Coming Home

It's been about a week now since we landed in Winnipeg and I've been trying to return to my everyday life as a student home for the summer from university. It's been an interesting mental process trying to reconcile my time in Bangladesh and my life in Canada. In a lot of ways I really can't believe the two places exist on the same planet with them being so incredibly different. I am overwhelmed with the large open space of the prairies and the quiet of fields and valleys. It almost feels like I have new eyes and a whole new appreciation for what I once thought was boring open space. There's been a few instances now of walking down the street and wondering where the call to prayer from the mosque is. I have been revelling in having water from a tap I can drink and if we're being completely honest, having no squat toilets anywhere is a huge and glorious relief. I know I learned a lot from the experience and that there are things that we did there I'll never forget but it's a little more difficult to explain in a nutshell what the trip was or how I felt about it to family and friends. I know it was a great experience in terms of personal growth and giving me more perspective but I don't know if I would go back. I don't regret my time spent in Bangladesh at all and I wouldn't mind travelling to more underdeveloped or third world countries but I found the culture of Bangladesh hard to work in to the capacity that I wanted to as a girl. It's also been difficult for me to think of what I plan on doing differently now that I'm home. For me, meeting the girls of the rehabilitation center and hearing their stories really resonated and I want to advocate and be a part of advancing gender equality here in Canada in tribute to them. Girls here aren't being tortured for dowry or trying to commit suicide in large numbers to escape arranged marriages and family pressure but there are still large inequalities and injustices that I think in trying to address for girls and women here is a way I can make a difference maybe in some small way, for the women of Bangladesh.

Coming Home

The last few days of the trip seemed to go by really slow because we were really looking forward to coming home. However, for me it also seemed bittersweet and I couldn't believe the five weeks had already went by. I was kinda surprised to realize I would miss Bangladesh quite a bit- the people we had made close connections with and a more relaxed way of life, where people live in the moment. I realized I would be coming home to a busy schedule where I actually had to be on time.
The last few days I really enjoyed and am glad we got to end the trip with such positive experiences. We drove to Dhaka University which was massive; we were told over 10 km and that it was government funded. While in Lalmonirhat, we visited a local college and I noticed there was a much larger male population attending and the different sexes never intermingled. But when comparing to a University in Rangpur and Dhaka University there seemed to be a more equal number of women compared to men and that they mingled together, which was nice to see because it demonstrates that society is slowly changing in regards to women's rights and their education. The liberation war museum was closed when we tried going so instead we asked to go to Sonargaon which was the original capital city of Bangladesh. We saw Panam City which was built in the late 19th century by rich Hindu cloth merchants during the british rule. The mansions were beautiful but it was tragic to see that they were crumbling and falling apart because they were not being looked after and preserved. Some threats to this sites preservation I found online include: flooding, vandalism, unauthorized occupation, illegal development, poor maintenance, and earthquakes. We also visited a palace that was built in 1901 and it was the first time I had seen renovations being done to preservative a historic site. There was also a nicely organized and well kept folk-art museum that had many ancient artifacts.
One of my favorite memories from the trip was when we visited a family that had a son who went to the University of Manitoba and knew one of the girls on the trip. The family was upper class and the Father worked as an UN peacekeeper. It was interesting to make the comparison of a family living in a rural village and a family living in Dhaka. This family was so friendly and excited to meet us. They prepared a fantastic meal and even gave us some to take back to the guesthouse. The Father kept telling us to come back and we could stay with them and they would take us around Bangladesh and India. This was a crazy offer and it shows the difference in culture; in Canada no one is that hospitable and friendly to guests. Coming as an international student to Canada would be a huge transition and everyone would seem cold and rude. After experiencing so much hospitality over the last five weeks, it has got me thinking about how I should be more inviting and welcome guests into my home. 
Going from Dhaka to Dubai was a pretty big transition. Everything in Dubai seemed very clean, shiny, and organized. It was nice for the first time in a long time to be able to eat anything without having to think of the consequences. Sadly, our jet lagged choice turned out to be over indulging in McDonald's which was later regretted when I woke up a few hours later with a McDonald's hangover.
Driving home from the airport in Winnipeg I couldn't get over the calmness in traffic and how organized everything was. I kept expecting a rickshaw to be driving on the side or a goat to jump into traffic.
 The next day was grad and when walking into the gym with people taking tons of photos I found myself getting overwhelmed and frustrated until I realized the photos were not because I was foreign but were of everyone because of the ceremony.
The last few days I find the little things have meant a lot such as: being able to put on a short sundress and walk around without people staring, being able to have a cold beer with a BBQ steak, taking a long hot bath (I realized probably most people in rural Bangladesh have never experienced a hot bath), being able to go into Wal Mart/ Superstore and find exactly what I needed, and eating in a food court without getting food poisoning. Right before we left I was talking with RDRS staff in Dhaka and I learned they pay for and eat lunch everyday at the office. They said the main reason was because the food was hygienic. Also, the family we visited said they hardly ever eat out because it's not safe.
I am really thankful I had this opportunity in Bangladesh and got to meet so many inspiring people and learn a lot about a different culture, way of life, international development, health care, and so many other areas. Specifically, as a pharmacy student I feel this trip has been eye opening for me because I had the opportunity to learn about pharmacy in another country. The pharmacy industry in Bangladesh is very different from Canada. The way medication is dispensed by local chemist shops makes me thankful for all the regulations and training that is available in Canada. The massive amount of antibiotic use was alarming, especially because antibiotics were the most common drug used there, they were not regulated, and anyone had access to them.  The overuse of antibiotics is an area I am interested in studying in the future. I would like to go back to Bangladesh and do more research in the pharmacy industry, specifically the overuse of the antibiotics. As a women in Bangladesh I would not have the opportunity to study pharmacy and work in this industry.  Pharmacy representatives told me their job was "too hard for a women". My pharmacy experiences that I learned in Bangladesh will be ones that I will be able to use in my future career and pass on to other students and colleagues.  I am glad I did this trip as I believe it has been a life changing experience and my perspectives and thoughts have been questioned and changed. Over the next few weeks I will have the opportunity to share my experiences and stories from Bangladesh and I am excited to tell people what a wonderful country it was and how friendly and hospitable the people were.

Lalmonirhat

Last week we were in Lalmonirhat and I we had the opportunity to few different projects but for the most part they were similar to what we've seen in other RDRS working areas. 

One project really stood out for me. We went to the home of one of the girls who had finished the program at the Women's Rehabilitation centre in Rangpur. Now, She makes clothes in her village. She is a survivor of domestic violence as a result of dowry issues, and is now making her own money thanks to the training she received from RDRS. Although she hopes to get married again some point in her life, she expressed how happy she is to be in her father's house and being able to provide for herself and her family. As if that's not enough, she has been teaching other women in the village to makes clothes for all ages so that they too can make ends-meet. Her's is a success story. But that's not what stuck with me. 

