I am not writing here anymore!

Dear readers and followers,

I am no longer managing this blog. My recent writings can be found on my personal website:
http://www.manojbhusal.net

Thank you,

Manoj

Follow your destiny

Follow your destiny,

Water your plants,

Love your roses.

The rest is shadow

Of unknown trees.

Reality is always

More or less

Than what we want.

Only we are always

Equal to ourselves.

It’s good to live alone,

And noble and great

Always to live simply.

Leave pain on the altar

As an offering to the gods.

See life from a distance.

Never question it.

There’s nothing it can

Tell you. The answer

Lies beyond the Gods.

But quietly imitate

Olympus in your heart.

The gods are gods

Because they don’t think

About what they are.

By the way, where are you based in?

At the moment, I’m in Bangladesh. More accurately in northern Bangladesh. This land is amazing, there is no doubt about it. People are amazing; the food is amazing, everything is amazing except a few things that I’ll write some day later.

Anyway, like my own country Nepal, I saw that Bangladesh also is an NGO bazaar, which means a million non-governmental organizations working for the people, doing small and big miracles everyday and trying to reach the Millennium Development Goals very soon, and God knows what else more!

So far so good. But the problem begins when you find yourself, an undergraduate toddler, caught up into an NGO net and don’t understand the language they, the NGO people, speak. Can you imagine? It happened with me, and is still happening!

I’m working with one of the oldest and biggest and most reputed NGOs in Bangladesh which employs more than five thousand people and has hundreds of programmes in thousands of villages. My supervisor, research assistant and guides and all those people are nice and cooperative and it’s not difficult to understand what they speak and do and think, but I’m in trouble when I have to sit and talk and eat with other ‘big’ people, Bangladeshi and foreigners, in Rangpur, the NGO’s headquarters.

They never ask you where you are from. Instead, they ask, ‘where are you based in?’ NGOs are not interested in where you were born and attended primary school and had your first crush, but they want to know your present, the very moment what the hell you are doing and where. About a month ago, for the first time, one Toronto-based guy and another London-based lady asked me this question and since then more than a dozen people have asked the same question in the same manner. For the first time, it was kind of difficult to figure out what to answer. I was surrounded by the people who were ‘based in’ big cities like London, California, Toronto and Calcutta, but where I was based in? In fact, I’m based in Järvenpää. That’s the truth, but I don’t know why, I feel kind of shy to say, ‘I’m based in Järvenpää’. I know nobody knows about it, but still... Then can I say I’m based in Finland? No…cause people are mentioning the cities they are based in. I figure out instantly, one can be based in a city, not in a country. Then I think a bit and say, ‘Well, I’m based in Helsinki.’ ‘Oh, interesting!’ they say, I give a smile and my heartbeat rises for a moment.

‘Järvenpää is also a part of greater Helsinki,’ I think and console myself and move forward to the discussion.

Then exactly the opposite happens when you move down to the ground. When I’m in villages talking with ordinary, often very poor and illiterate, people and meeting small kids in schools, I encounter a completely different sets of questions. They are not interested so to say where I’m based in or what I’m studying or what’s the subject area of my dissertation. They start with where is my home. Yes, I like that sort of solid questions. They continue asking, where is my home, how many family members I have, what my parents and siblings do, why I came to Bangladesh, What is good and bad about this country, whether I’m married or not and so on. I don’t need to think twice about these questions, I answer them all in a second and think, ye huyi na baat!

Another problem with NGOs is that they are riddled with abbreviations. It takes ages to fully understand what those abbreviations really stand for. When I interview serious NGO workers, let’s say about their recent work (they call it intervention, by the way) it’s very likely that they would answer me something like this.

“RSRS is implementing the VGEPNB project which is an RBA funded by DCA.”

Can you make a sense out of this? I can’t.

Then you ask for an explanation and finally know the following things.

RSRS: Rangpur Saidpur Rural Service

VGEPNB: Vulnerable Group Empowerment Project in Northern Bangladesh

RBA: Rights based approach

DCA: Danish Church Aid

NGOs you are awesome!

Meeting Sodiful and Ratna again

On the 1st of November, I again travelled to Panchagarh, the northernmost and very disadvantaged place in Bangladesh, where many people were eagerly waiting me. Youths of Hari-Bhasa union federation were waiting me to begin their community media workshop and guys at Tetulia were excitedly waiting to take me to an amazing (though very tiresome) tour to the Indo-Bangla tea garden, Banglabandha trade point and show me the Nepalese mountains from there.

