Ron and Sally Jo Blog

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!

After building the yurt, we hung two swings near the yurt.

We also did other things during the week.  When we first got there, Lucy was busy with ballet.  She had a dress rehearsal and then a recital given three times.  We attended one of them.  Of course, she was good!

We also watched a new bee hive arrive with a box containing 30,000 bees!  This was set up in a field not far from the house.  Jessica and Christy were feeding them a quart of sugar water a day for the first several weeks until they feel at home.

Lucy’s piano recital was to be held the afternoon of the day we left.  Instead, Sally Jo went with her to her lesson at her teacher’s home.  Interesting to see how one teaches piano to a young child who cannot read and cannot sit still for long!

We cooked.  Lucy planned one meal and helped prepare the food.

Ron and Sally Jo hiked in a park while Lucy went to a birthday party.  We were at Dinosaur State Park so the theme was dinosaurs.  The children were given dinosaur tails to wear.

Sally Jo helped Jessica pull out a few brambles.  This could be a job for a whole week.  Ron spent a whole morning playing “train” with Lucy.  Lucy wanted to make the longest train that was possible with the tracks that she had.  It indeed got quite long.

We celebrated by having ice cream three times!  Very good!

Here are also a few photos from around the house:

 

 

Our main purpose – other than spending time with family – was to build a yurt for Lucy.  (Ugly Apple Farm has a Facebook page where you can see more of what is happening on the farm.)  Jessica had done the research and much of the calculating so all we needed to do was to help put it together!

We went to two lumber yards and hardware stores to obtain the wood, etc.  We then had to work on days that we didn’t have rain!  There was measuring, sawing, painting, drilling, hammering, adjusting, and contemplating.  We built a platform about 3 feet off the ground.  Then set up the wall, attaching a cable around the top.  We set the roof on top of the cable leaning in at the top so that it held itself up.  It was not easy but it did all go together in the end.

Loading the lumber on to the trailer:

Measuring and sawing the boards for the platform:

Location and leveling the area for the platform:

Interlude:

Building the platform:

Measuring, sawing, painting the walls and roof:

Steps built and decorated:

Measuring cable

Drilling holes for nails and putting pieces together:

Standing up the wall:

Putting up the roof:

Cutting the door:

Finished product:

Jessica will now sew the cover out of heavy weather-proof material.  It will even have a fringe around along with a door and two or three windows.

Cutting and fitting the cloth:

Our final destination for this trip was Sedona.  It is beautiful country.  We hiked every day, though two days the hikes were cut short because it began to rain.  One evening we attended a great meal at a local winery.  The cooks gave us tips on creating a “roasted” salad and tips on barbecuing.  Our salmon pieces were excellent!  We also attended a local Taize service at an Anglican Church (forgot to photo) and visited a Buddhist stupa and Meditation spot.  Some tourists like to hire “Pink Jeeps” to travel over the rough terrain.  We like to hike it by foot!  We saw a lovely sunset our last evening.

 

 

We spent two nights in Phoenix and met new friends (Deb and Rachel) through the SERVAS organization.  Besides, learning to know them, we visited the Museum of Musical Instruments and took one hike in the Squaw Peak area.

The Museum of Musical Instruments opened only 6 years ago and is one not to be missed.  At any one time more than 6,500 instruments from over 200 countries are on display.  Generally, the displays are arranged geographically with a few special spaces.  Museum goers are given special headsets.  These audio guides provide the sound tracks for videos at more than 300 sites.  The guides automatically cue to the exact sound track when viewing a video so that each visitor has their own tour.  Many of the instruments were donated by the makers or the musicians who owned them.

We took a short hike with Deb and Rachel on a trail which was familiar to us.  Even though they have lived in Phoenix for a number of years and have gone on hikes, this trail was new to them.  In the evening they invited some of their friends to share supper with us.  In the morning, Sally Jo picked tangelos and grapefruits to take with us.

As we are writing this blog, we realized we have a theme—Friends.  We visited many friends along the way and also in Tucson.  But when we looked at our photos from Tucson, we discovered we have pictures of only one friend!  I guess we spent too much time talking, playing pickle ball, or watching March Madness basketball with them.  We do have photos of Harold’s new tree house and his lovely home.

When we were not with our friends we hiked.  We did one short hike in the Tucson Mountains, and then three longer hikes in the Sabino and Bear Canyons area—Seven Falls, Blackett’s Ridge, and Phoneline trails.  We have many, many photos of cacti, flowers, hills, trails.  It was a beautiful time to be hiking; it was not too hot, the desert flowers were blooming.  One day we drove up Mt Lemmon to the 9,000 ft summit and even saw snow.

In Douglas we got an introduction to border issues while staying with Jack and Linda.  They have been living in Douglas for several years working with Mennonites and Presbyterians in relating to migrants and in helping others understand what is happening.

Every morning they walk the nine blocks to the “Wall” where they pray.  When they first started the practice, the Border Patrol was very suspicious.  The Patrol now accept them and rarely ask questions. From the Wall we toured a large cemetery where at several places there are graves for unknown migrants who have tried to cross the border.

We crossed the border and spent time in Agua Pria visiting organizations working with migrants.  Immediately, across the border, beside the gate, is the Resource Center for Migrants (Centro de Recursos para Migrantes).  Here, migrants who have been brought back to Mexico are able to make phone calls to family, receive clothes, obtain food, and gain help in their return.

Some of the male migrants who have returned, are housed in a Catholic Church compound.  Here some are learning to make furniture from wood pallets.  We passed the C.R.R.E.D.A., considered one of the best centers serving people with drug and alcohol problems.  We visited a small urban project run by a group of local women focusing on gardening, chickens, and small sewing projects.  They are currently working on a special order of Donald Trump dolls / pin cushions for a retailer in Tucson.  We stopped at Justo Coffee which buys Mexican coffee beans and roasts, bags, and sells coffee in the U.S.  We ate Sonoran hot dogs from a street vendor and then had Mexican ice cream.

We viewed the “Wall” from the Mexican side.  Several artists have painted nature scenes on the Wall.  We were told that they had also painted on the U.S. side but those were removed by Border Patrol.

Late afternoon we returned to the U.S. and drove east about 5 miles along the wall.  What a sobering experience to look at this artificial border extending for hundreds of miles.  There are 20-feet high metal sections to lower vehicle-prohibiting sections to barbed wire to nothing.  Sensors and cameras are located all along the border.

We ended our day with a visit to the historic Gadsden Hotel in Douglas.  It was opened in 1907, burnt, and rebuilt in 1929.  There is a solid white Italian marble staircase and four soaring marble columns. An authentic Tiffany stained glass mural extends forty-two feet across one wall of the massive mezzanine.  The hotel has been in several movies and is purported to be haunted!  It is also said that Pancho Villa rode his horse up the staircase, shooting his gun!

On our way to Tucson the next day we stopped briefly in Bisbee, viewing the large open-pit copper mine which finally closed operations in 1975.  We had coffee and walked some of the streets of old Bisbee. Bisbee and Douglas were in their heyday when the mine was in full operation.