After talking to her and hearing her story and how hard her life was; getting married at a young age, the abuse from her in laws etc,we also spoke to her father. Regardless of what his eldest daughter has been through, he told us that now he's thinking about marrying off his younger, 14yr old daughter because that would be one less mouth to feed. It truly made me sad to hear this, especially considering that this is probably the most successful outcome of the rehabilitation.

It got me thinking a lot about the type of rehabilitation offered and how important it is for RDRS to extend their program to the victim's family and community. Clearly it's not just about the individual but there is a deeper problem to be addressed here.

Our experiences from Lalmonirhat, the last district.

I can’t believe we have already completed our final destination of the trip, to the district of Lalmonirhat. This trip has been going by so quickly, and yet when I look back on the number of projects we have visited it is astounding. I found this week especially interesting given the majority of the programs we visited were healthcare oriented, my particular focus. The district is located about 1.5 hours northeast of Rangpur on a narrow strip of land bordering the India. The area is almost entirely rural with no large urban centres. This means the province lacks many vital services and was the poorest of the districts we have visited. People are often forced to travel hours if necessary to receive proper care in Rangpur. To see this level of disparity, even after visiting all the other districts was truely eye opening.

After making the 1.5 hour drive we arrived at our guesthouse, another sweet 4 storey building which is usually used by RDRS for training. The staff here are as friendly and welcoming as anywhere, but there was one slight let down, no A/C! I had managed this in my room in Kurigram and for a day visiting the chars, but never this long and with no common area for relief. I feel quite selfish complaining about this minor inconvenience when many people are living with no electricity at all. I’m sure we’ll have as enjoyable of a time here as all the other districts.

Once settled we go to visit the law courts and speak with 5 lawyers representing RDRS protecting many of the abused and victimized women. These cases can range from rape or assault to dowry disputes. The lawyers say they are currently working on 44 cases, but the legal system in Bangladesh is a slow process and there is little legislation protecting women. This makes it clear that changes have to be made at a constitutional level if progress for women rights is to be further improved. Another I found interesting, although 3 of the 5 lawyers we met were women, only approximately 5% of lawyers in Bangladesh are women. Many women are married and supporting a family at a young age and are not given the opportunity to persue such extensive education.

The next morning we were given the opportunity to join in on a meeting with a union federation discussing future developments for 2014/15. We all agreed we gained little knowledge from this, as it was difficult to comprehend the projected developments with such little knowledge of the area. In the afternoon we visited an eye-care clinic run by RDRS. This facility offered free care to the poor and ultra-poor with services such as optometry and treatment for different diseases such as cataracts or infections. Attached to the hospital is a rehabilitation centre for visually impaired youth. With children ranging in age from 5 to 18 years old. The centre provides educations along with training in ADLs (activities for daily living) and vocational training such as woodworking or tailoring. This facility was most impressive of what I have seen so far. All the children seemed very happy and were gaining skills vital to allow for independence upon returning to their community.

The other sites we visited while in Lalmonirhat included the main district’s hospital, The Sadar Hospital, and the TB and leprosy clinic run by RDRS. The Sadar hospital was extremely understaffed. For example the surgery ward of 50 beds was serviced by only one nurse and one nursing aid. The hospital has 33 positions for physicians with only 6 filled! They didn’t even have staff to operate the X-Ray machine or the sonogram. For a major hospital serving approximately 1,000,000 people this is shocking. I was informed that most of the doctors are trained in Rangpur and would rather practice there in private clinics then this public hospital. I feel the government needs to provide more incentives for working in these rural areas or reserve more spots in their medical schools for rural applicants, but both of these solutions take money and have their only disadvantages.

After seeing all of these health programs I can really see how difficult it is to provide accessible primary healthcare to the poor and rural areas of the country. One strategy that does seem to be improving this disparity is an increase in field workers. This strategy is especially effective in providing family planning education in more remote areas and is one of the main reasons for the recent decrease in family size.

We are now back in Rangpur to relax and prepare a presentation and report for RDRS. We’ve also scheduled in another visit to the women’s rehabilitation clinic, Rangpur Medical College and a Prostitution Support Clinic. I am looking forward to these last three programs before coming home after such a life changing experience.

In conclusion............


As we enjoy our last few days and reflect on our weeks here in Bangladesh,  it is somewhat bitter sweet.To say that this experience was totally amazing would be putting it mildly, but I know I would do this trip again.One of the most difficult things we faced was to try and not make comparisons with things here and things in Canada. But how could you not make daily comparisons with life in Canada? I think this was something we were all guilty of at some point or another. In making the comparison , it was not to say that we were better but to be thankful- simply thankful for things such as our health care,air conditioning, running water, a toilet with a seat .....or simply feeling, believing and knowing that you had a world of choices and possibilities ahead of you ,instead of simply marriage,field work or child rearing.We are thankful for the fact that when we go to the doctor ,even though we may have to wait to see a specialist, we knew that we would eventually see one. That in our city, we have a choice of hospitals, doctors or clinics to go to.We were thankful for our dental and eye care and other health benefits that we took for granted and expect to receive in a sanitized facility that thousand of people in developing countries don't receive.
Our group got a first hand look at what its like to receive emergency care, maternity care and family planning at some of the rural hospitals.
This trip has  given me a new awareness of health care issues, race issues, gender issues, cultural  issues, poverty, environmental as well as economical issues.The positives are in knowing that the numbers are increasing in women who come forward and talk about abuse, and violence against them. Women who use the hospital for monthly check ups when they are pregnant and actually have their baby at the hospital instead of home births.Or those women who have taken micro loans to help improve the quality of their lives and their family's economic situation.
For me, being here has being a most exhilarating experience.Words can't begin to describe it.The people have been kind and very generous, always willing to open up their homes, to provide us with snacks, welcome us in for tea or coffee and a smile. The many schools we visited,treated us to a dance or a song or both. Any meetings, hospital tours, farms or clinic visits always ended with snacks, photos, handshakes and smiles . The colourful roadside markets, curried dishes, many lychees, abundance of jackfruit,power outages, and the generosity of the friendlyBengali  people has made this experience a very informative and an exceptional educational experience.

My week in Lalmonirhat

This past few weeks I had the opportunity to hear many Bangladeshi women’s stories and also personally experience what it is like being a women here. However, it must be considered my experiences are vastly different than local women because I am foreign and tend to get treated differently.

While in Thakuragon, we had the opportunity to meet with an indigenous women’s forum. When asking these women if they wanted any other kind of support from RDRS they stated they wanted help with their kids school supplies and also wanted to learn income generating activities to help support their families. Their response surprised me because it was a selfless request; they wanted to work to help provide a better future for their family. Instead of feeling helpless about a future faced with poverty they had pride for the forum they were part of, and hope and plans for the future.

