Shoes!

How was your trip? I still haven't worked out how to answer that!
Similarities between Australia and Bangladesh ...well
Bangladesh and Australia have friendly people, who like to laugh and we both have natural disasters!

yes BUT

While Australia's recent horrible bushfires were still raging Australians rallied around to come to the aid of those who had lost so much. I lay in bed and listened as the victims said they had truck loads of shoes they couldn't use.

I looked at my photos of workers at Symbiosis's fish hatchery; their bare feet climbing on bamboo as they did maintenance.
I doubt that they owned any shoes!

Disasters are so common in Bangladesh and the people are so poor that they are not able to help themselves when a disaster strikes because they have nothing to spare!
A newspaper headline while we were there read " Cyclone Reshmi dies down with little loss; 6 killed; crops, thatched houses razed" In Australia we would NEVER say "little loss" followed by 6 killed! if you want to read more about the long list damage when there was "little loss" go to
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=60723#

The next day a headline read "1 billion people to go hungry next year...rising food prices" and that was before the economic down turn hit!

So in Australia we have a disaster and within days people have more shoes than they know what to do with;... in Bangladesh the issues are some what bigger!!

2 asides
I am very proud of my country where people generously give to those around them in times of extreme hardship. The Victorian bushfires where horrific and I send my condolences to those who lost loved ones. (I have helped raised money for them.)

If you wish to be generous to those in Bangladesh who need much support in their on going needs I recommend Symbiosis, a Bangladeshi NGO who work at the grass roots level with rural poor. http://www.symbiosis-int.org/ They have financial partners in Australia, USA and Canada but most of the workers are Banglas and they do an amazing job!