UsqbcO_jo33_BQB9gOA/s1600/fishing+at+Valumia.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf49mh7SXIT4u7BIK0bXkSd4vOhR_nB75wUDP-1lppmTpwqARqxBd7X3aFM3rckS79WINPRAnoLTdsnpuUHQLB-NSrLzW34RlVogxfOq_xsUu6WpOdei6oSi3UsqbcO_jo33_BQB9gOA/s320/fishing+at+Valumia.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFomkw4up7CpTlF0E8F3dbQ9JWPvQroW5gSDYgletx2RGPMXuqvx2TgWyq77DrXiPaEjz91OOmJASTeqigtlb7nvwNjVYpttCNyLSczX8o306u5ZmvE1hpxO0yI29SKjv0M-wDRDr5WQ/s1600/Nayan+and+friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFomkw4up7CpTlF0E8F3dbQ9JWPvQroW5gSDYgletx2RGPMXuqvx2TgWyq77DrXiPaEjz91OOmJASTeqigtlb7nvwNjVYpttCNyLSczX8o306u5ZmvE1hpxO0yI29SKjv0M-wDRDr5WQ/s320/Nayan+and+friends.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcYs_jbCyL9Q-_Ly7TkrtnY2SQvwzJA2Et8AXgpBj9ps4I8CTz0vtnjCyI9RtO80N1OafFrHW5jcI-N9LkHY_b-tEN0uG6R8PoBT-YshobkSkgtwqzncOD1sveAjRcebkpwefs8kh0A/s1600/in+line+for+breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcYs_jbCyL9Q-_Ly7TkrtnY2SQvwzJA2Et8AXgpBj9ps4I8CTz0vtnjCyI9RtO80N1OafFrHW5jcI-N9LkHY_b-tEN0uG6R8PoBT-YshobkSkgtwqzncOD1sveAjRcebkpwefs8kh0A/s320/in+line+for+breakfast.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebQYpcsK4TSUZ7DoiERrLfqZnO48RgwBRvW_wkUJEGmErgtTg5OCZ0BHg2cS7wiQ6M3qezxDwikJo4nH5mUcmRWDeXHiaSaiWou0BdH0dKE3o5JPTJpPeDzSzNxioh1JCnmbNW8r2xA/s1600/class+3+and+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebQYpcsK4TSUZ7DoiERrLfqZnO48RgwBRvW_wkUJEGmErgtTg5OCZ0BHg2cS7wiQ6M3qezxDwikJo4nH5mUcmRWDeXHiaSaiWou0BdH0dKE3o5JPTJpPeDzSzNxioh1JCnmbNW8r2xA/s320/class+3+and+4.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipaqz_raqJOj7GVtnzOA9fnOsmwFJwu5K-DrrbseynCgjwrpDZqCabEZfvFeoED_o38DCf8KtuvbPZpKUL66LxosQH32nPm7lTnpeJaMYY3mlbQeGWu2I60P_5rUbRKFF3zjoM1pwywQ/s1600/leaving+for+picnic.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipaqz_raqJOj7GVtnzOA9fnOsmwFJwu5K-DrrbseynCgjwrpDZqCabEZfvFeoED_o38DCf8KtuvbPZpKUL66LxosQH32nPm7lTnpeJaMYY3mlbQeGWu2I60P_5rUbRKFF3zjoM1pwywQ/s320/leaving+for+picnic.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Pe3ncnTAvo_3k_q7MS0aLWNnKTt_hNCG1lD1vgSsf_aYHRr83mQzVqjVSoQ6xh45mGxfQbn_UfexkpSEQ-IWwyo9i0ZrLgGENchToc7g3iAkNVAv5JIGvOi5PVmLeVlpuRLClLzn6w/s1600/goodbye.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Pe3ncnTAvo_3k_q7MS0aLWNnKTt_hNCG1lD1vgSsf_aYHRr83mQzVqjVSoQ6xh45mGxfQbn_UfexkpSEQ-IWwyo9i0ZrLgGENchToc7g3iAkNVAv5JIGvOi5PVmLeVlpuRLClLzn6w/s320/goodbye.jpg" /></a>Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-5582245610545193412014-03-05T08:05:00.002-08:002014-03-05T08:05:49.429-08:00Dinah's report on her visit to BholaDear friends,
I returned last week from possibly my best ever visit to our children. I’d forgotten how rewarding it is to go alone – not that I would want to deter any of you from coming with me, but it is easier to bond with children and staff on one’s own.
Ali and the children were in great form, and relishing the improvement in both the political situation and the weather. Almost the first thing I did was to travel to Valumia in the wonderful auto-rickshaw, with all the small boys. Valumia is flourishing, with lots of vegetables, fruit and fish. I was able to authorize the building of an access road so that we can get vehicles onto the land, and this is well under way – I myself helped pass 2000 bricks from the trolley to the land where the road is taking shape.
As you know, it has been difficult to travel during the past year but Bangladesh seems to have calmed down since the election. I had told Ali I wanted as many awareness programmes as possible, and he had arranged three in primary and high schools. These are not only to instruct the young on how to reduce the danger of giving birth to disabled children, they are also to find new children who could benefit from coming to live with us. At present we have only 44 children aged between 6 and 13, and we have space to double that number.
