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BritBangla supports and works with community and charity organisations
bringing awareness to issues affecting our community and focusing
on women and children.
>Hashmot
from Bangladesh
>Plan International
>Raynagor Girls Orphanage in Bangladesh
>Newham Asian
Womens Project [NAWP]
>Mentoring
>Betar Bangla Radio
>Shadinata Trust
Plan International
The BritBangla Launch Event supported Plan International and continues
to raise awareness for members to donate and sponsor children. With
funds rasied BritBangla has sponsered a
child, a young Bangladeshi girl.
BritBangla hope to sponsor her until she is 16 years old
and help her fulfil her dream to be teacher. If you wish to write,
send a gift, visit her in Bangladesh or want to be kept updated
on the Progress Report please contact BritBangla at:
britbangla@britbangla.net
As part of your membership with BritBangla, you have a sponsored
child in Bangladesh. On your behalf, we have been sponsoring for
6 years now.
So from time to time, we share with you communications and update
on the child’s progress and learn about her community. Plan International
work closely with the child and her family, who live in oneof the
poorest areas in Bangladesh.
Via this child sponsorship, it’s a way for us to understand life
in arural community such as Bangladesh and highlight the opportunity
for you to help a community to develop a better life.
Many of you will recall your sponsored child ‘Amina’ (protecting
her real name) is Muslim, lives in a village in Jagannathpur, Bangladesh
with her mum, dad and one younger brother; and has recently turned
13 yrs old as her birthday was on 6th June. Hopefully, we will send
her a little gift such as a school bag or colouring pens.
Our monthly contributions help to fund community projects that
families are doing with Plan International to benefit the children
in her area. The sponsorship helps to support her community development
improvements long term and the resources required including staff
support.
So how did we fundraise to sponsor her so far?
A while back two others and myself did the Women’s 5K Challenge
to secure a few years sponsorship that runs out soon.
BritBangla would love to continue to support ‘Amina’ until the
age of 16. If you can donate that would be great - please see our
Just Giving donation link.
http://www.justgiving.com/BritBangla-Network-
Finally, if you are interested in keeping up to date on ‘Amina’,
wish to send her a letter or a gift then email at: britbangla@britbangla.net
Plan, in collaboration with local people, helps build a brighter
future for children by setting up long-term development projects
in their communities. Plan provide the materials, skills and knowledge
necessary for them to carry out the projects. More information can
be found on their website: http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/asia/bangladesh/
Plan is working with communities in Bangladesh on many projects.
Field staff and communities in Bangladesh have identified a pre-school
teacher training programme.
There are a many reasons why Plan believes that this programme
should be prioritised:
• One primary school teacher in Bangladesh is responsible for 63
students, which is the
worst ratio in the region.
• Bangladesh has the lowest student-teacher contact time in the
world,
officially 2.5 hours per day. However actual contact time may be
2 hours or less
per day. Because of lack of facilities, teachers often take classes
in shifts,
meaning that children only receive half the amount of lesson time.
• 40% of teachers in Bangladesh are not formally trained. Many
teachers are
poorly trained, and can only offer an irrelevant curriculum. Rote
learning, and rigid discipline are often the norm
• Poor child teacher ratio, low contact time, poor training and
lack of
facilities require that teachers in Bangladesh need intensive training
to cope
with the situation.
This will help -
1. Reduce drop out from schools
2. Prepare children for formal school
3. Motivate teachers to deliver well
4. Enhance quality of teaching
Be part of Plan and sponsor a child. Visit website: http://www.plan-uk.org
Plan UK, registered charity n.276035
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Hashmot from Bangladesh
BritBangla is working with Willing and Abel and
determined to offer Hasmont a huge upgrade in his current life but
we need your help.
As a young boy Hashmot earned a living as a fisherman working the
network of rivers that cover the Sunderban region of southern Bangladesh.
But one evening, as he lay asleep on the deck of his boat a Bengal
tiger crept out of the mangroves and attacked him. He woke up four
days later in hospital to find that doctors had performed enough
primitive surgery to keep him alive but the experience had left
him horrifically disfigured.
Hashmot is now 33, and for the past 19 years he spent his life
living in the shadows, covering half his face with a crude bandanna
and hiding his disfigurement from the world. Too scared to go back
to work in the mangroves, he lost his job as a fisherman and has
been forced to take menial work at a local market where he stays
out of view of prying eyes.
A disfigured face
photo of Hasmot is available but it is graphic and not for the
squeamish.
Today, Hashmot lives in Nowbeki, Sathira. He is married and has
two young children of his own. He wants to be able to play with
his kids without them being scared of him, and having to hide his
face from them as well.
Operation:
BritBangla want to help achieve the goal of raising the finance
to give Hashmot the medical treatment that he desperately needs
so that he can face society again, and more importantly, to be able
to interact with his own children without alarming them.
