Nappies, Floods, and Civil Unrest
Our travel logistics are crazy at the best of times, but this trip really took its toll and me and the others with me. By the end, I was knocked so flat with a high fever, that I went deaf for the day!
I've been in Bangladesh with the designers and producer support team to visit our producer groups. A week before our visit, in large parts of Dhaka, the capital, heavy rains had flooded the streets making them navigable only by boat. We were feeling quite grateful that the waters had subsided and we could get on with our work. Then a general strike was called by the Opposition.
A strike in Bangladesh, especially in Dhaka, means that no one dares go out in a vehicle, as it is likely to get stoned and people pulled out and roughed up. (I've only broken the protocol once and took a risk, for the driver too, when I needed to come home to have a baby!)
But despite the obstacles, the trip was successful. Our trip to Swallows was especially worthwhile. We opened the Swallows Day Care Centre for 36 babies and toddlers, aged from 4 months to 5 years old, children of weavers, tailors and embroidery artisans. Up until now they had left their children with their mums at home, but many found this very difficult. There are lots of challenges, but the Day Care Centre is beautiful with six qualified teachers and assistants and mums pop in to breastfeed 3 times a day or more often in the case of the smaller babies.
People Tree Started working with Swallows about 10 years ago when we heard they were struggling. Orders had declined and the women were just sitting around with no work and no food. People Tree started product development of handwoven fabrics and embroidery. Within 3 years we were able to give work to 70 women. People Tree and Global Village in Japan already funds the running costs of the Swallows School that provides 300 children with access to education.
Nappies
In Bangladesh and in our natural state babies are 'dry' and aware of their bodily functions, and can communicate to their mums as young as nine months. Unbelievable, but it's true!! However, for reasons of hygiene you can't have babies bare-bottomed in the Day Care Centre so this has been a bit of a cultural change. I wish mine had been dry and searching for a toilet at nine months. I remember a 'putting-away-the-potty-party' with balloons at two for my daughter, Natalie. (She had those washable nappies, like we're using at Swallows, to dry them when traveling I used to wind them to catch them at the top of the window like curtains in the car!) They were more convenient than disposables. Where do you dispose of disposables in the pristine countryside?
The women were absolutely thrilled with the funds People Tree/Global Village (our Japanese NGO) had given them and thanks to Helen, Raihan and Guinea and the dedicated teaching team, I couldn't imagine a better start in life.
Mrs. Kushida leaves her son, Aktul Jul Haq, 2, at the Day Care Centre. She has two other older children, a son of 16 and a daughter of ten.
“I used to run off to work in a rush leaving my son with my mother, who is now very old. I used to worry so - there is a big dog nearby her place, so the little one wasn’t free to go out of the house. It was too dangerous.
“Now I have peace of mind. He really enjoys being at the Day Care Centre and on Fridays [a holiday] he begs me to bring him here! The Day Care Centre is a big help to us.”