An Australian friend had discovered Fred Hyde, a truly remarkable man from Brisbane who – aged 95 – spends six months each year in Bhola. He first went out in 1980 to run an orphanage of 100 boys in the south of the island. Since then, in the last 20 years, he has built 41 schools. Last summer we talked on the telephone and briefly discussed the possibility of working together but soon realized this would not be an option. Luckily, though, Fred was in Bhola and agreed to summon the head teachers of all his schools, along with staff from the orphanage, to meet Ali and some of our disabled children. Fred, bless his heart, had told me he’d only heard of about 3 disabled children in the years he’d been in Bhola and figured his part of the island was healthier than ours. It came as a surprise to him that all his head teachers knew of at least one child who could benefit from our care. These schools are all south of Bhola’s largest town, Char Fassion, and therefore over 100 kms from us, so it was good to have introductions to so many schools in a part of the country Ali does not know well.
Ali and I took a busload of teenagers, as well as Sima and Sonali, to Barisal, to visit Valerie Taylor’s local Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralized, which opened last July. It is an impressive setup and we were treated royally. Our older children go to CRP in Dhaka for training but we hope, once the Barisal centre has accommodation, they might start in Barisal and move on to Dhaka. I always worry about our teenage girls going from tiny, peaceful Bhola to the enormous and busy Dhaka, although Ali always makes sure there are at least three going together. Our day in Barisal was a joy. We lunched, as usual, with Ali’s nephew’s family and I was amazed to see Ali enveloped in a bear hug on arrival by a tall and beautiful woman. Turned out to be his older sister, of whom I’d never heard! Since we had no small children, we were spared the childrens’ park and went straight back to the ferry – over a wonderful new bridge so there is only one ferry involved, rather than the previous two. Having said that, it turned out the ferrymaster had gone home to rest, deciding there were insufficient vehicles to warrant running the ferry, so we still had over two hours to wait before leaving the mainland! However as I said to Ali, the bonus was we caught the sun setting on the river and still got home in good time.
All the children seem to enjoy the primary school. The small children have a couple of hours each morning, the older ones go from 12 till 1.30 and again from 2 until 3.30. I always enjoy walking the little ones to school. All other lessons at home seem to be going well, although our busy schedule interfered with most of Ali’s famous and noisy lip reading classes. Judging by the performance our three best lip readers put on at awareness programmes, however, Ali does appear to have worked miracles with many of the deaf children in the last year.
Sima’s physiotherapy, assisted by the blind girls Rozina and Supia, is thriving. She has a number of outpatients, although it is difficult to persuade mothers that regular visits are essential. At home, Sima gives two sessions a day to those in need and the two small CP children, Nayan and Ruma, have made huge improvements since last year. They are two of my very special children, always happy and smiling.
I was pleased to see that the 6.30a.m. exercises, which I had introduced a year ago, are still taking place and Ali said they are especially important now: March 26 is Independence Day and our children always shine in the parade!
Our own babies are growing fast – Shathi’s Nabanita (Ripa) is over three but is being overtaken by Monira’s little boy Kador at eighteen months. Ali told me the children of deaf mothers are usually late talkers, but Kador has definitely bucked that trend! We decided it was time for these two mothers to return to work so we asked them to do the cooking three times a week, freeing the teachers to teach. I suggested whichever was not working could look after both children. After initial rebellion, they agreed to do this and everyone seems happy with the arrangement.
I celebrated my birthday with the children. I bought an enormous cake and ice cream for 70. Asma and the girls were up late making decorations and a fantastic montage on the white board. I was dressed in a beautiful sari belonging to Surma. There was lots of singing and dancing, and it was deemed to be the best party ever. I’ve certainly not had a birthday party like it – the only thing missing was the champagne!
We had our traditional picnic at Valumia, combining it with catching all our fish. All the men and boys, and a few of the girls, spent several hours trawling a net up and down the pond, while the girls cleaned and gutted the harvest. It was a long, wet and messy morning and I was happy to sit in the shade with my kindle for much of it!
We had our customary drawing competition, with prizes for the best small boy and girl and the best older boy and girl. I always hope for another little masterpiece such as Tasnur’s picture several years ago, which became our Christmas card. This year there are two possible contenders, from Hassan and Salma – I need to consult with fellow trustees but hope to have another Bhola’s Children card for next Christmas. Watch this space!
It is always hard to leave the children, but they are already looking forward to seeing Anne and Simon in April. Meanwhile I am pleased with progress on the business side of the operation and hope it will not be too long before our excellent committee in Bangladesh find a deputy manager to relieve Ali of some of the work and responsibility. Please keep your fingers crossed for us in this endeavour.
Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-63053440122143449502013-12-31T05:59:00.001-08:002013-12-31T05:59:21.997-08:00A worrying message from Alibhai Dear all,
>
> Plitical situation is very bad, Police,Bangladesh Rifels Bouder
> guard, Army, Navy force are in the fields, on the road in the river.
> We don't know what will happen today. 20 children are at School now
> other is at home.
>
> All the food price are gone high. So cold we, can not go out, one of
> our friends son 18 month is died for cold sicknes, in the house can't
> walk with out shoue, children non't have socks, not good worm cloth
> too. The nigt is very cold at the day is very fogi can not see the
> sun.
