Cyclone Sidr Disaster - The Hard Lessons of Aid Work

[masudakml]

Its a misrepresentation of the real problem....rethink guys...

[akumie]

only 7 855 views, and u see alot of poinless videos on youtube with ober 20.000.000 views, so sad

[spitbuckle]

Great video, thanks. I'll use this in my lessons about the effects of Cyclone Sidr (GCSE Geography, 14 yr olds, UK).

Good luck and thanks again for your work.

[UnculturedProject]

Glad this video could help :)

[sumayah222]

i would love to be an aidworker im working on it

[lukeabout]

so touching!

[krazyfua]

This norm is slowly fading away. You wont' see that in Cities, only in extremely poor areas.

You kind of generalized it and tht's where most of disagree with you.

Another fact is many Hindus do that as well. So it's not "salam" all the time. it's called Bhakti (Respect).

By the way, are you still in BangladesH?

[UnculturedProject]

I didn't say "salam" is ONLY for class status. What I am saying is that in this specific context - it has class implcations.

I'm glad you raised the Hindu example. This is because the Hindu origin of this form of greeting actually directly connects to the (historical) caste hierarchy.

In fact, this is a greeting of Hindu origin - you won't find this in Arab Muslim countries.

[UnculturedProject]

I am still in Bangladesh - but I was supposed to fly home for a bit of a break. Visit the family and fix some broken equipment. Unfortunately, my departure flight got delayed and so that's how I'm able to have some extra time to respond to you :)

[krazyfua]

I disagree with you when you said "touching feet means being the lower class"

it's not true.

People touch others' feet to show respect. You don't necessarily have to be of lower class to do that. People do that to their parents and elders.

Keep it up your good work

[UnculturedProject]

@krazyfua - When dealing within family and/or close friends you are right. But when dealing with strangers and/or different incomes it has class implications. This is rarely known by either the well-to-do local Bengalis or foreign Bengalis since they usually do not spend much time interacting with the poorest of the poor.

[krazyfua]

I respect you for your work but your explanation is completely wrong.

When I posted my comment I didn't know other people also commented and disagreed with you.

After all these comment you should realize that what you said is not correct. I am sure these users are not all from "UPPER CLASS" and from Dhaka.

You need to edit that part of the video because it gives a negative impression of Bangladesh.

Again, I like what you are doing. I have much respect for u. I am criticizing only that part.

[UnculturedProject]

Hi Krazyfua. Yes, other people have pointed this out as well. And yes, this particular greeting (esp. within families) does not have class implications. BUT, and I have researched this extensively, there IS class implications when touching feet (or wanting to NOT touch feet) when dealing with different incomes.

In fact, for this video, I couldn't even find a non-family member who would let me touch their foot - as they said I am too "high class" (i.e. a foreigner, educated, etc).

(con't)

[UnculturedProject]

(con't from above) I'm not here to criticize Bangladesh - I actually think there is a lot to praise about it. But, I can't also cover up the facts - I'm not making propaganda afterall.

But, with 80% of people in Bangladesh earning less than $2 a day, I am well aware that those fortunate enough to see my videos come from a narrow sliver well-to-do enough to travel abroad and/or are well to do within the country.

Debate is welcome and criticism on this is fine by me - but I stand by my finding.

[igzibit]

i dint remember there was a norm like this

[UnculturedProject]

hey igzibit, one thing that surprised me is that many local Bengalis (esp. from middle and upper income families) don't even know the poverty rate of their own country.

I hope my videos have shed a light into a part of your own country you might not have even been aware about.

I also hope all is well with your SGK Studios project.

[azadhkhan]

love your videos

[08Suburban]

Stay safe. I didn't realize how dangerous it could be for you until I watched this video. You can't help people if you get hurt. Be careful.

[charlottepoet]

i think it is good to have a reality check. too many people in america expect perfection but there is never perfection. you can only strive to do the best you can. keep it up!

[Numan198400]

beanersRtheBest <<----everyone, this this guys comment..LMAO...what does bangaladesh n $135 barrel of oil have in common? Nothing, you immature bastard. Lazy bastard has nothing better to say here.

