Last month I was preparing for my return to Bangladesh and Bhola's Children. This month it's a flash of a - fantastic - memory, that's allowed me to reconnect with everyone and everything that's important out there.
We (Freda, fellow trustee, and me) worked hard in terms of policy, administration and networks (not anywhere near as boring as it's sounds; it's a thrill to see all the years of progress) but we played hard too: a picnic, a barbecue, a boat trip. And best of all, we met old friends and made new ones.
So many of the little ones are now big ones - sometimes with children of their own - and have moved on (but came back to visit) and others are making their mark in a different way. Here I am (above) with Shahti: we met when she was seven and learning sign language - now she's teaching her own two children and working as a cook. And Sonali (above) at 17, has found a very topical talent - she can make videos on a phone and upload them to Tiktok with her tongue.
The national Special Olympics was held in Dhaka in November and our team both won medals and were selected for the international games - a real triumph for a group from Bhola.
An unexpected bonus was that so many people have asked me about Bangladesh (those who I've got to know in recent years, so haven't yet had chance to bore...) that A Blonde Bengali Wife took on a new lease of life and left to number 40 in the Asian literature chart!
The week in Bhola flew. But as the sun set on this visit, I know it won't be as long until my next.
Anne x
