I love to travel. Curiously I enjoy new foods, engage in sightseeing, and soak in the scenic and cultural beauty imbedded by each country. As many know, there are specific times to visit other places around the world. For example, a majority of South America falls below the equator which makes the seasons the exact opposite that those in the United States, which is why you would want to visit places such as Brazil, Paraguay, Chile during the winter months.
While I was born in Chicago, my roots go back to beautiful and wondrous India. I have visited the country numerous times, but I have never ventured outside of the holiday season. Similar to South America, India neighbors the equator and therefore is most pleasant during the winter. While it may be pleasant to visit during this time of the year, it is not so during the summer. The main reason is due to the monsoon, a seasonal weather phenomenon of intense rainfall between June and September, that highly impacts the daily lives of Indians and Bangladeshis. Flash flooding can lead to the shut down of hundreds schools impacting the education of millions of students.
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Today’s Inspiration: A non-profit organization called Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha addresses the monsoon issue by building solar-powered wooden boats that act as floating schools during these annual floods in Bangladesh.
Each boat can hold up to 30 people and is made from locally-sourced natural materials and includes small libraries. Many boats are docked at numerous villages and double as workshop spaces for parents and adults, providing over 88,000 families with computer education, internet facilities, along with a vast catalogue of library books. Many after-school workshops are held for these adults and cover subject matters including agriculture, finance, health, and hygiene.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
“With roads impassable during the monsoon, students cannot go to school. If the children cannot come to the school for lack of transportation, then the school should come to them,” said Mohammed Rezwan, Founder of Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha.
In 2007, the organization was awarded by the United Nations in both the Environment and Development Programme.
To learn more about this organization and how you can involved, please click here.
