Nous avons répondu en 2014 à deux appels à la solidarité financière que nous ont adressées les associations paysannes BKF-BKS avec lesquelles nous collaborons et qui sont, par ailleurs, membre de la Via Campesina.

Le premier appel concernait [1] :

• Le soutien à des populations rurales déshéritées, frappées par de graves inondations dans le nord du pays (les sous-districts de Bhurungamari et Nageshwary au Kurigram) – 352 personnes ont reçu des secours d’urgence.

• La fourniture de machines à coudre à des ouvrières du textile handicapées à vie à la suite de l’effondrement de l’immeuble industriel Rana Plaza en avril 2013 – vivant à nouveau dans leurs villages d’origine, elles se retrouvaient sans moyen de substance, à la charge de leur famille alors qu’auparavant, c’étaient elles qui contribuaient à l’essentiel du revenu familial monétaire. 40 machines à coudre ont été distribuées à des ouvrières parmi les plus touchées.

Voir photos ci-dessous.

• Une aide à l’organisation de la « Caravane pour la souveraineté alimentaire, l’égalité de genre et la justice climatique » qui a traversé une partie du Bangladesh, l’est de l’Inde et s’est conclue au Népal, en coordination avec des mouvements paysans indiens et népalais. Cette caravane témoignait de la crise humanitaire subie par la paysannerie dans des régions particulièrement affectées par le chaos climatique.

Voir notamment la présentation (en anglais) du cheminement de la caravane (PDF anglais), ESSF (article 44457), Climate & Peasant’s Rights: A chronological description on South Asian Climate Justice Caravan in Bangladesh-India-Nepal 2014 :
http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article44457

Le second appel concernait l’achat de couvertures pour des populations rurales frappées par une météo inhabituellement froide [2] – les changements climatiques en cours provoquent déjà au Bangladesh des modifications dans les cycles saisonniers et des températures extrêmes auxquelles les personnes ne sont pas préparées (vêtements chauds, chauffage…).

La différence entre les sommes reçues et transférées est due aux frais, essentiellement bancaires.

Nous avons dans un premier temps reçu 7.450 euros.

7.160 euros ont été transférés au Bangladesh le 23 octobre 2014.

Cette somme a été utilisée pour un tiers pour les victimes des inondations, pour un tiers pour l’aide aux ouvrières victimes de la catastrophe industrielle du Rana Plaza et pour un tiers en soutien à la Caravane (voir le rapport reproduit ci-dessous, en anglais).

Nous avons dans un second temps reçu 1.300 euros.

1.150 euros ont été transférés au Bangladesh le 16 janvier 2015.

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Récapitulatif d’ensemble

Dons reçus :

France : 3.470 € (dons individuels)

Québec : 5000 € (don individuel)

Total reçu : 8.750 €

Frais bancaires : 252 €

Frais autres : 188 €

Total envoyé : 8.310 €

Merci à toutes celles et tous ceux qui ont contribué à cette initiative.

Pierre Rousset
ESSF

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 Quelques photos

Distribution de machines à coudre à des familles de victimes du Rana Plaza

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 Rapport reçu du Bangladesh

Ce rapport ne concerne que le premier appel.

Report on the fund received from ESSF

Bangladesh Krishok Federation (BKF) and Bangladesh Kishani Sabha (BKS) last year operated different projects which were supported by ESSF through its fund raising campaign measure.

The amount of fund received from ESSF is 7,160 Euros that arrived to us on 24 October 2014 via bank transfer. In BDT it is around (7,160X93=) Tk.665,880/-. The rate of Euro is Tk. 93 against one Euro.

One-third of the amount (Tk.221,960/-) was used for the South Asian caravan that took place on 10-24 November 2014 in Bangladesh-India-Nepal. Another one-third was spent for the Rana Plaza building collapse affected garment workers providing with sewing machining in an aim to bring in regular earnings for their families. The last one-third was spent to the flood affected people in the northern part of Bangladesh with a view to bringing temporary relief in the families.

The Caravan on Climate Justice, Gender, and Food Sovereignty was the major project for which funding was collected in different sources by BKF and BKS. The contribution of ESSF was added to the whole funding efforts around the caravan. The funding support of ESSF which has been used for the caravan has gone mainly to the food supply for the caravan participates as because we received less funding for the food budget than we actually needed. Amount allocated for the caravan from ESSF covered the meal of 160 participants for 4 days out of 18 days. The total cost for this purpose is (Pers.160XTk.115X3mealsX4days=) Tk. 220,800/-. The rest of the amount (221,960/-220,800/-=)Tk1,160/- has been spent for miscellaneous cost like the carrying cost, etc.

40 sewing machining, each of which costs Tk. 5,500/-, have been distributed among selected 40 worst affected woman laborers in Rana Plaza building collapse in April 2013. The total cost is (40X5,500/-=)Tk.220,000/-. The remaining (221,960/-22,000/-=) Tk.1,960/- has been spent for the carrying cost of the sewing machining. Those who received the machines found the way of survival now. They got frustrated about their livings after the incident. After having a sewing machine their confidence level is on the increase in the midst of horrible memory of the incident which they still bear.

Tk. 221,960/- has been distributed among the flood affected people in Bhurungamari and Nageshwary sub-districts in Kurigram. Sudden flood engulfed the upstream areas of the country last year in August-September 2014. Thousands of people suffered a lot from the flood. The areas inundated mostly belonged to the members of Bangladesh Krishok Federation and Kishani Sabha. Quite a number of them are landless occupants who took over the railway abandoned land in 2004 through a massive struggle. The flush flood washed their all belongings and standing crops also. They were given away cash money for the purchase of their daily essentials like rice, pulses, onion, garlic, salt, oil, etc. 352 people benefited from the fund allocated. Each victim was provided with Tk.630/-. The total cost for this stands at (630/-X352)=Tk.221760/-. The reaming Tk.200/- has spent as incidental cost like, transport, etc. The landless members of the organizations realized that the organizations are very responsible during their suffering. With all limitation the organizations tried to stand by the members in their crucial period.

Both Bangladesh Krishok Federation and Bangladesh Kishani Sabha are thankful to ESSF for its untying efforts to mobilize the support for the helpless and economically challenged Bangladeshi people who are fighting for their right and existence and social change.

In conclusion, we would like to mention that the ordinary people in Bangladesh are struggling for radical change in society in different ways. They solve many adversities on their own ways. Nonetheless, they sometimes face very crucial moment when they need support in addition to their own efforts. We consider it very rationale and extend our helping hand as much as possible. As part of that thinking we started a further campaign recently titled “One Blanket for Saving One Life” from the unusual chilly cold wave that Bangladesh is facing at this moment. Hope ESSF will contribute to this campaign as before.

Dated 11 January 2015

ASM Badrul Alam

President

Bangladesh Krishok Federation

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