Land of Water and SunPat Tuddenham — Cambridge, ON
Bangladesh is truly a country of water. Perched on the mouth of the Ganges, Bangladeshis find water everywhere throughout their country and effectively use it for transportation, food, and recreation. On all the waterways we saw barges loaded with goods, boats loaded with people, overnight ferry boats, fishing boats, all moving freely on this transportation system. There were fields of rice at various stages of growth, from lush green stems to small sprouts. Areas that weren't covered by rice were often either lakes or rivers. In the lakes we could observe the ripples left by numerous fish. In some areas we saw men standing on platforms in the middle of the lake, feeding the fish. In other areas there were a series of large poles set up at varying angles to hold a net with a pulley mechanism to raise and lower it. There were of course also men in small fishing boats with nets that they hauled in. Sometimes we even saw fishermen with lines out into what appeared to be a field of flowers. This carpet of green is caused by a weed called the water hyacinth and is a growing concern to these water areas.
The people of Bangladesh are masters of hydroponics and have learned to stack layers of plants to use as a base for a crop. One of the many interesting things is the dike system separating various water areas and allowing movement and access between rice fields, rivers, and lakes. At times these were small foot paths but often grew into two-lane highways. Along the rivers and dikes they also built homes on stilts to keep them out of water. In many cases the only access to the home was by water. One of the highlights of our visit came when we were at a distribution by the river. After watching many of the children and their bedkits being transferred home by boat we were offered a ride up the river in one of these boats. What an experience! As we travelled along we could observe the women washing their clothes, dishes, and themselves. The children were frolicking in the water, swimming, playing games, paddling, even skillfully racing our boat in a similar one. Not only was the whole family life involving and revolving around the water but also the water is the basis of employment and entertainment.
If water describes the physical setting of Bangladesh then sunny describes the people. They were unfailingly friendly, co-operative, and helpful. They are curious about what we are doing and love to have their picture taken. The children at the distributions touched our hearts on many levels. The people and the environment provided us with a rich and warm experience. They were a pleasure to work with and to know. |
