I’m your biggest fan; I’ll follow you until you love me…

Sharna Bremner
Outreach Blogger
15 June 2010

I thought the scenes at last week’s 1 Goal soccer game were overwhelming, but they were nothing compared to today. If last week was a Justin Beiber-style frenzy, today was The Beatles at Shea Stadium. Without the beige military jackets and bowl haircuts.

Today we headed back to Mohammadpur to see the incredible DA2 Community Journalist Group but this time we were accompanied by a photo journalist. As the CJG, Joel, the ActionAid Bangladesh crew and I discussed the benefits of blogging and what we hope to achieve with their blog, the photographer snapped away, documenting every laugh, serious moment and blinding us with constant camera flashes.

Over the past 10 or so days, we’ve formed a pretty close bond with the DA2 crew. Despite the language barrier we’ve laughed incessantly, the kids have had a ball teasing us about the Socceroos embarrassing World Cup defeat and I think it’s fair to say they’ve taught us more than we could ever teach them.

When it came time to leave, notepads were frantically passed around with fervent requests for email addresses and promises were made to stay in touch.

While their Development Area is in the ‘phase out’ stage (meaning ActionAid has worked in the area for around 10 years and the community is now able to go forward without assistance), the people living in Mohammadpur will continue to face challenges that are unimaginable to most of us. Despite these challenges, or maybe because of them, the DA2 gang are some of the friendliest, inspiring and driven people I’ve ever had the honour of meeting. Sure, they have their moments just like the rest of us, but their optimism, determination and hope is something most of should strive for.

We had the privilege of being invited to visit the house of one of the CJG members, Massum. A quiet, but determined kid, Massum has a smile to rival Tom Cruise. It just lights up his whole face and you can’t help but smile with him.

Massum lives in an urban slum. One room serves as a study, bedroom and living room for Massum, his mother, father and 2 sisters. In a room no bigger than a standard Australian bathroom, the family shares one bed with only a small fan to keep them cool in the oppressive heat and humidity of Dhaka. There’s a small glassless barred window, a tiny television and not much else. Yet Massum’s infectious effervescent smile is ever-present as he shows us around.

Back on the street, a small crowd has gathered, curious about the two international visitors. As the photographer gets some shots of Joel and I walking down the street, the crowd intensifies. Somehow, without the speed of text messages, word of our visit has spread.

As we pose in a rickshaw, the inquisitive throng multiplies and blocks traffic from passing down the street. People don’t say much or anything at all. They stare in an almost silent wonder. I feel like the Pied Piper (without the mysterious disappearances of children) as I’m followed relentlessly while I wander around. The photographer is still furiously capturing every moment and the crowd starts to feel like my own personal entourage.

The number of people just keeps increasing, some come out onto the street to get a closer look, and others hang from windows. In a slum in Dhaka, I have become famous for just being there. I have an entourage, my own personal paparazzo and I’m famous for no apparent reason.

Oh god… Have I become Paris Hilton??

(You’ll have to forgive the not-so-great quality of the video. Dhaka’s iffy electricity keeps plunging me into darkness so I thought it best to post what I had before I lost the lot!

Learn more about ActionAid and Project TOTO:

• ActionAid Australia website
• ActionAid Australia on Twitter
• ActionAid Bangladesh Blog
• ActionAid Bangladesh on Twitter
• Joel Katz profile
• Sharna Bremner profile