Bangladesh recap

Bangladesh: just what the doctor ordered.

Chai and conversations

Saalam Aleikum, madam. Chai? (Hello, madam. Chai?)

Aleikum saalam. Haanji, babu. Dhonnawad. (Returns greetings. Yes, babu. thank you).

What is it about this brown milky stuff that brings so much joy to my little heart? Currently sipping a tiny cup (why..oh..why are the cups so small here?), listening to my favourite desi music, the honking of cars outside and the newspaper-wallah calling out his wares. And reflecting on the past few days of my time in Bangladesh. Wish I could show you pictorially what I've seen and experienced - but alas left my camera cord back in Washington, DC - so pictures will have wait.

The purpose of my visit was to co-facilitate a workshop to design a maternal and child health program in one of the poorest and cyclone-prone parts of Bangladesh. The workshop itself went well. Was super nervous about it (especially since i hate speaking publicly). But I've learnt a lot. What to do better next time.

Our teams here are amazing, I have to say. Our staff-members who do the bulk of the work that we in the US write up/theorize/politicize about have to get all the credit for the success of anything my organization does. Every time I visit the 'field', I am always blessed to meet some of the most down-to-earth hard-working people. With little to no sense of 'self-importance', they go about their daily lives in the bustling chaos that is Bangladesh. Such a refreshing break from Washington, DC!!

Anyways, it's been busy time. Between the hotel and the office and the hotel in preparing/leading the workshop, I haven't had much time to do much outside. But drink chai and converse with our staff to learn about Bideshi life. (insert content smile)

Here's some things I've learnt:

History of Bangladesh: I did some reading on the plane ride here to learn a bit about this country that earned its independence from Pakistan (yes, Pakistan owned this bit of the land from across India) in 1972. Lots of turmoil and restructuring has taken place since. But the spirit of the Bideshi people isn't broken.

Floods/cyclones: the country gets an annual spot in world headlines with all the natural calamities it faces. From yearly flooding via rivers from the Himalayas, and the cyclones from the Bay of Bengal to the shifting land masses whenever the flood-waters recedes. When I sympathized, 'wow - this must be difficult to face on a yearly basis', I was reminded of the positive spirit. 'No, madam. The annual flooding is a gift, otherwise without the rich silt-filled soil, how would we sustain our agricultural production?' (this coming from a man who'd lost his home in floods)

Migration: My flight from Dubai to Dhaka was one full of education for me! The flight was 98% full of casual laborers from the UAE. I was asked to assist in filling the arrival forms as they were not english-literate. Via faltering sentences (they spoke Bangla and I spoke Hindi), they explained to me, how without the benefit of natural resources, and a burgeoning population, they leave their wives and children to go find work with Chinese companies in the Middle East. 'And madam, we are the fortunate ones. Most Bideshi people in rural areas don't have that opportunity'. Becoming a rickshaw-wallah or a casual construction worker in Dhaka or Chittagong (the two largest cities) is often the next best option. As I turned the pages of countless passports, filled arrival forms for these men and asked questions about goods for the customs form, I couldn't help but notice the looks and sounds of joy as they all talked about the 'goods' they were bringing for their families and excitement at going home.

All in all, this country has captured a small piece of my heart. People are kind. They work hard. In the face of so much hustle and bustle, there's always a smile and an open heart. Such a great reminder to count my blessings. We who have much will be accountable for much.

Back on the Indian sub-continent!

Feb 5th 2010 - I left India. Feb 5th 2012 - I landed in Bangladesh. Two years is a considerable amount of time, some might say. But really it feels like yesterday.

The honking of horns. The dodging of traffic. The being woken up by the call of prayers at a nearby mosque. The countless cups of chai delivered to my desk. The are-you-married-madam-questions. Really - it feels like yesterday.

The trip to Bangladesh is very different from my trip to India two years ago. I was much younger. Much more willing to take risks. Much more scared about life and all it's uncertainties. Can't say I've grown up a ton - still a kid at heart. But things are different, for sure.

For one - I'm not fresh out of grad school at my first real-international-development job. Secondly, I'm not uprooting my whole life to move overseas - a short 2-week stint - while still nerve-racking for the accompanying deliverables - is much more doable.

