You need to read to communicate, to follow directions, to take proper medication, and to work. Yet Bangladesh has 48 million people who cannot yet do that. Across the world one in seven adults cannot read. More than 250 million children of school age cannot read. Almost 57 million children are not enrolled in school. The statistics are grim.
So what are we going to do about it? AOB Bangladesh sees the need.
University students fired questions at us: How’d you hear about this place? What led you to come? Exactly what do you do? What do you envision accomplishing through your project? What are the challenges you face? These are questions that everyone asks.
I’m a guest in Bangladesh, visiting my aunt and uncle who work in a variety of AOB projects by Memorial Christian Hospital. I enjoy the people, the scenery, and the food. And yesterday was a wonderful time of immersion in the Bengali culture.
It’s a hot afternoon in MCH’s neo-natal room. New mothers are resting under purring ceiling fans. Newborn babies are sleeping peacefully beside. Grandmothers quietly whisper stories, hopes, and dreams to each other.
“‘We hear them declaring the mighty works of God in our own languages!’ They were all surprised and bewildered. Some asked each other, ‘What does this mean?’” (Acts 2:11-12)
If motion is medicine, as many tell us, then the motion of deep bodyweight squats is powerful medicine. Deep bodyweight squats: DBS. Some call it third-world squats. Some call it strict rock-bottom squats. But whatever the title, physical therapists say it’s a must-do.
In an article in Sports Illustrated (“Going with the Flow”), journalist Lee Jenkins marveled at the Golden State team, the Warriors. Other teams are desperate to win, but the Warriors just like to play. The team has joy on the court that’s producing positive results. Coach and teammates cooperate and respect each other’s skills.
Bangladesh, like all nations, has its set of challenges. Bangladesh’s Development Forum acknowledges that the most effective solution for many of these challenges is to create opportunities for the poor, which will empower them. Consider poor children here. 50% of Bangladeshis are under the age of 15, and millions of these children are growing up in poverty.
It’s a hot afternoon in MCH’s neo-natal room. New mothers are resting under purring ceiling fans. Newborn babies are sleeping peacefully beside. Grandmothers quietly whisper stories, hopes, and dreams to each other. 
Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.
Bangladesh, like all nations, has its set of challenges. Bangladesh’s Development Forum acknowledges that the most effective solution for many of these challenges is to create opportunities for the poor, which will empower them. Consider poor children here. 50% of Bangladeshis are under the age of 15, and millions of these children are growing up in poverty.
