Dhaka, Bangladesh
Posted by pertorkelson | Filed under Bangladesh
Now it feels like I have really entered my daily life in Dhaka, I do daily routines both at work and in private.
Between Sunday-Tuesday (28-30 Oct) I worked the whole days in the office with interviewing Shishu Tori staffs together with Forhad and then I filed the interviews onto the computer. I also worked with polishing the project proposal for the street girls project. One of the days I visited the street children in the Osmani Uddan Park shortly. Another day in the late afternoon when I, Forhad and Kanta left the office it took us a long time, roughly one hour, to get transportation home. Practically no CNGs or rickshaws would take us, so we went with a big bus first just for a few minutes and then we got two rickshaws home. Speaking of the big buses, they are extremely dangerous in the traffic. The bus drivers drive fast and in a way that they think they’re kings of the roads. Complete careless driving. It’s been close for me getting hit a lot times, it doesn’t matter if I’m sitting on rickshaw or walking, I have to be on guard the whole time so my arms or legs doesn’t get hit by a bus.
On Wednesday, two days ago, we started with interviewing street girls. We went to Kamlapur Railway Station where Forhad, Popy and I interviewed five street girls; Beuty, Sherin, Shilpy, Mala and Lucky. All of them are in the classes in the School Under the Sky. We are using 15 questions that we are asking the street girls, for us to get a picture of their life situations. It was very interesting to interview the street girls and hear their stories; they are all living under big pressures in life. When we asked one of the girls; “what do you need at the moment?” Then she answered; “I need love and care”. That’s one of the biggest problems for children all over the world; innocent children are brought to this world and then completely abandoned by their parents. It’s pure egoistic behavior from the parents. So when I hear how some street girls here are having abortions, even if it’s illegal, it makes me very happy as these street girls are the really clever and caring persons. They understand very well that they can’t put a child to this earth when they even can’t take care or cater for themselves.
Yesterday I filed the interviews onto the computer in the Shishu Tori office that we conducted the previous day. Once again Forhad and I returned to the Kamlapur Railway Station to continue interviewing street girls. We interviewed six street girls; Mina, Kadija, Shova, Onjona, Hashara and Akter Bakul. Most of these girls were older than the girls the day before, so their life stories were different.
Kadija was telling us about how she used to be a sex worker, with up to ten “customers” daily. When she was 13 years old, she was sexually abused and got pregnant, today she has a 5 years old daughter. She has stopped working as a sex worker and she is not able to earn any income right now, instead she receives some money from a person she refers to as “brother”. She told us that all she wants to have in the future is a “safe place where she can be with her daughter”, she told us “in any room”.
Another street girl we interviewed was Shova, who is 16 years old. She is now working as a prostitute. She told us that she has up to 12 male “customers” a day. She can earn up to 500 Bangladeshi Taka, which is approximately 7 USD for having sex with 12 men in one day. She also told us how a boy is physically abusing her and then she was pointing on a guy on the other side of the railway platform.
Next street girl we interviewed was Onjona, she also used to be a sex worker, but she only worked as a prostitute for a few months. She talked about how inhumane the live is for them in the streets and it’s easy to understand as the railway platforms are filled with street people; drug addicts, alcoholics and policemen who are torturing the street girls. While Forhad and I were interviewing Onjona there was a big fight about 75-100 meters away from us; it was 4-5 girls around 25 years old fighting with each other, pulling each other’s hairs. Around them there maybe 50 people watching the spectacle and then the policeman came trying to break up the fight. All these kinds of things happen the whole time and with all these people around it’s no wonder that Onjona answered to our question; “what do you want be in the future?”…she said straight out; “I want to be in a beautiful place”. It’s almost unimaginable for me to understand how these street girls really are suffering. Onjona also showed me how her arms were filled with scars from beating, a lot of times by her boyfriend.
