The past month has seen the passing of two long time supporters of Action Aid Australia. We wish to acknowledge and celebrate the life of two men who have made a difference to "those who have less" over many years.
Leonard Stanley REID DFC - Lived in Cranbourne, Victoria
Len Reid passed away on April 22nd 2003, aged 86. Forty years ago, Len, together with the support of Joan and others founded "The Society For Those Who Have Less", which is now known as Action Aid Australia. He worked tirelessly for the organisation over many years, and is still remembered by supporters through letters received at the office and when talking to groups.
Sony MOSES - Lived in Noranda, suburb of Perth, WA.
Sony, with his family, had also been a long time supporter of Action Aid, and had visited India on a number of occasions. Ian and Lyn met with Sony, Mrs. Moses, Heather and other supporters in WA in 1999, at Sony's home. Small get togethers are held in Perth from time to time by supporters and Sony was very much involved in this.
The Jamuna River rises in the foothills of the Himalayas, and makes its serpentine way across one of the world's great flood plains-Bangladesh. The Jamuna is a vast waterway. Six years ago it was bridged for the first time, providing a transport corridor linking the eastern and western parts of the county.
At the height of the annual monsoon, the Jamuna is a great torrent, often overflowing its banks and flooding the surrounding countryside. When the waters recede in dry season, sandbanks appear, beckoning otherwise landless people to farm this no-man's-land, and produce a meagre food supply for their families. Thousands of Bengali children are born and raised on these sandy patches. But the ephemeral life of their island - here today and sometimes gone with the next flood - destines these youngsters to a life on the margins: educationally deprived, malnourished, prone to recurring illness and entering adulthood without marketable skills. this becomes their legacy to the next generation.
The Jamuna Rural Development Service (JRDS) is Action Aid's latest project - generously funded by a former Board member and his wife. In July, JRDS field workers will make their way, by boat, to these river islands, which border Jamalpur and Tangail Districts on the eastern bank of Jamuna, and Shiraganj District on the west.