[soccoboy28]

wat the hell are you talking about dude below me

[julciti]

Thank You

god bless

[thewindsofsong]

i broke down and started to cry at the end. i dont really even know why.

[UnculturedProject]

:-(

This definitely is one of my sadder videos. I wanted to keep my work as positive as possible - but I wanted to share some of the emotions and thoughts I was going through as I was doing some of this work...

[thewindsofsong]

it makes me see that most of us wachting this live in a very sheltered lives. it makes me want to pretend it dosent exist, but also makes me want to do something about it.

[tiabooba]

as did I-can't say I know why either

[NeelKontho]

The people who might have touched your feet were extremely vulnerable at that time and were desperate for any help. That was just an outcome of how badly they wanted you to help them. It just shows how acute their situation was and also how grateful they were to you.

So you can be proud of yourself I guess. And I wouldnt judge you if you did :)

[UnculturedProject]

True - there was this one time that I helped sponsor a kid using some money donated to me - and the mother moved to touch my feet. And I had to back away to make sure they knew I wasn't cool with that.

But lots of times I found people touching my feet just even if I wasn't giving them anything. Maybe because I was educated? Or a foreigner?

[UnculturedProject]

haha - well anyone on YouTube kind of opens themselves to being judged by others. So thanks for being so understanding :)

[NeelKontho]

My pleasure. If leaving positive comments on your videos means supporting you even a little bit, I am all for it!

BTW where in Canada are you from?

[UnculturedProject]

Toronto - but also a bit of Halifax/Bedford.

[NeelKontho]

oh really ?? where in toronto ?? I lived there last summer. BTW I go to MAC and live in Hamilton. Nice to have yet another friend from Toronto :)

[UnculturedProject]

Oh MAC? Nice. My dad went to MAC when he was my age :P

[NeelKontho]

BTW with all due respect, the way you explained salam, sounded a little misleading to me. Its actually a way to show your respect to your elderly and NOT to someone who has a higher social status. Normally people would greet each other by SAYING the full form of the word 'salam' and NOT by touching their feet.

Not that it has anything to do with the good work you have been doing out there, it just sounded a little odd to me that's all.

Again, keep up the good work man :)

[NeelKontho]

BTW with all due respect, the way you explained salam, sounded a little misleading to me. Its actually a way to show your respect to your elderly and NOT to someone who has a higher social status. Normally people would greet each other by SAYING the full form of the word 'salam' and NOT.

Not that it has anything to do with the good work you have been doing out there, it just sounded odd to me

[UnculturedProject]

Yeah - I wish I could have worded this better. SAYING "Salaam" is different. There is a very region specific action that is also referred to as "Salaam" - which is the foot touching.

I suppose it would have referred to it as a "local greeting" instead of "salaam". Because, especially by its original Arabic definition, "salaam" means something very distinct and different.

[NeelKontho]

Yeah. In Arabic it means "may you be in peace" and the greeting is used in daily life regardless of age and status, kinda the way we reach out for a hand shake or greet "good morning" or "afternoon". The foot touching on the other hand is something that is used within family members to show your respect to the elderly (a child to their parents).

Anyway this conversation really doesnt go with the context and I wouldnt wanna waste any more of your time on this. Good luck with your future plans:)

[UnculturedProject]

haha - if you see some of the comments in this video (and others) I do spend some time responding to some harsh comments. I try my best to reply to as many comments as I can - that's what makes YouTube so great :)

But yeah, I should have realized that by calling this "Salaam" it would have confused people familiar with its Arabic definition. But the foot touching isn't for family members only. A lot of strangers have touched my feet. Most of them were older than me too.

[NeelKontho]

Hey man! thanks for taking your time and replying to my comments one more time !! But let me clarify, I wasnt trying to criticize you by any means. The work that you are doing all by yourself is beyond my imagination and i wont even dare to be judgmental.

But you are right. People in Bangladesh do believe in this concept that if you touch someone's feet and ask for something you wont be refused. It means you are letting yourself lower than the other person.

(contd.)

[NeelKontho]

Hey Shawn!! The first time I watched some of your clips was right after the cyclone hit Bangladesh. I was truly moved by the effort you had been putting in with all your heart and soul pouring in it. And since then you have come a long way. I would just like to wish you all the best and let you know that you have been able to inspire a lot of young bloods to reach out for the people in need with whatever they have.

