Celebrations

Group discussion, Shilpi (in green and yellow) is project staff

Another busy day, though with a lot less travelling!  The morning was spent in the office, with some time attending a seminar on Gender Linkages and Rights, which is one of a programme of 15 sessions which looks at a whole variety of gender issues.  Most of those attending were women, but not all.  The majority of our Self Help Group members are women.  Mallica, the project manager, was determined that the older women there would be heard just the same as the younger ones, some of whom are still at high school or college, and so are used to doing presentations and such like.  Older women often have no voice in this culture, and she wanted to make sure that their opinions were heard too.  After the seminar, I spent several hours with colleagues working on issues around reporting and funding applications, funnily enough I have no fun photos from that session for you!

The afternoon was by far the best bit.  TLM provides educational support through Self Help Groups for several hundred children in Dhaka (see yesterday's blog).  These are children from poor families, often with one or more parent disabled, or who face stigma from having a family member affected by leprosy.  Without this support, they would not be in school.  Just yesterday one mother in Bandhabari thanked us in tears for allowing her son to stay in school.  In Scotland we take education so much for granted, here it is something incredibly valuable.  As well as the financial support, TLM provides peer mentoring for the children, and rewards academic excellence.  Of the hundreds of children, I met about 20, what might be called the cream of the crop, today, and presented them with their prizes for doing particularly well at school.

Music from Dipthi and her proud Dad

Three children had finished first in their class (including Dipthi in the photo on the right), three had finished second in their class, and there were students who have achieved an overall mark of A+, A or A-, and they were given new rucksacks, lunch boxes and juice bottles.  Some of their parents were looking proudly on, and it was a wonderful privilege to celebrate with them.  This educational opportunity and their own hard work will give these children and their families a very different future to the one they would otherwise have faced.  The photo below shows me with the final group of 4 students, who all achieved an overall mark of A-, along with TLM Bangladesh Dhaka Programme Manager Mr Jiptha Boiragee and Dhaka Community Based Rehabilitation Project Manager Mrs Mallica Halder.  As ever, trying to get everyone to look in the same direction at once is a challenge!

The road (and village) that Motiar built

A long day of travelling not very far.  Where as yesterday's long journey took me half way across the country (literally), today's similar amount of travel time took me a little way out of the city and back.  Of course when I say a little way out of the city, that is really as the crow flies, and not factoring in the almost constant traffic jams.  We left at 6am to try and beat them, and didn't do too badly, we got there in around 3 hours, much better than the 5 it took to come back.

Today's trip was to the visit of Bandhabari, a leprosy village outside Dhaka.  The story of the village starts in the late '70s/early '80s with a group of leprosy patients from Dhaka who met in hospital at DBLM.  Although the stigma was even more severe then than it is today, and they know that coming back to Dhaka would not mean being reunited with their families, they decided to come back and stay together, and make a living begging.  At that time there really weren't any other options for people affected by leprosy, especially with some of the disabilites some of these patients already had.  So they moved back to Dhaka, and lived by begging, sleeping rough usually on station platforms, but people kept making them pay 'rent' for sleeping there, and one of the community, a very determined man called Motiar, decided that enough was enough. He went to see the leader of the Opposition to ask for some land to build their own village.  Some years later the Opposition became the government, and land was granted to the community.  Although it being for people affected by leprosy, it was far, far away from the city, in the middle of a forestry planation.  The army built them houses, a community hall and a couple of barns, and dug a well and put in a water pump, and they moved in.  They quickly realised that one important thing was missing - a road to connect their village to the 'main' road, a real problem for a community where many had serious disabilities.  Motiar got on the case, and in 2002 the road was built.  He is currently the chairman of the village, and continues his work trying to improve the lives of the inhabitants.   He is also a nominee for a Wellesley Bailey award, which marks significant contributions to improving the lives of people affected by leprosy.  No-one from Bangladesh has ever won before, so TLM Bangladesh is really hoping that he will.

