Thank you for trusting Nourish Bangladesh with your donation. Our expertise lies in making certain that your funds are used timely, cost-effectively, and conscientiously. The Winter Blanket Drive (WBD) will be used to provide blankets to poor families who are struggling to stay warm during the cold winter.
Is it really that cold in Bangladesh? Contrary to popular belief, it does get fairly cold in Bangladesh during the winter, particularly in North Bengal, bringing with it considerable amounts of hardship for the economically disadvantaged. It is true that Bangladesh is no Minnesota in terms of how cold it gets during the winter. However, with the absence of in-home heating, something we often take for granted, freezing temperatures in the presence of high humidity can get quite debilitating for the poor to go about their basic daily activities. For some context, here are several quotes from a Reuters article describing the effects of cold winter in northern Bangladesh:
Freezing weather continued in northern Bangladesh where at least 50 people have died due to the cold.
The country’s lowest temperature this year was recorded at 4.5 degrees Celsius (40.1° Fahrenheit) on Sunday in Tetulia, a border town in northern Bangladesh.
“The cold wave drifting down from Himalayas has adversely affected all kinds of business establishments, including farming, restaurants, and retail shops,” said Aisha Nuri, a leading government official.
Is there anything novel about what Nourish Bangladesh is doing? There are at least two things we are doing to ensure we get the most out of the funds raised in terms of helping our benefactors effectively. First, we are working closely with our implementing partners in the field to ensure our funds are used efficiently and directed towards helping the extreme poor with the most need for these blankets. We are monitoring how the funds are being used and directing our implementing partners to reduce waste and undertake the project in a timely manner. Second, based on advice from our implementing partners, we are investing in thicker, high-quality blankets that can help the family meaningfully withstand the cold. These blankets will have a higher likelihood of being used in future winters as well. Anecdotes from the field suggest that while there are cheaper blankets available in the market which have been distributed in the past, they are not very effective in fighting the cold or being used in the future. As always we will continue to do our due diligence to ensure you do not have to.
Who are we working with? Our implementing partners are NGOs and grassroots volunteers (e.g., Muhtasim A Zisan) that have been rigorously vetted by Nourish Bangladesh. They include major non-profit organizations as well as local grassroots volunteer groups that spontaneously come together during disasters to fundraise and help those in need.
How far will my donation go? Based on the geographic location, and prevailing market conditions (e.g., prices, availability of different types of blankets), we expect each blanket to cost (including overhead and delivery costs) anywhere between 500 and 700 Bangladeshi Taka (i.e., approximately 7 USD/ 8.90 CAD/ 5.25 GBP / 9.70 AUD). Each blanket will help keep about 2 to 3 family members warm through the winter months.
What is the timeline for vetting and disbursing funds? We will be disbursing funds asap on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.