Steve had been sitting on his joke for days but it was worth it as Elaine and I laughed hilariously for sometime. Bell curve... uniform distribution!
It was quite a journey. A big Ignatian concept is that of "journeys of the heart". Our whole Bangla experience has definitely been a journey of the heart and that certainly includes these uniforms. (see post Uniforms part 1 and 2 below)
This part of the journey started very early in the morning. We arrived at one of our offices at about 10:30 and had cake and tea. When then headed out for a 1 hour boat journey.
It was amazing to see how much the water levels had dropped since we first visited in September. The boat journey is a very restful way to see Bangladesh. We left the boat and headed in land past an area where they were making new boats ready for the next flood season.
As soil emerged from the water it was planted with rice or vegies used in any way that could possibly generate food and/or income.
The children where all lined up waiting for us when we arrived. They did a very regimented form of exercise as a display for us. It would be good brain gym stuff with cross overs etc but looked almost military. As rural Banglas they are used to hard physical work but exercise is not always valued. Here ever muscle was used even if a very stylised way.
Once this display was over I gave greetings from Australia and said how the children there had really wanted to bless them. I told them that they could remember this blessing when they wore their uniform to school everyday.
I really emphasised how important it was to come to school everyday. I asked several of the boys who were my height what class they were in. Most were class 4 or 5, but the boys would have been a least 12 and could easily have been 14.
Schools have not been available here at all for long and getting to school can be more difficult than we can imagine. I particularly encouraged the girls to keep going to school. Many girls are married at 14 - 16 here even 'though that is illegal. Symbiosis's Women Advocacy Programme does much to educate families that girls have the right to wait to marry until they want to and to be over 18, but in the past they have often married (often to men in their 30's) and had children by that age!
The visit of a Bedeshi is always a big deal to village people so the children where all out in their best clothes. In some cases that meant a boy would wear his 3 shirts all at once. I was really struck by how many of these children's clothes had holes or were dirty. This would be because they only have one set of clothes!
I am not really a lover of uniforms; my perfect school would not have them, so when I saw all the children doing their exercises to a whistle blowing; all exactly the same I wondered what I had done BUT the joy on their faces when they put on their uniforms and the knowledge that these clothes probably doubled the number of clothes some of these children have, was amazing.
Empowering is a huge part of Symbiosis work, so each child signed for their own uniform.
Beauty, the first lady I saw making the uniforms was there to help give them out, as where the staff who had taken so long to organise the making of these uniforms, including teaching extra skills to these women.
It was so good to be part of so many people all working together for the benefit of the poor in Bangladesh.
Before we left all the staff gather to read the Holy Book and pray. One of my English students said how much it meant to him that we cared enough about these most rejected of people to not only give them these uniforms but to come and do it in person.
Lunch that day was very late.. they were laughing about crossing the word lunch and dinner to come up with the word dance as something in between... OK there are still many things I don't get here.
The staff then came together to give us a cultural night of singing and dancing. We watched an amazing short lady who could really dance. She is a Symbiosis librarian. Another example of Symbiosis working and empowering the most rejected. Any disability in Bangladesh = rejection. Elaine even got us all up doing Father Abraham and their were more laughs.
The next day we shared a ferry with bicycles as we stood to get to a large sand bar.
We visited a second primary school
and the preschool.
The village seemed much like others with cows and hens and straw and vegies growing and rice drying.
We asked about this years flood to be shown that it had come about 18" up the wall. ... and this was about 18' above the bottom of the now dry pond.
Steve asked what they did when it flooded to be told "They sit on their beds" This place should not have people living on it... but the government bulldoze slums. There were not just a few people either. In true Bangladesh style their were people EVERYWHERE.
What an honour and a joy to be able to do something to help these people feel valued. We walked and walked and then had tea and cake again.
This time I read the passage about us all being part of the body; none more important than the other, each with their part to fulfill. I have been a part of that body in a way I never could of from Australia. Thank you God for that amazing honour!
For another view of the trip check out Elaine's blog http://www.elainegingerbaker.blogspot.com/ This is a great blog with many insights into life in Bangladesh, including an entry about our Christmas!