However, most importantly, there were two kids who were waiting me not excitingly, but rather desperately. Sodiful and Ratna knew that they were going to get help to save their mother, but they didn’t know exactly when the help was coming. Our plan was to handover the money already before one week, but due to delay in bank-transfer and my hectic schedule in another district, we made it possible only on the 2nd of November.

Mr Hasinur told me that instead of going to Phuljan’s home, we were going to a Federation office where a kind of formal programme was organized to handover the money. I personally didn’t like the idea that much, but still I didn’t interfere with the plan they had already made. Hasinur also told me on the way that Phuljan’s case had already been exposed in the local area and people from the Union Federation, schools and NGOs were also about to attend the programme.

All people were waiting us when we reached the place. We asked Phuljan about her recent health condition and talked with the kids too. The federation chairman Saidur Rahman delivered a short speech and conveyed his and his community’s thanks to the money contributors. After that, I handed over the money to Phuljan (total 16186.00Tk). They had also prepared an acknowledgement letter and handed over that to me. We also discussed about the next step they have to take and formed a group that’s going to help Phuljan for her treatment so that the kids don’t need to take stress. The group consists of a retired and renowned local teacher named Saiful Islam, a community health worker Hafizul Islam and a lady volunteer working for the union federation.

Finally we took some photographs and I talked with other participants as well. Before we left, Phuljan cried and asked me to convey her huge thanks to those who have helped her and her family. I assured that I would definitely do that. We told the kids to study properly and not to leave school. But just before we were leaving, to my utter surprise, Sodiful came to shake hands with me and hugged me. This incident nearly made me cry.

Thanks to the BIG hearts!

I sincerely thank all of my friends, my blog readers and all the wonderful and generous people who responded our appeal and contributed for Phuljan’s treatment, ultimately giving a new life to that family and offering new prospect to the two little kids who were striving hard to find a treatment possibility for their ailing mother.

So far we have collected 171 Euros which is already 21 Euros more than the minimum amount needed for her treatment. It is, of course, very good that we have been able to raise little extra amount which will be of immense use for the family. For the sake of transparency, the contributors’ name and the amount donated have been mentioned below:

Silver Lining Creation (Charity fund) - €55.00

RISTO IMPONEN: €30.00

MD MIAH (& friends): €25.00

Veli-Matti Vähäkivijärvi: €25.00

KOKKONEN TIINA: €15.00

SARAJÄRVI ANNE ELISA: €10.00

MR. MANOJ BARTAULA: €6.00

JOHANSSON MARIA: €5.00

Total: €171.00 (Equivalent to 17100 Tk)

As the family doesn’t have any bank account, the money has already been transferred to Mr Hasinur Rahman’s local bank account and it will take upto a week to be deposited into the account. Currently I am doing a research fieldwork in another part of Bangladesh (in Kurigram) which is almost 5 hours drive from the village of that family. However, I am in contact with Mr Hasinur who is working in that particular area. The family has been already informed that they are going to receive financial assistance for Phuljan’s treatment and, reportedly, the news was a very pleasant surprise for them. Consultation with the doctors is going to be start soon.

On the first of November, I am going to visit that family and the money we have raised will be provided to the family on the same day. There will be local representatives, NGO workers and at least one community health worker present during the handover and, afterwards, we are planning that we will form a treatment assistance committee so that the family can receive other support during the treatment process and facilitate post-operation care as well.

I once again thank all of you who provided the money on time and made this charity possible. I understand that raising money is not an easy task, but due to generous people like you it has been possible. One of the donors donated all the money she had in her account just leaving 0.40 cents in there. Some people could not donate money, but gave us solidarity by sending messages and joining the facebook group. Some even went on to say that they burst into tears after reading the story on my blog and informed that they have been praying for the family. All these meant a lot to us.

Please note that we have formally closed donation request for this case now, so, now onwards don’t send any amount without properly contacting us in advance. All bank account information provided earlier has been removed not to make confusion. However, once again BIG THANKS to all of you and I will be available with further updates after November the 1st. Good luck to all of you!

Help Sodifur and Ratna to save their mother!

I’m not a journalist, but sometimes you confront situations where you cannot stay without reporting or letting know others what you have seen and experienced.