Another interesting experience stuck in my mind when visiting a government hospital. When visiting a female patient who had taken a drug to have an abortion the doctor said we wouldn't know about anti-abortive drugs because we were not married.  Every female patient in this hospital we visited was “18 and married”. The legal age for marriage here is 18 but in rural areas girls are often married as young as 12 years old. At a hospital in a different district the doctor told us what he guessed was the true age of the women, they often say they are older, and it was shocking. We met a young woman who at 18 already had two babies.

While in Kurigram, I met with about ten male pharmaceutical representatives and I asked about opportunities for females in the pharmacy profession. I was told that the job would be too hard for a woman because they work long hard hours and they did not have female colleagues. However, they said some women work in the pharmacy industry in Dhaka.

This past week in Lalmonirhat, we visited the home of a young woman who had been part of the rehabilitation program. At 12 years old her father married her off but her husbands family started pressuring her family for a larger dowry and abused her when they did not receive it. She was part of a women’s forum so she knew to contact RDRS to get help. When RDRS took her husband to court he disappeared and has not been charged and the divorce has not been finalized years later. With her training at the center she was able to start a business sewing to help support her family, she has even trained five other girls in the village to sew. Her father told us he was worried she would not marry again and was planning on marrying off his other daughter who was only 14. I found this super frustrating and upsetting. He witnessed problems when his older daughter got married at 12 years old but he was willing to repeat this with his younger daughter. When asking members of the village about arranged marriages we were told that only 3% of their marriages are love marriages. Our translator told us the story of her love marriage, which she is very proud of because she had to work hard to marry the man she wanted. Before coming here I was not aware that arranged marriages were so common and that dowry abuse was a problem.

It was also an interesting week because both the district coordinator and community health program coordinator treated the women on the trip very different than the one male. We were introduced as Evan and team and all questions and concerns were directed to Evan and they expected him to make all the decisions. When they wanted to take a picture, it was of Evan at the project site. The situation was so foreign that I found it more funny than anything because poor Evan was the focus of so much attention. However, these men are educated and hold high positions in an organization that focuses on empowering women. I believe trying to have a successful career here is a lot more challenging and I have a renewed respect for the women who have careers and especially those who have influential positions.

Yesterday we visited a college in the Lalmonirhat district. We were told that woman’s tuition was free but 60% of students were male and 40% were female. I began talking with one of the staff members and he told me about how girls were allowed to rides bikes 15-20 kms to get to the college. He seemed to have an interest in empowering women and when saying goodbye I was surprised when he shook all of our hands, he was the only man in the room to do so.

The last four weeks I have had the opportunity to meet so many new people and share stories and experiences with them. The women I have met have all been very sincere, proud, and friendly and I feel so privileged to have heard their stories- both the sad and happy ones.

Lalmonirhat and Rangpur

Week three of service learning found us in the district of Lalmonirhat for what was originally supposed to be a whole week. It was here that we would be able to see the RDRS run eye care clinic and school for blind children as well as get to meet a girl who had been through the women's rehabilitation program and had returned home to her village among other things. Unfortunately for myself I finally had my streak of relatively good health on the trip come to an end. I don't know what exactly it was that did me in but it good me good and I was out of commission for the visits to the eye care clinic and school for blind children which was really disappointing. As a group we weren't doing so well between the lack of power at the accommodations at night (imagine sleep at 40 degrees with no ac or even fans) and the majority of us having some sort of stomach trouble, so we ended up returning to Rangpur earlier than expected. We managed to get all the scheduled programming done faster than expected and I think it was good to recognize our limits and get some rest even though it cut our stay short. However it was still a memorable few days and I enjoyed being able to see Lalmonirhat.

We had been warned before departure that there would be times that things would just be deferred to Evan due to him being male and that was all well and good, nothing to worry much about. Up until Lalmonirhat I hadn't really noticed it but that really changed during the time we spent there. We were addressed on more than a few occasions as "Evan and others" and a cycle of started to develop of most attention being directed only at Evan, which prompted me to not want to ask as many questions and keep quiet which in turn meant that more attention was directed at Evan. This really made me question RDRS gender equality programming and think more about what gender equality in the context of Bangladesh means. We've heard how hard it is from project managers, doctors and teachers to keep girls in school and to give them the same opportunities as boys. Having girls being able to ride bikes, go to school and be out of the home is regarded by many here that we have met as gender equality and while those are certainly achievements I hadn't expected my personal vision of gender equality and RDRS to be misaligned as much as they were. Clearly with many aspects of women's lives here still being controlled by the men in their lives, there is a long way to go between the sexes but I can't help but wonder if there was some miracle way to speed that process up. Logically I know how naive that is to think but there's something about meeting girls who were married at 12 that makes me wish it was that easy. Having had a short and rather unpleasant experience being unheard, I can only imagine how a lifetime would feel. On the opposite end of the spectrum I am that much more in awe of the bravery of the girls we've met who defy societies standards and continue with their education against staggering odds.

Meeting the girl who had completed the training of the rehabilitation center and returned to her village after surviving dowry torture was pretty eye-opening. She had been married off at 12, the daughter of a day labourer who made 200-300 taka/day (2.56-3.85$ US) to a husband whose parents were also day labourers. We learned that it is common practice for the husband and family to attempt to extract dowry to fund the creation of a family business as a dowry comes with a much nicer repayment policy than a microfinance loan and that had been the case here. The husband and his family had demanded 50 000 taka and the girls father had only been able to provide 25 000 and so the community women's forum had referred the girl to the rehabilitation center where she could escape the abuse, begin court proceedings for divorce and criminal charges  and learn new trades to be self-sufficient for the return to her family. Her in laws had been sentenced to 6 days in prison however her soon to be ex-husband had disappeared and thus faced no consequences. Until he reappears the case will be ongoing. Despite her ordeal she hopes to one day remarry and was glad that she got to live with her family and now contribute 50% of her earnings from tailoring to her family. What was the most surprising and also sad about this visit was that the girls father had no qualms about marrying off his other daughter who we had the chance to also meet. She was only 14 and looked more a child than a woman who could manage a household and bear children. Clearly there are very deep-rooted traditions and people are willing to defy the law and logic to go along with them. I hope within my lifetime these can be changed because these girls deserve nothing less than equality and the chance to make their own choices.