The village is supported by The Leprosy Mission Bangladesh through their Dhaka Programme, with a number of children supported to attend school by either Dhaka Community Based Rehabilitation Project (CBRP), which is funded by the Scottish Government, or by an associated education project supported by donors from the Netherlands.  All the students were chosen to receive support by the community themselves.  The students academic marks are displayed for all to see in the community hall, and several of them are doing very well indeed - in fact the Scottish supported students are doing better!  To be fair that is probably because they have been in school longer, as the academic year had already started when the funding came in from the Netherlands.  But their parents are so happy and proud that they are studying, and will have many more opportunities than they did.  There is also some sewing training which started recently, and one man has been given support to start a cloth trading business, which is going well.  Sadly the first time he started the business, he broke his arm in an accident and has had to take out a further loan, but the project staff are confident he will pay it back well in time.  Afterwards, we had a wee tour of the village, and met some of the inhabitants, including Munnah, who, in spite of serious leprosy related complications over the years which have led to deformities in both of his feet and the amputation of his right hand due to an ulcer, remains a very positive man, with a great sense of humour, and has real hope for the future.

We then spent several hours working with the community on a funding application we are submitting to the UK Department for International Development.  We have had our concept note accepted, so are writing up the full application for an expansion to Dhaka CBRP to increase the support for livelihood development.  In project planning, it is vital that the community be the basis of any project, as without their ownership it will fail, so we were keen to get their input on what kinds of income generating activities they would be interested in learning and think could work in their unique context.  They are severely hampered by their distant location, but creative thinking is both essential and commonplace in communities like these, so we have come away with some very interesting ideas.  The children were quickly bored in such a long meeting, and had great fun playing outside with their parents' and grandparents' wheelchairs while the grown ups talked.

On the road again

And this time literally!  A long day driving today, just over 12 hours, but with two lovely stops off in the earlier part of the day.  I was travelling with a lot of luggage belonging to some staff who will be leaving DBLM later this year and Rev Matthew Halder, the TLM Bangladesh Country Leader, so it was a good day.  The first stop was to a project in the Rangpur area called the Hagar Project, probably easiest described as a refuge for vulnerable women.  Their heartbreaking stories include being abandoned by their husbands, rape and sex trafficking, all made so much worse by being rejected by their families and communities after surviving those injustices.  They all have beautiful children, and I had great fun making faces to entertain them.  In the photo, the two ladies in the back left are project staff, which is a tough job, as they spend so much time helping their clients deal with the tragedies they have faced, and also work with the communities which almost always side with the men rather than the women. 

Ladies of the Hagar Centre

Farida, the lady in the spotty red and white outfit was due to find out today the decision in the court case which project staff and some volunteer lawyers and another NGO partner had helped her to bring against the husband who abandoned her.  We gave them a lift part of the way, and I hope to hear the result soon.  A past successful case has been a great encouragement to her and the other ladies who are in a similar position, with one lady having won significant compensation as well as ongoing child support.

The next stop was pretty special too.  TLM's Gaibanda Jaipurat programme runs a project where women and girls who are either leprosy affected themselves, or have family members who are, and so face stigma and difficulty accessing traditional means of gaining education, skills and experience, are trained in tailoring in their

Presenting Shumaya Akhtar with her new sewing machine

community over 6 months.  Upon graduation, they are given a sewing machine, allowing them to set themselves up in business and earn money to support themselves and their families.  Five of them graduated today, and Matthew and I shared the honour of presenting them with their new sewing machines.  They are very heavy indeed!  The next lot of girls are already well on the road to becoming skilled tailors too, and it was great to meet them, and the project staff.

We then hit the road, and just kept on driving, stopping only for a late lunch.  Unfortunately we hit Dhaka as the garment factories were closing and spent several hours in a traffic jam.  I had dinner with Matthew's family, and then was driven back to the guesthouse, which took perhaps 10-15 minutes for an 8 km drive as by this point rush hour was well and truly over, though Dhaka being Dhaka, it was still buzzing.  He told me that it usually takes him at least 1 hour in the morning and usually 2 hours at night by car.  I may moan about my commute, but at least I cover a somewhat larger distance!  Tomorrow is a very early start, so I am off to bed very soon indeed.

