A HELPING HAND TO THE FISHERMEN FAMILIES AFFECTED BY THE CYCLONE SIDR - IBC IN BANGLADESH
 

After the Cyclone Sidr which affected massively the South of Bangladesh, IBC - International Blue Crescent has supported a number of 725 families in Borobogi Union / Barguna District / Barisal Division with food and non food items.

Presently, IBC is implementing a fishermen support project for the most vulnerable families in the same area, by constructing and providing fishing boats to restore the affected households. Alongside, a hygiene promotion activity will start being implemented by our local partners, targeting all age / gender groups at villages' level.

Beneficiaries during the boat distribution ceremony.

One of beneficiaries receiving his boat .


The fishing boats of the project started to be built in an open air "workshop" on the shore of the Nilganj (in transl. Blue Place) / Undhermanik (transl. Dark jewel) river. The carpenters are from the village and they are building our wooden fishing boats of 25 ft length x 6 ft wide. The work is supervised by a master carpenter and by the direct beneficiaries themselves, making sure - in this way - that the boats will be built by the craftsmen at the best quality. The boats are made of good quality chambal wood and rain tree, water resistant and possible to use up to 2 years without any need of repairs.

The villages targeted in this project are ones of the most isolated in the area, due to the fact that the access is mostly accessible by boats, the narrow path on the shore being in very limited use. The families to be supported used to make up to 500 Taka / day (7 to 8 Dollars) before the Cyclone, while presently the gain ranges only between 50 to 70 Taka (50 cents to 1 Dollar or 1.5 Dollars) a day.

One of the beneficiary families is that of Joynal who used to live with his immediate family on the shore of the river, being a fisherman. His household (house made of CGI sheets, some chicken that his wife was taking care of and other few belongings) was washed away during the Cyclone and the only things he could recuperate were some pieces of timber from his shelter and his boat, some CGI sheets and pieces of his fishing nets that he uses now to catch fish on the shore of the river. Because the piece of land he had his shelter on before the Cyclone is caved by the waters and stiffed with mud, he put his hut on the small plot of land owned by his old father for cultivation of paddy. Joynal lives with his wife, his 7 children and his old father. The crops have been destroyed by the salty waters brought in by the Cyclone from the sea. They survive presently from the fish they catch in the river just by entering the water with a net in their hands and from the monthly ratio of rice.

A new boat and hopes for revival increasing

 

 
Added: 02/05/2008