Hello folks,
Hope you have been having a great year and are starting to enjoy some sunshine in your part of the world. It’s time to update you about the myriad ways in which you made a difference to the lives of the Rohingya refugees you have been supporting with your compassion.
Here are some highlights that transpired since the last time you heard from us:
RCF provides much needed dental services
The Refugee Crisis Foundation (RCF) has been working in the Rohingya camps, providing dental services six days a week. Over 700 patients have been treated so far.
The services provided include emergency dental treatment, extractions, scaling, fillings, antibiotics and pain relief. According to RCF, the oral hygiene habits of the Rohingya refugees are quite different which results in severe problems. They brush their teeth several times a day with salt, charcoal or sometimes sand, causing destruction of tooth tissue. The dentists have repaired the cavities to prevent further damage.
However, to prevent this problem, RCF adapted the oral health education segment of their program. During the hygiene training, RCF volunteers taught the community how to wash their hands and brush their teeth properly and made them aware of the consequences of not doing either.
Clinic health workers organize workshop to boost literacy
The Community Health Workers from OBAT's health projects for Rohingya refugees, held their first workshop on January 10th to learn reading, writing, and speaking in English. It was led by one of their own team members. Community Health Workers provide on the ground reporting and support to the medical team in the clinic for Rohingya refugees, by visiting camp residents in their homes and providing basic treatments and remedies, keeping the individuals healthy and the clinics less crowded. Click here to watch part of the workshop.
Playground to be rebuilt with donors' generosity
A playground that had initially been built for Rohingya children, was destroyed by the brutal monsoon season. OBAT's Board Director, Dr. Henna Qureshi, organized a fundraiser on Facebook and raised more than $11,000 for the rebuilding of the playground which will now begin reconstruction in February. Thank you to the incredibly generous donors and to Dr. Qureshi for this amazing effort to bring back smiles on the children's faces.
Teachers receive lesson plan and medical training
In the Rohingya camps, a Teachers Learning Circle was held for the teachers at OBAT's Learning Centers. The training focused on the development of lesson plans and daily action plans for Math, English and Life Skills. The training was carried out with the assistance of the education sector in Cox's Bazar; the sector provided the lesson books for the teachers which contributed to the effectiveness of the training.
A separate but similar training was also held for local Bangladeshi teachers over two days. The training was completed in two parts so that one teacher could continue classes as normal. Capacity building and training are an essential element of our education program and we look forward to more of continuous improvement training among our team members.
Proper medical training is also one of the most important aspects of our program. All of our learning centers are equipped with a first aid box and our Community Health Workers provide basic first aid training to our teachers. The most recent one which included CPR training, was held in February.
Rohingya construction project is a finalist for award!
We are excited to share the news that OBAT's construction project in the Rohingya camps is a finalist for the FIBRA award! The project is the playground built for Rohingya children. Congratulations to the team working on these projects!
Here is what the FIBRA award is about:
"To highlight the use of bio-based materials in the construction field, amàco (atelier matières à construire) launched the FIBRA Award with the scientific support of the Zurich Institute of Technology (ETH) and the know-how of BioBuild Concept.
The purpose of this first World Prize for Contemporary Plant Fiber-Based Architecture is to showcase the aesthetic properties, the construction advantages and the environmental benefits. Identifying exceptional buildings around the world will allow the public to discover them.
The FIBRA Award wishes to pay tribute to the courage of clients who chose to use bio-based materials, to the creativity of architects and engineers, and to the skills of craftsmen and contractors. "
Visitors get inspired by OBAT's projects
Shafin and Marium were two new visitors who toured the camps during March. The two cousins were visiting from Hong Kong and Houston, respectively. They expressed great admiration for the the wide scope of projects run by OBAT, especially the digital learning program that is being run for the children in the Temporary Learning Centre # 8. Shafin and Mariam also enjoyed talking with the doctors working in OBAT's clinics and visiting the Women's Empowerment Centre where sewing classes are currently being run. We are very thankful to Shafin who organized a fundraiser for OBAT in Hong Kong on April 13th.
Thank you very much for creating so much hope with your support. Please spread the word about the plight of this community and share this project's page with your friends.
Until next time,
Your OBAT family.
Links:
Greetings dear friends!
Wishing you all a very happy and a fabulous new 2019! Hope the new year has kicked off to a good start for all of you. We have a ton of news to share with you about what’s been going on in our Rohingya Relief Project. Thanks to you, we have been able to accomplish all this since the last time we were in touch:
Assesments ascertain student learning and development
OBAT led Humanitarian Assistance Program is applying ASER assessment tools in our education sector in the Rohingya camps in order to improve student learning. Teachers have been conducting these student assessments in different TLC's (Temporary Learning Center) in the Rohingya Camps.