Kurigram
Our Coordinator Susie went back to Canada this past week and we headed to Kurigram and the Chars region for another action packed week. Our days are filled with activities, meetings, sightseeing and some laughter and as they say in Bangladesh there is also time for "you take rest now". One of the clinics we visited this week was for malnourished children. It was set up so the mother would stay with them, while baby was in a feeding program to increase their weight.The nurses and doctors were kind enough to explain and demonstrate the process of mixing up a batch of formula and offering it to us to try.Tasty. We also stopped in at a Tuberculosis hospital and met with some NGOs who talked to us about how the hospital screened and checked people in the villages for TB and they also talked to us about a strain of TB that was a problem to them because it was resisting the drugs. We were given a tour of their hospital which was very clean and well organized .The hospital had a separate ward for men and a separate ward for women. It also had another area for pregnant moms waiting to have their babies.  We were also given permission by a pregnant mom to sit in on her monthly check up and to listen to her baby's heart beat. The doctor explained to us that once the mother had attended regular checkups at the clinic ,she was in the system and was given a 100 takas per visit(their $).The money was usually to pay for her transport home . When she had the baby in that hospital,mom would be given 2500 takas and baby 500 takas to start off. As our hospital visit was ending, the doctor told us that the hospital only had two doctors but had openings for 26 doctors! What do you say to that? It seems to be the norm for pretty much everything here in Bangladesh. After lunch we visited a Proteeva after school program. Here the kids met to get help with their school work three times a week for an hour.
One of the evenings in the week a bunch of pharmaceutical reps visited us to talk about drugs and the competition of exporting globally. We learned a lot because I could not understand how they made any money when literally every other business was a pharmacy on the same street.
In the next few days we went to Raumari, Radio Chilamire where before we knew it we were sing Canada's National Anthem on the radio, and we visited the Chars. I love the Chars. It maybe one of the poorest places in Bangladesh but it is also one of the most beautiful.Its poor because every year the people living there lose almost everything to floods and have to start again. In Canada the Chars would be considered prime real estate. Only problem is, unless you can figured out how to prevent your property from flooding, you would have to move to the mainland every year. Having goats, sheep or a cattle means that the women can establish some kind of livelihood for their families and get themselves out of poverty. Getting training in natural composting and in farming is another way that the women can increase their sustainability. Everyone has being kind, have taken the time to explain their projects to us , to tell us how it is changing their lives . Regardless of the extreme poverty that they may live in everyone has welcomed us, offering us a drink of water , a cup of tea , a smile and even an umbrella to to shade us from the sun. We are on the homeward stretch,and often at mealtimes words such as steaks, cold beers,pizzas,farmer's sausages,kraft dinner,cheese, lettuce,sushi and burger will be talked about with a smile.   I will not say that sweating pockets, random power outages, 35 plus temperatures even after 6 pm, being followed on the streets all the time or stared at, rice on the menu daily....................... these are not complaints but things that I am attempting to get used to while savouring the beauty that is Bangladesh.  

Kurigram

Already past the halfway mark and the group is still going strong, or not. I few tummy aches here and there but that won't stop us.. Lol!

We spent the last few days in Kurigram. The boat ride from Kurigram to the Chars was the highlight of my week. A small "speed boat" with a long bamboo ore. We were all comfortable on bed, and the breeze was just perfect. I was kinda disappointed by how shallow the water was but I guess it's better than being there during the floods.

After a long and hot week of visiting different projects, schools, pharmacies and hospitals, the RDRS program coordinator for that district and one of the RDRS doctors invited us into their homes. I love the hospitality in Bangladesh. The people here are kind, welcoming and friendly people. These visits stood out for me mostly because before we left Winnipeg for Bangladesh I really wanted to get a broad understand of the society here and I was honestly fearful that we would end up only seeing and meeting with "disadvantaged groups". As we travel around and learn about the different programs provided by RDRS, we sometimes get a glance into peoples home or at least into their yards to get an idea of their lifestyle. So far, we've been invited into three family homes for tea. At the first house we met our translators family. Her father is a teacher at a rural primary school. Then we were invited for tea at the doctor's house then later at the program coordinator's house. 

Visiting all these families gave me a better understanding of the social classes in rural Bangladesh. From ultra-poor families to wealthier families the differences are hard to miss. For instance the concept of privacy, while some families all share one bedroom, or the living room is also the bedroom, others can afford to have their own space, parents don't have to share a room with their children. Availability of electricity in a country were power cuts are all too often is another difference. Others have generators and some get by with candles. Differences in prioritizing education for their children. Differences in the types of transportation used, ability to speak English and even the depth of the conversations we had and the attitudes about the state of their country. 

Visiting and engaging with different families has helped me overcome what I feared most, (second to falling sick of-cause), having a single story about the Bangladeshi people.

Tomorrow we leave for Lalmonirhat. I'm not ready to leave rangpur yet because they have the best food here. But I am looking forward to meeting new people, enjoying a new experience and learning how each project contributes to the betterment of the people. 

Week 2: Kurigram

This past week was another whirlwind but that's the new norm here and I can't say I mind. I've started to get thinking about the sentiment that my family and friends have expressed about this trip of "it will make you appreciate what you have at home". It's a simple enough statement and it does make sense. If you look at any stats you might say why of course I would choose comprehensive indoor plumbing and healthcare among other things available in Canada and not Bangladesh. So far this trip has been a lot of things and while it's true there are some things I am appreciating more now that I'm away, like the freedoms I have as a woman in Canada, but to think of this entire experience only in relation to my life in Canada limits what I learn on this trip. That was hands down the hardest part of being here was coming face to face with so many differences and trying to make sense of them with only a western background. I think recognizing the limitations of this thought process of comparing and contrasting is probably the most significant personal growth experience I've had while here. There's not an easy way to undo or alter a lifetime of thinking and perceiving one way, but the longer I'm here the more I find myself having less inner tension about all the differences, all the things that make this place "worse" or Canada "better". I find myself sitting stuffed in a rickshaw in an unorganized maze of traffic and horns, sweating in a way I didn't know was possible, with people staring at us but noticing the order and the patterns I couldn't see before. Appreciating the experience for what it is, not for how it would never happen like this in Canada. There's something really beautiful about how different Bangladesh has been and how it's changed the way I think and perceive things.
Onwards to to how the week actually went, Kurigram was really interesting. Getting to meet some of the people that lived on various chars was great. Despite what seems like a hopeless situation (regular floods, chars only existing for a finite amount of time) we received a very warm welcome and tour of the homes that had been raised by the community above flood level and reinforced against monsoons. All of the projects we have gotten to see are clearly making a difference in peoples lives but this one was just in a more visual way with trees being planted to minimize erosion and the people of the chars happy and hopeful.
Probably my favourite part of the week by far was a visit to another government upazilla (district) hospital. So much tends to get lost in translation and it can be difficult to understand not just the ways programs are succeeding but where they are struggling. The doctor we met and who was gracious enough to give us a tour spoke openly of the struggles of running a hospital that services so many and the limitations. It was clear how much he and I'm sure many others had invested in doing their best to provide quality healthcare despite how much social and political obstacles like child marriage, dowry disputes, political unrest and corruption making it difficult. We also had the opportunity to visit another NGO of the region, Terre des Hommes malnutrition unit for children. While originally I was apprehensive about how difficult it would be to see malnourished children I was pleasantly surprised. Two children and their mothers went home in the afternoon we were there.
It was another great week here in Bangladesh and it's crazy to think we're more than halfway done already. I'm really looking forward to the week in Lalmonirhat with a strong focus on healthcare, eyecare in particular.

