Ron and Sally Jo Blog

Our last visit on this trip was to a project called Organic Village.  MCC is working with a local NGO with 20 farmers in this area to grow organic vegetables.  The project began 2 years ago.  The Bogra area is famous for growing vegetables.  MCC sent some of these vegetables to a lab and found many harmful toxins which were making families ill.  Thus the impetus for the project.

Much education needed to be done.  Farmers needed to see the reason for growing pesticide-free vegetables.  MCC did field demonstrations and worked with local agricultural institutes.

We saw composting done a bit differently using cow dung, neem leaves/water hyacinth leaves, ash, molasses, rice bran, and a beneficial fungus.  It takes 50 days for the compost to mature.  Besides the new kind of compost used, other methods to combat disease and avoid pesticides were taught.  Use of sex traps, sticky traps, bait traps, spray from special fruit, neem seed oil, border control plants, and more.

Farmers take their vegetables to a processing plant where they are given a higher price for their produce.  The vegetables are packaged and taken to a store in Bogra to be sold.  Here education also needs to happen.  Customers need to learn why pesticide-free vegetables are better for the health of their family even though the vegetables are a higher price.  Marketing is a new thing for MCC and they are working through another organization for help in this area.

(Note the bag of vegetables bought at the store.  Bangladesh has banned the use of plastic bags in stores.)

IFSM (Improved Farming through Sustainable Market) – Organic Village – got first prize last year in Bangladesh for its pesticide-free vegetables.

Food security is the overriding theme of MCC projects in the north.  The second area that we visited included many different aspects of food security.  Here we also visited some cows and goats.  But we also stopped by a peace meeting which is held every three months.  Here a group of 30 or more women and men meet to discuss what they are doing and what activities they might hold.  Each person there had received some MCC training.  It might have been training in HIV education, family relationships, community relationships, etc.  This is a community (like most others) composed of Muslims, Hindus, Christians, minorities (aboriginals) who work together.

Additionally, we visited a number of composting projects.   Cow dung is the basis for the composting.  We saw a woman who has started composting and sifts the final result by hand.  She uses it for her garden and sells some.  Some composting is done with the introduction of special worms.  We also visited a more commercial project where the sifting was done on a larger scale through an apparatus designed by an MCC staff member.

Fruit trees have also been given to some families who have very little land.  Some farmers with no land for farming have been given training as mobile mechanics, or driving lessons or sewing classes, etc.

We paid a short visit to a convent which boards primary school girls who attend a nearby school.  We passed by a local “peace playground” established by MCC.  There are virtually no playgrounds for children.  While there were no children there when we passed, we were told that it is very popular with local families on the weekends and holidays.

We travelled to Dimla to visit the Monga Mitigation Project.  (See map.  It was a 5-hour journey to Bogra one day and another 5-hours to Dimla the next day.)  This area of the country is considered one of the poorest regions.

The Monga Mitigation Project was started 10 years ago.  “Monga” in the Bangla language refers to “seasonal unemployment.”  Most of the farmers in this area grew rice.  Rice is very labor intensive during the planting season and during harvest.  However, during the 2 months of growing there is little need for landowners to hire laborers and so there was no employment – no income for many people.

The project began with MCC giving goats to families and teaching them how to raise them.  They then added cows to the project.  They distributed two kinds of cows—local ones which were small but easier to raise and produced more calves; some from another district—which were much larger, harder to raise, but produced bigger calves.  The MCC team needed to do much education, going from home to home.  Farmers didn’t always see the reason for raising animals.  They needed to learn the benefits of de-worming and fighting disease.  MCC staff introduced artificial insemination but farmers needed to learn how and when.

Many of the farmers didn’t have much land so they didn’t have a lot of space to grow anything.  Many only leased a small plot from a landowner.  They might have room to house an animal.  The animals were given to women because it is culturally appropriate work for them and it was a way to improve their lives.  The families were also taught some kitchen gardening.

MCC staff recently introduced growing of grass for feeding the animals.  This was never done commercially before; but now with more cows more grass is needed.  Grass is started from roots and there can be 4-6 crops per year. It is grown on land that is not suitable for other crops.

