76 318
HOME
76
May15
About Friendship
Dorothee is a long-term supporter
of Friendship, a Bangladeshi NGO
operating in some of the most isolated
and impoverished communities in the
country’s far north.
Ten years ago, she visited Bangladesh
with thepersonal aimofmakingadifference;
there she met founder Runa Khan, who
inspired Dorothee with her mission to
improve living conditions and offer the
chance of a better future. Dorothee went on
to set up Friendship Netherlands.
Friendship began with one hospital boat
servicing Char communities who live on
unstable riverine islets with no access to
health, education or clean water. Today,
three hospital ships, hundreds of static and
mobile clinics, trained community medics,
and primary and secondary medical care
are within reach of four million people,
whereas in 2002 there was none.
There are now74 schools teaching 4,000
students from playgroup to fourth class.
Femaleempowerment programmesprovide
Char women with literacy and vocational
training to increase their employment
opportunities. In addition, resilience
programmes prepare vulnerable villages
to respond effectively to natural disasters.
For more information, email dorothee@
terkulve.comor visit
friendship-bd.org.
“The wooden portraits of the
children are by a Dutch artist,
Diederick Kraaijeveld, who
collects old wood and recycles
it into his art. “His work is very
realistic and lifelike, and it
really captures the children’s
personalities.”