Bangladesh is the most densely populated country in the world. Yet so far, Dhaka feels surprisingly relaxed and more like hundreds of small conjoined communities than like a mega-city. The high rises and downtowns of a New York or Buenos Aires are replaced by vast stretches of low apartments and mosques in every direction. Yes the streets are filled with people, rickshaws and cars and yes there are slums crowded with people but there are also hundreds of interspersed rives, lakes and patches of forest. It’s as if the city was built within the preexisting wilderness rather than in place of it.
One of the few tall buildings in the area is the BRAC building in which we work. And from the top of the building at the 19th floor, it is easy to see segmentation within the city. A slum across the street named Karail houses 30,000 people and is one of the largest in Dhaka. Immediately across about 100 yards of lake is Gulshan, a wealthy and very up and coming area. These communities puzzle piece together to comprise Dhaka with green space sprouting up throughout.
On the ground the transition between puzzle piece communities is not as visible but road and sidewalk traffic is fierce anywhere we travel. Roads are good and the country is roughly the size of Iowa, but travel is slow because of the competitive driving that results in 5 lanes of traffic on two lane roads. The danger of this structure was visible on our first day when we saw a man who was hit by a car and killed in an attempt to cross the street. This of course happens in many busy cities but it was a shock on our first day. We have also seen people riding on tops of moving trains and encountered a bus that broke down and burst into flames. No one was hurt but our beginning views of transportation had some shock factors.
While walking around people are extremely friendly and eager to speak with us in English. It is one of the four main subjects in the schools (other than Bangla, social sciences and math) and we are a unique opportunity to practice. We are living in dorm style housing at the BRAC training center with a group of Bengali students who are learning English and computer sciences and a group of Afghan men training for BRACs Afghanistan program. They are all very fun and we have been playing them in a board game where we flick tokens called grambol. They are all quite good at it. We are not.
I have loved the experience of a primarily Muslim country. 5 times a day we hear the echo of the call to prayer rising simultaneously from mosques across the city. There is also no drinking (except at a restaurant that serves “special tea” a.k.a. beer) and men and women are kept separate for the majority of their young lives. This leads to interesting dynamics amongst men who, in spending large amounts of time together, recreate social balance. Some men take on more feminine roles and very close relationships develop where men become “intimate friends.” This does not necessarily mean they are homosexual but they do often hold hands in public and
hold one another while walking around.
We spent a day in the community taking a look at the various BRAC programs and I am baffled by the effectiveness and comprehensiveness of the organization. The aim is to have a holistic approach to development but BRAC excels in nearly every field that it enters… and it enters every field. From providing legal service to health to private enterprises, BRAC does everything. By getting involved in every sector and “assaulting poverty” on all fronts, BRAC creates establishes social networks, distributes services, creates markets and owns value adding segments of the private sector that enables BRAC to earn a return that funds 80% of their activities. They simply have the attitude that whatever they do they will do it well and they aren’t hindered by over analysis or concern for perfection. Instead they do large pilots and assume that they will adapt programs rather than scrap them. It is largely based on the assumption that the idea behind their work is correct and that eventually they will provide all services. It seems completely opposite from what I typically see in the west and it makes me wonder about the transference potential of the model even within BRACs own successful structures. Yet thus far it has seen great success in an extremely difficult field.
One final moment that I enjoyed today was during our visit to one of the villages where BRAC had programs. While we were in the community learning about the village organizations, looking at jackfruit, learning about the legal structures and taking photos, the kids of the village had snuck up behind us and were taking photos of their own with a cell phone. It was funny to see all of us trying to be conscious of how many cameras were out and asking to take photos, while behind us we were having snapshots of us taken. On a similar note, someone told me that a joke in Bangladesh is that the beggars will call you on their cell phone to make sure that you are coming to donate that day. It made me smile.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Packing Up
I always like packing. It reminds me of how little I actually need and want to carry with me in life. It simplifies 20 years of accumulation into a few bags, my stories and my thoughts. I can ship off knowing that despite few things to hide behind or distract, I will get by just fine. Of course while packing any luggage to check at the airport, people say to put those things that are really crucial in your carry on luggage. And that’s when I realize how little I actually need. Granted, I still try to go prepared and I usually bring along a few unnecessary luxuries on any trip. But knowing that I can survive and be happy with only a bag and the support from those who I love is always very empowering and inviting.