Yesterday, in very northern part of Bangladesh, near Indian-Bangladesh border, in an area called Panchagarh, I met a 12 years old girl in a regular microfinance group meeting that microfinance institutions organize to collect loan repayment from their client. The girl was there to represent her mother and, not having any money to pay, she was there to request for a deferment of the payback schedule.

I was surprised by the presence of such a little girl in that meeting of the oldies. Through the help of my translator, I asked her that why she was there instead of her mother. She briefly replied, “She is sick.” The girl did not say anything more. She swabbed her dry leaps and moved away from there. When she was already gone, the other women told us about the family of that girl and the difficulties they are having after their father died nine months ago and, to worst, the only guardian they have left, their mother, is also suffering from cancer.

I explained the situation to the programme manager of that area from the NGO I’m working with. He, Mr. Hasinur, a very compassionate personal, agreed to visit the family with me and have more detailed information of the problem. This morning we took a motorbike and went to visit the family to their home.

In a corner of a village, we reached a little home made of straws. We saw that yesterday’s little girl in front of her house. After cooking some porridge for her ailing mother, she was getting prepared to go to school. Her fourteen years brother Sodiful, had already left home early in the morning, as usual, to work as a laborer somewhere in the city.

Till two years ago, Phuljan Rahman, 35, had a happy family. They had always been poor, but things were getting better as her husband, Abdul, was a laborious man. They had two kids who used to go to school; they owned a house, a little land, a cow and a couple of goats. Their little happy world started crumbling down when Abdul was diagnosed of brain cancer two years ago. They did everything possible to save him. They sold all of their lands, the house, cattle everything. They got help from a few (poor) relatives they had, the neighbors raised fund and she got some loan from microfinance companies. From all those activities they collected almost 150000 Tk (1500 Euros) and all money was spent for Abdul’s unsuccessful treatment.

After her husband’s death, Phuljan herself started working as a laborer, but kids continued to go to school. However, after few months, she herself became sick. When she went to the doctor, she got a reply that she has a cancerous tumor inside her stomach and that should be removed as early as possible. This was, obviously, another big shock to the family.

Phuljan tried her best to get some money for her treatment, but it wasn’t possible. All the assets of the family had been sold for her husband’s treatment and nobody gives her loan because she is not credit-worthy anymore. Neighbors and relatives also turn their head and don’t want to keep contact with her. Government has categorized her as a ‘vulnerable poor’ and all what she gets from the government is a few kgs of wheat grains every month. There isn’t any free medical help available. Fourteen years old Sodiful left his school and started working as a laborer hoping that he will be able to save little by little from his earning and one day will be able to treat her mother. His earning is so low (50-60 cents/day) that his dream is almost impossible to achieve.

Many of Phuljan’s dreams have already been shattered, but still she has one dream left. She wants to survive not for herself, but for her kids’ future. She wants to get cured, start working as a laborer and wants Sodiful back to school again.

After listening to Phuljan’s stories for almost two hours, I didn’t know what to tell and how to respond. I was completely shocked and swayed away by emotions. I have seen poverty, sufferings, hunger, death of a parent and so on, but I had never seen such a situation where after the death of a father, mother is waiting to die and two kids are struggling to meet their ends and there is absolutely no external help available. There are many sad stories in the developing world, but Phuljan’s story is identical to a horrifying chapter of a tragic novel.

Afterwards, we talked about the possible costs that would need for her treatment. She had already consulted a government hospital which was ready to give some discounts because she was categorized as hard-core poor, but anyhow, she needed to deposit 10000 Tk as an operation cost and for medicines and post-operation care, she needs at least 5000 Tk. Altogether what they need is 15000 Tk which is equivalent to 150 Euros only.

We didn’t promise anything to her, but said to her that if any help is available we will let her know. We returned to our guest house. Hasinur was also very sad. He didn’t speak that much. I could see that he is a generous man, but he also can’t do anything. The amount needed is almost equivalent to his two months salary and he has his own family to support.

We talked again about that case. We thought of various local possibilities, but nothing seemed viable. There are NGOs in every street and corner, but what they mostly do is huge seminars and big parties in star hotels. Phuljan has been the client of four microfinance NGOs for more than a decade, but now what she is getting from them is constant reminder notes and messages to ‘repay her loan as soon as possible’.