Bravo man and keep it up !!

[UnculturedProject]

hey thanks for the kind words man :-) It's good to know some of the people who found my videos by searching for cyclone sidr footage stuck around to watch the rest of my stuff :-)

[wafi0123]

Any American pretend to be or dreaming to take leadership of complex bangladesh u my kid this an impossible task for you and never dream it.we are whachin you.

[UnculturedProject]

Good. Keep watching.

[graffitisky18]

I have been watching your videos and I feel like this one shows some of your most important learning experiences. I especially found lesson #4 to be one of the most important lessons anyone can learn in this world. Keep up the good work and thank you for being an inspiration to all of your viewers.

[UnculturedProject]

hey graffitisky, this video is actually my personal favorite. But I guess, given its length and its sadder overtones, it's not my most popular video.

[graffitisky18]

I've just finished watching the rest of your videos and I think this is my favorite as well. I think too many people rush to help others with naivety, forgetting that people are human beings just like them. I felt like everyone could take real lessons from this video. That's one of the reasons I love lesson #4. People don't realize that even though you are helping someone, that person still deserves respect. Thanks for such an amazing video.

[ghostwise]

Thank you for the amazing insights and also for the actual help you're providing.

[Briellesabop]

hey peoples stop bashin the man. he rocks so much and hes doing so much even if its just small acts of kindness. little things create bigger things and that can go a long way.

love your work shawn. i hope youll be able to go to other countries like you said. =]

[traybroken]

Omg just found the videos tonight and started watching them one by one this one was very touching.

I hope you can continue to do what you are doing and that i can help someday...Somehow.

And more than just sending money to someone.

[traybroken]

Omg just found the videos tonight and started watching them one by one this one was very touching.

I hope you can continue to do what you are doing and that i can help someday...Somehow.

And more than just sending money to someone.

[coolman25800]

touching feet it not disrespect to any one .touchinh feet wich is call salam u can do any one who is oldre then u .like father maother,teacher........ Local medic(army) DIDN'T TOUCH FEET CAUSE HE DIDN'T WEAR THE GLOVES ,CANADIAN LADY DID WEAR THEY GLOVES...COMMONSENCE .... I SAW UR EVERY VIDEOS ,I KNOW DAT U WANT TO DO SOMETHING FOR BD,,,I REALY PROUD OF U!!!! BUT U H'V SOME NEGITIVE VIEW ,,,,, I HOPE U W'LL DO U R BEST......THX A LOT

[UnculturedProject]

hey coolman, if you see some of my previous comments on this video - you'll realize that a lot of people older than me wouldn't let me touch their feet (but instead would touch my). There is an unspoken class/status thing involved in Salam and I think this is just the tip of the surface.

Even if he didn't want to touch feet, he could have found a way to properly wash them. But there is an implied status difference there too. So that's maybe why he was just surface treating the wound instead.

[nk2050]

well older people didn't let u touch to show their usual courtesy to an outsider cause many bangladeshis think american or any person outside Bangladesh are special so u don't act as they would act with a bangladeshi. they always treat outsider with a different manner. it's not a usual thing to have an outsider in bangladesh as we have in USA and i lived in bangladesh, m a bangladeshi but never hard or saw any older touching a younger's feet to salam.may be some other reasons, not to salam them.

[UnculturedProject]

hey nk2050, yeah age and foreign nationalities are considered to give you "higher status".

And not all of Bangladesh is the same. What is true in Dhaka may not be true in the rural villages.

[UnculturedProject]

care to explain exactly why?

[mansavian]

why would you say that? have some respect

[bonani007]

U have misrepresented the meaning of salam dude. Salam has nutting to do with the status, its about showing respect! The one who is touching is showing respect to the one who's being touched!

[UnculturedProject]

hey bonani007, I know in some Muslim countries the Salam has very different meanings. But, here it definitely has that meaning. How do I know that? The person who stood next to me in the video ABSOLUTELY REFUSED to let me touch their feet because they thought (as a foreigner) I have too high a status to do that. Even though I told them that I don't believe in status - they insisted my status was too high.

