 | Sheenagh Day Founder, Maison Bengal [1] fair-trade company | |||
THIS STORY IS HORRIFYING but it ends positively. It also shows why creating work for people in developing countries is as important as giving any amount of aid.
In 2005 I was visiting a tiny village in the southwestern corner of Bangladesh, learning about the training of local midwives. One day my elbow was tugged, and I was told I must meet someone who needed help. I was ushered into a hut and introduced to 16 year-old Vishnu Priya who was cradling a baby. My midwife guide asked her to sit down, pull up her sari and said, “Sheenagh, take a look.” “It was a miracle that she hadn’t died”Poor Vishnu had a complete, open tear, front to back, as a result of her child’s birth. This sometimes happens in this country but you get treated immediately. This was six weeks after delivery; it was a miracle that she hadn’t died from an infection – but she was still in serious danger and she was looking at a painful future. I immediately said, “You must come to the clinic tomorrow. They will treat you.” I learned that she married the local barber a year ago but he rejected her after the birth. He earned around £1 a day and a trip to the clinic, whose services are free, would have cost him 10p. But he wasn’t prepared to pay. 10p materialised and she duly visited. The bad news was that because of the six-week interval she would have to undergo serious surgery at the regional hospital, and it would cost £50. “The whole experience is completely why I run my fair-trade business”There was no way they could find this money. So I paid for it, and the operation was performed. This summer I returned to the village. Vishnu was there, healed, and now she’s being trained, hopefully destined to become one of my team of basket-weavers. The whole experience explains why I run my fair-trade business: to give women like Vishnu an income so she can pull herself out of her utterly powerless situation. In time she’ll be able to afford to pay for a visit to the clinic when she needs to and she’ll have the confidence to do it. So my advice, dear reader, when you’re thinking of, say, donating to a new hospital in a developing country: please think - how will people get to it? Think about the transport costs that are needed, especially by women. Supporting local job-creation and microfinance will help the situation. These may not be attractive to the average charity supporter but they will turn many people’s lives around and may even save them. Editor's note: To find charities that provide these, search on 'microfinance' [1] or 'training' [1] and look for the terms in charity profiles' 'Providing' boxes - eg CAMFED International [1]. > Our international development charity listings [1] > Watchdog articles [1] > More features [1] |