I had one option with me. The option is my friends- my friends on facebook and my friends from school. I talked to Hasinur that I can at least try once requesting my friends and if they show little generosity we will be able to collect 150 Euros within few days. If my friends skip one McDonald food or drink less beer this weekend or cut their ice-cream intake for a day, it will be possible. And I have belief on my friends that they will try their best to give a mother to already orphaned kids and give a new life to a mother who wants to survive for the future of her kids.

I sincerely request all of my friends and readers of this article to contribute as much as you can and save this family from being collapse. You can donate 1,2,5,10, 20 Euros or as much as you can.

If you have a European or American bank account, in order to minimize transfer cost, you can make a donation either by paypal or by bank transfer. (PLEASE NOTE THAT WE HAVE RAISED THE AMOUNT NEEDED FOR HER TREATMENT SO TO AVOID CONFUSION BANKING INFORMATION HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THIS BLOG, IF YOU NEED FURTHER INFORMATION YOU CAN REACH US BY EMAIL OR PHONE MENTIONED BELOW- THANKS FOR YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE AND SUPPORT FOR A HUMANITARIAN CAUSE)

Please write Phuljan’s treatment on reference or message section. And please send a message to me after you make a donation or just before you are making a donation. If you are not in a condition to make a donation at the moment due to some reasons, for instance, you are away from your home and you don’t have banking cards with you, it is also possible that you can make the donation later, but you should confirm the amount you want to donate. We will count you in and arrange money to temporarily substitute your donation.

In Finland, it’s also possible to submit your donation to Mr Sudip Joshi, Diak-Järvenpää, Phone: +358442089009

If you are in Asia pacific or the Middle East, you can send your donation directly to the following account,

Please be sure that the money that you will donate will be spent on the cause which has been mentioned and all the donors will get proper proof that the money they have donated has been delivered to the above mentioned beneficiary (Phuljan) and for her treatment.

For more information contact:

Manoj Bhusal in Bangladesh +8801716266650, email: manoj.bhusal@student.diak.fi or

Mr Hasinur Rahman +8801730328056, hasinur.rdrs@yahoo.com

We hope that you will try your best to prevent a family from being collapse and give a new future to two little kids who are far far from you in a rural Bengali village, but equally love their mom as well all do.

Thank you,

Your friend,

Manoj Bhusal

from Rangpur, Bangladesh

(13 Oct. 2009)

Meeting the BIG dreamers!

This week I went to a very remote island village of northern Bangladesh. I have been in villages here in Rangpur and Thakurgaon also, but they are in fact, not that much like a village. They have electricity, access to road, hospital, school etc. However, the Brahmaputra island area (known locally as Char) has many villages which are not only remote from the mainland Bangladesh, but also most disadvantaged and neglected from the so called mainland and the regime in Dhaka.

Government is scarcely present in the region. There are virtually no government services. No schools, no clinic, nothing. And this region is the home for eight hundred thousand people.

Some NGOs are working there and providing services to the people. An integrated development project called Char Development Programme (CLP) is underway and we were visiting the place to get to know about their services and programmes they are running.

Finally, we went to a school run by the local community. There were almost 30-40 students in a class. They were energetic and smart, but were badly hit by poverty and destitution like some other children in South Asia and Africa. They sang song for us, they performed an amazingly good parade and danced as well. We introduced ourselves and in turn they also introduced themselves. While they were introducing, we asked them as to what they wanted to be in the future. Most of them wanted to big engineers, the rest chose doctor, teacher, pilot, army and so on.

I really wish that these dreamers will be able to achieve their dreams. If conditions are favorable, what they are dreaming is not impossible. However, if pace of reform and progress remains like this, most of them, sadly, will end up being rickshaw pullers, laborers,petty farmers or some of them will be swept away by river which runs madly just few meters far from their homes.

It is not only a challenge of Bangladesh, but many countries in the global south will have to think and work seriously to reduce poverty from the region and offer more opportunities to their people.


The visit was kind of reflection of my childhood for me. I was lucky to be relatively well off than those kids, but I also have the same experience of studying in a small room with too many kids with insufficient study materials and infrastructure and so on.

I personally donated some money to the school so that those kids will be able to get some educational materials at least for some time. Briefly speaking, I also told them about some similarities between their life and my childhood and told them to study hard despite all unfavorable conditions they have.


They gave a long applause and said us bye bye. I'm back from that village and preparing for another field work, but those little kids are still running in my mind.