>
> So you know what is going on in Bangladesh. We needs medicine for cold
> and the sicknes from cold. The children are in the boundray are doing
> well.
>
> Lots of love from your children
>
> Alibhai
>Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-63054578340767342302013-12-16T07:38:00.000-08:002013-12-16T07:42:26.192-08:00Freda's first visit to BangladeshMy first impressions of Bangladesh are of a busy, frantic industrious and wonderful country. To travel through Dhaka is taking your life in your hands as your little 3-wheel car competes with pedal rickshaws, buses, smart motorcars and very ancient buses.
The purpose of my trip was to visit Bhola’s Children’s and it is exactly as Dinah says - it is a very special place. Because Dinah broke a bone in her foot two weeks before we were due to travel there together, I went with Sandy and then spent some time alone with Ali and the children.
The children are so happy, busy, independent and very friendly. There are such a happy family supporting each other, just the way it was planned by Ali, the Founder. Ali has a superb way with the children, they will be loud and boisterous one minute and a look and sign from Ali and they are as quiet as mice.
At the moment they are deaf, mentally retarded and children with cerebral palsy (CP) living in the home and all are attending the local school for a couple of hours each day. They get extra tuition in the home, the deaf have sign and lip reading classes and the CP children have physiotherapy according to their needs. The children are so eager to communicate and it is so much easier to learn sign language than Bangla!
Many of the older children from the home have now got jobs in Dhaka and are leading independent lives. These are children who were discarded by their families as being useless. It is thanks to the hard work of Ali and his team, and of course the support of our many donors, that these children are now independent and send money back to Ali to save for their future.
Sadly the political situation was no better and our plans to get to and from Bhola had to be changed to fit in with the hartals (the political strikes). On the island we just stayed within the Boundary (the home) and we were very safe from trouble. We did venture out on a couple of occasions. We walked part of the way to Valumia, to visit the farm where some of the crops had been planted, the rest had to wait until the water dried up after the rainy season. It is wonderful the way the home grows much of its own food. I was impressed by Ali’s planning, the way he watches the weather in the Himalayas and northern India and when heavy rains are predicated, he knows there will be flooding in Bangladesh and the rice and potato prices will increase. So he immediately buys in stores cheaply to feed his large family.
I was very impressed with the very busy tailoring department run by Asma. During the time we were there she made over 40 outfits, one for each of the children. It is a Muslim tradition that everyone gets a set of new clothes at the celebration of Eid-ul Fitr. Many of the older girls learn dressmaking skills and even the blind girls learn embroidery with the help of glue, which outlines the pattern.
Thanks to the wonderful support for a recent appeal to buy a battery-powered vehicle, Ali bought this magnificent car. It will be so useful to transport the children and collect shopping. The battery can be charged overnight in the boundary. Soon after we arrived Ali, Sandy and I set off into town to collect it but, in true Bangla fashion, the battery had not been charged ! After a long wait standing at the side of the road, Ali put Sandy and me into a bicycle rickshaw and eventually drove our car home. Unfortunately, due to the hartals, I myself wasn’t able to ride in it but Ali reports they have driven it to Valumia as well as Bhola town, - full of children, needless to say! Many thanks to all those who financed the rickshaw on which all your names have been painted.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TEFMfLkZATeZIafLnjjSdio0dXN53wLAPyBkrjXibYcliUuoUsLcw9UlOkm_I3Y-hKUHjkihn2qw4TXFgmvQohT17YcqkCK-jf2wlNC2VDl-59r1TcPOqUfHsa8fyOd2QwjM7EGppg/s1600/Ali+and+children.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TEFMfLkZATeZIafLnjjSdio0dXN53wLAPyBkrjXibYcliUuoUsLcw9UlOkm_I3Y-hKUHjkihn2qw4TXFgmvQohT17YcqkCK-jf2wlNC2VDl-59r1TcPOqUfHsa8fyOd2QwjM7EGppg/s320/Ali+and+children.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxqfMlnpHF-rgLeUYo9CbWJ-IL4H3ZZ3RM0JArwVb0HQorYlxkyd2pu9S2VDLB5_HQXMKsupKMNEH420GB22QmCM_DKCdACl9-XwUGpNio6nSxUWFKY3w-LxdBvtpIAbgSJ1gtX7_Sw/s1600/children+in+rickshaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxqfMlnpHF-rgLeUYo9CbWJ-IL4H3ZZ3RM0JArwVb0HQorYlxkyd2pu9S2VDLB5_HQXMKsupKMNEH420GB22QmCM_DKCdACl9-XwUGpNio6nSxUWFKY3w-LxdBvtpIAbgSJ1gtX7_Sw/s320/children+in+rickshaw.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnBwVGFl42K-J2lYvZn4Ug8XJsqJHH7P_gRceSd-6nB4fTO-U5gS9sriCtxhcfwvO5VxkaEs2AwAkKs5NQRU6Q24BQKkviCBHtV5wwURU1L9DHI6xYg0aQV6YFcAcdSUE9uRy3MbjKA/s1600/rickshaw+empty.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnBwVGFl42K-J2lYvZn4Ug8XJsqJHH7P_gRceSd-6nB4fTO-U5gS9sriCtxhcfwvO5VxkaEs2AwAkKs5NQRU6Q24BQKkviCBHtV5wwURU1L9DHI6xYg0aQV6YFcAcdSUE9uRy3MbjKA/s320/rickshaw+empty.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRekLQjDyT8cLSmzF_B6xqT5OSegVAlpXTcsRMmRYDspzLETG1-BJWdUEl7OxQuKzEUeRRzHBvkyx3aeAZ1cvIzEtxiQqQwsLvlPTu0PyUj-D2KpIxGxNiuuvos8_eAow62dlu-U_0mQ/s1600/rickshaw+from+behind.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRekLQjDyT8cLSmzF_B6xqT5OSegVAlpXTcsRMmRYDspzLETG1-BJWdUEl7OxQuKzEUeRRzHBvkyx3aeAZ1cvIzEtxiQqQwsLvlPTu0PyUj-D2KpIxGxNiuuvos8_eAow62dlu-U_0mQ/s320/rickshaw+from+behind.jpg" /></a>Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-86351363774128186612013-03-19T04:40:00.001-07:002013-03-19T07:57:14.689-07:00Visit to Bhola February - March 2013Although it was headline news there, few of you will have heard about the unrest in Bangladesh. Death sentences were imposed on war criminals from 42 years ago (War of Independence). There was rioting on the streets of most major cities, even the burning of tyres outside the boundary, and constant hartals. All this made our trip more difficult than usual, but Peter and I achieved much of what was on our agenda and it was lovely to be with the children.