Anyways - enough of the reflective-mood-type post. Below are some memorable moments during my trip and first 24 hours in Bangladesh:

• Extremely jet-lag after the first leg of flight led to my settling down into a comfy chair and falling into intermittent bouts of deep sleep while on my layover in Dubai. At one point, I dreamt that I missed my flight and had to call my friend D to come get me. Was a weird dream of half being in Mombasa with people we both know, and half being lost in the desert. Woke up just in time to see last group of people boarding. Talk about 'aiy yai yai'.
• Day 1 breakfast conversation at my hotel with server: "good morning madam". [insert small talk with server] [insert..time taken to eat breakfast] [insert time taken to walk back up to room] [insert skype conversation with family] [insert time taken to get ready for first day at work in a new country] [insert phone ringing]. "good morning, madam. I hope I not disturbing you. I vas calling because you are nice person. I am on night duty, madam. I will not be seeing you maybe so I wanted to tell you that you are nice woman] [insert awkward silence]. (thought in Devina's head: 'Is he hitting on me? the ONE man that i chose to make eye-contact with and talk to') [nervous laughter] [continued awkward silence..]. The end.
• The most interesting conversation with ex-military person whose served in the Bangladeshi army in Ethiopia, Uganda and Mozambique. Conversations and chai. Stuff that life is made of. :)
• The realization that I'm not in India: there are no COWS walking on the streets in Dhaka! Man, I miss those four-legged creatures taking up valuable road space.

More later. The adventures continue. Off to my biryani dinner. :)

Musicka - Watoto's Children's choir

So beautiful to praise God in so many languages!

Famine No More

Several thousand died ten years ago today, and our world was shaken. Today hunger is stalking 12.4 million people across the Horn of Africa.

Are we being shaken?

If I could change the world..

Every day humanitarian aid workers help millions of people around the world. The day recognizes the sacrifices and contributions of those who risk their lives to give others help and hope. It is also about inspiring the spirit of aid work in everyone.

Love is really what it's about. Showing love in tangible ways to the most vulnerable and marginalized amongst us is not easy. It requires sacrifice and getting outside our comfort zone. It can mean being misunderstood and disenfranchised. But that which we do for the least is also what we do for God.

To all the incredible people I've had the pleasure of meeting since starting on this journey, happy humanitarian day! I am blessed by the efforts of my team-mates, colleagues and former classmates and friends. May we never forget what a privilege it is to live this life as we do.

Moving again

photo credit: marydoughtery.net

Moving again. For the 11th time in 10 years.

Sometimes I wonder when the constant motion in my life will end. Don't get me wrong - I have loved my life. I'm SO thankful for all the experiences - good and bad - that my little heart has gone through. But I'm SO done with packing/rearranging and starting over! I wish all my peeps were all in one zip-code. Or how about one time-zone?

All the exhilaration and the newness of things inevitably gives way to the familiar. And my eyes always scans for the familiar - even in the midst of so much unknown.

And I'm grateful to have a life where I have experienced what I have: several international and domestic moves, friendship, loss, joy, love, grief, uncertainty, comfort, beauty, sadness. Through all this, all the wonderful people I've met who have taught me so much!

Part of me is always scared with every new step I've taken. And another part of me always says, 'Do it Devina, take that step. If you don't, you'll always wonder'. I think I get this spunky part from my amazing mother, who has taught me so much!

So - here I am. Taking yet another step in the unknown and about to start a new life.

At least this time, it's not completely unknown. I'm moving back to Washington, DC, where I lived for a short 6-months last year. For a new job that I'm so excited about! Doing work that I feel called to do. With an organization whose mission I believe in.

Seriously?! Who'd have thunk? Me - a simple girl from Mombasa, Kenya would be here? If you had told me back in Kenya that I would be here - a masters-degree doing work that fulfills the calling that God has placed in my life - I would have laughed at you!

This simply gives me so much hope for other areas of my life where I'm still waiting. My Lord is a giver of good things! He has provided for me beyond measure, and He will continue to be faithful. So, in-spite of the uncertainty and potential nuttiness that life will bring in next months as I acclimate back to our nation's capital, thankfulness is still the song I'm singing!

5 ways to listen better

Evangelicals without Blowhards

Christian evangelicalism has been given a bad name, but there’s a strain that is extraordinarily generous and compassionate.

In this article, popular writer and journalist Nick Kristoff argues that religious people and secular people alike do fantastic work on humanitarian issues — but they often don’t work together because of mutual suspicions.