Already, one the UK's leading physicians, has agreed to carry out
the treatment but the £30K is still needed to bring him over
to have this operation and to meet all the medical and other costs.
Also, begun a partnership with a BAFTA-winning producer who intends
to film the whole life-changing process as part of a major UK documentary…
What are we going to do?
One of the UK's leading physicians has agreed to donate his time
and carry out the complex reconstruction surgery in London Hashmot
needs. However, Willing and Abel need to raise £30,000 to
facilitate this surgery, in order to pay for Hashmot to come to
London, and cover his hospital and medical costs while in UK. We
are hoping to raise the money and do the surgery this year.
Willing and Abel are in discussion with a documentary-making company
who are looking to film and tell Hashmot's story.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
Make a donation to Hashmot's cause: Donate
Now or via cash/cheque
Virgin money giving is a not for profit organisation and will claim
gift aid on your behalf where the donor is UK taxpayer.
Contacts in Dhaka for MRI Scan & support:
Hashmots needs an MRI scan, so if you can help with any contacts
in Dhaka that may be able to assist with high quality medical facilities
or could provide accomodation or support then we would love to hear
from you.
Provide Support in London: When Hashnot
comes to London, we love to hear from people who could assist with
translation, visiiting Hashmot, and providing familiar food for
him as he recovers from surgery.
Fundraising activities: come up with
fun fundraising activities at your workplace, school, universitiy
or do a sponsored run, cake bake, etc.
Publicise through your friends and networks:
publicise Hashmot's plight via your friends and organisation
Who are Willing and Abel?
Willing and Abel are a small charity that seek to provide connections
and surgeries for children in developing countries who couldn't
otherwise access the specialist surgery they require.
Willing and Abel is purely run by volunteers and have no overheads.
All money raised goes directly to surgery and facilitating each
person's surgery.
They have a board of Trustees that make the decisions regarding
which cases it takes on, and have a wide network of contacts with
surgeons and medical professionals around the world that kindly
donate their time and expertise.
Registered Charity 1130492
BritBangla Fundraising Page:
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/britbangla-hashmotinbangladesh
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Raynagor Girls Orphanage
in Bangladesh
Charity support to girls orphanage in Raynagor Rajbari, Sylhet,
Bangladesh.
Almost 900 children die every day (325,000 every year) due to disease
and malnutrition. Thousands of street children are forced to work
in menial jobs or survive by begging/scavenging. Many, unable to
earn a decent living and without any form of adult guidance, are
driven to crime and prostitution. Orphanages that currently exist
fulfil a vital role by providing schooling, shelter, food and education.
However, demand for places are high and a lot more needs to be done
to address this harrowing problem effectively.
BritBangla fundraiser way back in May 2004 aimed to raise greater
awareness of the half a million orphans in Bangladesh. £2000
was fundraised but that money has now depleted so donations are
needed.
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Newham Asian Womens Project
[NAWP]
NAWP Director: Rita Rupal
Click for Daily Bangladesh Article
Proceeds from the Dinner/Dance Eid Party was donated to this women's
refuge based in East London (Newham). The Newham Asian Women's Project,
a registered charity, was set up in 1987 as a community support
group for Asian women (70% of whom are bangladeshi/sylheti). They
provide emergency accommodation for women who suffer from domestic
violence. Currently there are four refuges and 2 resource centres
offering practical advice and counselling which are among the types
of support offered. The 8-bed hostel for women offers a safe house
for women fleeing violent relationships. It also has a Teen Department
offering help and support for 16 –21 year old women. Newham Asian
Women’s project (NAWP) provides safe housing, advice surgeries,
education and counselling, training and career development opportunities.
Its company ancillary facilities include emotional support for women
affected by poverty, isolation and mental distress. NAWP's aim is
to assist disadvantaged and socially excluded women towards a position
where they are enabled to make informed decisions regarding their
lives. Any money that is donated will further help this women's
project to provide an essential service & support for women
to get back on their feet and into the community again. Any donations
would be gratefully received. For further information: www.nawp.org
Registered Charity: 239391
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BritBangla Mentoring
‘Working to bridge the gap for young people’
_________________________________________
Want to make a positive difference in someone’s life?
Are you gifted with the power to inspire, challenge and help someone
rise above a problem...?
Then why not invest just a fraction of your time to REACH OUT and
LISTEN to youngsters who are struggling to build a secure future
and need your help to BRIDGE THE GAP in their lives.
Amongst our many proposals Britbangla aims to open up new avenues
for young Bengalis who are at a pivotal point in their lives, that
is, leaving childhood and entering adulthood. As professionals,
and more importantly as Bengalis, we can identify with what it means
to have to balance between two cultures whilst also trying to establish
which career path to pursue. As such, we can serve to make this
transition just that little bit easier by simply pointing these
youngsters in the right direction and helping them to amount to
something better.