All the children now go to school: classes 1 and 2 from 9.30 to 11.30, class 3 late morning and again after lunch. The English teacher comes every day, and Ali continues his very successful lipreading classes. The deaf children have taken to ‘speaking’ with enthusiasm and are now very noisy.
Sima mother of CP child Sonali has been taken off teaching duties and is in charge of physiotherapy. There are at least 8 resident children and teenagers with CP or other balance and mobility problems, not to mention outpatients. Sima, assisted by Supia and Rozina, is giving morning and evening treatment. We now have a lovely large physio room accommodating equipment.
Valumia is flourishing, although we will yet again have little surplus produce to sell, We made fewer visits than usual because of the hartals. We did, however, manage a couple of awareness programmes (again inviting parents of children with disability) and Ali has had another since we left, so the number of school children continues to rise.
Because of the hartals, we had to take bicycle rickshaws instead of the car – no vehicles allowed on roads between dawn and dusk. We discovered, to our joy, that there are now battery-powered rickshaws on the island and our dream is to get one. Petrol is expensive and there are so many journeys, into Bhola to collect rice or potatoes, over to Valumia to bring back vegetables, for which a powered rickshaw would be ideal, cost nothing and available for any of the men to ride. We are hoping that there might soon be a little cart, rather than a two-seater rickshaw. We were given an estimate of around £550 and so far we have received £120 – so please do consider contributing to our rickshaw fund! We could put all donors’ names on the sides!
Now that our other car driver Ronazid has left us, the tractor has come into its own. Montu is able to drive it, so our departure for the ghat was quite a merry party: nearly all the children and staff, together with our luggage, Peter and I on comfortable chairs, set off up the road followed by three friendly policemen who had been detailed to keep an eye on the children during the unrest! They all love playing with the children and I think they will be sad when life returns to normal. No sadness from me, however: I suspect I will not be returning until after the election, when with luck things will settle down.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtsadnN3zMXFsudwpTFDcYlt5WzRFbpmJutQ5JwyfekyoRRfLA_SBQJhpVA7eZ5NScw3JSQ9hm5Cf9M7FjdH3LSngd4epAWGNRZ0ABPs-HWb0BFyEXktTgE_j7A-VtpbKhGZiPK_9eQ/s1600/On+way+to+the+launch.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtsadnN3zMXFsudwpTFDcYlt5WzRFbpmJutQ5JwyfekyoRRfLA_SBQJhpVA7eZ5NScw3JSQ9hm5Cf9M7FjdH3LSngd4epAWGNRZ0ABPs-HWb0BFyEXktTgE_j7A-VtpbKhGZiPK_9eQ/s320/On+way+to+the+launch.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrEB8GC90KD_SAeKv3ZUVHLK8aD8yna04EECnvb_bXuIMBP2mAMKxWrndRxFbZX5Y23_sGMrCbUvNOyjySv2em_-Z9VH8R8F5UT9h9edVvQN2uNGSNaeI74QiXt1iNIHeuDC0xHGAdQ/s1600/Salina+and+Rozina+in+new+physio+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrEB8GC90KD_SAeKv3ZUVHLK8aD8yna04EECnvb_bXuIMBP2mAMKxWrndRxFbZX5Y23_sGMrCbUvNOyjySv2em_-Z9VH8R8F5UT9h9edVvQN2uNGSNaeI74QiXt1iNIHeuDC0xHGAdQ/s320/Salina+and+Rozina+in+new+physio+room.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVizK-hK8EbwNeO0N5RFtjUNV1-wT8XKZz5mMqDfK6QBHZsnc2zs7NWnXhlVlKsMiVYuDHMSQ1RaNpbLQxpm3ziTR2GA_F0k-g3wx5NkLIh8IPQQFxMAZHULgl8WjPJotgJc4-2_Rkg/s1600/Ruma+and+Dadu.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVizK-hK8EbwNeO0N5RFtjUNV1-wT8XKZz5mMqDfK6QBHZsnc2zs7NWnXhlVlKsMiVYuDHMSQ1RaNpbLQxpm3ziTR2GA_F0k-g3wx5NkLIh8IPQQFxMAZHULgl8WjPJotgJc4-2_Rkg/s320/Ruma+and+Dadu.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRotaJb1mje7bccF2bu8OOHF0VIcF9GUa2T-pX3YHfaJ8riSt1wM8PK0czz53rqJeQ-_iahcpJXfP3hboXrs_pC5-C4CpE_RN4YNy-UF5qtltmANVCQut-xNWvRWNTBx0p7mlLVDaIyg/s1600/Ahasan+Ullah+with+carrots.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRotaJb1mje7bccF2bu8OOHF0VIcF9GUa2T-pX3YHfaJ8riSt1wM8PK0czz53rqJeQ-_iahcpJXfP3hboXrs_pC5-C4CpE_RN4YNy-UF5qtltmANVCQut-xNWvRWNTBx0p7mlLVDaIyg/s320/Ahasan+Ullah+with+carrots.jpg" /></a>Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-65676034762437951182012-11-05T03:16:00.000-08:002012-11-05T13:50:21.655-08:00<P>The weather was terrible when I arrived in Bhola. The rains had been late, and we were still getting downpours. On my second night there was a mighty storm in the south of the island – 31 dead and a thousand fishermen lost at sea, although I understand 700 of them were rescued. We felt nothing at our end of the island, and our only casualty was the television lines. Since I depend heavily on Al Juzeera for my sanity when I go to Bhola alone, I was rather fed up until the aerials were mended!