If we could bridge this “God gulf,” we would make far more progress on the world’s ills.

Africa is on my mind..

His Timing for my Good

God's provision comes in His timing - not based on our need, but for His glory.

Sometimes, it is simply for us to acknowledge His ability and our own inability. Sometimes it is to fulfill a grander plan that we cannot see or understand. Sometimes it is simply for us to be 'yanked back to Him'. Either way - waiting is good for the soul. Produces perseverance.

Who said faith was for weaklings?

It's just You and Me.

Faith is not a notion of the mind. It is the commitment of the heart..

President Sirleaf’s Ambition for Liberia: Aid-Free in a Decade

Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf—the first elected female head of state in Africa— spoke at an event hosted by CGD. President Sirleaf set a hugely ambitious goal of being aid-free within ten years. Gives me so much hope for Liberia and other countries in the fatherland.

What do I of Holy?

Love your God with all your heart, mind and soul.

Really. What do of Him who brought me into existence? How do I love Him who has loved with a perfect love? Not as man loves..but a holy pure love. What do I even know about the slightest hint of Him? The God who gave life it's name.. What do know of Him who is Holy?

10 years. 10 homes.

Boy, do I relate to this!

Family Planning Reduces Abortions – And Faith-Based Groups Can Help!

Many Christians around the world are concerned about abortion. But the facts linking the availability of family planning with a reduction in abortions is little understood.

A 2008 survey conducted by Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH) showed that there is tremendous support for international family planning programs among Christian faith-based organizations and Christian individuals.

This new CCIH publication helps to provide more information on the connections between family planning and abortion, and what the faith community can do to mitigate abortions worldwide!

Gratefulness..

The song of gratitude lures the humility out of the shadows. For to receive a gift, the knees must bend, the hands must lie vulnerable open and the will must bow to accept whatever the Giver chooses to give..

A friend shared the above quote out of a book she's reading. This coupled with the reflecting on the thoughts of my mind lately is worthy of a blog post! :)

I am often a glass-half-empty realist type. It comes from years of having to figure out life on my own. Caring and providing for my family. Figuring out next steps for my own life. Weighing and considering all options comes naturally to me. I could easily work as an 'analyst'! Ha!

However, being a realist means that one must also acknowledge the good along with the bad. But while I can recount all the 'bad' that happens, do I take the time to remember the good? Do I look hard for all the wonderful things in my life? I am often guilty of not considering all the blessings that I have been given. All the wonderful people that I have had the privilege of getting to know. All the experiences - heart-wrenching, absolutely amazing or mind-numbing as they may be - that have shaped the person that I am and place in life I am. The sheer mercy that God gives on a daily basis that allows my heart to beat, my hands to type this post, and my mouth to speak, and the biochemistry of my cells to continue to function.

As I acknowledge all these gifts in my life - I must realize that nothing I do or am is a consequent of my own self! As I acknowledge my own inability to control anything, I realize the extent of my own willful self. And realize that it is only an act of mercy that I am where I am. No, my life is simply a gift of my Maker. I am simply clay and dust. I am a product of my Maker's creativity and mercy. My role and response then is to simply be obedient and grateful. Thanks be to God for this amazingly never-imagined wild life! Gratefulness is current song I'm singing. :)

Family Planning Saves lives!

Back from Ghana!

I landed back in Atlanta in the wee hours of the morning on Monday. Can't believe I'm back already!! I've been struggling how to frame my trip to those who have asked. Words are honestly difficult - so I'll let my pictures describe some of what I saw. Overall - it was a great trip. I can honestly say that Ghana stole a small piece of my heart. Being in Africa after 10 years was good for my soul! I felt more at home there than in India back in 2009!

So, work ended on Friday at noon. I had elected to stay back over the weekend to do some exploring. Turns out there were a few others at the conference who had the same thought. On Friday - I hung out with this Kenyan guy (Mike) from Nairobi and French-American girl (Melissa). Both currently worked in Nairobi. Melissa is a diplomat's kid who has lived all over the world. Mike has worked primarily in Kenya but traveled for work all over Africa. I was in good company. We explored more of Accra on Friday. Ate. Shopped. Took pictures. Got busted by the Ghanaian Army! Fun..fun. :)

On Sat, we organized/hired a car/driver to go to the Western Region (next province over from Accra). So - it turned that a Kenyan, a Ghanaian, two Sudanese and a Ugandan - set out on a 120km road trip this past Sat to see what Ghana had to offer! And it didn't disappoint!

