Just because my trip is ending doesn’t mean the problems go away

There was a time that the people of Bangladesh fought to make Bangla their national language. In fact, students died for it. Imagine that, the power of the spoken and the written word that you would risk your life for it? It was nearly 20 years later the country would gain its independence and since that time it has struggled to move forward in the areas of education, health care and equal rights. But, hope is here too, and with the combination of hope, grit and resourcefulness this country is making strides. It makes me wonder about my time spent here and how much there is left to do. It makes me think about the Rohingya and how they have no land or written language to even fight for, nomads for so long they’ve not known where they belong. I watched the news today in horror of what is happening in Syria. So many people in this world are suffering and I know we cannot save them all but in places like Bangladesh and Syria and so many other countries where poor people are in peril, I do personally believe that the International community has a responsibility to help.

Human beings cannot live in these conditions forever. It cannot be that the world waits for Bangladesh to take control as they themselves are trying to manage the overwhelming poverty that already exists. The world cannot wait for Myanmar to repatriate because let’s be honest they will not return. And in watching CNN this morning—it seems many agree. 

So where does the responsibility fall? I am not quite sure but the discussion on the news was that this could be a good task for the UN, creating a protected area of land wherein a whole separate economy and infrastructure can be built. The solution is still a long ways away and in the meantime the clinics I have visited and worked with are running out of medications and supplies as the number of Rohingya patients grow. 

The OBAT helpers clinic, pictured above has had a “record breaking” number of patients every day. The clinic is deep in one of the camps, where volunteers are hiking back and forth daily to help. Their daily number of patients is increasing faster than supplies can be refreshed. This is one of the sites donations will be sent once the GOFUNDME campaign is closed. 

As my trip comes to an end I wonder how I can continue to give back while back in the states: fundraising efforts, staying in contact to help with any educational needs, and spreading the word!