</P>
<P>
Once the rain stopped, it became extremely hot and humid, and the third floor was like an oven under the flat roof. Fans simply moved hot air around, and the nights were not great. We may have to invest in a couple of small air conditioners for us visitors.
</P>
<P>
The disappointing news is that Chandan Cruze, the manager of whom we had such high hopes, is not right for the job. Apart from the fact that he can’t drink the water in Bhola and appears to dislike the island, he really does not have managerial skills. So I had to give him his marching orders, and the hunt resumes for a director.
</p>
<p>
Before we both left, however, we had regular evening lessons in sign language. He may never need to use his newfound knowledge, but I hope to put mine into practice on my next visit.
</p>
<P>
The staff and children were in good form. Montu and Monira are thrilled with their new baby boy, and Shahti’s daughter Nabanita has become a little beauty.
</p>
<p>
I walked to the primary school with our deaf children one morning. They have settled in extremely well and no longer have a signing interpreter – the whole class looked at her instead of the teacher! Ali plans to send all our children to school in January, even the slow learners, since they will all receive the government curriculum school books which we can use in the boundary.
</p>
<P>
Several of our deaf teenage girls and boys have been training in Dhaka, and four of the girls start work in a garment factory this month. They live and learn free of charge in the Centre for Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed, founded and run by an English physiotherapist called Valerie Taylor who is a good friend of Ali. Sadly I didn’t get to meet her this trip but hope to do so next time.
</P>
<P>
So we seem to be achieving our aim of educating and training many of our children to lead a normal and fulfilling life.
</P>
<P>
As usual I brought home a suitcase full of the beautiful embroidery – pillow cases, table cloths and napkins – made by our teenage girls under Asma’s tuition. I sell them here for donations and hope to have a pre-Christmas ‘embroidery party’ in my house, to give friends a chance to find unique and lovely Christmas gifts.
</p>
<P>
We took a mixed bag of disabled children out for an ‘awareness programme’, this time to a girls’ secondary college in a very rural area. Ali had asked the principal to invite parents of disabled children to come and meet us. We had not expected 61, from an area not much larger than Chiswick… By the time I left, we had half a dozen new children – mainly CP and Downs – who will come daily for physio until they are able to look after themselves enough to live with us. I have asked Ali to do other such awareness programmes, since we have space for more children.
</p>
<P>
Due to the rain, planting at Valumia is very late – in fact, we only ploughed two days before I left. We usually manage to plant early so that we can sell surplus vegetables in the market but sadly, this year, they will only be ready at the same time as everyone else’s and we will have to eat or store them ourselves.
</P>
<P>
We had a wonderful picnic on the estate belonging to the politician whom I met on the overnight launch to Dhaka several years ago. It has a beautiful avenue of trees – very welcome in the heat – and runs along the bank of the river. Ali and the younger children had a lovely swim before lunch. One of the better picnics as far as I was concerned – perhaps not as adventurous as the one Peter and I enjoyed in March, but all the rivers were too high for us to attempt another island visit.
</P>
<P>
I left just before Eid. Most of the children went home for the holidays, and I always feel sorry for Ali who has to stay in the boundary with the few who have no home or whose parents do not want them. He tells me they had a good time, they shared a cow with other families and went out on some visits. School has now reopened.