My perspective on the pharmacy industry in rural Bangladesh

This past week I have been able to learn a lot about the pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh. It is one of the fastest growing industries and is quickly developing into one of the largest sectors in the economy. Some pharmaceuticals companies, such as Square Pharmaceuticals have even ventured out into the global market exporting to Europe and with future plans of getting FDA approved.

The way the drug industry is regulated and operated is very different from Canada. The legislation seems to exist however it is not strictly regulated. I believe this is having catastrophic results in providing patient care. I read a journal article entitled: Frequently used health care services in urban slums of Dhaka and adjacent rural areas and their determinants. One study performed indicated only 8% of street pharmacies were able to properly diagnosis and treat dysentery which is a very common condition here. When we approached a street pharmacy with a sore throat the drug of choice they gave us was erythromycin, we did not have a prescription and had not seen a doctor for a diagnosis. Overuse of antibiotics is a massive problem here. When I asked in a government hospital the most common drugs dispensed were: levofloxacin, amoxicillin, tetracyclin, ciprofloxacin, domperidone, antacid, antihistamine, paracetamol, and metronidazole.  In rural areas access to a doctor are limited by socio-ecomic factors, location, culture, and wait times so as a result self diagnosing at pharmacies is a common occurrence and I question the reliability of the diagnosis and treatment of choice.  Last year, The Dhaka Tribune published an article about unregistered drug stores and this is an expert from the article:

There are allegations that untrained people, who do not have the least of ideas and knowledge about the dosage and utility of medicines, are running thousands of stores across the country. These untrained people are, only running the pharmacies, they are illegally prescribing drugs, especially antibiotics, and treating complicated diseases, something that only trained physicians would do. Rural people who have little education and awareness are the biggest victims. Wrong prescriptions often results in various complications even deaths, which, however, hardly ever get publicised, due to lack of monitoring and enforcement by the authorities concerned.

Another study also indicated pharmacies were the most common health care service that the lower socio-economic population used for various reasons: short distance, easy accessibility, and reduced treatment cost. Some problems with the current situation are irrational prescribing of drugs such as antibiotics, poor counselling on drug use age and side effects. With pharmacies being the major point of contact for health care related concerns, I believe huge opportunities exist for improving patient knowledge on health and improving patient care. The people working in these street pharmacies should have at least basic training on drug mechanisms, usage, side effects, drug interactions, etc and should be able to counsel effectively on basic health concepts.  Some topics that could be promoted and counselled on are the health risks associated with smoking, which is very common here and the average age people start is 12 years. Other topics could include: promoting vaccinations, importance of hand washing, sanitary bathroom conditions, when to see a doctor, and nutrition concepts with the importance of eating a balanced diet. 

The infrastructure of this industry is also very different. We have visited two government hospitals, various NGO hospitals, talked with a large group of drug representatives, and visited many street pharmacies but I have yet to meet a qualified pharmacist. From my understanding qualified people with pharmacy degrees work for the drug companies performing research and formulating the drugs. I was fortunate enough to have a meeting with representatives from all the major drug companies. From my understanding they have to have a masters but it can be in any subject and get formal training from the companies. I questioned them about antibiotic resistance and if they understood it was a global concern and had the potential to become the biggest health care crisis in the near future. The pharmaceutical reps danced around the issue and blamed chemist shops in rural areas for illegally handing out antibiotics and didn't seem concerned which I found very alarming. Another concept I also found interesting is drug companies were not permitted to advertise at all, where in Canada newspapers, magazines, bus stands, commercials, etc are all advertising drugs. I think that is a good idea here because with little drug regulation, extremely easy access to drugs, and people not having education on basic health care advertising could have a catastrophic effect. However, the pharmaceutical reps are allowed to advertise their products to the doctors. I know in Canada when drug reps talk to a pharmacist or a doctor a lot of research goes into evaluating the studies to make sure the claims are accurate. In the government and NGO hospitals I did not see computers so I question how the doctors could perform research to ensure the claims the drug reps are making are true and the best treatment option are going out to the patients. The pharmacies in the market are actually called chemist shops and they are available in every market and usually every second store is a chemist shop. These chemists are supposed to have a secondary education degree, speak english, and have a 3 month course on the basics of drugs science. The Directorate General of Drug Administration claims there are 101 354 registered drug stores in the country but the actual number of stores could be three to four times higher then the official figures.

From our various visits to different health care facilities I have noticed that doing actual diagnosis, such as pathogenesis and lab tests, are not common here and people diagnosis and treat based of symptoms. I believe a lot of unnecessary drug treatments are given and we have even experienced this when one of our group members got sick and was given unnecessary treatment. I wonder if the cost of diagnosing, access to testing materials, and proper training in medical schools is the barrier to getting a proper diagnosis.

I do appreciate the fact that the cost of drugs are very cheap. People do not have drug insurance here so by keeping the cost low most people are able to have access to treatment. Also, I saw a prescription from a private hospital and was very impressed with how thorough it was. It included the patient's name, diagnosis, symptoms, lab values, doctors signature, prescription with the drug name, amount, duration, and directions for the patient, and any counselling that had to be given. In the government hospital prescriptions were written on scrap paper and did not have the patients name or directions, they basically just had the name of the drug and how much to dispense. In one of the NGO hospitals the pharmacy dispensed over a thousand prescriptions a day. The women working there was not a pharmacist but she seemed confident in her abilities and I was impressed. When handing out the drugs to patients she counselled on how to take, side effects and when required gave a measuring device.

One last area of health care that I found interesting was the concept of privacy here. In the hospitals people are lined up and crowded inside the room that the nurse or doctor is performing the checkup or procedure. The doors are wide open and anyone can hear what the interaction between patient and health care provider. When in line at the dispensary/pharmacy in the hospital and the street people again are all crowded together and everyone knows what drug is being given. Also, records are all kept as paper and we have seen rooms with random piles of peoples health records. I no longer take privacy for granted, it is a privalage we are lucky to have.

 I am confident with more regulation and training pharmacies in the future will be the most important health care sector in Bangladesh for helping provide improved patient care and increasing knowledge on various health care issues.

Our week in Thakurgaon

Hello Everyone,

We have now completed our first week out in the field, with exposure to a vast array of projects RDRS is involved in. We were situated in the Thakurgaon district, which is one of the northwestern districts on the border of West Bengal, India. Our days ranged from visits with different groups and organizations, to physically seeing the projects first hand such as the Singra Forest Reserve, The Lime Project and the Upazila Health Complex. All these projects had a major theme of empowering the poor and enriching their lives.

