Answering Questions...
There are quite a few questions being asked on a regular basis, so here you go:
"Why Bangladesh?!"
I didn't specifically choose to come here, rather I was offered the position, evaluated my skills in relation to the assignment, and accepted based in large part on the great need of this country.
Wikipedia Entry - Bangladesh
Poverty
AusAID Info
"You must be getting paid a lot to be there!"
No. I'm not. I left a very well paid job to be here.
The Youth Ambassadors program is voluntary. We are paid a living allowance, not a salary.
Allowance Schedule
"Will you come back to Australia?"
Not sure why so many people keep asking me this... I'll be back October 2008, soon after I hope to further my career overseas. However I'm not planning anything; my success rate in planning is down to a miserable 10%. (Yes, I'm keeping score. For the record, the last 'planned' activity I had was to buy mosquito nets. Yes, I've resorted to aiming low.)
"Who will win the NBA championship this year?"
OK only 1 person asked me that. San Antonio Spurs. Again.
"What the heck is 'LockDown'?"
LockDown is the greatest. That's all you need to know.
"How bad is it really over there?"
That's such a difficult question to answer. In bangladesh, the poverty is so severe and
so widespread that it can be either confronting and/or depressing for many. There's no blanket solution to this country's problems, and at times it seems there may never be a way out. However, it is important to note that there have been successes over the years. Poverty is down, albeit slightly. NGOs and charitable organisations are beginning to realise that simply throwing money to the country is a gross misallocation of resources; due to the extent of problems, solutions need to be found in cooperation with each other. Funding, programs, management and resources need to be shared in order to maximise the effects of the aid flowing into the country. Bengalis here speak of the culture of "receiving" which has permeated the population. People have become so used to being a receiver country, there is very little motivation to increase their own capacity for development.
Another issue is the political and social instability. At the moment the caretaker government is maintaining the state of emergency, which seems to have worked in calming the turmoil Bengalis have been experienceing for several years. An anti-corruption group has been assembled to tackle this enormous problem, and for the first time in a long, long time, emergency services are responding to people's needs.
Although it is hard to remain optimistic, it is essential to do so in order to continue helping this country fulfill its potential.
World Factbook
That's it for now, if you have any other questions, feel free to email me.
"Why Bangladesh?!"
I didn't specifically choose to come here, rather I was offered the position, evaluated my skills in relation to the assignment, and accepted based in large part on the great need of this country.
Wikipedia Entry - Bangladesh
Poverty
AusAID Info
"You must be getting paid a lot to be there!"
No. I'm not. I left a very well paid job to be here.
The Youth Ambassadors program is voluntary. We are paid a living allowance, not a salary.
Allowance Schedule
"Will you come back to Australia?"
Not sure why so many people keep asking me this... I'll be back October 2008, soon after I hope to further my career overseas. However I'm not planning anything; my success rate in planning is down to a miserable 10%. (Yes, I'm keeping score. For the record, the last 'planned' activity I had was to buy mosquito nets. Yes, I've resorted to aiming low.)
"Who will win the NBA championship this year?"
OK only 1 person asked me that. San Antonio Spurs. Again.
"What the heck is 'LockDown'?"
LockDown is the greatest. That's all you need to know.
"How bad is it really over there?"
That's such a difficult question to answer. In bangladesh, the poverty is so severe and
so widespread that it can be either confronting and/or depressing for many. There's no blanket solution to this country's problems, and at times it seems there may never be a way out. However, it is important to note that there have been successes over the years. Poverty is down, albeit slightly. NGOs and charitable organisations are beginning to realise that simply throwing money to the country is a gross misallocation of resources; due to the extent of problems, solutions need to be found in cooperation with each other. Funding, programs, management and resources need to be shared in order to maximise the effects of the aid flowing into the country. Bengalis here speak of the culture of "receiving" which has permeated the population. People have become so used to being a receiver country, there is very little motivation to increase their own capacity for development.Another issue is the political and social instability. At the moment the caretaker government is maintaining the state of emergency, which seems to have worked in calming the turmoil Bengalis have been experienceing for several years. An anti-corruption group has been assembled to tackle this enormous problem, and for the first time in a long, long time, emergency services are responding to people's needs.
Although it is hard to remain optimistic, it is essential to do so in order to continue helping this country fulfill its potential.
World Factbook
That's it for now, if you have any other questions, feel free to email me.
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