</P>
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Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-37541178322290462872012-03-18T11:18:00.002-07:002012-03-18T11:29:05.723-07:00Dinah's report on her visit to Bhola February - March 2012<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYa6mk4Y12xMGsPAoShPzBE0QOm1ikbIGZ8cHSq3d2mZnzAk_rJwoQS5xVHbugSbf6GmBcZGhlXdZFDwTAFgq5WA9RSBcwtTOybxMFBvk-KzH1rDo-2SDWV5zmmUAGaegRzbQ-Yz_kkg/s1600/bags+caps+pens+from+Peter.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYa6mk4Y12xMGsPAoShPzBE0QOm1ikbIGZ8cHSq3d2mZnzAk_rJwoQS5xVHbugSbf6GmBcZGhlXdZFDwTAFgq5WA9RSBcwtTOybxMFBvk-KzH1rDo-2SDWV5zmmUAGaegRzbQ-Yz_kkg/s400/bags+caps+pens+from+Peter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721305900402301266" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4Wf_1_kOTliDDWONUySNEjhHA8XV3ndLqtcNE7k8LbMwX1tMMrUNFuLfeHfe24Ded0B6FFHs69cTEbcwtoJ6BCtCM-UiGwEmPnnjPNZbpfLC-xHVt7wfhXkvDnQna6eJX2YbIQJIyw/s1600/Shahti+Dipok+and+baby.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4Wf_1_kOTliDDWONUySNEjhHA8XV3ndLqtcNE7k8LbMwX1tMMrUNFuLfeHfe24Ded0B6FFHs69cTEbcwtoJ6BCtCM-UiGwEmPnnjPNZbpfLC-xHVt7wfhXkvDnQna6eJX2YbIQJIyw/s400/Shahti+Dipok+and+baby.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721305897340772434" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfizrCRJq4Tl4a6DBb_Hy4a5wq1J4_OOVc99YvEOn9tWFQI2InvG4OeLYftlOf1ekCRoglXtzTnrOvOxvmpb_SmxilJ-cn48btIp1mbRDg_H02OrSo8XNNdFg3BB0ofrX4z5J8Wywug/s1600/four+of+our+deaf+children+in+their+new+school.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfizrCRJq4Tl4a6DBb_Hy4a5wq1J4_OOVc99YvEOn9tWFQI2InvG4OeLYftlOf1ekCRoglXtzTnrOvOxvmpb_SmxilJ-cn48btIp1mbRDg_H02OrSo8XNNdFg3BB0ofrX4z5J8Wywug/s400/four+of+our+deaf+children+in+their+new+school.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721305894182544594" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">On my recent trip to Bhola, I had a new traveling companion who had decided to visit Bhola before going on to India.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>His name is Peter and I think he enjoyed the experience very much indeed.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The children loved him, of course – and not only because of the wonderful bags, caps and pens he produced from Surrey Cricket Club, as you can see from the photograph. He is also rather good at cricket, so he and Ali became quite competitive – and he even got me batting! At the farewell, Peter said he had intended to stay only a couple of days but he had stayed two weeks and didn’t want to leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Watch this space!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US">Because we had a new visitor to Bhola, Ali and I tried to show him as much as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>At our first roof meeting we picked 22 of the smaller children who had never been to Barisal, and set off at 6 a.m. a few days later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I warned Peter that my previous trips, involving two ferries each way and some low tides, had always lasted<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>considerably longer than planned but this one went swimmingly – even if we did have to park right behind a small truck with a cage containing at least 500 extremely distressed chickens with a similar one next to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I will spare you that photograph, suffice to say it has put me off eating chicken.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Otherwise we had a lovely time, did a scenic tour of Barisal Centre Ville – of limited cultural interest – then visited various relations of Ali for lunch, followed by the usual Childrens’ Park, before <i>just </i></span><span lang="EN-US">catching the two ferries home (someone had given us the wrong times but we persuaded Ali to get there early, just in case!).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US">We had a splendid picnic on the second Friday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Everyone, together with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>food and water toys, crowded into the tractor trailer and minibus and we drove to the Meghna river, the other side of the island from Barisal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There we jumped – or, in my case, was helped – into a battered motorboat which already had a couple of calves on board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We had a brilliant picnic on a small island of 10,000 inhabitants, after which many of the children swam and played in inflatable boats, carefully guarded by Ali in his rubber fishing clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was an exciting journey home in that the tide was low.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We had to walk through the mud and then wade through thigh-deep water to get to the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As usual, the older girls had dressed to kill in their best saris, but I firmly wore my oldest salwar kameez!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Reaching the boat, I was presented with very steep, very narrow and very slippery gangplank up which I flatly refused to climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Luckily we had a small wooden classroom chair with us, which we set down on the river bed and I could clamber aboard in a rather undignified manner, to the cheers of family and strangers alike although I don’t think the goats were very interested.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US">That day was Ali’s birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We had ordered the cake and icecream so, after a quick shower and change, off we went to collect the goodies while the staff decorated the room.