If I forget something I’ll have to borrow it, or I’ll to meet someone or have a reason to adventure. Really for me if I don’t forget things and instead show up fully prepared it’s a greater loss because I don’t have reason to go fishing through a market for a rubber band, three screws and a deck of playing cards. I also don’t get to come home with oddly stained and funky smelling shirts that I am convinced are stylish. When I travel, I like to be prepared but never too prepared or it takes away the adventure and moments of “oh shit how can we solve this?” I would not make a good boy scout.
I also like packing because it makes me think about what I do leave behind. I think about my family, friends, pets and beautiful Minnesota. I’m obsessed with Minnesota. If you like Target, Best Buy, Scotch Tape and SPAM thank a Minnesotan. SPAM is something I chose not to pack so it will remain on my list of things that I miss. SPAM aside, the process of leaving things behind helps me to connect and become grounded with the people and places that I can only take along in spirit.
Packing too is a routine and a life style that I habitually enter into no matter if I’m traveling home from school, shipping off to Grandma’s or in this case going to Bangladesh. In the time leading up to travel I usually start off with denial that I need to get ready. Then comes acceptance and a slow putting together of things I need, information gathering so I fully understand what I am getting into and time with people that I want to see before I go. Then, the night before I leave, phase three hits; panic. Identifiable traits include finally stuffing all those things into bags, realizing there were 60 other things I meant to do and rapid attempts to memorize symptoms for illnesses that I might contract and probably can’t pronounce. Finally, stage four. For me stage four is somewhere between reflection and transition where I settle into the fact that I am traveling, I accept that anything that isn’t with me now isn’t coming and I mentally prepare for the adventures ahead.
One new preparation for me on this trip was dealing with permethrin prior to leaving. It is intended as a bug repellent coating that can be sprayed onto mosquito netting and clothing. On a chemical level it’s a neurotoxin. This was made readily apparent to me by the guy at REI who told me about it and the fact that bugs will not just dislike me but they will die if they are on me. So apparently will pets, family members and the general public while it’s still wet. But if it dries I can wear it. My fears of neurotoxins led to attempts at creating a home bio-hazard suit out of old clothes so that I could apply the chemical to my clothing. I am still alive and the stuff is dry.
Something else that will be new for me is monsoon season. I have read that temperatures typically reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit with strong rains. I don’t really know how to conceptualize 100 degree rainy days but I plan to put up a strong fight against the monsoons, cyclones and general floods. Luckily, Dhaka is pretty far in land.
I am excited about the program and I believe strongly in the concept of the group lending model and the potential for microfinance in development today. I look forward to seeing the struggles, successes and true impacts of microfinance in the field. I am also looking forward to the experience of documenting clients and the process of micro-lending in Bangladesh. I have long been interested in international development strategies and working with BRAC in Bangladesh gives us the chance to learn from the best in a country where microfinance got its start in the public eye. I hope that we will play a role within BRAC that can be educational and impactful for both us and the community. It is a huge organization and only being there for two months makes me question our ability to really get into workings of BRAC and understand it while also trying to make sense of cultural, linguistic, religious shifts etc.
On that note, I am curious to see how well we function without speaking Bangla and wonder if we are being a bit overambitious thinking that we can do effective documentary work in a highly foreign tongue. I know we will work hard with translators and struggle with this at times, but ultimately arrive at a good answer. What that will be I don’t yet know. Of course there will be English speakers in Bangladesh, but I wonder if I will be able to explore markets, back allies and find adventure with the confidence that I can meet strangers and talk my way out of any cultural mistakes that I commit. Perhaps that makes it a better adventure. I will also probably try to learn some Bangla but I doubt I will do very well or communicate past “my name is Scott” and “Sorry.”
One other question that I have is about the impact that the cyclone in Myanmar might have on our stay. Depending on aid going into the country and refugees coming out there is potential for it to impact our trip. I of course have more questions but they will come up in time. I’m excited about our group, I am excited to learn about and explore Bangladesh as a culture, place, history and future. I look forward to the questions, ideas and changes of thought that will occur throughout our trip. It will be a wonderful adventure.