DBLM

Relapse Workshop

More travelling yesterday brought me to the north of Bangladesh, I flew into Saidpur, then we drove through Nilphamari city to Notkhana, the home of DBLM Hospital.  It was a quiet day, a wee walk, some photography and some warm hospitality, but today has been much busier.  I started off at devotions at the hospital, then went to a workshop currently being held for doctors from across TLM Bangladesh on dealing with relapse cases.

After a meeting, I was taken into Niphamari city to a clinic held weekly at the government hospital there.  Technically they have a room assigned, but it's pretty small, so most of the clinic was held outside in the yard.  On average they diagnose one or two new cases of leprosy here each week.  One of them today was a small boy, whose father had leprosy, and suffered severe complications and other health problems and sadly died.  I think the boy was only 6 or 7, which is unusually young to be develop leprosy, usually they see cases starting from around 12 years old.  This clinic is one of 24 clinics run by TLM staff in upazila government health complexes.

Physio technician testing sensation

 Upon my return to DBLM, I talked to one member of staff about the research projects going on here, as this area is particularly important for medical research due to high population and case detection, combined with fairly low population mobility, and is home to a number of important international research studies.  I then joined the doctors for lunch, before meeting a number of patients, and then getting a whistlestop tour of the hospital departments.  Once that finished, I spent more time in four areas - physiotherapy, the lab, assistive devices, where one very happy patient was having his first go with his new prosthesis, and the agriculture centre.  The physio technicians showed me some of their work.  I met a variety of staff during the day, many of them have been with TLM for upwards of 20 years, some always in DBLM, others have moved between projects, and I met two former staff who have now officially retired after over 30 years at DBLM, but are still around helping out, one an extremely experienced lab technician who is helping to train up his successors, and another former leprosy control officer who still helps with some of the research studies.  The hospital opened in 1977, and the first staff had a very difficult time, facing the same stigma that their patients faced, which makes their commitment to the patients all the more touching. 

First fitting of a new below the knee prosthesis

I also got a chance to see mycobacterium leprae through a microscope, a new patient had come in with a very severe case, the lab technician preparing the slide for me hadn't looked at it before, and his comment was 'oh wow!'.  Usually there are many fewer bacteria, and they are looking forward to getting a new microscope which shows the slides through a monitor, which will make it easier to see the cases with only one bacteria, which can sometimes be missed at present.  I also visited the assistive devices section, where they produce things like sandals, shoes and braces for people with leprosy or general disability, as well as prostheses.  I also saw the large TV where the women patients like to watch the soaps of an evening.  It as great to see the hospital farm, they have 12 cows which provide milk for the patients, which is nutritionally important, and they grow a variety of crops, and have two ponds with fish.  Some of this is for consumption and some for sale.  For example they grow a different kind of rice to the one usually eaten in the area, which sells for a higher price than the more common kind.

Weeding the rice - it takes skill to recognise grass from rice and remove the right one!

All in all a full day, and it's not over yet - I am having dinner with doctors, then going to the 'Fair of Happiness', a social evening with music and dancing for the patients held every Tuesday with singing and dancing, which is very popular.  It is organised by the hospital counsellor as part of the mental health provision in the hospital, as patients can have a hard time dealing with not just physical problems, disability and so on, but also stigma, which can lead to problems with depression, and this area of care is very important.  Should be a fun evening!  Tomorrow is a 12 hour (at least) drive back to Dhaka, stopping in at two projects en route.