ASER stands for Annual Status of Education Report. This is an annual survey that aims to provide reliable estimates of children's enrollment and basic learning levels. Building the capacity of our teachers and volunteers is also a part of our development goals. Hence, prior to the assessment, the teachers also received training to enhance their knowledge in this area.
Harvard students develop designs for structures in Rohingya camps
During the first week of December, OBAT's Executive Director, Immad Ahmed, was invited to Harvard University's Graduate School of Design (GSD) to critique the final submission of students for the Agha Khan Workshop that Professor Anna Heringer has been conducting. Mr. Ahmed's visit was a follow up to the visit of the Harvard team to the Rohingya camps in September about which we wrote to you in our last update. Mr. Ahmed was able to review and provide feedback and answer questions during the final review process.
After returning from their study of the Rohingya camps, the GSD's students had created possible scalable solutions for a child-friendly space and other community structures in the camps. They focused on using sustainable and locally sourced materials that were adapted to meet the various design challenges in the camp, from typography to monsoon and cyclone season.
OBAT's team will be working with some of the graduates on implementing their designs in the camps- some of the ideas and concepts that the students came up with will be incorporated into our future plans and designs.
We are so grateful to Harvard, Professor Heringer and her students who gave us the opportunity to be a part of such a great project and also help us provide more sustainable solutions for the refugees and residents in the camps.
Edie's Community Kitchen in Rohingya camp addresses fuel shortage
One of the biggest challenges in the Rohingya refugee camp has been a source of fuel for cooking. Currently, there are about 900,000 people living in the camp and the only available source of fuel is the wood and roots from the trees in the forest. This has caused major tension with the host community.
To combat this problem and help the community to cook emergency meals in a disaster situation, our team with the help of the Glickman Family, has built Edie's Community Kitchen.
The goal is for the community to use this place for events, weddings and also in times of fuel shortages. We also wanted to ensure that we had a facility that could cater to cooking large amounts of food to help provide support for extremely vulnerable individuals and families.
We've used mud walls to give strength to the bamboo structures and provide a facility safe for cooking and feeding large numbers of people. In the past few weeks, we have already raised over 6,000 USD to help provide cooked meals to thousands of people over the next few months.
We want to thank the Glickman Family (Mindy Radler Glickman and Jeff Glickman) for their continuous support. Click here to watch a video of the kitchen.
APPNA donates life-saving ambulance for Rohingya clinic
A special thank you to APPNA (Association of Physicians of Pakistani descent of North America) for donating a life-saving ambulance for the OBAT clinics serving Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Theambulance will be used to transport patients who need further treatment, from the clinics to a hospital. The ambulance will be an incredibly valuable addition, as the terrain in the camps is very treacherous and transporting the patients in man-made stretchers has been a huge challenge and has led to delays in receiving treatment
Thank you for standing with us to address this tremendous crisis and for helping us achieve all of the above. We hope that this year is a fantastic one for you. Please continue to reach out to your friends and family to share this project’s page with them: http://goto.gg/30136. Here’s to a 2019 that brings more light and relief to the Rohingya refugees.
Best regards,
OBAT team.
Links:
Dear friends,
We have lots to share with you in this report- all this could not have happened without your incredible support for which we are immensely grateful. Here are some inspiring highlights:
Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design visits Rohingya camps to study OBAT’s shelter design
A team of 18 people from Harvard University arrived at Cox's Bazaar (Bangladesh) in late September. Out of the team, 12 people are the students of Harvard Graduate School of Design. They are accompanied by Martin Rauch (an architect specializing in sustainable architecture) and Anna Heringer (a visiting professor who is conducting the Aga Khan workshop at the Harvard Graduate School of Design). Two filmmakers also accompany the team.
They visiting the Rohingya camps to study OBAT's structural design for the shelters that were constructed for Rohingya refugees. The team is conducting a research for better design options.
Listen to Anna Heringer talk about her visit here: http://bit.ly/2OVWkS9
Learning centers in Rohingya camps teach hygiene
The recent Global Hand Washing Day was observed with great enthusiasm in our learning centers for Rohingya children. The students were taught how to properly wash their hands.
Teachers demonstrated the right way to wash hands to the students and gifted a free bar of soap to each one of them.
