Morrelganj Kindergarten
Through a unique new partnership HODR has re-roofed a school damaged by Cyclone Sidr. We have joined forces with the U.S. State Department, Department of Defense (DOD), USAID, and various branches of the armed forces! The assessment was done by the Interagency Assessment Team (IAT), the funding came from DOD, and the work was completed with local carpenters, Air Force personnel, and Hands On volunteers. Even better news: we have more exciting projects in the pipeline with this new affiliation to help the devastated region of Sharonkhola.
Safe Space
Hands On volunteers continue to work with the children at local Safe Space play areas. Our two previous sites in Sonatola are in the process of transitioning their attendees back to school so we’ve rechanneled our energy to a new site in Kontakata, just a short walk away. This site has 40+ children who regularly attend. We’ve taught the kids Ducks Duck Goose, Red Light Green Light, and the Chicken Dance (sorry!), and they’ve taught us the Bangladesh national anthem and helped us laugh from the deepest places in our bellies.
Termites? (Bangla tree work)
After a month of partnering with locals on the 3 HODR crosscut saws, we’ve cleared 5 dozen fallen trees from homes, paths, and yards. Trees here are sold by the cubic foot, so seemingly nonsensical cuts and frenzied excavation of the root ball are often the name of the game. This work is completely manual, and it is achieved through a mix of teamwork, sturdy ropes, and a local chant belted out in unison. We’ve also managed to right a couple trees – valuable sources of fruit and shade for their families.
Lords of the Rings (or Latrines)
We continue to assist local NGO Agrodut Foundation with their latrine distribution program and have installed 30 latrines to date. After the concrete rings and slabs are pedaled home aboard colorfully painted “vans” (a pedal bike with a flat, open platform on the back), HODR volunteers show up with tools and enthusiasm to get the system in place.
All of the latrines have been distributed in the countryside just north of Rayenda; as we cross over the small river, the bustle of the town falls away and yields a landscape of golden rice paddies, sugar palms, and children playing cricket in fields dotted with cows. The small clusters of families who live out here very rarely see foreigners, so each site we show up at is a completely different crowd. We’ve found the reception to be similar to that of our other Bangladeshi neighbors – they often stare, then smile, then join in, then laugh. A successful installation is celebrated with young coconuts freshly plucked from the surrounding trees.
Village Photo Project
The first 300 prints are in! Similar to our photo projects in Indonesia and the Philippines, we collected images of our neighbors and friends and had them printed. Most people in this area had their mementos and photos of themselves and their loved ones washed away. So HODR volunteers took pictures and then returned to hand out the prints, much to the delight of the recipients. The project will continue as long as we are here and we have already expanded to include our first school. Stay tuned for next month’s report!
HODR Half (It’s not half a house, it is the start of a full house!)
Hands On volunteers have completed the construction of 4 homes! Our shelter program has become a ‘must do’ project for our volunteers. The recipients of the shiny new homes are happy to have us helping and grateful to be receiving a new home. This appreciation manifests itself in a shower…of food! Many thanks to all of the volunteers who have participated in this successful, ongoing program. The end cost of the HODR Half is only about $425 US dollars!! If you are not able to join us then maybe you could sponsor a home?
Infrastructure
As our volunteer numbers continue to grow, so too does our house evolve. We’ve taken a two room unit on the ground floor of our building to house our growing assortment of tools, as well as some of the hardware materials for our projects.
We’ve also completed construction on two lofted sleep spaces in our house! Accessible by ladder and slightly secluded from the throng below, this prime real estate expands our capacity and has given the house a fun new look!
Marc Young
Operations Director
Hands On Disaster Response