After a long journey, I have arrived safely in Dhaka, Bangladesh.  I had a few hours off to relax, then it was lunch and straight into a series of meetings to sort out the precise details of my agenda (which has changed a bit since I posted last) and find out a bit more about the Dhaka Community Based Rehabilitation project, which is funded by the Scottish Government and TLM Scotland.  I attended a staff meeting, so met most of the staff, with the meeting going backwards and forwards between English and Bangla - and once again wished I spoke Bangla, as given the laughter I am sure I missed some very good jokes!  We were focusing on the area of peer education, as one project aim is to improve educational opportunities and attainment of young people from families affected by leprosy and/or disability or otherwise marginalised.  There are two key strategies here, one is providing scholarships to help pay for the expenses of attending school, things like uniforms, books and resources.  For more advanced students, this can include school fees, which in primary school are paid by the government.  The students were selected by the Self Help Groups their parents belong to, with around 80 students funded by the Scottish Government and several hundred more funded through TLM Netherlands.  The other strategy is to encourage the students by providing peer education and mentoring support, and that was what was being discussed today.  It looks as if I may well be presenting awards for academic excellence in a few days to the students who have done best in this past academic year.  I will be spending two days out in the field with project staff later this week, so look forward to more news later.

This photo is of most of the staff team ranging from the Programme (Jiptha) and Project (Mallica) managers, though most are staff who work with directly with communities.  Back row l-r Sujit, Prodyut, Probir, Jiptha, Bithi, Roslin, front row l-r Soikat, Mallica, Shilpi, F. Mousmi, Gopal.  Unfortunately Mahsin, their Monitoring and Evaluation officer, with whom (along with Jiptha) I have worked most closely recently, wasn't at this meeting, but I will make sure to get a photo of her before I go.  We will be meeting later this week to look at a funding application to the Department for International Development for an expansion to this project to increase the livelihoods support (skills training and access to micro-credit) in some of the more outlying areas, as well as to look at reporting on the Scottish Government funded project.  All very complicated indeed, but she is a very capable young lady.  We are delighted to have got through the first stage of application to DFID, and are working hard on the full application.  Sadly our last application, for a project in Nigeria, was unsuccessful, but we hope to use that as a learning experience and see this one funded, reaching many more people more effectively than the current project budget allows us to do.

Anyway, I'm off to eat my very tasty smelling dinner, then go to bed, it's been a very long day - it's been about 30 hours since I last slept, and have to get up and let people into the building tomorrow morning before flying up to Nilphamari to visit DBLM and hopefully one of their rural clinics too.

Jill's Travels - The Plan

As I write, only 2 days remain until I head off for a two week trip to Bangladesh and Thailand. I start off with visiting two projects which are supported by TLM Scotland in Bangladesh - DBLM Hospital in Nilphamari, north west Bangladesh, and Dhaka Community Based Rehabilitation project. I can't wait to meet project staff, volunteers and beneficiaries and see what money raised in Scotland is doing to allow people to take control of their lives. I will then head to Thailand to meet with staff from around TLM's Global Fellowship. I would appreciate your prayers for safe travel and a fruitful trip, and good communication and learning with and from colleagues from around the world. Partnership is so important, and we want to invest in strengthening our partnerships with colleagues in our key partner countries and elsewhere.  This photo was taken last time I was in Bangladesh, and we were talking about the benefits of partnership at their Annual Country Learning.

I will do my best to blog regularly, but the frequency will depend on having a combination of internet access and time, which may well not occur simultaneously!
15/3/14 Travel to Dhaka, Bangladesh
16/3/14 Arrive in Dhaka, meet with TLM Bangladesh staff
17/3/14 Travel to Nilphamari
18/3/14 Visit DBLM Hospital
19/3/14 Travel to Dhaka
20-22/3/14 Visits to Dhaka Community Based Rehabilitation Project activities and beneficiaries
23/3/14 Travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand
24-28/3/14 Programmes Workshop, including visit to McKean Hospital
29-30/3/14 Travel home to Glasgow

As I write, only 2 days remain until I head off for a two week trip to Bangladesh and Thailand. I start off with visiting two projects which are supported by TLM Scotland in Bangladesh - DBLM Hospital in Nilphamari, north west Bangladesh, and Dhaka Community Based Rehabilitation project. I can't wait to meet project staff, volunteers and beneficiaries and see what money raised in Scotland is doing to allow people to take control of their lives. I will then head to Thailand to meet with staff from around TLM's Global Fellowship. I would appreciate your prayers for safe travel and a fruitful trip, and good communication and learning with and from colleagues from around the world. Partnership is so important, and we want to invest in strengthening our partnerships with colleagues in our key partner countries and elsewhere. I will do my best to blog regularly, but the frequency will depend on having a combination of internet access and time, which may well not occur simultaneously!