Digital literacy project begins in learning centers for Rohingya children
On October 10th, OBAT led Humanitarian Assistance Program started the pilot project of digital learning at the learning center no 8 in Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp. Currently, OBAT is running twenty six learning centers for the children. OBAT has already been partnering with Teach the World Foundation to bring digital literacy to children in the camps for
internally displaced Urdu speaking people.
Digital learning uses gamified apps on tablets to facilitate faster and more effective learning.
Hear from OBAT's Executive Director, Immad Ahmed, about this project here: bit.ly/2OXA9eB
Thank you again!
With the upcoming holiday season, the best gift you can give to the Rohingya refugees is spreading their message-talk to your friends and family about the trials the refugees face and encourage them to send a small gift to light up their lives. You can share our project page by sharing this link: http://goto.gg/30136.
Don’t forget to contribute to this project on #GivingTuesday- Global Giving will match donations up to $150,000 and will also issue bonus prizes to its partners like OBAT. Share your support with friends on social media on Giving Tuesday- generosity is highly contagious and you can help spread the virus!
Blessings and much joy to you in this holiday season.
Your OBAT family.
Links:
Dear friends,
Thank you for your immense support for our programs empowering Rohingya refugees. A lot has happened since we last updated you. The current number of shelters that we are building for the refugees stand at 1,444. Monsoon rains started in June and have already caused quite a bit of damage, blowing off the roofs of some of our learning centers. These shelters are more resistant to inclement weather and provide more protection to its inhabitants as compared to the ones made out of bamboo and tarp only. The number of learning centers for children is 26 and altogether they are educating about 2,400 children. Towards the end of May, we inaugurated our second health clinic to address the expanding health needs of the refugees. This clinic provides both inpatient and outpatient hospital care and will be operating 24/7 in the Kutupalong Camp. Around that time, we also conducted training sessions on providing psychosocial support to the children who have undergone unimaginable trauma. Volunteers were trained by Philipa Nilsson and training was provided to teachers as well as monitoring officers of the learning center.
Several other developments and events took place during the past few months:
Without you, none of the above would have been possible. Your generosity inspires us every day. Please share this project with your friends and family and invite their support. Every bit helps and counts.
With gratitude,
Your OBAT family.
Links:
Dear friends,
Our amazing team that comprises the Humanitarian Assistance program are nothing short of super heroes and have been working round the clock to provide the assistance and care needed by the Rohingya refugees.
We are grateful to Humans of New York for featuring our Executive Director, Immad Ahmed in their Rohingya series. Immad is leading the entire HAP program for Rohingya refugees and is one of our super heroes. You can read the Humans of New York post about him here: http://bit.ly/HONYOBAT.
Here are some areas in which progress has been significant since you last heard from us.
Health clinic:
Sadia was the very first baby who has been delivered by our clinic in the Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh. We are happy to report that both mother and child are doing great after delivery. Our midwife Israt, who delivered Sadia, visited their house to do a follow up and provide medicine. We are grateful for our wonderful medical team who provide quality care and attention to all patients. Three other babies have been delivered after Sadia. Our clinic continues to treat anywhere between 350-400 patients every day.
Learning Centers:
To prepare for the new classrooms, or Temporary Learning Centers (TLCs), in Zone RR, 26 teachers were interviewed and given a proper teacher training. Among them 14 were Burmese teachers and 12 were local Bangladeshi teachers. The 3-day training included basic teaching techniques such as the quality of a good teacher, basic education for the kids, how to treat and behave with kids, classroom activities and how to allow students to enjoy their class time.
We also trained new teachers on rules and responsibilities toward the community, classroom, and students suffering from trauma. The training was successful, with April 5th marking our teachers’ first day in our new TLC’s in Zone RR. Training was conducted by our education team including Hassan, Ayub, and Nusrat.
Construction of shelters
In the upcoming monsoon season, there are chances of cyclone caused landslides and more natural disasters. To deal with the crises that would ensue from this, on the 9th of April, OBAT/HAP started the shelter project in camp 5. Because of the hard work and efficiency of our team and laborers, 55 shelters were completed by 12th April. Approximately, 300 people will live in those shelters. Another 70 of the shelters are work in progress. To date, 422 shelters have been completed for about 2,500 people in the different camps.
Other than these areas, a park and playground for children as well as 8 tubewells providing clean water to 5,000 people, have been built so far. The current number of bridges to facilitate transport over hilly terrain, currently stands at six.
Please invite your friends and families to join our mission of bringing relief and rehabilitation to the Rohingya refugees.
Your compassion inspires us and fuels our progress. Thank you for fighting with us to help the Rohingya.
Best,
OBAT team.
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can recieve an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
Make a monthly donation & get 