[hotlips1129]

nahh man u got it wrong..it got nothing to do with status..wherever ur getting that from..some ppl dont do salam and touch feet because its not quite a muslim thing...nd im from bangladesh..i kno..there isnt no different meaning in salam..

[UnculturedProject]

hey hotlips1129 - I would agree with you if it wasn't for the fact that people would be touching my feet as a greeting all the time - thinking they are a lower status to me. But, when I want to do the same - they won't allow it.

Also, some rural cultures are different. Not everywhere in Bangladesh is the same. I wish you were right though.

[sham277]

perhaps you respect those of higher status/education/wealth /age?

[NoorAlqoloob87]

Awesome ... Great Video .

God bless you .

Peace

[invsbleatnight]

I am truly in awe of all the great work you are doing.

I just wanted to point out that using forceps/hands on is not the difference between a person who will get a skin/wound infection; rather, it would be that many of injured would go to local or village "doctors" who will use improper cleaning/antiseptic techniques, as the medic from canada said. Using forceps is completely acceptable as the military medic you showed was using an antiseptic to clean the wound.

[UnculturedProject]

hey invsbleatnight, according to the Canadian medic I talked about, using forceps to surface spread antiseptic doesn't work for "deep" wounds (like stepping on nails or sharp debris that leave deep flesh wounds or expose muscle or bones). For that you really need to throughly wash the feet hands on. The military medic's approach - in that case - would not have disinfected anything but the surface.

[Trashmakerxx]

the salaam is totally misrepresented here......its not common......and is a formal thing.......not an everyday thing...

[UnculturedProject]

Trashmakerxx - I didn't want to believe it myself. But I saw in the rural disaster area how many people were not getting good foot surgery (even though other surgeries seemed to be fine).

Also the footage kind of lent evidence to that case.

[bengaligal101]

i also thank you for what ur doing,

and yes i agree the kid at the end almost brought tears to my eyes i fell lyk takin a flight ryt now find the boy and giving him a blanket! i really want to help these ppl now even though its kinda late but u proved that one person can make all the difference. keep it up

[rayzard]

YEAH im from kingston!

[Traduvisual]

Thank you for what you are doing, especially because you are doing it with your heart and with lots of respect. I admire you a lot and I am deeply moved by your videos. You are a true inspiration.

[idconfirm]

thanks for making this video.

im glad that you are still doing this despite of the hard lessons that you have learnt.

we can make a difference somehow. :)

[clarity379]

I am amazed at your videos.You are a prime example on how one person can make a big diffrence!! I have seen many reporters from tv stations and they seem soo... unmoved by what they are showing,you are truly INSPIRING!!! What makes you amazing is you give what you can and you show how every little does count!

[Kitschx]

that kid... with no blanket... at the end, that just made me cry so much. you are doing amazing work. thank you.

[kukenimunnen]

Is the fat guy bitchslapping the li´l kid at 00:06?

[goodall19]

listen there is no need for this if you can not be sincere theres no need for u to comment at all.

[kukenimunnen]

So is he slapping the kid?

[UnculturedProject]

hey kukenimunnen, my original reply to your message apparently didn't post. Sorry about that - just noticed that now.

I think it was more of a pat on the cheek and a sign of affection than a slap :P I suppose its the cultural equivalent of ruffling a kids hair.

[kukenimunnen]

Uhm, so I see. But it seems so strange. I mean, the man executing the patting is looking straight into the camera before showing his affection. Doesn´t seem real to me.

[UnculturedProject]

Yeah, I wasn't in control of this distribution. The food, the water - that was owned and being distributed by a charity I was tagging along with. The only thing that I owned and was in control of were the blankets.

That guy (some senior director or something) had asked for a copy of this footage and so he might have been looking into the camera to make sure he was being filmed. I really don't know what happened to either that footage or him - I haven't seen or heard from that guy since.

[mansavian]

Hi, you're doing great work out there- I realise it must be very tough. Are you going to be there for much longer? which charity or organisation if any are you associated with? I am interested in doing some similar work myself. thanks

[UnculturedProject]

My work is independent but sometimes I get permission to team up with various NGOs and charities. But those are only temporary arrangements.

I plan on being here for at least a few more months.