After dropping our bags off at the RDRS guest house in Thakurgaon we headed to visit a youth federation from of one of the local communities. I quickly discovered these federations to be quite common and necessary in order to voice the concerns of the people to their local government. Along with youth federations, whose members range from age 15-21 there are many other groups such as farmers, women, etc. all with there own duties and goals. The reception was something else. Some 70 plus members greeted us upon arrival by a ceremonial “sprinkling” of flower pedals as we were directed into their facility. Inside we were told of their accomplishments, such as targeting under-aged marriages or collecting blankets for the poor. These federations are proud of their accomplishments and really bring unity among the community.

The Singra Forest is located on land once inhabited and used by a group of Adivasi tribal people, who foraged from the land, but threatened the forest at the same time. RDRS became involved to help facilitate a transition out of the forest and onto adjacent land to form a more conventional farming community. What was quite interesting was a fund set aside, which the adivasi people could draw loans from to either expand their businesses or help to develop their property. The funds are available for Adivasi women, which not only helps to provide low interest micro-credit to the community, but also empowers the women at the same time. After talking to these women, it was clear they were happy with the project and now were more concerned with more opportunities for IGA (income generating activities).

Much of the agricultural land within Thakurgaon is acidic, either naturally or through the overuse of fertilizers, which can greatly stunt the growth of crops. Luckily the simple application of lime from limestone to the soil can reverse this acidification. The problem is convincing local communities of the true benefit. RDRS has come in to help demonstrate the benefit through experimental application of the lime to different plots of land. The comparison was striking with in some cases the crops either being twice the size or even making the difference between flowering or not. We finished the day with a promotional ceremony trying to convince all the farmers in the community to begin the use of lime on their crops.

Over the past week RDRS has already demonstrated some of the beneficial projects they have coordinated through the district of Thakurgaon. What I like about these projects is that nothing is being “forced” upon the communities and rather the resources and education are being offered for the peoples choice to benefit from. The communities we visited all expressed gratitude towards RDRS and want to continue to strive in improving the lives in their areas.

Week 1 in Bangladesh - Thakurgaon

This week in Thakurgaon we got our first taste of service learning with RDRS and their programs. A lot of the week focused on the Adabasi people, an indigenous group that has been in this region for thousands of years but with the arrival of the Aryans and the caste system being imposed have been very disadvantaged historically. Due to Christian missionary efforts the Adabasi are primarily Christian which further makes them a marginalized people. RDRS and the government have a variety of programs and initiatives to better their economic and social position. We got to visit a group of Adabasi women who benefit from microfinance options available through RDRS, a youth forum, and a few community federations as well as the Singra Shal forest. What I liked most about learning about the programs offered to the Adabasi was that they were comprehensive in addressing a lot of issues and difficulties they face.
The microfinance loans are offered at a lower interest rate than regular loans and a second loan can be taken out after the first has been paid back (usually at this point the women are operating sustainable businesses) to further their children's education or buy land which I thought was nice in that it allows the women to identify and work towards what matters to them most. It was also interesting to learn that the women of the community are the majority of the people taking out microfinance loans as well as making financial decisions within the household which is the opposite of mainstream culture here.
The Adabasi communities here are fairly remote and so RDRS offers education within the schools that is comparable to what is offered in government schools but also includes some cultural education so the students don't lose their culture as well as sexual education which surprised me. With a majority muslim culture I hadn't expended any sexual education especially for unmarried girls.
Something that stood out the most for me this week was our visit to the government run Upazila (District) health complex. It is a 50 bed hospital that serves a population of 225 000. They had very impressive vaccination rates (as high as 90%) and low rates of communicable diseases like HIV despite such a large and diverse population. The vaccination system was interesting to learn about with the WHO paying for the actual vaccines and the government footing the salary of the field worker who will go into the field to vaccinate rural area populations. As well they had a very extensive reproductive health program that offers women a variety of family planning/birth control options (with their husbands permission) and even offered monetary incentives to the women in an effort to control the population. The culture was completely different though with the director of the hospital referring to himself as the monarch and the patients having no rights to privacy or to question the provider which follows the social hierarchy that seems to be entrenched in every institution. Though the entire hospital was interesting what stood out for me was one woman we saw who we were told had self-administered misoprostol in an attempt to abort her pregnancy. She had lost a lot of blood and was receiving a blood transfusion and it struck me that she was so near to me in age and I came to realize I just as easily could have been in her shoes had I been born here. Her situation is most likely not an uncommon one which struck me as so sad because to take such a risk with her health I could only imagine her desperation and circumstances. Though the situation of girls and women is changing here for the better this woman represented the fact that there are still some strict social mores that are worth risking everything to follow and that the culture isn't changing fast enough obviously. Seeing her will stick with me for a long time.

This first week has been a lot of things and if the next few are just as busy and eye-opening I am going to have quite the time adjusting to a quiet summer back home.

My week in Thakurgaon, Bangladesh

I wasn't sure what to expect when we ventured out into rural Bangladesh and visiting RDRS's project sites. I found this past week very interesting and I was able to learn a lot about international development and the culture in Bangladesh. I must say I am very impressed with the hospitality we have received (especially the many invitations for tea) and how friendly, welcoming, and curious people are. People also seem genuinely happy which is hard to come by in Canada- when you smile at someone and try to communicate across a language barrier they usually smile back. I remember trying to communicate with a women in a rural area with the few words of bangali I know and she seemed so friendly and excited to see us, I wish I could have had a real conversation with her to find out about what her life was like and every time I would smile at her in the crowd she would give a genuine smile back.
 This past week also came with a bunch of new challenges and struggles but I am optimistic the next few weeks will continue to be rewarding and full of learning and experiencing new situations. Some of this weeks struggles have included: battling the sweltering heat, learning how to handle a stressful situation where tons of people are staring and taking pictures, having a crazy schedule full of many activities, not actually following the schedule and adding new activities without us being aware, privacy is a privilege in Canada and learning how to handle a new culture with different customs when it comes to privacy, eating the same food everyday with little variety (when we do see something new like pasta last night it was a huge deal), and visiting a government hospital was also a struggle.
One thing I would like to keep in mind for this next week in Kurigram is a question we have been asked many times by various people in different projects- What can you do for us? I have yet to come up with a good answer for these people, so far what I have is to share your story and to learn from you. At a project site, which was an indigenous women's forum, we asked what RDRS could do to help them more and they replied to be able to learn income generating projects to help support their families more. A man from RDRS was with us and right then and there it was decided that these women would have training sessions to learn various trades, it was nice to see that by us being there and visiting them they hopefully were able to gain something from the experience that would benefit them.
As I mentioned earlier, visiting a government hospital here was an eye opening experience- the hospital was the best in the district but there was still a massive gap compared to a traditional medical facility we were used to. In the hospital there was no sense of privacy- people were crowded in every room, records were stored in massive piles, the doctor flat out told us people's medical history, and everyone knew what was being handed out at the pharmacy. There were blood on the walls, dirt on the floor, goats outside, needles on the floor, dirty equipment, people on the floor in the wards, but they did have a functional autoclave which was good to see.
It was good that women had the opportunity for family planning options in the hospital however I was concerned that they did not know about side effects and different options because the nurse making commission and the women needed their husbands permission. I was able to tour the pharmacy which was interesting. The drugs were free because they were about to expire but there was a 3 taka dispensing fee. The most common drugs were all antibiotics which was concerning because resistance was a worldwide issue. Here they don't appear to do a lot of diagnosing and they tend to attempt to treat with various medication first. Tomorrow I have the opportunity to meet with pharmacy representatives which will be intersting. I read today that pharmaceutics is a major industry here which is not surprising because every second store in the market is a pharmacy.

