“Everyone should stay at home in this situation to combat COVID-19. But I am fighting COVID-19 through helping street children in their misery despite of risk of my own life. I am strongly committed to ensure daily meal which is officially arranged for the vulnerable street children. Where will the children get their meal if all will stay home? Where will this homeless children go if everything is closed? Who will arrange their meal?” Proshno Ruga (35), an Office Assistant cum Caretaker of DREAM project was expressing this statement while he has been asked what inspire him to continue serving the food for the street children.

During the devastating situation of Covid-19 crisis, while everything were locked down, these poor street children were starving for food. They were even crying in front of the DIC’s for food. With the guidance of the organization, while looking for some volunteers, Proshno Ruga is one the prominent frontline workers of CB, who came out saying - I will be helping these children. He has been engaged with different awareness activities, visiting the children at stations, distribution of leaflets and protection equipment's, cooking daily food and delivering those in four places of Mymensigh city for floating poor street children in Mymensingh City from 26th March 2020 to May 2020.

“I also feel afraid sometimes to stay outside and to work outside but thinking about the children I cannot stay home. I rushed to arrange their food at the risk of my life” Mr. Ruga expressed. He added “I can understand the world is changing because of COVID-19. Now a days, I see less numbers of street children at the rail-station area which was crowded before COVID-19 broke out".

The rail-station area, the bridge area and the slum area which where noisy and crowded by the street children, seemed to be quite now.

Everyone’s familiar city seems unfamiliar to me now. My children ask me, Dad, why don’t you come at home as the office is closed? I just answer them; there are little boys and girls like you on the streets who have no one to look after them, no one to feed them. I go out to feed them. You just pray to God for me. In this difficult time of COVID-19, I want stand beside them, I want to help them.”

Caritas Bangladesh is very proud for Proshno Ruga and for all the frontline COVID 19 fighters. Change will be coming; the world will be smiling again for the contribution of these best sons of Mother Earth.

 
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An overview of Proshno Ruga
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An overview of Street children having lunch at rail station

The club members (male 5, female 75) and a group of self-motivated staffs (Male-42, Female-9) and their spouses of Caritas Mymensingh Region have volunteered to prevent Someshwari river bank erosion at Kamarkhali village under Durgapur Sub-district on 1st and 3rd October 2020. Caritas Mymensingh Region is thankful to all the volunteers for joining this inspiring humanitarian intervention.
 
The people of Kamarkhali, Ranikhong, Baheratuli, and Baroikandi villages of Kullagara Union under the Durgapur sub-district of Netrokona district are badly suffering from the frequent flash floods and river erosion. Many people lost their land, houses, and other assets due to severe river erosion caused by flash floods and unplanned sand. extraction. Many of the houses are still at high risk of being disappeared into the riverbed. People are passing every night in uncertainty and extreme anxiety. During these difficult times, the Club Members of the SDDB project and the staff of Caritas Mymensingh Region stand beside the affected people by providing voluntary work and grants as cash as much as possible. Both Community people and Caritas staff are inspired by this very special humanitarian intervention. The people of the areas sincerely thanked the group of staff for this voluntary work and support and expressed that other groups/organizations may take this as an example to come forward with their supports.
 
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Voluntary work of Caritas Staffs to protect Someshwari Riverbank erosion
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Voluntary work of Caritas Staffs to protect Someshwari Riverbank erosion

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Club members of the SDDB project of CB joined for voluntary work for the prevention of riverbank erosion
 
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An overview of prevention of riverbank erosion