[Teknics]

no doubt i never saw it this intense as I haven't visited any disaster areas, but I have been to countries where the daily life is somewhat like this. The translations you provided gave me so much insight into what the people really feel.. Why do they bring camera's but still nothing for us.. Really disheartening to see how many people take the effort to go their but not to help like yourself. You bringing this awareness is much more help than these people could ever ask for

[s26johnny]

keep it up man

[Zilhazur]

Respect u!

[BurNinGsDeSirEs]

Great Work..! Keep It Up Bro..

Take Care..!!

[tomtomttom]

It is good to help people in need, but we need to think of prevention. This area where people are living in used to be jungles and marsh land. If you controlled the population there, there wouldn't be a need to live in such wet lands and the cyclone would have been absorbed by the think jungles.

[UnculturedProject]

You argument is akin to saying that if the US had population control, than no one would need to live in low lying areas like New Orleans.

When it comes to Bangladesh, people have been living in this particular marshy-region for centuries. And, despite population growth, the area has been very lush with thick jungles. But this cyclone was powerful enough to uproot even the oldest of trees.

[tomtomttom]

Hi UnculturedProject. Some of Bangladesh might still be marsh/jungle, but whatever is still there is nothing compared to how thick it was before. That is a fact. Bangladesh was never meant to have that many people. There are just too many people in that land. In regards to New Orleans, it was the same case. From my understanding homes were expanded to the wetlands, where it wasn't before.

[tomtomttom]

Keep in mind, those areas where you are working in, that used to be thick jungle. Much much thicker than what is in those videos you are showing us. As population keeps growing, more trees will be cleared. More development will be made and the land there will erode away. That is a basic fact.

[UnculturedProject]

Cyclone Sidr may have been a tropical storm - but it's impact is more akin to the tsunami that hit Indonesia a couple of years ago. Tree coverage, etc.,. would have mattered very little. I was in Dhaka City when it happened - where there was lots of sturdy concrete everywhere - and even then it was tough to be absorbed.

I think you are going for an argument that basically suggests that their suffering is their own fault. I simply don't buy that argument.

[tomtomttom]

First off I didn't say the cyclone wasn't powerful. And I didn't say it wouldn't do any damage if there wasn't think forests. I'm saying it would have been reduced. If there was a smaller population, there would be more room to build strong storm proof homes. Homes that can stand 200+ mile winds. Not sure why you don't see the population as a problem???

[UnculturedProject]

Hey Tom, storm proof homes have little to do with space and everything to do with income. Any home made of brick and concrete was essentially storm proof. When I went to the disaster area, I stayed in a school which survived the cyclone. It survived because it was made of concrete. Not everyone can afford concrete homes. That has little to do with population.

But I agree - a smaller population means a smaller death toll. Although I think that's a given. :P

[tomtomttom]

uncultured, I don't think you are taking the population thing seriously enough. If there is a smaller population, less money the government has to spend and the same amount of international aid can help more people. Bangladesh is major need of sterilization.

[UnculturedProject]

I'm not a fan of mass sterilization because I don't want to deny someone to become a right to become a parent. In America, we give women the right to choose when and how many kids they have . I don't see Bangladeshis as people who deserve any less a right. They aren't less worthy of this right than Americans. They shouldn't have less rights because they are poor. They shouldn't have less human dignity because they are poor.

[tomtomttom]

Well if we make it available by choice and the poor keep having kids after their 3 kid we need to sterilize them. I'm sorry, but if we don't, people like you will keep asking us Americans for money. This is just a joke. The real problem is population. If you don't target that you aren't really changing too much.

[UnculturedProject]

But Tom, we touched upon this in a previous thread. If you want a family planning program in Bangladesh you need not just financial incentives for not having more kids (with or without sterilization) but you also need a family health program to ensure the kids you have don't die before they grow into adults. Finacial incentives, health programs, etc - they need money a cash strapped country like Bangladesh doesn't have. Who are they going to tax? 80% of the country earns less than $2 a day.

[tomtomttom]

Yes we have, but you and I disagree when it comes to sterilization. I do agree we should make it voluntary, but up to a certain point, after the 2nd or 3rd kid it becomes a danger to the country as it already has. And those parents need to be sterilized. If Bangladesh didn't have such a huge population you wouldn't asking for so much help. And regards to heath programs that is all and good, but that country has a major population crisis.

