Village visit - Kadimbara

After our second breakfast we took a ferry across the river to visit Kadimbara village.

This is where I finally fell in love with Bangladesh.  It was such a peaceful and happy place on the day we visited. The sun was shining, but not yet painfully hot.  The women in the village have been working with Tarango for a number of years now, and the changes that they had all been able to make were evident.  Rooves and foundations were well maintained, and all the compounds were spotless.  There is enough.  The village is however, still waiting for electricity.

we called these poo-sticks, they will forever now be known as shit-kebabs

kantha quilts drying

I am confident that the life this little girl will lead will be improved because her mother works for Tarango

note the super high washing line for hanging saris

baskets being made

small shrine

kantha lungis

I will always be looking at washing lines now for kantha quilts which are made in the villages from need

freshly puffed rice snack

hot pink and orange kantha - yes please!

kitchen - fuel efficient stoves in use

draining board

Proud Tarango trainer

We spent some time with one of Tarangos master trainers and her family.  Through her efforts and income they now have a fish pond and a new chicken coop, ready for delivery of 300 chicks.

chicken shed - ready for inhabitants

Tarango - cultural programme

Around 6 we made it to Barisal - disembarking was a bit of a scramble, but we were relived to make it

A quick stop for tea with parathas and vegetable curry to set us up for the day - or at least until our next breakfast...

Paolas pic

Our wonderful driver for the duration took us to the Guesthouse we were staying at.  The location was tranquil, and our accommodation was simple but enough for us, and the peace after the busy boat journey was welcome.

After freshening up we went to our hosts. Kadmbari is a village in Barisal where an NGO named Tarango is going to organise a boat race on the occasion of International Women's Day.

 

Tarango employs around 12,000 women across Bangladesh to weave baskets and handbags from locally produced and dyed jute and sells them in the international market. http://www.tarango-bd.org/

They have had a presence in this community for almost 30 years, and after three decades of employing local women, (they now have up to 800 women entrepreneurs in Kadambari) they have such a vital role in the local economy that Kadambari's men have started to work for their wives because the salary is more consistent and higher than most other local alternatives.

We arrived during the first part of the Cultural program arranged for the 7th - a painting competition for the children of the local handicrafters - which we were relieved not to be judging

rows of well behaved engaged children

the theme was my village - I liked the 360 nature of this picture

best hair-do

The second part of the cultural programme was a singing / dancing competition for the youngsters - this was rehearsed after the painting, and took part in the late afternoon to an ever increasing audience

 

this pair thought Lon was very beautiful!

Some of the best fun was to be had outside of the tent, as there were all sorts of snacks and trinkets available outside - a very festive atmosphere!