The re-awakening of compassion

If all youth were to work together with similar mind, similar heart, similar compassion, as the young members of Revolution to Improve Bangladesh are doing, there is no doubt an enormous difference would be made
Sir Frank Peters
A revolution is taking solid root in a village near Gazipur and it’s one that even Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the RAB would warmly welcome.
The mission of the revolutionaries is simple. It is to make Bangladesh better for disadvantaged children.
A group of local, totally non-political, youth in the village of Haydarabad have joined forces and pooled their individual talents to help the underprivileged of their locality. They’ve taken the adage ‘charity begins at home’ literally.
Spokesman Ashikur Rahman said ‘big-hearted’ Rubel Hussain, who was born in the village, and has been helping people all his life there, spearheads their ‘revolution of compassion’.
“Walking through the village, prior to last Eid, Rubel saw and mentally counted a large number of poor children whose chances of receiving clothing for Eid was somewhere between slim and nil,” said Ashikur.
“Rubel organized a discussion group around my shop one evening and said something should be done to help them. An ad-hoc committee was formed that immediately set about raising awareness of the problem among similar minded young villagers. The response was overwhelming.
“Their efforts provided clothes, shoes and chocolates for about 60 disadvantaged children in Haydarabad and Tongi who otherwise would not have received anything and theirs would have been a miserable Eid,” Ashikur said. “They paid for the items from their own pockets.”
“You do not have to travel far in any village to find a child in need, “ said Rubel. “We helped a few children with what means we had at our disposal, but there are many, many more who could do with a helping hand. We are now focused on increasing our help to children for Eid al-Adha,” he said.
Once the initial setting-up wrinkles are ironed out, Rubel hopes to find similar-minded people to duplicate the programme in other villages.
We can all moan, groan, complain and do nothing about the existing pitiful situation. If all youth were to work together with similar mind, similar heart, similar compassion, as the young members of Revolution to Improve Bangladesh are doing, however, there is no doubt an enormous difference would be made.
Bringing happiness into the lives of children is 1,000-times better than sitting around village teashops moaning, groaning, complaining and doing nothing. I whole-heartedly welcome and support the humanitarian efforts of Rubel and his growing legion of compassionate supporters.
To help children in need or find out more about Revolution to Improve Bangladesh, see Facebook or email .
(Sir Frank Peters is a former newspaper and magazine publisher and editor, an award-winning writer, humanitarian and a royal Goodwill Ambassador.)