[UnculturedProject]

A major health program would need to go hand in hand with any population control measure. No one will agree to have less kids - if each child born has a high risk of dying young.

This is about a holistic approach - we need to look at the big picture. That's why I'm so in favor of Dr. Jeffrey Sachs's work - he looks at the big picture.

[tomtomttom]

Everyone has their own big picture. Everyone has their own holistic approach. At the end you have to see if it will solve the problem. As we can clearly see the population there is still growing. If that doesn't change, Bangladesh will erode away. We can also see that happening with Indonesia.

[bokhtier]

If this does not move someone, you will need a crane (a device for lifting and moving heavy weights in suspension).

[amyvb1]

Thank you again for the video and insight. It's especially interesting to see the local response to relief efforts.

[notashot]

This was my favorite of your videos to date. I just picked up a book called Resistible Revolution. I think you might like it. It has been speaking to the core of my faith lately and I think it reflects a lot of what you are doing.

[UnculturedProject]

The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical? I just googled it. I've never read it - but yeah, it sounds like something I would enjoy reading.

For me, I've learned that doing the right thing isn't always comfortable or easy. What surprised me, is that the "warm and fuzzy" good feeling is few and far between. Things are so desperate and you can never do enough...

[hockeylover]

The last part with the child without a blanket broke my heart. It hurts to see my own people like this.

By the way I watched all of your videos and i salute you for what you're doing. I hope i can do something like this in the future.

Keep up the good work!

[OneoftheImmortals]

These are very hard lessons to learn.

Always remember, you are making a difference.

Bravo!!!

[AskCarrieLee]

That was so so so moving. You are a beautiful person.

[saifur001]

im proud of u cuz... wish i had your strength and courage to help ppl period. In a selfish and egotistic world ppl of pure soul like you are out there helping the needy. Lemme know if help you further your cause.

[BengalGuerilla]

This one makes my heart ache.

[beatulec]

I really admire you for what you're doing.

Despite the fact that we all know about the poverty and sickness in certain areas, these videos are a real eye-opener. And it gives me hope that one can really do something about it, even if it's a couple of blankets, or simply donating some money to a trusted charity...

You're amazing really (:

[UnculturedProject]

Thanks Beata! I've been really trying to make sure my videos aren't what you already see on TV. When you see video about poverty on TV, they are just trying to pull at your heart strings (and then maybe your wallet).

But, I'd prefer to get people seriously thinking about these issues instead of crying about them. It's a tough balance.

[PiratePuppetMelba]

I think many of those lessons could apply to life, in general.

Thank you, UnculturedProject, for posting this video.

[UnculturedProject]

Yeah, I think these lessons will live with long after I've gone back home.

Thanks for your comment - and I just checked your channel. Thanks for favoriting :-)

[neogigo]

Are you only going to focus on just india , did you ever consider south america?

[UnculturedProject]

I would love to go to South America.

Unfortunately, I'm just a student doing this with some money I saved. I've only budgeted enough for airfare to get me back home when I end this project.

[notashot]

I will be in Brazil for a two week stint doing on a medical relief boat. I'll let them know that you said hi. :)

[UnculturedProject]

haha thanks man :-)

I know it's very hard to do both aid work and filming - but if you could share some of what you are doing in Brazil on YouTube, that would be amazing.

[emmylee04]

This is so heartbreaking. Amazing.

[hotpinknalgene86]

Beautiful darling. I am always so touched by your work. Keep it up. Everyone at home, and around the world who sees your videos and knows what you're doing is so very proud of you.

All my love

xxoo

[HEarl114]

You are just fucking awesome man, makes you realize how irrelavant some things in our lives are. Hope you get featured! you really deserve it.

[alawals]

Good job!!!

[notes1980]

This is such a sad video, you do an amaszin job!

[UnculturedProject]

Yeah, I've tried to keep my work positive up until now. But, unfortunately, there is also a lot of sadness there too - and I wanted to share that.

[retrab]

Great work man - we need more people like you!

[UnculturedProject]

Thanks man - much appreciated :-)