Today I'm based in the MAF office in Dhaka working on a couple of projects and gathering information. We had a meeting this morning which went very well - it was good to be able to share information and ideas face-to-face and understand more fully the work of the MAF programme.
Working in the this particular area of Dhaka does cushion you a little from the difficulties, poverty and challenges facing the majority of those living in Bangladesh.
And so, at lunchtime, it was somewhat of a reality check to take a ride in a rick-shaw - its quite an apt name as they look very rickety, although in reality they're very robust to survive the huge potholes! They're quite an experience in their own right - the seats are very narrow and I held on tight as I kept thinking I was going to fall out every time we hit a pot hole!
Within a couple of minutes we're in a different district and the relatively clean streets turn to pavements covered with piles of rubble and rotting rubbish. There's young children in dirty clothing and no shoes standing on street corners - just inches away from the traffic.
There are many half-finished building projects - grey concrete buildings which are several storeys high, but the buildings have no sides - no protection from the elements ie they're just empty shells with no running water, sanitation etc. But, people are living in them, they have made them 'home'.
So many people have so little, and as I buy my sandwich for lunch (something I take for granted), I can't help but feel so guilty as I wonder how many of the people I've passed today will be able to have a proper meal today, let alone lunch?
