Category Archives: Bangladesh

GUEST POST – Cheers from Chittagong

Robin Cappuccino is currently visiting all of the Child Haven homes and programs overseas. He has been kind enough to share a glimpse of his journey with us.

Salaam Alaikum from Child Haven International’s Home for 69 formerly destitute children in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Our ride from the airport takes us past stalls filled with jack fruit, bitter melon, lotus root, and many other appetizingly mysterious (to me) offerings from this verdant, fertile land. We pass rickshaws and trucks resplendent with colourful artwork making one marvel at the timid approach to vehicular decoration on the other side of the planet. Equally as impressive are the huge loads of steel rebar, furniture, the odd refrigerator, piles of food, recyclables and plastic-ware moved along on bicycle-carts powered by well-toned men. These loads are often piled up several times the height of the driver. We pass a newish presumably in-need-of-repair motorcycle and its jean-wearing owner, catching a ride on a bicycle-cart powered by a much older pedaler wearing a lungi. Certainly in this heat, the lungi makes more sense. The greenery here is a welcome change from more arid regions we have visited. A single mammoth tree provides welcome shade for a team of young cricket players.

We are lucky to be on hand for the older girl’s turn to make chapattis for breakfast. They rotate breakfast making once a week with the older boys. Chapatti dough is mixed, shaped into balls, rolled into patties, toasted on dry griddles, and served with a vegetable curry to an appreciative crowd. The Soya Cow is well utilized here, with fresh soy milk made and served every day as well as tofu once a week. Periodically, halvah is made from the left-over soya bean mash, coconut, peanuts, spices and sweetener.

Along with great food, academics are a big focus here. The very first Grade 10 graduates at this Home, Farzana, Saiful and Sakib all received a score of A+ on their final exam. We have the great pleasure of taking them out for a celebratory dinner along with their tutor to a downtown restaurant. Farzana and the other older kids often help the younger kids with their studies. The Home’s Montessori School goes up to Grade 4. Of the 55 kids in the school, 20 are our kids. The rest are children of rickshaw drivers, garment workers and other low-income members of the community who pay 78 taka, about a dollar, per month to attend the school which also covers lunch, school uniform, and books.

Child Haven also supports the education of 13 other young people in the community. We meet one such young man who comes to visit with his father who lost a leg in a motor-cycle accident. Prior to the accident he had a thriving poultry business, but now struggles to make ends meet. Child Haven agreed to support the son’s college studies, and he now reports he has scored 86 on his recent exams. We also meet a bright young girl who comes to see us with her older sister. They came to Chittagong from a remote village where their father is a farm-worker. The older sister is keeping the two of them afloat by working as a seamstress, and came to Chittagong because she very much wants her little sister to be able to go to school. We have agreed to pay her tuition. She tells us that she has just scored 96 out of 100 on her final exam for Grade 5.

The Chittagong Home also houses some tremendous artists. Their skills have been recently honed by a new art teacher who comes once a week, but were apparent well before. Bijoy shows us a drawing of a bird and its nest, as others kids sprawl out on the floor working on various creations. Pathan’s is of an idyllic coastal scene with trees, a few houses, small boats and bright yellow sun.

Among the visits we make is to the Acid Survivors Foundation. The Foundation maintains a hospital for acid burn victims, and does training for survivors. They also have been at the center of a very impressive drive to eradicate this violence often perpetrated against women by spurned suitors, or angry husbands. I had not known that children were also the victims of such abuse. We learn that the number of victims of acid violence in Bangladesh fell from 496 in 2002, to 85 last year, including 13 children. There have been no acid attacks in Chittagong for the last three years. We have come to offer Child Haven as a possible placement for acid attack survivors interested in working with children. Survivors often are left with extensive scarring even after surgery. We will receive a call if interest is expressed. Here’s to the courageous and dedicated campaigners against violence to women and to children and to men all around our world.

Until next time,

Robin Cappuccino for CHI

 

Stay tuned for another ‘glimpse of the journey’ as Robin continues his travels through the CHI homes in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Religious Diversity in Bangladesh

We strive for religious equality and freedom of religion at all of our Child Haven children’s homes. It is one of our core Gandhian values. We believe wholeheartedly that all religions are equal and that our children and staff should be able to practice and express their faith openly and freely. We are proud to have children and staff who identify with every major religion and nowhere is that diversity of religions greater than in our home in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

This is a poster made by some of the children in the Chittagong home. It shows symbols and sacred monuments from different religions.

This is a poster made by some of the children in the Chittagong home. It shows symbols and sacred monuments from different religions.

Child Haven’s work in Bangladesh began in 2002. In the wake of the 9/11 bombings in New York, we felt it was important for North American’s to have a greater understanding of people of a Muslim culture. We believed that setting up a children’s home in a predominately Muslim country would be our way of helping others understand acceptance.

While most people in Bangladesh identify as Muslim, there are also many people who are Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Sikh, Jain, and others. There are also large populations of Tribal people who share Animalism spiritual beliefs.

Shatumoni covers her head with a scarf during prayer time and when she goes outside of the home, as do many Muslim women and girls.

Shatumoni covers her head with a scarf during prayer time and when she goes outside of the home, as do many Muslim women and girls.

Religion is closely entwined with culture and can be expressed in many ways. Here we see some the Tribal children performing a tradition bamboo pole dance.

Religion is closely entwined with culture and can be expressed in many ways. Here we see some the Tribal children performing a tradition bamboo pole dance.

We try to help our young people learn and explore their own religion and culture. They are encouraged to visit the sacred gathering places of their own religion, such as mosques, churches, and temples. We have a religion teacher who comes to the home several times a week to aid in this as well.

This poster is placed in all of the Child Haven homes to help celebrate our religious diversity and to remind us that all religions share some core values and beliefs.

This poster is placed in all of the Child Haven homes to help celebrate our religious diversity and to remind us that all religions share some core values and beliefs.

“All religions of the world, while they may differ in other respects, unitedly proclaim that nothing lives in this world but Truth.” - Mahatma Gandhi

When these boys look at each other they don't see a muslim or a christian or a hindu or buddhist - they simply see a friend.

When these boys look at each other they don’t see a muslim or a christian or a hindu or buddhist – they simply see a friend.

We could all learn a thing or two from Bangladesh. These children know what truly matters – that we are all human and that we all need love.

 

Until next time,

Rene for CHI

GUEST POST – Salaam Alaikum from Chittagong

Robin Cappuccino is currently traveling to all of the Child Haven homes – here are some thoughts from road.

Salaam Alaikum from our Child Haven Home in Chittagong, Bangladesh, with 69 children, and 20 staff (including teachers and part-time tutors). An additional 27 children from the surrounding community come during the day to attend our Montessori preschool and elementary school which runs through Grade 4. Continue reading