Bangladesh is located in South Asia, between India and Burma. It is one of the world's poorest countries. The population is predominantly rural, with about 85% of its 135 million people living in rural areas.
The country is prone to drought, cyclones and floods. During the summer monsoon season, much of the country is inundated with water flowing down the rivers from the Himalayas, flooding the river delta which covers the south of the country.
The people are known as the scum of India- where the poor of India go to live, because India does not want them. Bangladesh is the shadow of India.
Many people in Bangladesh are landless and forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land.
Issues that the Bangladeshi people face:
- Waterborne Diseases
- Malnutrition
- Illiteracy
- Diarrhea
- Skin diseases
- Malaria
- HIV/AIDS
- Child Prostitution and exploitation (The average age for a bride is 11 yrs old)
- Nearly 90% of the country's population is Muslim
- An estimated 50% of the population is living below $1.20 a day
- An estimated 12,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS
Primary school education is free, but only 1/3 of children are attending school. The other 2/3 are forced into child labor by their parents / guardians, in the hope of making a megar amount of money to help provide for the entire family.
Compassion's work in Bangladesh began in June 2004. More than 16,600 children are registered for Child Sponsorship in over 99 child development centres across the country. Compassion Australia assists over 1,600 of these children. The Child Survival Program also operates in Bangladesh.
Below are some examples of what a monetary gift can purchase for your child in Bangladesh
$10 and under: ball, chicken, doll, food (1 kg rice, 1 kg lentils, 3 kg oil, 1 kg flour), lamp, mosquito lamp, shirt, toy, book, clothes, pants, shoes
$25 and under: blanket, goat
$100 and under: bike, cow, mattress
$200 and under: carpenter's tool box, rickshaw/rickshaw van, sewing machine
$200 and under: carpenter's tool box, rickshaw/rickshaw van, sewing machine
To sponsor a child in Bangladesh through Compassion, please click here
