What I actually have been doing the past three weeks....

For those of you who are actually also interested in what I am doing here in Bangladesh and not only my thinking, I will now provide a small update.

I arrived on Thursday as the weekend started here. (Weekends are Friday and Saturday –for the lucky ones as many works/ goes to school Saturday as well).  Thursday and Friday I mainly slept as I didn’t sleep very well on my 27 hour long trip. And Saturday I then was first shown the bus-routes to Grameen Bank by my AIESEC contact person. And later on my room mate, Chihero, took me to the University where the School/ NGO, Jaago Foundation, where she is doing her internship had a play for the university students. We were staying with the kids while they were waiting before the play and I had the opportunity to talk to them and get to know them a little bit. These kids are orphans or children who are abandoned by their parents. They are the street children that I see selling flowers, pop-corn or simply begging. But these kids are going to school as well, learning English and getting self-confidence despite their tough stories. This experience touched me a lot and I am still considering if I should get more involved and how in Jaago Foundation. When the play was finished, they needed some girls to go in the car with the children and the guy who was responsible from Jaago Foundation and thus me and Chihero went to Jaago with the children. The kids were not use to driving in a car… and it was very warm + they were tired… the result was that a lot of them got really sick so there was enough to see to. I was sitting with the girl who was the most sick –just holding her and telling her that it was alright….. she was feeling so bad and so ashamed. I realized how easy it actually is to make a difference to another person!!! When we had to say goodbye she came to me and gave me the biggest hug!!!  

The next day, Sunday the 10^th, I started my basic training program with Grameen Bank. And already the second day I went on a one day field trip to a branch, Doreim Mirjapur. Here I went on my first Center meeting –that is, the women are organized in groups of min. 5 members and the groups are then belonging to a center where they meet each month to pay their loan installment, propose new loans and discuss any problems.

And the next day again, Monday the 11^th, I wnet on a 6 days field trip to Tangail District, visiting the branch Khilda Kalihati. Here I went to more center meetings, interviewed members with different profiles, interviewed the branch manager, the area manager, the zonal manager and was discussing with my interpreter and the branchmanager about the different features of Grameen Bank. While I was there, the biggest Hindu Celebration was on so I also got to visit a local temple and see their celebrations.

The standard of accommodation was more simple here than my home in Dhaka. I was being eaten up by mosquitos and I had a huge 6-legged friend at the toilet… I had rice, chicken and curry twice a day which I was trying to eat by hand as they do it here.

I liked it in the village but I was also happy to go “home” to Dhaka to a more comfortable environment.

The following week I had the opportunity to visit some of the Grameen Bank’s sister companies, some of them being social businesses. These were Grameen Shakti (energy), Grameen Kalyan (well-being), Grameen Shikkha (education). And I had meetings with managers of the different departments. I also met with the manager of the sister company, Grameen Trust, which is working with the implementing replications in other countries. And I got arranged that I can start an internship with them after my three weeks of training program finished with Grameen Bank.

The following week, I got to see a garments factory as we went to visit the sister company Grameen Knitwear. And on Monday the 25^th I went on a 4 days fieldtrip to Rajshahi near the Indian border. I was going to stay in Delvabadi Dargapur branch and visit Noapara Dargapur branch which was completely new and just opened this month. And I loved this place! It was so beautiful, so quiet and calm. A good escape from Dhaka’s noisiness, pollution and chaos. The people in the branch were also much more open and wanted to talk more with me. The centermanagers and the branch manager all lived in the same house as I did and in the evening we were hanging out –looking at pictures of Denmark and listening to Hindu music. The center managers were younger than the previous branch and my age.

While I was in this branch, questions regarding women empowerment bothered me and I discussed it with the branch managers and my interpreter –but it was clear, that even though they want women empowerment, then our perception of this are very different! I asked to interview the one female center managers and I realized that she was much more on my side –which I could not help being happy about. I will leave this topic to one of my thoughtful moments.

