Folk har dårlige dager. Jeg har også dårlige dager. Dager da det er et ork å stå opp fordi du er trøtt og vil sove mer, dager da frokosten tvinges ned og håret lever sitt eget liv mens man fortvilt prøver å fikse litt på fasaden. Allikevel, et program er et program, og på mandag 16. februar stod det at jeg skulle besøke helseprogrammet til KFUK i Notun Bazar. Jeg dro med helseprogramansvarlig og regnskapsføreren (sistnevnte trengtes fordi banglaen min ikke er helt proff enda, og han er god i engelsk), og vi besøkte egentlig litt forskjellige opplegg som kjøres i slumområdet i Notun Bazar. Først prata vi med gratisskolebarn, så besøkte vi ei gravid dame, jeg intervjua til sammen tre barn som går på gratisskolen til KFUK, og så fikk jeg møte ei dame som virkelig har lykkes som medlem av mikrokredittprogrammet.
Det var mange fine opplevelser, men det jeg nok kommer til å huske aller best er gleden og entusiasmen til de barna jeg møtte i slummen. Det er verdens beste medisin mot kjipe dager: å la blikket hvile i deres plirende øyne, høre dem fortelle om hverdagen sin, se dem ta handa mi i begeistring for å vise meg stedet der de vanligvis leiker med vennene sine, og ikke minst høre dem si at de gjerne vil være venner med barna i Norge. Deres liv i slummen er lysår unna det livet de fleste norske barn lever.. De bor bokstavelig talt vegg-i-vegg med flere titalls folk, kloakken flyter åpent i ei renne mellom husveggen og den smale veien som går mellom husene, fluene fester i utildekkede bøtter og boller med mat, alle i familien må sove i den samme harde senga, og hver dag er en liten kamp. Men barn er barn, uansett hvor i verden man er. De leiker med venner, de krangler, de tuller og ler, og de er fulle av en entusiasme ingen kan ta fra dem.
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People have bad days. I also have bad days. Days when getting out of bed is hard because you're tired and want to continue sleeping, days when the breakfast has to be forced down and your hair lives its own life while you desperately try to look like you actually spent some time in front of the mirror this morning. Despite this, a schedule is a schedule, and Monday the 16th of February my schedule said that I was going to visit the health program of YWCA in Notun Bazar. I went with the health program responsible and the accountant (he was needed for his English skills - my Bangla skills are not perfect), and we actually visited several different projects run in the area. The first thing we did was to speak with the free school children, after that we paid a pregnant woman a visit, and then I interviewed three students of the free schoolof YWCA. At last I got to meet a woman who has truly succeeded as a micro finance member.
I had many memorable experiences today. However, what I will remember the most is the joy and enthusiasm I saw in the slum children's faces. It is by far the best medicine for bad days: to look into their shining eyes, hear them talk about their daily lives, watch them grab my hand in exitement to show me the place where they usually play with their friends, and not to mention to hear them say that they want to be friends with the Norwegian children. Their lives in the slum are lightyears apart from the lives that Norwegian children lead.. There is no space between the houses other then the narrow road, the sewage floats thick and greyish between the house walls and the road, the flies feast on the food that is left uncovered in pots and bowls, the whole family share one hard bed, and every day is a small battle. Nevertheless, children are children, no matter where in the world you are, They play with their friends, they quarrel, they joke and laugh, and they are filled with an enthusiasm that nobody can take away from them.
Lovlu, 8 år, spiller klinkekuler med sin beste venn. (Lovlu, 8 years old, is playing with marbles together with his best friend.)
Lovlu og vennen hans. (Lovlu and his friend.)
Jumur, 7 år, hopper paradis. (Jumur, 7 years old, is playing hopscotch.)
Kulsum, 8 år, gjør det samme. (Kulsum, 8 years old, is doing the same.)
Meg sammen med de to bestevenninnene. (Me together with the two best friends.)
Det var mange fine opplevelser, men det jeg nok kommer til å huske aller best er gleden og entusiasmen til de barna jeg møtte i slummen. Det er verdens beste medisin mot kjipe dager: å la blikket hvile i deres plirende øyne, høre dem fortelle om hverdagen sin, se dem ta handa mi i begeistring for å vise meg stedet der de vanligvis leiker med vennene sine, og ikke minst høre dem si at de gjerne vil være venner med barna i Norge. Deres liv i slummen er lysår unna det livet de fleste norske barn lever.. De bor bokstavelig talt vegg-i-vegg med flere titalls folk, kloakken flyter åpent i ei renne mellom husveggen og den smale veien som går mellom husene, fluene fester i utildekkede bøtter og boller med mat, alle i familien må sove i den samme harde senga, og hver dag er en liten kamp. Men barn er barn, uansett hvor i verden man er. De leiker med venner, de krangler, de tuller og ler, og de er fulle av en entusiasme ingen kan ta fra dem.
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People have bad days. I also have bad days. Days when getting out of bed is hard because you're tired and want to continue sleeping, days when the breakfast has to be forced down and your hair lives its own life while you desperately try to look like you actually spent some time in front of the mirror this morning. Despite this, a schedule is a schedule, and Monday the 16th of February my schedule said that I was going to visit the health program of YWCA in Notun Bazar. I went with the health program responsible and the accountant (he was needed for his English skills - my Bangla skills are not perfect), and we actually visited several different projects run in the area. The first thing we did was to speak with the free school children, after that we paid a pregnant woman a visit, and then I interviewed three students of the free schoolof YWCA. At last I got to meet a woman who has truly succeeded as a micro finance member.
I had many memorable experiences today. However, what I will remember the most is the joy and enthusiasm I saw in the slum children's faces. It is by far the best medicine for bad days: to look into their shining eyes, hear them talk about their daily lives, watch them grab my hand in exitement to show me the place where they usually play with their friends, and not to mention to hear them say that they want to be friends with the Norwegian children. Their lives in the slum are lightyears apart from the lives that Norwegian children lead.. There is no space between the houses other then the narrow road, the sewage floats thick and greyish between the house walls and the road, the flies feast on the food that is left uncovered in pots and bowls, the whole family share one hard bed, and every day is a small battle. Nevertheless, children are children, no matter where in the world you are, They play with their friends, they quarrel, they joke and laugh, and they are filled with an enthusiasm that nobody can take away from them.
Nazma, gravid i 7. måned, og datteren Prema på 4 år. (Nazma, 7 months pregnant, and her 4 year old daughter Prema.)
Lovlu, 8 år, spiller klinkekuler med sin beste venn. (Lovlu, 8 years old, is playing with marbles together with his best friend.)
Lovlu og vennen hans. (Lovlu and his friend.)
Jumur, 7 år, hopper paradis. (Jumur, 7 years old, is playing hopscotch.)
Kulsum, 8 år, gjør det samme. (Kulsum, 8 years old, is doing the same.)
Meg sammen med de to bestevenninnene. (Me together with the two best friends.)
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