Wow! It will soon be two weeks since we got here, and what an amazing time it has been. Words can not express, and I don't think that the pictures that we are taking is really doing 100% justice to what we are experiencing. I am finding that I literally have to stop and say, "guys, we are in Bangladesh", fearing that before you know it the time would go by and we would be back in Canada and we would not have paused for a moment just to savour......
The sights,the sounds,the foods,the people,the traffic,the stares,the heat,the crowds,the meetings with project managers and people from the villages and all the young children who are so happy to see us and meet us, has been wonderful and at the same time very overwhelming.
In the past few days we have met many courageous women. They are poor but very hard working and willing to make changes in their families lives. We met women who take full advantage of the family planning clinic and young girls willing to share their stories of abuse.We have visited temples and mosques, been greeted with flowers and had our feet washed, and we have even seen the largest mango tree in all of Bangladesh.The people of this country have open their homes to us and have been very hospitable, and all they have asked in return were questions about Canada.Regardless of their story, the people of Bangladesh always seem to have a big smile on their face.

Arriving

Finally landing in Dhaka was really surreal. Going on this trip didn't really seem real until we stepped out of the airport in Dhaka and the heat hit. It was muggy and humid and at least 30 degrees despite it being 10 at night. It was about then I realized any expectations I had and my preparations didn't match up to what I was going to experience. This held true through driving to RDRS headquarters in Dhaka which took a relatively long time for such a short distance. I don't even know where to begin describing traffic. The traffic is completely different than home. Chief differences include a lack of traffic lights, driving on the left side of the road, no lanes and horns being used to communicate among other drivers who may not be other cars. In the first five minutes we got to see huge busses, rickshaws (motorized and not) and an astounding number of people who wove between the traffic with no fear on foot. I won't lie I was absolutely terrified and overwhelmed but mostly glad I was not expected to drive.
The first few days were really overwhelming with so many new and different things to process as well as jet lag that would have me up at 5am everyday with the local mosque chants. It was very strange to think that Dhaka, a city of 16 million is almost half the size population wise, of all of Canada. There were people everywhere, all kinds of people but unfortunately none like us and thus I spent a lot of our time out in Dhaka getting used to the stares and sometimes queries we garner as a group of very obviously foreign people.
Overall though my first impression of Bangladesh was an exhilarating one. It was just amazing to have everything be so different and I even (sort of) got used to traffic. I'm very lucky to be able to have an opportunity like this and wouldn't have changed anything save maybe the stares. Living the life of a faux-celebrity with so many people curious about you can get a little exhausting and on occasion aggravating.

First few days in BANGLADESH!

After surviving the two day journey to Dhaka, Bangladesh I was very excited to finally be here and the trip finally started to feel real. My first impression of Bangladesh started in the airport when I began to feel awe struck and overwhelmed by the crowds of people and admittedly most of them were men. When driving to the guesthouse in Dhaka from the airport again I felt overwhelmed by the amount of people, the heat, and amazed by traffic- it was so chaotic and seemed like absolute madness to me but there seemed to be some sort of logic to the madness that I do not understand. The theme of my first week here is is that this is a trip of firsts for me- first time experiencing an over crowded population, witnessing massive slums, an elephant carrying people down the road, a city that seemed to be expanding in every direction- up and out with what seemed like no rules, humidity that made me sweat like never before, a mall that was 8 floors high and extremely fancy, witnessing a privately owned amusement park for the upper class in an area surrounded by what could only be considered the ultra poor. The temple, mosque, and fort we visited were absolutely astonishing and very beautiful. I am thankful we got the opportunity to see them. The eight hour drive to Rangpur was not a boring ride, there was always something to look at. When driving out of Dhaka we saw textile factories and tons of kilns and piles of breaks for the growing city. We crossed an 8 km bridge that had beautiful scenery around it. Almost the whole drive there were towns and tons of people, and stores all along the highway. Traffic was even more terrifying than in Dhaka because of the speed people drove and passed each other.
Yesterday was the first day we began to visit RDRS's project sites. We visited a rehabilitation center for young girls and women. The girls there showed so much courage and were so brave, it was such a privilege for us to visit them and for them to share their stories, which were heartbreaking. To me it appeared the center was doing an amazing job the girls seemed happy, well cared for, and were beginning to show confidence and self esteem- some got up and danced and sang for us which was beautiful. What the center is doing for the girls is wonderful, I am so thankful that it exists for them and they are able to learn a trade such as embroidering, sewing, or candle making to empower them and so they can support themselves and their children. Today we are starting out for Thakagun which is about a 2 hour drive. Looking forward to seeing and learning more!

My First Impressions

Even though I’ve only been here for a few days, my first impression of Bangladesh has been on the most part positive. Walking off the plane was quite a shock. Even though it was 9:00 PM the temperature was still in the high 30’s. Driving to our facilities was quite the adventure! It’s almost like there are no rules to the road. People weave this way and that and the horns are constant. I’m just happy I don’t have to deal with the stress of driving.

All of the staff from RDRS have been extremely friendly and accommodating. We have been fed 3 very filling meals a day consisting of traditional Bangladeshi food, which is usually rice, dahl, a salad, a veggie dish and either chicken or fish. The food is all very well spiced and tasty. Although the accommodations in Dhaka, which was similar to an apartment building, were very nice I must prefer the complex here in Rangpur, which feels more a campus.

Bangladesh really is a country of stark contrasts. Within a single block there can be huge high rises straddling many little markets. Due to the lack of space there is development in every possible area, even next to national monuments. The markets are quite primitive selling livestock, produce and basic goods like textiles. We even got to witness cattle being skinned!!! These same skins can be shipped to a sewer in the market and made into shoes on the same day.

This country is full of colour and liveliness. The clothing is so bright, the textiles are similar too and everyone one that we have met, whether through RDRS or out in public, have shown a general interest in what we were doing in their country. I am really looking forward to learn more about RDRS are we travel to some of the rural towns.