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This was the third birthday Ali had actually celebrated with me – he was in the orphanage till age 17 – and the children really enjoy the occasion, but it was a long day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Peter and I were very pleased to pass on supper afterwards and crawl up to the third floor for much needed vodka and cokes!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US">Our final major outing, on which we took another variety pack of children, was to the very southern tip of Bhola on the Bay of Bengal.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>On the way we passed a sixth form college where classes had just ended so they were happy for Ali to talk to the students about disability and how to prevent it – part of his awareness programme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Afterwards we reached the coast, along 3 kms of the worst road I have ever driven, where we gazed out on the choppy sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Remember that Bhola lies between two large rivers so, although they had seen plenty of water,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>this was the first time many of the children had seen the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>No swimming this time, but a good picnic of hardboiled eggs and other goodies purchased on the way.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US">The new tailoring building is almost finished and is fully occupied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Apart from Asma and her tailoring classes, all the married staff are in residence including Shathi and Dipak with their gorgeous baby girl Nabanita.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Six of the older boys and single men live in a couple of rooms and there is still space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We will be taking on new staff so it is good to have such accommodation to offer.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US">As far as I was concerned, the high point of the visit was taking five of our brightest deaf children to register in the local primary school.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We undertook to send a teacher with them every day – school is mornings only – so Susucki and Masuma are taking turns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ali tells me the children, two girls and three boys, are loving school and several of the slightly younger children want to go too, so it looks as though one of my dreams might be coming true.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US">Rozina and Supia telephoned almost daily from Rishilpi, where they are happy and learning their physiotherapy. I hope I will see them when I go back in the autumn.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">It is always sad to say goodbye to the children, especially at this time of year since I will not be returning for so long. But I know they are well and happy.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-50231476194888519192012-01-24T08:16:00.000-08:002012-01-24T08:19:28.641-08:00An exciting opportunity for our blind girls<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmACjYf6d2lpiAm9z7m3fH6c6oGKFJmxQ-UdD8s1gz5neTzjdilsh3GLLtSWWyfTP2ae4a6-S5OL1b3rBaaUcduh4pXKgVhnGn8XJMOkSMtljKnaDrlVsJcrXtzQ6WMRjvsjwogCuhw/s1600/Rozina+and+Supia.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmACjYf6d2lpiAm9z7m3fH6c6oGKFJmxQ-UdD8s1gz5neTzjdilsh3GLLtSWWyfTP2ae4a6-S5OL1b3rBaaUcduh4pXKgVhnGn8XJMOkSMtljKnaDrlVsJcrXtzQ6WMRjvsjwogCuhw/s400/Rozina+and+Supia.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701233767128271122" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">There is great news for our two blind teenage girls Rozina and Supia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Bruna has formed an extremely positive and helpful relationship with a well-established charity in Bangladesh, called Rishilpi. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Bruna<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>has now written:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:36.0pt;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;">Last November when Holger and I were in BCPS we talked with Ali of the possibility of the two blind girls, Rozina and Supia, to go to Rishilpi for a while to learn and train to become physiotherapists. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:36.0pt;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:14.0pt;"><br /></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;">In Rishilpi there is a very good and professional physiotherapist and teacher that is blind! He is extremely good; everyday there are over 40 children that come with mothers to have physiotherapy and learn what to do at home.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:36.0pt;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:36.0pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;">It would be a wonderful opportunity for them to learn something useful, good and practical that will give them a better purpose in life and a better future. It will also give them a proper job in BCPS and if they are good and successful they could also help children outside BCPS in the local community<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:36.0pt;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:36.0pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black;">We hope that on the 7th February Rozina and Supia will arrive in Rishilpi with their escorts Shefali and Livia to start the greatest and most important adventure of their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:36.0pt;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:36.0pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black;">Livia, the volunteer Swiss nurse, will accompany the girls and stay for a while to see the medical department of Rishilpi to get some ideas for BCPS too.