What a great adventure, the 12th cycling tour organized by IHS, with a unique 500 km itinerary: “From the borders of the Sundarbans to the capital Dhaka”

13 students and 6 teacher, from 4 different colleges in Belgium, participated in this learning experience. This impressive tour offers the participants an in depth acquaintance of IHS “Low Cost Housing program” enriched with understanding of the complexity and beauty of the Bengali culture and society.

Textile Industry
The program started with a visit to ACS,a modern,fully compliant textile factory, respectful to the 6,000 laborers and protective for the environment; the group witnessed how improvements were made since the Rana catastrophe. The 60 kmdisplacement by cyclewas the 1st training day.

Water plane to Satkhira
Next day, the 19 cyclists were shuttledin 3 flights by the small Cessna water plane of MAF,all the way to the starting point at the edge of the Sundarbans. The plane landed on the ChunaRiver in Munshiganjwhere the group stayed in the guesthouse of IHS partner NGO Shushilan. The groupparticipated inMicro-Finance group meetings, visited some of the 700 IHS House-Building clients, met new clients and cycled 65 km. After this exiting visit, the group left Satkhira, on a 2-days journeylongingthe outskirts of the Sundurbans Forrest, cycling between the innumerable shrimp cultivation ponds to Dacope, Khulna, Tungiparato thenext destination: IHS 2ndpartner NGO in Shariatpur. A beautiful trip, with plentiful warminteractions with the local rural community, who were surprised to see 20 “bideshi” on cycles. The groupvisited primary schools, FCB brick kilns, theBangabundhu mausoleum and museum.

Shariatpur and the ECO-Block production
Duringthestay with IHS partner SDS, in Shariatpur,the cyclists participated in MF-group meetings, and visitedseveral houses of (a selection of) the 700 IHS house building clients. But greatest excitement was the visit to the new, innovative project: the Green Bricks orECO-block Production Site. In this Production site, IHS experiments with not-fired bricks (CSEBs)by which the company contributes to mitigation of climate change. The pilot project was highly appreciated.

By boat the groupwent on a daytrip to Char Kashikata and witnessed the harsh living conditionson these unstable sandy islands. Finally the group participated in a “speed date” exchangewith local peer college students and played an“only females” football game (won by Bangladesh). The farewell party enjoyed the presence of Baul SingerAklima and the honorable DC of Shariatpur.

The final60km journey took the cyclists via Chandpur Ghat back to SadarGhat and Banani, where this great experience ended with a farewell dinner, in presence of other Belgian ‘bideshi’

A beautiful experience, and participants are eager to assist our company to enhance our activities. Willem Gees guided the group through Bangladesh.