Coming back to Dhaka and relaxing this weekend. I am soon meeting with a girl who used to be member of AIESEC and who I met through my roommate Chihero. Today I also went to sign up for Jaago’s United Childerens Day event on the 11^th of November. Then I will go on the street together with a lot of other students and sell flowers, pop-corn and newspapers in stead of the street children who will go to the amusement park that day. It is an awareness campaign and I bet it will create awareness when the white girl is selling pop-corn on the street. Haha

Besides that, tomorrow I finish my training program and I will take the rest of the week of. I will meet with people from AIESEC, go visit a factory of my friend and on Thursday I am going to the National Conference of AIESEC Bangladesh as Facilitator. And then I guess I will start my internship with Grameen Foundation afterwards.

Three weeks have passed, 8 weeks more to go and many more experiences to come….

Poverty and inequality

My brother is one of the people I admire the most in this world! As the younger sister, I have always been a rebel while my brother was the wise and protective. He is the cleverest person I know and he always knows to find the right book for me to read. This time he has certainly picked the right one as a graduation gift –Pelle Eroberen (Pelle the Conquer) is about this poor farmer boy who grows up and fights for the poor in Denmark and for the unions of Denmark… which are part of the reason why I am now living in such a rich and equal society. If it had not been for the unions and for the fight that was fighted generations before me, then I probably would never had studied economics and traveled the world.  In the beginning of the book my brothers words to me were; “may you always be dangerous”. These words make me so proud, because as a referral to the book, I know that it means that I should continue my fight for the poor –around the world. My brother and I live very different lives, but the past years we have found to enjoy our time together more and more. And these words make me so happy because I feel he is proud of me despite our differences.

That I am reading this book now while I am experiencing a country which is in the same state as Denmark was when this book was written makes me think a lot…. And one question can’t leave my mind… a question which I still haven’t formulated properly but which I feel gains more and more importance in my heart…. It is a question regarding the relation between poverty and inequality…. I have previously mentioned that poverty will not be eradicted unless everybody wants it…. As I have explored this thought more, compared it to my reading and what I see here….. I realize it is because I don’t believe eradiction of poverty can truly be unless some people settle for less…. In Denmark this is not as much the case as it is here in Bangladesh… in Denmark inequality is rising but it is still so so far from being a threat to the welfare of all poorest people as it is here in Bangladesh…. Or for that sake, in Latinamerica where inequality is also a huge matter…

And why, why should someone have more than they can handle while others don’t even have enough to eat every day…. Some families are taking turns on getting food and some families throughout what several families could have eaten. Some families have more rooms than they use and some families just have a spot under the bridge… I’m sorry, but I simply get’s so sad and frustrated!!!!

And what makes me even sadder is that I don’t know what to do. I am frustrated with myself…. No matter how much I want to be the friend of the poor and help those who are struggling the most, then I cannot find my way f doing so. I was not born and raised with poverty and I don’t know their lives, I am not one of them…and they know it at least as well as I do…

I am walking around the streets of Dhaka and the beggars are coming to me… but I don’t give them money nor food… Either I feel intimidated, or I am afraid how many of them will get attracted by the money I give to one or I am afraid that someone who is desperate will see the money and hurt me… I don’t give them food neither, I could take them to a place or buy something for them… but again, I don’t… I feel sad about the situation and that they need to beg.

Afterwards I am questioning if giving to the beggars is the solution…. The known excuses that one cannot give to all of them or that they should not get used to beg pop up… but at the same time I fell I am telling myself a lie… I feel like a coward who just doesn’t dare to do what is needed…

I hear about people who live on the street with the homeless and people who really engage with these unfortunate people… I end up spending my money on comfort like taxis and american burgers. And I don’t what I am actually afraid of… deep in me is a belief in the best in people and I feel ashamed about my comfort. Sometimes I wish I was born less fortunate and could fight the battle side by side with poor… Now I will always miss the good life that I know, attract attention in the slum and face a risk of desperate people abusing my wish to help.

I don’t know what to do, which part I should take in the poor people’s fight…. I only know that everybody should want things to change…. But how can I do anything about this??? I have a dream but I don’t know what to do about it….

