After the clock had struck 12 on the eve of June 9, Mr. Adam Paul Nathan reached spectacular heights in our pursuit of cultural exchange with Bangladeshi locals, and started what was to be a remarkable day in a most memorable fashion. Mitu, one Bangladeshi student, asked Scott and me whether we enjoyed singing. Excited to represent America in as favorable a light as humanly possible, we answered that while we were not strong singers ourselves, Adam was one of the finest singers that our country has to offer. Adam's resistance fell upon deaf ears, as word of his supposed talent spread through the third floor of the Training and Resource Center like wildfire. Before he knew it, Adam was standing in front of an wide-eyed group of young men who were smiling with eager anticipation. Bravely, Adam took on the challenge, and stunned our ears with a dedicated - if somewhat floundering - rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner. Adam drew more kind-hearted laughter than applause, but was congratulated on his efforts by all. Mitu, it appeared, appreciated the performance the most, as he soon serenaded a somewhat bewildered Adam with a passionate interpretation of the Bangladeshi song "Tu mi amar premika", which translates into English as "You are my lover." It was going to be a great day.
After arriving at the BRAC headquarters, we started off the day with a productive and constructive discussion about our thoughts on the progress of the project. We all agreed that we could do more towards effective communication to ensure that we stay on the same page and address budding conflicts. With fifteen minutes to spare before our first meeting of the day, we talked about how lucky we felt to have been given the opportunity to work on this fantastic project and to have been granted such extensive access to BRAC's resources.
Just on cue, Dr. Faustina Pereira, the director of the Human Rights and Legal Services at BRAC and an inspiring embodiment of BRAC's vision and enthusiasm, entered the room. She impressed us all with her distinct vision for the world's largest legal aid and human rights program, which was geared not only towards supplying tangible resources to uphold basic human rights, but towards instilling a legal consciousness in rural Bangladesh. In one instance, for example, Faustina Apa (Apa is the Bangladeshi form of address) contended that rather than simply supplying clean drinking water to those in need, victimizing them without a path for progress, BRAC must empower the poor by pushing them to stand for their right to demand clean drinking water. It was an interplay between supply and demand that none of us had ever encountered.
With the executive conference room still buzzing with enthusiasm after Faustina Apa had left, Mr. Muhammad Rumee Ali (or "Rumee Bai" in the Bangladeshi form of address), BRAC's director for program enterprises, came in to leave an unforgettable impression. BRAC's program enterprises are the industries and institutions that BRAC has invested in to generate income and make the organization more sustainable. Carrying such an imposing title, Rumee Bai surprised us with his genuine excitement about our project, and his admission to being nervous in dealing with such "young, nimble minds". He granted us an uplifting insight into how every single one of BRAC's money-making programs is solely engineered to empower the poor, as he described how BRAC had created and protected markets and filled gaps in governmental services to stabilize the ladder out of poverty. His description of BRAC's positive response to having other organizations copy their model and take credit for it emphasized its dedication to poverty alleviation, not self-promotion. "Imitation is the best form of flattery" Rumee Bai said, quoting Shakespeare, and smiled. This prompted a discussion on BRAC's unique and sustainable model of Corporate Social Responsibility, a model built on BRAC's determination to weave social awareness about what is right for every local community into the fabric of all systems and processes. We left the meeting with a more profound respect for the scope and quality of BRAC, and the integrity of its workers.
Our last meeting of the day was with Rabeya Bai, the director of the "Targeting the Ultra Poor" program, reinforced our appraisal that BRAC had struck a rare balance between social responsibility and results-oriented efficiency. She spoke with bright eyes about BRAC's approach of challenging the frontiers of poverty reduction through this program. Understanding the existence of different levels of poverty and entrepreneurial potential, the program was designed to provide training and resources for the poorest Bangladeshi demographic and give them the opportunity to eventually be successful in participating in BRAC's microfinance programs. Walking out of the conference room, we discussed how deeply impressed we have been with BRAC's phenomenal success in tailoring programs to cater to the specific needs and perspectives of the poor.
As we looked out the window of the 19th floor, the sun was setting on the increasingly breathtaking city of Dhaka, the children were flying their kites in front of the lake, and the last boats were making their way across glistening waters. We set back to the Training and Resource Center with a sense of excitement about a remarkable opportunity, a sense of pride in our project, and an inspired smile. It was a great day.
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