Mentors provide psychosocial functions to their protégés
(mentees) by acting as sponsors, teachers, guides, coaches and role
models; the nature of the job is therefore quite diverse and not
static. The main tasks of a mentor include:
* To support youths within a confidential relationship helping
them to clarify goals and aspirations
* To create network possibilities for them
* To facilitate their entry into a profession
* To offer nonjudgmental sensitive responses to any problems that
should arise
Mentoring begins by engendering trust, issuing a challenge, providing
encouragement and offering a vision for the journey. Throughout
this journey, the mentor supports and challenges their protégé
to develop professionally as a person by providing ongoing assessment
and feedback once a fortnight or just once a month.
The process of mentoring serves to benefit individuals on various
different levels and across different contexts. In particular, where
parents are either unavailable or unable to provide responsible
guidance for their children, mentors can play a critical role in
the life of a child by simply helping them to endure social, academic,
career or personal crises. In turn, Protégés grow
in their own intellectual competency, their sense of purpose and
personal integrity; they learn from their role model how to better
formulate thoughts, set priorities, interact with others more effectively
and organize time more efficiently.
Ultimately, once the mentor relationship terminates, the aim is
for the protégé to become an autonomous professional
who possesses sufficient tools to tackle their environment at an
optimum level. You as the mentor can observe the difference achieved
which will be a product of your efforts.
What better way to make your mark in the world than by shaping
someone’s future...?
For details on how to join BRITBANGLA MENTORING contact britbangla@britbangla.net
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Betar Bangla Community
Radio
BritBangla supports the work of Betar Bangla. The radio that promotes
Bengali arts, culture and the Bangla language. It works with the
local young and the unemployed offering them the chance to develop
their skills in arts and cultural activities through training and
workshop. Betar Bangla radio serves the Bengali Community and is
a voice for the East London's Bengali population. It has over 20,000
listerners and 5,000 online viewers. The radio has over 30 volunteers
including the presenters. The popular Desh Culture Group, that performed
a Natok show for the BritBangla Launch event, is a product of Betar
Banga Radio.
Forum: Drugs, Crime and the Bengali Community in East London
Brady Centre, Hanbury Street, London E1: 25 February
2004
BritBangla was pleased to support and be involved with the successful
forum on "Drugs, Crime and the Bengali Community in East London".
A community event organised by Betar Bangla and funded by London
Probation Association. A short film "On D East" was specially
produced for this event.
Key speakers included: John Powis (Chief Officer,
London Probation), Maqsood Ahmed (Strategic Director, London Probation)
Caroline Bates (Detective Superintendent, MET Police), Dru Shapling
(Chair of London Criminal Justice Board), Councellor Doros Ullah,
Adam Holmes (CIDA), Golam Mostafa (Udichi), Shafiur Rahman (NAFAS),
Jaharial Sen (Film Director), and Sajjad Miah (Brick Lane Mosque).
Film: "On D East" directed by Jaharial
Sen. A thought provoking, gritty urban tale that follows the trail
of a young British-Bengali drug dealer and her dilemma to turn police
informer. The casting members: Yasmin Ara, Shuman Khan and Rezuan
Maruf. The film has been submitted to Raindance East Film Festival.
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Shadinata
Trust: Projecting Bengali culture into the future
BritBangla works in collaboration with Shadinata
Trust to celebrate the contributions of Bengalis in Britain. A photographic
exhibition is planned for 2005 aims to promote the amazing culture,
various tribal people and the colourful life in Bangladesh.
Shadinata means freedom. By celebrating
a cultural phenomena unique to British Bengalis. The Shadinata Trust
is a voluntary organisation working to raise awareness about Bengali
history, culture and heritage through educational workshops, seminars,
publications and cultural activities.
There are over 250,000-300,000 Bengalis living
in Britain and their experience is an integral part of its history
and cultural heritage. Shadinata aims to provide a catalyst for
new models in educational and cultural documentation. As
part of its goal to promote Bengali culture to a wider international
audience, Shadinata Trust seeks to establish a resource centre that
will provide a forum for Bengali culture, research and history.
It also aims to bridge cultural gaps and give young members a significant
voice within 21st Century Britain.
There is little opportunity at present for young
Bengali people to gain insight into their cultural roots and identities
as Bengalis raised in a western environment. By providing a base
from which to facilitate, explore and highlight this unique British
Bengali phenomena, Shadinata aims to provide a fresh link through
which to expand upon a truly creative weave of multiculturalism
and Bengali identity. For more info check:
www.Shadinata.org.uk
If you are interested in receiving the Bengali
info magazine produced by Shadinata Trust then email: taryn@britbangla.net
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