(written the 22nd and 23rd of October)

First impression of Bangladesh and Dhaka

The time has passed by so fast and not until now have I really had the opportunity to update my blog. It will be impossible for me to come with a fulfilling update on my experience so far –that is simply something that has been so overwhelming, scary, exciting and impactful that only I will ever know. And as expected then I had not been able at all to imagine what was ahead of me. Already when flying over Dhaka for landing I knew that this country was very different from what I was used to…. Solely by seeing all the water which is everywhere here!!! But my next couple of hours in Dhaka are describing very well the impression I still have of the city….. full of very very friendly and helpful people who are stunned by seeing a blond girl… all the taxi drivers were all over the place to help me find my friend who was picking me up. And when I was then driving with my friend to my place I got the second mayor and main impression of Bangladesh –the absolute crazy traffic chaos!!! More than 12 million people trying to get forth and back by different busses, cars, rickshaws and small scouter taxis or walking…. Bicycles and rickshaws packed with al kind of things –from furnitures to pipes and comboy jeans… I was shocked! I was asking myself how I would ever be able to get around on my own…. Do stuff on my own…. On top of that it was extremely warm and then finally the absolutely biggest challenge but also excitement is the fact that I have absolutely no idea of how the “culture map” is in this country. Bangladesh is an approx 85% Islamic country and they are not used to foreigners…. It is so exiting… I am trying to dress properly which does not mean that I need to cover my hair but at least a t-shirt (no tanktops) and even better a long sleeved and loose blouse, long loose trousers and a scarf around my neck…. I know foreigners who take it more easy but I believe that I have “invaded” these people’s territory and I need to respect their culture and norms… even if it makes me sweat a bit more… I have realized that more questions are constantly popping up in my mind than I can find answers…. Questions about this society’s cutlture and norms, questions regarding the poverty I witness here and possible reactions and solutions to this and simply questions regarding my own values, beliefs, culture, norms and lifestyle.

Regarding the culture –I never know if I am doing something inappropriate… Or what the expectations are… And people are constantly starring at me no matter what so if I do something wrong then they will certainly notice it but at the same time I will not necessarily know…. I believe this is a good experience because I believe it makes me question my acts and behavior –if I don’t know what the norm is then I have to make sure that I can justify what I do…. If I can, then even if something is inappropriate according to this culture then I know I would not do it differently unless I realize that the behavior was not worth the insult. It is far from possible for me to do everything from a pure heart, but starting to think about our norms compared to what we actually believe is the best thing to do is a beginning….

The Grameen Basic Training Program that I am doing is showing me the effect microfinance has had in Bangladesh…. And when this finishes I will most probably continue with Grameen Trust which works on implementation of Grameen replications in other countries. I am excited to be here and be part of this world-famous organization… and I believe that social business has a huge potential… Simply because what I witness here is that poverty can be eradicted if people wants it to be….. but some people do not want that as things are now and to eradict poverty those people needs to want it…. I believe Social business is offering part of the solution….

Since I came here, I feel that the steady ground underneath me has disappeared….. before I came here I was going through a lot of emotions and I was afraid how I would feel when I was far away from my family who is going through such a tough time right now…. Now I am experiencing different turbulens of emotions on top… And I no-longer find any answers to my questions. I am completely open to new inputs in my life.

(this input was written the 20th of October)

Finally on my way...

Finally the day has arrived and I am now sitting in the train on my way to the airport.... The tough goodbyes are said and now 26 hours of travelling ahead. I have small pieces of facts about Bangladesh which are forming some ideas and expectations for this adventure. I also know that alot will be very different from anything that I can imagine as I sit here in a top-modern IC4 train with blond and smart danes around me, eating my rugbrød with spegepølse and chatting with my friends on facebook and skype.
However forming those expectations are not completely wasteful as they are making me excited and happy about the forthcoming adventure and forgetting about the tough goodbyes. And I also believe it is healthy to form these expectations but at the same time be open when arriving to Bangladesh to break all my expectations. I think this is how we realize that it is absolutly impossible to set ourselves in others' place without at least experiencing what they come from and what their realities are. And even then, as I will leave again and come back to cold Denmark for Christmas -eating way too much and exchanging expensive gifts, I will never be able to understand what it is like to be born and living all ones life in a country which is struggeling so much with natural diseasters and poverty. But this will not keep me from trying as much as I can.... to challenge my own world view and beliefs. How can I know what change is needed and where I should put my efforts if I haven't even explored the problem...

Bangladesh -here I'm coming! And uuuh I am so excited!!! :)