15/3/14 Travel to Dhaka, Bangladesh
16/3/14 Arrive in Dhaka, meet with TLM Bangladesh staff
17/3/14 Travel to Nilphamari
18/3/14 Visit DBLM Hospital
19/3/14 Travel to Dhaka
20-22/3/14 Visits to Dhaka Community Based Rehabilitation Project activities and beneficiaries
23/3/14 Travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand
24-28/3/14 Programmes Workshop, including visit to McKean Hospital
29-30/3/14 Travel home to Glasgow

Edit

- See more at: http://tlmscotland.org.uk/forum_thread.php?id=56&last=1#end

As I write, only 2 days remain until I head off for a two week trip to Bangladesh and Thailand. I start off with visiting two projects which are supported by TLM Scotland in Bangladesh - DBLM Hospital in Nilphamari, north west Bangladesh, and Dhaka Community Based Rehabilitation project. I can't wait to meet project staff, volunteers and beneficiaries and see what money raised in Scotland is doing to allow people to take control of their lives. I will then head to Thailand to meet with staff from around TLM's Global Fellowship. I would appreciate your prayers for safe travel and a fruitful trip, and good communication and learning with and from colleagues from around the world. Partnership is so important, and we want to invest in strengthening our partnerships with colleagues in our key partner countries and elsewhere. I will do my best to blog regularly, but the frequency will depend on having a combination of internet access and time, which may well not occur simultaneously!

15/3/14 Travel to Dhaka, Bangladesh
16/3/14 Arrive in Dhaka, meet with TLM Bangladesh staff
17/3/14 Travel to Nilphamari
18/3/14 Visit DBLM Hospital
19/3/14 Travel to Dhaka
20-22/3/14 Visits to Dhaka Community Based Rehabilitation Project activities and beneficiaries
23/3/14 Travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand
24-28/3/14 Programmes Workshop, including visit to McKean Hospital
29-30/3/14 Travel home to Glasgow

Edit

- See more at: http://tlmscotland.org.uk/forum_thread.php?id=56&last=1#end

As I write, only 2 days remain until I head off for a two week trip to Bangladesh and Thailand. I start off with visiting two projects which are supported by TLM Scotland in Bangladesh - DBLM Hospital in Nilphamari, north west Bangladesh, and Dhaka Community Based Rehabilitation project. I can't wait to meet project staff, volunteers and beneficiaries and see what money raised in Scotland is doing to allow people to take control of their lives. I will then head to Thailand to meet with staff from around TLM's Global Fellowship. I would appreciate your prayers for safe travel and a fruitful trip, and good communication and learning with and from colleagues from around the world. Partnership is so important, and we want to invest in strengthening our partnerships with colleagues in our key partner countries and elsewhere. I will do my best to blog regularly, but the frequency will depend on having a combination of internet access and time, which may well not occur simultaneously!

15/3/14 Travel to Dhaka, Bangladesh
16/3/14 Arrive in Dhaka, meet with TLM Bangladesh staff
17/3/14 Travel to Nilphamari
18/3/14 Visit DBLM Hospital
19/3/14 Travel to Dhaka
20-22/3/14 Visits to Dhaka Community Based Rehabilitation Project activities and beneficiaries
23/3/14 Travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand
24-28/3/14 Programmes Workshop, including visit to McKean Hospital
29-30/3/14 Travel home to Glasgow

Edit

- See more at: http://tlmscotland.org.uk/forum_thread.php?id=56&last=1#end