Malnutrition of animals was a concern so mustard seed oil cakes were introduced as a highly nutritious supplement.  Some farmers are now producing these cakes.  At first the farmers were given everything but gradually, they are being asked to pay a portion.

All beneficiaries receive at least 8 trainings a year on such topics as administration of anti- parasitic drugs, salt mineral block preparation, soil management, food & nutrition, etc.  Training videos were produced and large billboards were created.

There are many, many success stories.  We only met and heard a few of these stories. Women, especially, have been helped through these activities.

• One woman was given a cow. She raised 4 calves and sold one.  She built a better/stronger house and now sends her children to school
• One woman sold one of her calves and started a small shop which her husband runs. He uses the milk from her cow for the tea shop.
• One man was given a bull and earns money by providing artificial insemination services.
• Several people have been trained as para-veterinarians to help diagnose diseases.
• Women in general have gained confidence in themselves. They are able to provide more nutritious meals for their families.  They, themselves, get more food.  Earlier, food went to the men and children before women.
• New businesses have started – selling milk, selling mustard seed oil cakes, selling grass, etc.

Overall, it was an inspiring visit.

• People are excited.
• People have bettered their lives
• Others in the community have seen what can be done.

We just returned from traveling to the north of Bangladesh to see some MCC projects.  Photos and narrative will come later.  This is just some random thoughts/impressions noted as we traveled for 5 days.

Dhaka to Bogra – 120 miles – 5 hours there and 6 hours return

Bogra to Dimla – 110 miles – 5 hours each way

Traffic – much!!  Some of the patterns remind us of other countries where we have lived, but there are also unique patterns.

Constant honking – (Haiti) – in towns it usually means “look, I’m here.”  On the roads outside of towns, it usually means “look, I’m here and I’m coming through.”

A barrier down the middle of the road does not necessarily mean I need to stay on my side.  If I need to get to someplace over there, or if it is too far to the next break in the barrier, I’ll just go down the wrong side.  (Uganda)

Lights – (East Africa) – “It’s not completely dark, I can see, therefore, I don’t need to turn on my lights.”

Passing – (Indonesia) – “So what if this is a two-lane road, I want to pass.  The vehicle coming towards me will get out of the way using the shoulder.”

Pedestrians – At times there seems to be total disregard.  They are very, very seldom given right of way.  On the other hand, pedestrians seem to have no fear walking along the road with traffic coming within inches.  They may even be standing in the lane talking, and just look at you if you honk and want to pass.  Quite unconcerned that you are coming.

Drivers seem to know the space available and the size of their vehicle to within a centimeter!

Don’t worry!  We are in our lane of a two-lane road, a car is passing on the left, a bus is passing on the right, and we see a truck coming from the other direction.

95% of vehicles outside of Dhaka are buses, small lorries, CNGs (described in an earlier post), and bike powered carts or rickashaws.   Very few cars.

Driver – “If I can weave/serve around the object (hole, vehicle), why slow down?

Colorful painted vehicles – (Haiti)

Scenes along the way – but no time for photo

– Soccer game being played in a wet rice paddy with the spectators watching from the banks.

– Woman with a large flat reed basket on her head filled with ducks – heads drooped around the sides.

– Man on a bike, riding in the rain, holding an umbrella with one hand, with a child (3-4 yrs old) standing on the crossbar, weaving around potholes and traffic.

– Our first elephant!  Just walking in the village.

Using an Asian toilet (Sally Jo):

– Locate the correct door – words in Bangla script and often no picture

– Survey the situation

– Wrap orna (scarf) around my neck, even though it is very hot, so that it does not drag

– Hang purse handle over my head so it does not fall

– Throw the back of my chemise over my head so it does not get in the way

– Pull down pants

– Step over the hole, making sure I don’t slip

– Squat

– Relax – Hah!!!!!!!

English accent – Before leaving our room one evening, we discussed the fact that there was plenty of soap in the room, and maybe we could take one with us since we needed a small bar for traveling.  We then got in the van to go for supper.  Our Bangladeshi colleague asked “Would you like soap?”  Huh?  He said it again.  Oh, he’s asking if we want SOUP for supper!

