UP | uncultured project

“We need you here in an hour” said my contact at Muslim Aid – one of the charities I mentioned in a previous YouTube episode.

I am in the road as I type. I am heading to Bagarat – one of the areas worst hit when Cyclone Sidr hit the coast of Bangladesh and killing over 3,000 and leaving countless displaced. Cyclone Sidr may have displaced many people – but it’s also brought a lot of people together. This aid mission includes Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Atheists coming from places such as Canada, UK and Bangladesh.

Among all this is yours truly. I had little time to prepare – I’ve never showered, brushed my teeth, packed my bags, and ate a meal so quickly in my life. This mission includes a lot of equipment from all around the world. I am proud to say that I was able to get my 70 blankets back from that horribly botched joint distribution with BRAC. The are with me on this car and they they will be going to those who need it.

The toughest part lies ahead. I’ve never been in a situation like this in my life. Then again, many of the victims of this Cyclone are probably saying the same thing. I’m hoping and praying that the world keeps Bangladesh in mind. People in the developed world seem to have a short attention span when it comes to the tragedies elsewhere in the world. This is especially true among college and high school aged students. Much like fashion trends, certain issues fall out of style.

The “trendy” thing back at Notre Dame seems to be helping victims of the cyclone that hit Mexico. It even has a better slogan than the tragedy here: “the Katrina of Mexico” they call it. Never mind that the Cyclone that hit Bangladesh was more powerful than Katrina. But you know what? Tragedies shouldn’t need to be competing for attention. There should be enough compassion and attention for all of them. Just cut the Paris Hilton and Britney Spears coverage by 5% and you can make room for both.

The worst thing that can happen to the victims of Cyclone Sidr right now is for their tragedy to become old news.

(Disclaimer: Tagging along with Global Medic and Muslim Aid in no way implies support or endorsement of The Uncultured Project, me, or my views. The views expressed are my own and do not reflect Global Medic, The David McAntony Gibson Foundation, Muslim Aid, or any other NGO or charity. I am not under the employment or contract of any of these organizations.)