Children's Uplift Programme and Basha

Today we had the chance to visit behind the scenes a project that is well known in Dhaka.  Basha sells kantha quilts made from vintage saris, and stunning ones made from luxe saris and more lately jewellery. Kantha quilts are a traditional Bangladeshi handicraft using old saris to make small and larger blankets.

I have admired their products, bought some earrings, and a gift for Gemma from there, but found them a bit pricey, and as yet haven't fallen in "love" with any of the quilts.  I will never look at them the same again after today, the amount of "iceberg" which sits below the output of the beautiful quilts gives them a value to me which is beyond the price paid.

The children's uplift programme (CUP) is a wonderful organisation which helps children on the streets by helping their mothers. They have outreach programmes which build the trust needed for the mothers to take the steps forward into changing their lives. Many of the women have been involved in sex work, or are in danger, but through the long term training at CUP they are able to gain skills and receive physical and emotional support.  Some continue through the alternative employment scheme and work for Basha (http://www.bashaboutique.com/) - please click through to their websites for all the information that the two organisations provide - they are much clearer than me trying to paraphrase it!

learning to embroider

loading the needle

tiny premie in the creche

cheeky chappie

we arrived at nap time

jewellery workshop

the output

order board

the saris are weighted down by bricks as the layers (6) are pinned together

tricky corner

a beautiful double quilt like this will take 48 work hours to sew by hand

Field trip Cox's Bazaar days 4-5

On the 12th we were on more familiar ground, visiting a variety of BRAC WASH activities and schools.  Looking at latrines - from various stages of the program, listening to school children sing songs

BRAC baseline survey document mapping village

pilot project using composted human waste (safe) -the beans seems to be doing well

ladies of the WASH committee

army on high - keeping an eye on us and the village

 The reason why? this area was subject to mob violence back in 2012 and tensions are still high

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Ramu_violence

reconstructed Buddha

 

 

everyone was in their best clothes

an adolescent activity group

Theatre show - songs and bawdy stereotypes used to get the message across that open defection is NOT ok, and that hand washing is essential

Lon put a whole series of the faces enjoying the show facebook

Pre dawn the next morning we set off by speed boat to visit the island of Kutubdia.  Luckily most of the one and a half hour journey was on smooth inland waterways, because the open sea parts of the voyage were hair raising, and hard work as our spines were jolted with each bounce on the waves.

Oyster Bank Project - the artificial oyster reef pilot hopes to help prevent coastal erosion and eventually provide some income to local fishermen.

facebook must be updated

welcoming committee

this is what we have come to see

baby barnacles mostly, and some early oysters

Carel's facebook pic of us all up to our knees in the mud

great place to snooze

attempted return to shore via fish market

much needed brunch

We had a little time to kill before our flight home, so went to visit a boat (sampan) repair yard that we had passed.

It's incredible how much is done by hand and using the most basic of tools and the workman's favourite - hitting things hard with a hammer.  Once again we were amazed by the hospitality and ingenuity of Bangaladeshis who were happy to let us wander around taking photos of them working (no hard hats - no health and safety!)

As always we were pleased to be "home" again in Dhaka. I'm so grateful that I can accompany Lon sometimes into the field - it really brings home why we are here, which can be easy to lose sight of in the congestion and political tensions.