The gate was draped with brightly coloured bunting displaying a welcome to all. It was truly a festive occasion — certainly long anticipated. Everyone in the village was there. When we arrived following our steamer ride, at seven thirty in the morning, the children were already lining up.
Captain Moazzam Hossain had opened his ancestral home for the distribution and had erected a brightly coloured canopy over the courtyard. Families crowded round the edge to catch a glimpse of the proceedings as we readied the bedkit for the photos.
Seven hundred area children received their gift, the first in their area to have done so.
The last bedkit was given out and the whole group gathered. Dignitaries thanked the SCAW team. Those who had organized the distribution were acknowledged. The entire Rotary Club of Chakhar was in attendance.
What followed was a display of folk dancing which was truly amazing. A beautifully costumed young girl twisted and twirled, the bells circling her ankles keeping the rhythm of the dance as her feet slapped the ground. Traditional Bangladeshi music played as our host quietly translated so that the story of the dance would become clear.
Dressed as a young women, and looking very much the part, a boy took centre stage. Again our appreciation of the dance was enhanced by the translation as the young man told a story of looking for water. These dances have been passed down for many generations, and are obviously still cherished by the Chakhar villagers.
Captain Hossain treated us to a tour of the village and, as always, we had a large following. The village, we learned, is truly special. The population is about 40% Muslim. Hindus make up 20% and the remainder is a blend of Christians, Bhuddists, and other faiths. The wonderful part of the story is that they celebrate their differences. All the villagers celebrate the festival of Eid along with Christmas and others as they occur. They live and work in harmony, a model for villages the world over. Captain Hossain obviously cares about those folks who live and work on his estate, striving to improve their standard of living by developing market gardening and operating a feed lot, to name a few of his initiatives. He is truly loved and respected. It was a pleasure for us to get to know him just a little and enjoy the hospitality he and his family offered.
There is no doubt that Chakhar’s first SCAW distribution was much appreciated and they expressed hope that SCAW would return next year.
As the daylight waned and we made our way back through the “City of Rickshaws,” we had time to reflect on what was, indeed, an adventure. The Ostrich, a 1929 paddle steamer, took us on an overnight journey back to Dhaka, where we would complete the last of our Rotary sponsored distributions.
Ron and Mary Ann King
SCAW Travelling Volunteers
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