In Chittagong, They Break Ships and Men (Bangladesh)
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Location: Chittagong, Bangladesh
Members: 3
Latest Activity: Nov. 30, 2009
Chittagong, Bangladesh
Imagine a work environment of falling metal, gas explosions, toxic chemicals, raging fires, no access to medical assistance, and little or no safety regulation. Week after week, you perform harsh physical labor while you face the most unthinkable hazardous conditions. And you do this for just ONE dollar a day!
“You need not have any illusions. This is not earth you are standing on, but poison and rust,” says a young man, 30, as he stands surveying the beach at Chittagong where massive supertankers lie scattered along the coast like dead whale carcasses.
Every worker knows the dangers; yet they still keep coming to apply for a job. They don’t have a choice. It is impossible to earn a living in their home village and they must support their families. Often times, you see a man working here who has lost his home in one of Bangladesh’s many floods. He has a wife and four children to feed and clothe, so he takes a job “ship breaking”. He does this knowing full well that with one false step, and he could be seriously injured or lose his life and his wife and children would be left with nothing.
There is no social safety net here. It is so bad that a maimed worker will rarely be provided a transfer home, not to mention the outright refusal to pay one taka (Bangladesh currency) towards medical expenses. This business practice leaves hundreds of widows and thousands of children every year begging in the streets, taka taka.
Big Challenge
*The workers live in poor housing and sanitary conditions.
*Little attention is paid to their health and safety concerns.
Bigger Solution
*The (IT!) production will take a doomed ship (might even be the original “Love Boat” for real!) on one last journey through ports of Europe on a donation run for beds and bedding, gloves, boots, climbing gear and safety harnesses along with any other treasures people are willing to give. The (IT!) team will ram the ship onto its beach-grave in what ship captains call “The most thrilling part of the job”. Imagine thousands of cheering workers lining the beach and all of the surrounding ships as the team disembarks for day one of the project.
o One part of the team will dismantle the bridge of the ship and turn it into a first response medical clinic for injuries and accidents. This clinic will have a rapid response cellular connection to a local hospital that will provide real time updates and emergency response planning capabilities.
o Another part of the team will completely renovate the housing area, turning unhygienic living spaces into a clean and comfortable home, providing an environment for rest after the long 18-hour workdays.
In one week, the lives of over 1,000 workers will be transformed. They will wake one morning (in their bed) to find that their safety has been considered, their health looked after, and their wives and children can rest easier knowing their fathers and brothers will someday soon return home. Now that’s an episode!
Imagine This! A community in need, a mission to complete, a week to make a difference.
“You need not have any illusions. This is not earth you are standing on, but poison and rust,” says a young man, 30, as he stands surveying the beach at Chittagong where massive supertankers lie scattered along the coast like dead whale carcasses.
Every worker knows the dangers; yet they still keep coming to apply for a job. They don’t have a choice. It is impossible to earn a living in their home village and they must support their families. Often times, you see a man working here who has lost his home in one of Bangladesh’s many floods. He has a wife and four children to feed and clothe, so he takes a job “ship breaking”. He does this knowing full well that with one false step, and he could be seriously injured or lose his life and his wife and children would be left with nothing.
There is no social safety net here. It is so bad that a maimed worker will rarely be provided a transfer home, not to mention the outright refusal to pay one taka (Bangladesh currency) towards medical expenses. This business practice leaves hundreds of widows and thousands of children every year begging in the streets, taka taka.
Big Challenge
*The workers live in poor housing and sanitary conditions.
*Little attention is paid to their health and safety concerns.
Bigger Solution
*The (IT!) production will take a doomed ship (might even be the original “Love Boat” for real!) on one last journey through ports of Europe on a donation run for beds and bedding, gloves, boots, climbing gear and safety harnesses along with any other treasures people are willing to give. The (IT!) team will ram the ship onto its beach-grave in what ship captains call “The most thrilling part of the job”. Imagine thousands of cheering workers lining the beach and all of the surrounding ships as the team disembarks for day one of the project.
o One part of the team will dismantle the bridge of the ship and turn it into a first response medical clinic for injuries and accidents. This clinic will have a rapid response cellular connection to a local hospital that will provide real time updates and emergency response planning capabilities.
o Another part of the team will completely renovate the housing area, turning unhygienic living spaces into a clean and comfortable home, providing an environment for rest after the long 18-hour workdays.
In one week, the lives of over 1,000 workers will be transformed. They will wake one morning (in their bed) to find that their safety has been considered, their health looked after, and their wives and children can rest easier knowing their fathers and brothers will someday soon return home. Now that’s an episode!
Imagine This! A community in need, a mission to complete, a week to make a difference.
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