My name is Scott Peppel, I’m 20 years old and I’m packed.
If I forget something I’ll have to borrow it, or I’ll to meet someone or have a reason to adventure. Really for me if I don’t forget things and instead show up fully prepared it’s a greater loss because I don’t have reason to go fishing through a market for a rubber band, three screws and a deck of playing cards. I also don’t get to come home with oddly stained and funky smelling shirts that I am convinced are stylish. When I travel, I like to be prepared but never too prepared or it takes away the adventure and moments of “oh shit how can we solve this?” I would not make a good boy scout.
I also like packing because it makes me think about what I do leave behind. I think about my family, friends, pets and beautiful Minnesota. I’m obsessed with Minnesota. If you like Target, Best Buy, Scotch Tape and SPAM thank a Minnesotan. SPAM is something I chose not to pack so it will remain on my list of things that I miss. SPAM aside, the process of leaving things behind helps me to connect and become grounded with the people and places that I can only take along in spirit.
Packing too is a routine and a life style that I habitually enter into no matter if I’m traveling home from school, shipping off to Grandma’s or in this case going to Bangladesh. In the time leading up to travel I usually start off with denial that I need to get ready. Then comes acceptance and a slow putting together of things I need, information gathering so I fully understand what I am getting into and time with people that I want to see before I go. Then, the night before I leave, phase three hits; panic. Identifiable traits include finally stuffing all those things into bags, realizing there were 60 other things I meant to do and rapid attempts to memorize symptoms for illnesses that I might contract and probably can’t pronounce. Finally, stage four. For me stage four is somewhere between reflection and transition where I settle into the fact that I am traveling, I accept that anything that isn’t with me now isn’t coming and I mentally prepare for the adventures ahead.
One new preparation for me on this trip was dealing with permethrin prior to leaving. It is intended as a bug repellent coating that can be sprayed onto mosquito netting and clothing. On a chemical level it’s a neurotoxin. This was made readily apparent to me by the guy at REI who told me about it and the fact that bugs will not just dislike me but they will die if they are on me. So apparently will pets, family members and the general public while it’s still wet. But if it dries I can wear it. My fears of neurotoxins led to attempts at creating a home bio-hazard suit out of old clothes so that I could apply the chemical to my clothing. I am still alive and the stuff is dry.
Something else that will be new for me is monsoon season. I have read that temperatures typically reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit with strong rains. I don’t really know how to conceptualize 100 degree rainy days but I plan to put up a strong fight against the monsoons, cyclones and general floods. Luckily, Dhaka is pretty far in land.
I am excited about the program and I believe strongly in the concept of the group lending model and the potential for microfinance in development today. I look forward to seeing the struggles, successes and true impacts of microfinance in the field. I am also looking forward to the experience of documenting clients and the process of micro-lending in Bangladesh. I have long been interested in international development strategies and working with BRAC in Bangladesh gives us the chance to learn from the best in a country where microfinance got its start in the public eye. I hope that we will play a role within BRAC that can be educational and impactful for both us and the community. It is a huge organization and only being there for two months makes me question our ability to really get into workings of BRAC and understand it while also trying to make sense of cultural, linguistic, religious shifts etc.
On that note, I am curious to see how well we function without speaking Bangla and wonder if we are being a bit overambitious thinking that we can do effective documentary work in a highly foreign tongue. I know we will work hard with translators and struggle with this at times, but ultimately arrive at a good answer. What that will be I don’t yet know. Of course there will be English speakers in Bangladesh, but I wonder if I will be able to explore markets, back allies and find adventure with the confidence that I can meet strangers and talk my way out of any cultural mistakes that I commit. Perhaps that makes it a better adventure. I will also probably try to learn some Bangla but I doubt I will do very well or communicate past “my name is Scott” and “Sorry.”
One other question that I have is about the impact that the cyclone in Myanmar might have on our stay. Depending on aid going into the country and refugees coming out there is potential for it to impact our trip. I of course have more questions but they will come up in time. I’m excited about our group, I am excited to learn about and explore Bangladesh as a culture, place, history and future. I look forward to the questions, ideas and changes of thought that will occur throughout our trip. It will be a wonderful adventure.
My name is Scott Peppel, I’m 20 years old and I’m packed.
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