Today during our travels to our distribution we spotted many boats of similar design on posts and upon questioning we learned the following. In Bangladesh, a country with more than 700 rivers, it’s hardly surprising that the symbol of the dominant political party, the Awami League, is a boat - in this case, a traditional river craft with a high prow - the nouka. As in other developing countries, political symbols are important, especially in rural areas where literacy levels are lower than in the cities. Although urban areas are growing, two thirds of the population still live in rural areas. Voters may not be able to read a newspaper or a political poster, but they will recognize the party symbol.
To us, the boat also symbolized smooth sailing as this distribution was our best one yet. We worked like a well-oiled machine. The dedicated hard-working volunteers were an integral part of the day and of course the rewards were the smiles of the beautiful children.
Team Bangladesh, 2024
Rotary Club of Dhaka 🇧🇩 and SCAW 🇨🇦