The Dhaka Project

Bangladesh is a flat country except couple of mountains in the north. Because of the lack of mountains, the construction companies cannot extract rocks to make the cement. So they make bricks with mud, dry them, then break them is small pieces. Next to our new school this afternoon I could hear the sound of couple of hammers breaking those bricks.

But that's women and children who are most of the time doing this hard job. That's what we are fighting at TDP. To give a childhood to those kids, to give them the right to go to school and play with their friends.
Yes TDP is doing a great job but there is still so much to do and we cannot fight the cycle of poverty without you!

Thank you so much to THE MORE CAFE IN DUBAI for your donation and please accept this gift from some of the children of TDP ;-)

Also a bigggggg thank you at Turya to have bravely run her first 10 kms during the Dubai Marathon and collected some donation for us.

Dear Mr KG

Was a pleasure to meet you yesterday , I am still pinching myself to make sure I am not dreaming and that actually we are going to be able to set up the very needed medical center in Dhaka ..
Your generous gesture benefits the poor children under our care in so many different ways , this primary
health center will teach our staff members basic First Aid + Cardio Pulmonary Resustication techniques, and
such skill transfers ensure our children are in safe and secure hands. This Health Center will look after urgent care of day to day and on going illnesses and diseases such as pneumonia , gastroenteritis , typhoid, dengue fever , conjuctivitis , fungal infections , gynecological disorders , urinary tract infections , pyelonephritis , and acute pediatric conditions including bronchiolitis , skin infections and vaccine preventable diseases such as measles and more .. We will also teach about personal hygiene , child care , saniation , family planning , cooking with hygiene ...
Your very kind gesture has demonstrated to my staff members that the personal sacrifice they've put into
their dedication and devotion for poor, marginalised and disadvantaged children rebound in such gracious unexpected ways .
It is with deep gratitude that I express my thanks on behalf of everyone at The Dhaka Project. They were so
delighted to hear of the donation from you .
Please accept my heartfelt thanks for the generosity of spirit shown to me and my team members and the
Gawair community

Transport in Dhaka is difficult. I don't even talk about traffic as you need to experience it yourself ;-). Getting a rickshaw is ok but for the tuktuk or taxi, we need to ask them first if they are ok to go where we need to go. Also yesterday I was really upset as as soon the driver sees me, he increases the price saying that his meter is not working etc... really annoying. So, we have decided also in the process of developping the guest house and start the tourism company, to get our own transport. Yesterday have been delivered 2 brand new rickshaws decorated in the tradition way but with the Dhaka Project "Touch". Next step, the car ;-)))

I went to the new school this morning. It's really moving forward. Now let's be ready for the opening the 18th ;-)

Here it is! We have our prayer room in the school. So happy to see the first staff and students using it. God bless all of us!

I have found a short cut to talk about Bangladesh. Here everything is difficult but everything is possible. What is also extremely interesting is the way I have to break my mental structure in order to adapt myself to the new culture and what has to be done. That's where I realise that us, western people, we cannot come in those country and apply our technics. It just does not work. I guess that's one of the reason of the success of Maria and the Project. Maria has applied a very practical way of management giving daily tasks to the team. I follow her technic including the skills I acquired during the last years. Our days are really long, with an average of 14 hours but what we are doing is so exciting and needs so much attention that the time flies.
I just moved in my new flat and renovating it has been a challenge but a good training session for everybody. They laugh when I ask them to redo the job but I cannot have a mirror not straight on the wall or a shower licking or a full flat painted in white except the dirty ceiling ;-).

I found furniture in the neighborhood as the idea is to find people making those in the community in order to test their quality, improve it and give them more work. If we increase the production, they will be able to train more people and give them a job.

I also spent 2 days hunting in Dhaka what could be produced and sold abroad as decoration and house hold items. I filled 2 suitcases and sent them to Dubai. I will do a school sale next week to test if people like those items. Then, depending on what will have the most success, we will create a line of products made by our community. It will be a very good source of income for the project.

2 days ago Maria has decided to have a general meeting with the new staff and teachers. As she does not like to speak, I made it.... What we wanted to tell them is that we are one and only one team. We all work for the success of the project and the future of the children and the country.
Our goal is to educate the children with strong values and a real rexpect of each other. It's also to provide medical care for everyone and train the adults in order to make them the source of income of their family. We don't want any more kids begging in the streets or girls of 13 years old working in the garment factories. That's why we all work hard and we will achieve it. It's already on the track ;-)