The last girl we interviewed yesterday was Akter Bakul (16 years old), she was really emotional in the way she was expressing herself. She also talked about how she has been working as a sex worker and how the police disturb and torture her and other street children. At the end of the interview she started crying, looked into my eyes and said to me; “you are our father, we believe in you to help us and take us to a safe place”. What she said once again reminded me of why I have the passion and devotion to meet street children, listen to them and try to do my best to improve their life situations. When I got home last night I was mentally exhausted after work. Being out in the street is not just work, there are people everywhere who want my attention and want to interact with me, I love being in the streets and getting new experiences everyday, but I also get tired.
Time goes by fast, I have now been in Bangladesh for one month. I’m in Bangladesh! Crazy thought.
7 Responses to “Dhaka, Bangladesh”
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Mattis Spansk Says:
November 6th, 2007 at 7:55 pmwell mr Torkelson!
as u u´r self wrote on the 25 th of october. u´r stories r a really good reminder of our perfect lives. also about how spoiled u easily get when u´r life is treating u well. at the same time a very important remainder how the majority of the people are doing in the world today at the end of the year of 2007!!??
take care man!
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Anna Bradley Says:
November 8th, 2007 at 8:16 amHi Per,
I am in Santa Barbara with Ella. We took off till the end of the Year, and Rob will join us in early December. I was thinking about you today when we drove past where we had lunch for Ella’s baptism. I am very happy to be here for the time, as it sounds you are doing well there.I am very glad you and those you meet are getting so much satisfaction from your work.
Keep healthy.
We love you…
The Bradleys and Baileys -
Henrik Hansen Says:
November 11th, 2007 at 9:20 pmHey Erik!
You are in my mind up here in cold Sweden. Your stories are intriguing as always.
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Christine De Salvatore Says:
November 17th, 2007 at 7:11 pmHej Per!
Har hört om det fruktansvärda ovädret i Bangladesh och hoppas allt är väl med dig. Vad jag förstått har det krävts ett stort antal liv i bl.a Dhaka, och jag tror att du och den organisation du arbetar för har fullt upp med att hjälpa till.
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Birgitta T Says:
November 17th, 2007 at 10:48 pmHej Per!
Hjärtligt tack för kort från Dhaka. Du är så vänlig och tänker på “gamla släktingar”. Vi har läst Din rapport från nov och sett bilder på flickorna som Du intervjuat. Det är ett hårt liv de lever. Här lever vi ett liv i lyx jämfört med de människor som Du möter i Ditt arbete. Vi har sett på TV om det hemska ovädret i Bangladesh, hoppas att allt är väl hos Dig. Förberedelserna inför julen pågår för fullt i affärerna. Snart skall jag börja baka lussekatter, jag hade gärna bakat även till Dig, det får bli en annan jul. Jag ringde just upp Din mormor och vi hade som vanligt ett trevligt telefonsamtal. Allt var OK hos dem. René hälsar. Kramar från Birgitta. -
Crash Says:
November 18th, 2007 at 2:59 amHej Per!
Sorry for being sloppy writing you…
I just read about the tornado that devastated Bangladesh… I hope very much that you are alright!! As I have read, the tornado caused 11 deaths even in Dhaka, although it is so far from the coast.
I read your posts here - it really got to me what you wrote about these girls’ lifes. I have a lot of respect for you doing that kind of work. I really see how much it means to you and how serious you take it.
Hope to hear from you!Greeting,
Yours Crash
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Mabrur Ahmed Says:
November 20th, 2007 at 5:40 pmHi,
I have recently opened up a not for profit organisation here in the UK, and our first awareness and fund raising campaign is for street children in Dhaka. It is so inspiring to read some of your posts here and the work that Shishu Tori is doing. I will be coming to Dhaka in December to film a documentry which I will then use to raise awareness in the UK. I have been trying to get into touch with Shishu Tori but have been unable to do so as yet. I hope that you are well and that you continue your work in good spirits. I would also like to invite you to our organisation, with a warm invitation to our even which we will host in February 2008. Also, perhaps, you could pass on my details to Niluafar and perhaps, I will meet you when I am in Dhaka towards the end of December
Best regards,
Mabrur