Bangladesh - The land and people I love
I've been working in Bangladesh – probably my favorite country in the world. It was shocking to see so much land, homes and fields lost to the floods this year. We all expected the giant flood that comes as a ten year phenomenon to happen next year, not this. So now people are left wondering whether the cycle was ahead of itself or whether next year's will be even worse. But why worry about the future when there is so much to do now rebuilding homes and day to day living?
Even though the great rivers are worshipped for the rich mineral deposits they bring from the Himalayas, the politics of neighboring countries are intensifying the problems caused by climate change. In times of heavy rainfall or flooding India will use its dams to favour its own people and land redirecting excess water from its great dams into Bangladesh. And in times of drought when water is scarce Bangladesh will receive only a trickle. The politics of water are well underway and tensions will mount as rainfall patterns are disrupted due to climate change. In an agricultural country where people rely on fishing and farming water means life or death.
Kids play on the muddy banks of the river
A pristine environment
The ecology around our Fair Trade partner, Swallows in Northern Bangladesh is incredibly beautiful. It was so called because of the swallows that nest in the clay banks and swoop over the green village pathways. There are river dolphins and a million little crabs that scuttle about.
The people of the village live simply and sustainably. As the morning sun rises over the village, people are brushing their teeth with traditional twig of neem (better for your gums than a toothbrush and totally biodegradable – I can't help hoping that their children don't get taught to use a plastic toothbrush in the name of modernity!).
Ms Shinda walks to Swallows handicraft centre where she works 9-5pm preparing yarn and hand weaving cloth to be tailored into beautiful clothes like the Sarah dress. The benefits of working at the centre are profound, in a rural environment where there is little opportunity for women to work, she earns more than a garment factory worker in Dhaka, her living costs are less than half of those in the city, and she has the opportunity of other ways of earning income – including raising these lovely goats here – importantly she can also stay living with her family in this beautiful environment rather than in a city slum.
Ann Markley wears People Tree and shows how her dress started out as skeins of yarn.
A sneak preview of what's to come in summer 2008: - the fabric is hand woven and hand embroidered at Swallows
I love the people, the environment and the craft culture that transforms the community into an independent, proud and visionary place. Swallows is a rare place, but part of a growing movement to use handicrafts to promote livelihoods that are usually undermined by economic policy, industrialisation that puts capital before people and their needs. The people of Bangladesh are so kind and holistic in their thinking.
Bangladesh has a lot to teach the world, but recently it seems that its “care taker” government lacks confidence in its own people and intellectuals. The world has moved on. Bangladesh and its people hold many of the answers for sustainability. It is the time for multi stakeholder initiatives and approaches when we all work together for change. But confidence is needed in a nation that offers so much, but ends up comparing itself with big business and a world economy system gone mad.
Bangladesh people may need help up as one of the poorest nations in the world but the nation has made great strides in the last 20 years, in terms of literacy and development. It also qualifies as the happiest nation in the world, so clearly there are other benchmarks that determine the true prosperity of a nation.