As we sat in bed one evening, three frogs came hopping around the floor!  And we’re going to need to get up in the middle of the night with no light???

We notice that the colors of the material in the north remind us of colors, patterns, and combinations of East Africa.  Different than in Dhaka.

Much of travelling here almost seems to provide over-stimulation

• So much to learn
• So much to see
• So many questions to ask
• So much activity
• So many colors

We will most likely have many photos of transportation in the next four months.  The common means for us will be walking or going by rickshaw or CNG.  CNG stands for Compressed Natural Gas. These are enclosed 3-wheeled “carts” with motors that run on natural gas.  They are fairly new vehicles and have helped reduce air pollution a great deal.  Rickshaws are very colorful and are used for short distances.  The CNGs can be used to travel across town.  MCC also has several cars with drivers which we can use at times.

Traffic here in Dhaka is as chaotic as many places we have been.  There are not many motorbikes.  On our trip to Mymensingh, the roads outside Dhaka had a lot of buses but were not nearly as crowded as we expected.

We have been here about 2 weeks.  Is that all?  A lot has happened.  AND we feel we know so little!  First of all, we were hit with extreme heat, and we mean extreme heat!  Temps may have registered in the 90s but our phones said the “real feel” was closer to 110!  Part of it was the 90%+ humidity.  It also didn’t help that we did not have A/C in the bedroom for the first week and half.  However, we made it!!  And the last couple of days it has rained.  What a difference.

One of the first items on the agenda was to get some clothes for Sally Jo.  Most women wear a three-piece outfit: salwar (loose-fitting pants), kameez (long tunic top extending at least to mid-thigh) and an orna (a scarf worn over the chest).  Some wear saris but usually only for special occasions.  She had brought a few items from home that she thought would work but mostly they are too hot or not long enough.  There is a wardrobe at the guest house that has a lot of extra outfits so she started with those.  We went with a national staff woman to the market to buy some material.  One can buy sets of cloth that match to make the three-piece outfit.  The variety and colors were almost overwhelming!  However, it was so hot and we were still so “jet-lagged,” that decisions were made quickly.  A tailor then made the clothes.  (And yes, she finds the clothes hot.)

We arrived during Ramadan so that many of the local staff are fasting during the day.  The fast is broken at sun-down with a special meal called Iftar.  We participated in two Iftars—one in Dhaka and one in Mymensingh.  There are special foods and customs related to the Iftar.  People sit with a plate of food in front of them until the exact time (usually announced via the local mosque loud speaker or someone watching their watch).   People first drink a syrupy water and then eat some fresh dates.  Then on to the rest of the food.  There is a lot of rice (!), a vegetable curry, a meat or egg curry, dal, other fried food and a very sweet fried pastry,  (Iftar in homes, would most likely be simpler but always contain water, fresh dates, and rice.)  Food for Iftar can also be bought along the streets in many food stalls.

In these two weeks we also made a car trip to Mymensingh—about 75 miles or 3-4 hours.  MCC has three offices in Bangladesh—Dhaka, Mymensingh, and Bogra.  We briefly met some of the staff, and made quick visits to three partners and the Taize brothers.  We spent the most time with a small project (Probitra) that works with former sex workers.  Twenty women join a group for 9 months to learn life skills and some trade skills.  We visited Sacred Mark which produces soap and some recycled items.  We stopped by another office which cooperates with MCC on peace trainings.  When we visit again we will probably say more about each of these projects.  We ended our fast trip with a visit to the Taize Brothers.  We attended their noon prayers and joined in the common meal afterwards.

Here in Dhaka one day we visited very briefly with a group of Sisters who had been together to learn about reporting for their Global Family programs.  We then had lunch with them.  There are a number of Global Family projects in the country and hopefully, we will get to visit at least a couple of them.

Part of our settling in is that we are here for a number of farewells for MCC workers plus all the activities at the end of Ramadan.  (The last photo of this set was taken at the farewell for the former reps.)  In fact, our first full week in the office as official Interim Reps included only two office days—the rest are holidays!