24/01/2008
Mohammed Shajahan, a fisherman from the small Bangladeshi village of Uttor Rajapur, never saw it coming.
He and 13 others were fishing on the river when Cyclone Sidr suddenly ripped through the dense forest landscape. Before Mr Shajahan or his fellow fishermen could react, their boat capsized. Mr Shajahan was able to save himself by climbing a tree and waiting for the fury of the storm to pass over. Some of the others were not so fortunate.
After the storm, Mr Shajahan was reunited with his wife, Mary, who had been bunkered down inside their house when it was destroyed by the cyclone. Like thousands of others made homeless by the storm, the couple constructed a small, frail structure from palm branches. This has been their home up until now.
But thanks to the help of a £50,000 relief grant, BMS, along with its partner MCC Bangladesh, is playing a significant role in the reconstruction of over 300 homes.
Together we have been able to provide many people like the Shajahans with a new home - ones that are being storm-proofed with concrete pillars for support. This is a measure that will likely prevent further weather-related catastrophes. In total, the reconstruction project is estimating to rebuild between 1,250 and 1,400 homes.
Mr Shajahan says, "This new house is much better than the original one we had before the storm. We are grateful and very happy to have such a good place to live."
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