Water conflicts on the rise
Rubi Begum sits with neighbors outside of her home in Notunbazar. Begum takes care of her children, cooks and cleans and works full-time at a local fishing company. On top of her duties, she also is responsible for collecting drinkable water from the government pump around 700 meters away. Continue reading Water conflicts on the rise
Repurposing plastics
Single use plastic is everywhere in Bangladesh. Just like elsewhere in the world, people here are ordering food online and leaving the stores with goods wrapped in plastic wrap. More people here are drinking from plastic bottles – water and soda – because the tap water is not safe even for the residents to drink without boiling. The plastic waste is everywhere. It has accumulated … Continue reading Repurposing plastics
Slowing down, for now
Day Three in the Sundarbans met us with that now-familiar thick heat. But we had acclimated, or at least knew what we needed to keep going into the day. The section of river we had been on for the past two days was surprisingly industrial. Massive barges geared up for trips from or through the Suez, and dredging boats cleared the sand to extend the … Continue reading Slowing down, for now
Foreign aid and NGOs in Bangladesh
The nepa palm home of Shobita, Bina, and Mohon Mondol home sits on a narrow strip of compressed silt near the confluence of a canal and the Pashur river in the delta of Bangladesh. They dip drinking water from a 2,000-liter rainwater collection tank the received last year from with help of the local welfare center. The tank saves the Mondols from having to make … Continue reading Foreign aid and NGOs in Bangladesh
Not a care in the world
The day kicked off with an early wake up around 6:30 a.m. My slumber at the City Inn that night was not the best of the trip, but not the worst. One thing I have come to learn about Bangladesh is that many of the beds are not soft, nothing like my queen-size memory foam mattress back in Missoula, Montana. The beds here feel like … Continue reading Not a care in the world
Shifting chars: The human face of climate migration
Momena Beguma, 85, stood in the doorway of her house on stilts in the Passer River. The Bangladeshi woman has moved 10 times because of flooding and river erosion. “I never know when we will have to move again,” she said. The Dhangmari Village in Bangladesh, where Beguma lives, is made up of a collection of houses on stilts. The water comes up to the … Continue reading Shifting chars: The human face of climate migration
The slums
As our bus departed the chaotic city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, the traffic whizzing past resembled a real life simulation of GTA. We were headed to a drastically different scene. We would soon be entering the tide country, a land filled of villages inundated by tides, along the Rupsha River. I couldn’t believe we were already done with the first portion of our trip. We were … Continue reading The slums
Safe sanitation remains an issue for many in Bangladesh
Among the narrow alleyways and wall-to-wall houses of Notun Bazar, two buildings stand out. The blue walls beam through the grayscale of southwest Bangladesh’s largest slum, and the concrete floor is invitingly smooth and unblemished. Signs proclaim both buildings newly renovated and detail the cost – about 800 U.S. dollars. Despite their flamboyant exteriors, the inside of each building is sparse, with only a single … Continue reading Safe sanitation remains an issue for many in Bangladesh
Something fishy: A peek into the climate effects on Dhaka’s biggest fish market
Blue and green lights illuminated the early morning fog as vendors balanced wicker baskets brimming with fish and fruit atop their heads. They laid out arrays of cucumbers and squash under the tinted bulbs and waited for the buyers to swarm. In the distance, chickens sang and fish flew as they were thrown into tubs anticipating their slaughter. While the rest of the city slept, … Continue reading Something fishy: A peek into the climate effects on Dhaka’s biggest fish market
Anchored Safely
The MJA Bangledesh team is anchored safely just outside the city of Khulna, safe from the large cyclone that has formed over the Bay of Bengal. Here’s a snapshot of their most recent trek: Continue reading Anchored Safely
UM to Bangladesh 