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:36.0pt;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:36.0pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black;">Ali has permission from the girls' guardians, so they are all set to go.</span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-73714932798353254812012-01-11T04:14:00.000-08:002012-01-11T04:18:55.211-08:00A new baby girl in Bhola Garden<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmFRwC4gi_w6cV2fGHGnckzJZGEKNxb00sdWRKeCi4Osl2gAre62CsVta7Aq-Zse-8nkSjPJXfvj85zhpnsZG9-CfSVzNqv9xhEhm4bK6JM4nNnDC3jEKyH89T-_tRSAL9RAr3-UA1w/s1600/Shathi+and+her+new+baby.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmFRwC4gi_w6cV2fGHGnckzJZGEKNxb00sdWRKeCi4Osl2gAre62CsVta7Aq-Zse-8nkSjPJXfvj85zhpnsZG9-CfSVzNqv9xhEhm4bK6JM4nNnDC3jEKyH89T-_tRSAL9RAr3-UA1w/s400/Shathi+and+her+new+baby.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696347793100130274" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEYUikeJ6QvTScu-t6dMwYsPa706K8I88IkSFqAuzu_0k2Xu4V_jKIlhVFqud3xYlQxz-E5trrvEkZcIECauVz4Nofb4igglDaxVhYTdp3it-iw-JH1kV3QOK9B7N0hiXkRTLwfNx1A/s1600/Shathi%2527s+new+baby+girl.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 387px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEYUikeJ6QvTScu-t6dMwYsPa706K8I88IkSFqAuzu_0k2Xu4V_jKIlhVFqud3xYlQxz-E5trrvEkZcIECauVz4Nofb4igglDaxVhYTdp3it-iw-JH1kV3QOK9B7N0hiXkRTLwfNx1A/s400/Shathi%2527s+new+baby+girl.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696347790698326466" /></a><br />We are all delighted to announce the birth, on 9 January 2012, of Shathi's daughter. Our lovely deaf Shathi married Dipok in January 2010 and they are blissfully happy together. They are now the proud parents of this beautiful little girl. All the children are thrilled with their new baby.Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-20431356762242262442012-01-06T06:30:00.000-08:002012-01-06T06:51:37.276-08:00a new building for a new year<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhteDda6kE4xVMDINAiMS27ij-PeCxjmuuvoFy7qNQAcv8V9Ll5sWtGxG-dtSSwcW6iBoSEavKWtQjY_k2G0Ve59AdO7PppwJGLE8AizvU3RteraYVbxjuX2XArwCYaTqseWPh2FpTivg/s1600/new+building+12.2011.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhteDda6kE4xVMDINAiMS27ij-PeCxjmuuvoFy7qNQAcv8V9Ll5sWtGxG-dtSSwcW6iBoSEavKWtQjY_k2G0Ve59AdO7PppwJGLE8AizvU3RteraYVbxjuX2XArwCYaTqseWPh2FpTivg/s400/new+building+12.2011.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694530733135302210"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObW-IPFpvRqAUdw_k1s8FqYUqqdaEQlKZiW3-bZoJAgNcMI-TaQuA0EM9kMqePPDHrvhCaVRMdSFcN7qJLp5iCpkuIKsrEurr2A5kRhyphenhyphenQFQA6uNYOitbA_SL4ckMQKdSgndSDVZzZOg/s1600/monira%2526monto.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObW-IPFpvRqAUdw_k1s8FqYUqqdaEQlKZiW3-bZoJAgNcMI-TaQuA0EM9kMqePPDHrvhCaVRMdSFcN7qJLp5iCpkuIKsrEurr2A5kRhyphenhyphenQFQA6uNYOitbA_SL4ckMQKdSgndSDVZzZOg/s400/monira%2526monto.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694530714569757090"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcrQGykw-UFJP-wX9NhlDS3HTkTs4eyUCW9j8wDKvbf0E7c0ispD0DyzgXDr3AfP2lodiZZ2UU5DlgLG508vWlFXgQUOpNRzYFdhjWB7hNHkf08MxZOxJKqHPwMBkOU04NjyOCG4uDQ/s1600/Surma%2526+baccho.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcrQGykw-UFJP-wX9NhlDS3HTkTs4eyUCW9j8wDKvbf0E7c0ispD0DyzgXDr3AfP2lodiZZ2UU5DlgLG508vWlFXgQUOpNRzYFdhjWB7hNHkf08MxZOxJKqHPwMBkOU04NjyOCG4uDQ/s400/Surma%2526+baccho.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694530714022225650"></a><br />Ali and the children send best wishes for the New Year. They all had a good Christmas and are now back in school or further training.<div><br /></div><div>The married staff have moved into the new building and are very happy with their new accommodation. As you will see from the photographs of Monira and Surma, it is excellent and a great improvement on their previous rooms. </div>Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48638915190808222.post-40133561198002926182011-11-17T09:19:00.000-08:002011-11-17T09:26:36.718-08:00Some more photographs from our trip<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGuUSLRQhHhyphenhyphenNBp4s-LLZkrN4cGCzjsRuXjtYkx5L1u-jN7WROHXU4THcY3ikulMs2HdFwVEy5h8-POu3b4H6qxVklVp97LZERByYWJfNFpFID5PY-S_qJ1YfEzszkTcM7Xycj7cpbAw/s1600/Kayhrun+and+Nahim%2527s+mother+and+sister.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGuUSLRQhHhyphenhyphenNBp4s-LLZkrN4cGCzjsRuXjtYkx5L1u-jN7WROHXU4THcY3ikulMs2HdFwVEy5h8-POu3b4H6qxVklVp97LZERByYWJfNFpFID5PY-S_qJ1YfEzszkTcM7Xycj7cpbAw/s400/Kayhrun+and+Nahim%2527s+mother+and+sister.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676015820100795218" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0pm2A2e67Bzx1KVS8RnZ9aLkkRi-lsQYndvjQrxbiyS9dqajxVaUesD9VXlpJEkvm-beAlCvprO8OX_FgvsH2EsmzJEF-3jRaTWqKEy3aRuW57wwEtUHoBqRLy1I4O1a8FnE5h_uqA/s1600/hooray+for+tailoring+building.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0pm2A2e67Bzx1KVS8RnZ9aLkkRi-lsQYndvjQrxbiyS9dqajxVaUesD9VXlpJEkvm-beAlCvprO8OX_FgvsH2EsmzJEF-3jRaTWqKEy3aRuW57wwEtUHoBqRLy1I4O1a8FnE5h_uqA/s400/hooray+for+tailoring+building.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676015809766367106" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICqvTuyzPnYyEBJ7UnC1mkfblWYGyGrPtJ7_ozwx4iyNrkXKQv_QlLilK18SkYHR4roqXZIfmhaDddfhR2y5kad5HAikBGPvCgR7yLDGHWAupq1m26BIExaBylpesHzerq32izmj4jg/s1600/after+arriving+by+seaplane.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICqvTuyzPnYyEBJ7UnC1mkfblWYGyGrPtJ7_ozwx4iyNrkXKQv_QlLilK18SkYHR4roqXZIfmhaDddfhR2y5kad5HAikBGPvCgR7yLDGHWAupq1m26BIExaBylpesHzerq32izmj4jg/s400/after+arriving+by+seaplane.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676015805453631858" /></a>Alibhaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04549204569566261510noreply@blogger.com0