Help fund important projects and medical relief work urgently needed throughout the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. Current projects being discussed are community learning centers and waste management pilot projects, as well as medical relief work.

In August 2017 I traveled to Bangladesh to witness first-hand the urgency and chaos that over 600,000 Rohingya refugees were facing throughout the Cox's Bazar region. Almost one year later (2018) I returned to Bangladesh and continued work in the camps with refugees now numbering almost 1 million.

This will be my 3rd trip out to the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, but this time not only will I be working on humanitarian projects, but there will also be medical work headed by my husband, Rick. Currently we are coordinating with a Banghladeshi NGO and government officials in order to create an efficient program that will provide the greatest benefit to the refugees during the 10 days we will spend throughout the various camps.

My previous fundraisers for the Rohingyas (2017/2018) have raised almost $30,000 (alhamdulillah). With that money, we were able to install 23 water pumps throughout the camps, distribute 700 food bags, 500 (5L & 2L) bottles of water to families, build 23 bamboo family shelters and complete a pilot waste management/bathroom system. In addition, we were able to raise enough funds to slaughter 5 cows during Eid al-Adha and distributed enough meat for 750 families, which I personally distributed.

For this trip, I will revisit the refugee camps, but will mainly concentrate our work on the furthest out camps (around the Teknaf area). For the humanitarian portion of the trip, we have discussed the great need for community centers that will not only provide a safe, productive space for all, but will also help with educating adults with family planning and feminine hygiene. 

The medical portion of the trip will concentrate on providing basic medical care, as well as providing feminine wellness checks and urgent/emergency care if needed. We are aiming to provide 2 - 3 day care per camp (depending on size, location, need, etc).

I have been doing international humanitarian work since 2014, and since then I have volunteered/worked in/visited 34 refugee camps/centers/sites/underserved regions. Rick Baker (my husband) has been doing international medical volunteer work since his first trip to Haiti where he volunteered in a hospital and provided emergency care to those effected by the 2010 earthquake.

The more you donate, the more projects can be completed. In addition to the refugees you help, your donations will also help locals in the Cox's Bazar region, as I always work with and hire locals, in addition to purchasing items from locals!  I PERSONALLY DO ALL THE PREP WORK, PURCHASES, and DISTRIBUTION MYSELF in effort with local contacts, translators, and aides.

As with every trip, results and completion of all projects are subject to unforeseen complications, such as weather, military restrictions, accessibility, etc. If a specific project suddenly becomes impossible to complete, I will immediately use the funds toward another important project in the area, such as food distribution. Please refer to my Hand to Heart page on FB for daily updates during the trip!

http://https://www.facebook.com/Hand-to-Heart-769866309712440/