Using a bicycle cart, a group of men carefully push the water unit across a temporary bridge constructed from bamboo rods.

BARGUNA, Bangladesh – In the aftermath of a natural disaster, relief can sometimes arrive in the most unusual ways.

In the case of the recent Bangladesh cyclone, getting clean water to remote villages required a three-part harrowing trek involving bamboo rods, bicycle carts and precariously-constructed temporary bridges.

Operation Blessing first purchased four water purification systems from Water Mission International, and then global delivery partner, DHL, stepped in to ship the units free-of-charge.

Once in-country, however, damaged roads and bridges forced teams to abandon trucks and find alternative means to transport the water systems.

“There was no way to bring them through small vehicles,” said OBI’s Kumar Periasamy who was on the ground assisting with relief efforts. “We had to hire bicycle carts, the local transport.”

Where bicycle carts couldn’t go, more than a dozen residents tied the water unit to long bamboo rods, hoisted it on their shoulders and began carrying it down a narrow path.

A residents shows the difference between the pond water, right, and water treated by the purification system, left.

When the teams finally reached their destination, they were greeted by children and families holding empty bottles, desperate to collect clean, drinking water.  

“More than 3,000 people live in this village,” Periasamy said. “Many lives were lost, homes destroyed, and the pond – their only water source – was polluted.”

“This water system is a lifesaver for them,” Periasamy added.

In addition to clean water, OBI’s other relief efforts include helping mobilize emergency medical teams with German partner, Humedica, to treat victims in the hardest hit areas.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can take part in helping families affected by the Bangladesh cyclone and other recent disasters by making an on-line donation today. With your support, OBI and partners can continue to provide food, medical care and more to thousands of hurting people.

 

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