First stop was Kakum National Forest. Did some hiking. Walked on a 350m long, 40m high wood-and-rope walkway suspended by seven trees. You can imagine Devina's state - scared of heights and all! Then we drove over to Elmina and Cape Coast Castles (an hour drive apart). I'll let the pictures do the talking - but it was a pretty grim place. It's one thing to read about slavery - but to actually see the places/dungeons where hundreds of human beings were cramped in small spaces with very little food, light and ventilation was sobering. Incidentally - Michelle Obama's ancestors were traced back to Cape Coast Castle. The trip was great. Good conversations and learning about life/living in each of the above-mentioned countries. Listening to African music as we drove along little towns. Seeing people along the sides of the road as they conducted daily life/business. Did I mention that it was a good trip?? (insert content smile)

I'm so grateful for the opportunity to live this life. Affirmed in my heart that I'd love to move back to Africa in the near future. Currently seeking direction on my next steps. Figuring out what it means to sit still while I let my Lord open/shut doors.

Africa notes: Part tres

Ghana Logs – Day Seven.

The past days have been exhausting! Start early in the morning and then day-long conference workshops. Monday’s workshop was being facilitated by my organization – so we had to be extra sharp in the morning. Of course, there’s always last-minute things like needing extra copies of handouts and the friendly photocopy person taking her own sweet time in pushing a few buttons. I wanted to go up to her and say, ‘Oye..Mami..please let me do this’ (insert african accent) :)

Oh, I should tell y’all about the ‘Opening Ceremony’! So – in Africa – things don’t start, unless there’s a 5 hour opening ceremony (usually scheduled for 1-2 hours, but then runs overtime for reasons described below). There’s usually a stage with a podium. (Pics on picasa). Seated at this stage are the ‘distinguished’ guests. It usually starts with a prayer or the national anthem. Then we go into introductions. This opening ceremony started in the morning and ended at 1pm! The first hour was introductions! I mean – the first person introduced the next who introduced the next and so on – till we go to the most senior person – the ‘Chairperson of the meeting’.

THEN came the speeches. OMG! The longest things ever! I mean – this one guy was allotted 15 minutes – he talked for an hour! (What did I tell you about Africans and verbosity?) I kept having an internal giggle-loop about things and wish I could telepathically have a conversation with someone about the speeches. Hehe!) Anyways – my butt was so numb at the end of this all! The highlight of all this was a traditional African dance at the end! It was amazing, guys! So full of energy and life! We were all moving/tapping our feet etc at the end of it all. (Kait – now I know why you love west African drumming so much! I was thinking of you the whole time – I’ll send you a video clip I took for you)

Oh, I should mention food. Dude – the food here is amazing! Dishes (like most cuisines around the world) are comprised of a starch and protein. They have this spicy curry looking thing – and they serve it with rice. Then they have this watery soupy (again spicy) one that they serve with corn-meal mash – called fufu. Then there’s banku and kenkey – which are variants of fufu. Oh, and fried plantains! YUM-MY! I’m going to gain so much weight! Ha! The food here tastes so fresh and tasty. Like yday I had pineapple – the best pineapple I’ve had! I love sampling food from everywhere – and this trip is definitely hitting my foodie spots. :)

Other than that – nothing much to report – the rest of conference has been good. We’ve had several power outages both during the day and the speakers make the best of the situation. At night, it’s a different story. Taking a shower in the dark with a candle brings back memories. :)

Interviews are going well. I am using every available ‘free’ minute to grab people outside of meeting rooms to hold this qualitative survey on family planning. It’s exhausting. But rewarding when I think of the impact that this information will have in helping to bring family planning commodities to African countries. I’m looking forward to the weekend – the conference ends on Thurs, and I’ll have Sat/Sun to do some sightseeing. No idea what I’m going to do – and where I’m going to go. BUT I can’t come all this way and not see/do something, so watch for my next update on the weekend adventures! :)

Thanks so much to those who’ve been writing – I love hearing back from you! I have pretty reliable email access and have communicated with a lot of you - even been able to video-skype with some!

Much love and hugs from this end of the world! :)