We have finally arrived in Bangladesh! and without any preconceived notions of what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent road conditions, not at all shocked by the heat , totally amazed by the number of Rickshaws and fascinated at how fast those 'baby-taxis' can go. The people we met, seem friendly and the others we have not met seem very curious about us.The staff of RDRS have gone all out to make our stay here pleasant and very welcoming. We have been sightseeing to Lalbagh Fort and Dhakeshwari Temple and we have gone shopping so we can be outfitted in the local attire and hopefully blend in ( hehe) . We have only been here a few days but  my impression so far is that its a country with many hard working people. Everywhere we have gone, I have seen people using their hands doing some trade such as wood work, brick laying, making bird cages,butcher, tailor, the list goes on. Everyone seem to be on the go. Bangladesh is very colorful, very vibrant. Hundreds of miles away from Canada and all that we take for granted, it is quite clear that even though our cultures are different similarities can be found. We are here to observe and learn from RDRS.To see some of the organizations that they support. I think that,in the next few weeks, I will not be surprised to find certain aspects that are similar between the two cultures(Canada and Bangladesh).

Post #2

It's almost a week since we left home and reality has finally set in, we will be here for a month! 

I must say, I really did not have much of an expectation before we arrived in Bangladesh, i like the thrill of a surprise, but Dhaka really had more than I could have imaged. From the moment we got off the plane until we set off for rangpur, their scene was always so alive. Everything was loud; the cars and the people. Everything was colourful; the clothes, the food, the cars, the buildings. 

The road to rangpur has to be the busy highway I've ever been on. Now I'm not just talking about the traffic, the scenery was just amazing. The land was so green, skinny goats and cows at every body of water we drove past, and if there was any land, someone found potential to make it a home. What's crazy is that I love it because it is so new to me and so different.

We went to the women's rehabilitation centre earlier today, where the girls there shared their stories with us. Victims of all kinds of abuse, from poor families and who came to RDRS with little or no education, work experience or self esteem. As they shared their stories I couldn't help but feel sorry for them because I thought that a person who has gone through such a life couldn't possibly have hopes or dreams, she couldn't possibly ever think life had something to offer. But I was wrong. These girls taught me something today; there is always hope. We watched them make clothes, bags, and bedcovers; they sang for us and shared stories about their lives, their experiences, hopes, dreams and aspirations. Despite everything they've been through they still find a reason to smile, they still hold onto a dream that acquiring a skill would empower them, despite all the wrong in their lives they still have room in their hearts to love and they dare to dream of a better life for their children. 

Tomorrow morning we're off to thakurgaon. i hope to gain better understanding of the services offered in the rural areas and the impact they have on their people.

Chiedza 

Pre-departure Thoughts

With less than a day before we leave, the excitement is really starting to kick in! I'm not looking forward to the lengthy 13 hour flight on top of two other flights and a layover, but this will be all worth it once we land in Dhaka. From there we are given a few days to settle before driving 7 hours north to our home base for 4 weeks in Rangpur.

We've already been provided an itinerary for this service learning experience and I am getting excited to see all the development projects, education programs and healthcare clinics coordinated through RDRS Bangladesh. Already on the first day in Rangpur we will be visiting a rehabilitation center, which take in young women who have been victims of abuse and provide them protection, counceling and training, allowing them to maintain their independence when they are ready to return to community. I expect this first exposure to be especially difficult and impactful while at the same time inspiring optimism through the numerous success story of this program.

After participating in this service learning experience I hope to be exposed to a broad array of services collectively being applied to address the social needs of each individual community we visit. I am personally interested in practicing in Public Health and will likely focus my attention on these services coordinated by RDRS, but I realize that all the services offered are equally important in targeting the social disparity experienced around the globe. As I have no experience and little knowledge of the social services offered in impoverished nations, I hope to be exposed to as much variety and at all levels of administration from coordination and planning to the application at the local level. Lastly I am looking forward to be immersed in Bangladeshi culture and gain experience communicating in a foreign country despite all our differences.

Expect to see many photos in my upcoming entries!!!

Sincerely,

Evan

Pre-departure Thoughts

Working with an organization such as the RDRS is a completely new experience to me and I can't wait to learn about the developments they have made and the impacts it has on the community. I hope to learn how communities have received their programs and how they have adjusted to accommodate the projects involved. I hope to understanding how two separate parties can work in tandem to achieve common goals, and how they can influence each other to attain better results.

This trip to Bangladesh promises many experiences which I look forward to sharing with the group. I hope that we can exchange thoughts and opinions on the various topics which we will come across. This will demonstrate the ways one event could be experienced differently but each of us. 

I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the people, their culture, politics and religion and how these aspects are intertwined in their daily lives. By understanding this, I too can apply this to my life, and learn how I can achieve a balance in all aspects of life.

I look forward to the culture, the music, conversations, dance, sport and the food. I really feel that these social aspects are a close reflection of the national pride and show what's important to the Bangladeshis. 

Pre-Departure Thoughts

Pre-departure Thoughts

When considering why I want to participate in this experience I come up with a range of reasons. At the heart of it though I want to learn and I want to experience. This trip seems like an amazing opportunity to do both while helping in a way that is not pitying or ignorant and focuses on learning through the context of Bangladesh, not as a Westerner coming in to fix things which appeals deeply to me.

My personal goals and objectives for participation in the trip for Bangladesh are fairly simple. As someone who has lived a comfortable life in a first world country I have had a fairly limited range of life experiences. I have been a student in an education system almost my entire life which encourages involvement and contributing back to society but the ways in which I can do that as an equal, and also learn through the process are more limited than I would like. That is not to say that they are unrewarding at all, but just limited. In participating in this program I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the lives and cultures of people I meet in Bangladesh but also understand how I as one person can not only help but also learn from them in a reciprocal relationship. I want to travel, learn and give back but I do not want to be partaking in what was termed the “cowboy” approach as described by Komives and Wagner. I do not want to be some ignorant Westerner coming in, imposing my way and then leaving. I want to be an equal, working with equals, to make lasting social change.

I am not sure if I could narrow it down to even a few things I hope to learn. I really have no idea what to expect and just want to learn as much as I can while I am there. I am quite interested in seeing how NGOs such as RDRS implement their programs, what is involved and what makes them successful and long lasting. I also hope to learn more about social issues and their root causes. Ideally I hope to come back with a deeper appreciation for many of the services I have access to and make use of. I hope to come back with a more defined skill set that I can apply to making social change here in Manitoba.

The social change issue that I hope to learn the most about and work on during the trip is access to health care. I aspire to a career in medicine and it is easy to say that healthcare is a fundamental resource in creating social change against poverty and lack of education but I hope to personally see how this happens.  I hope to come back knowing much more about this and the role health care can play in changing people’s lives especially in a place such as Bangladesh. I am also very interested in learning more about the Adavasis in Bangladesh and how they are treated. Through reading blogs of past participants there have been similarities drawn between the Adivasi and the First Nations of Canada, which I am very interested in learning more about, as it is a social change issue that I personally think is very important here in Canada.