Relief Tourism in the Sundarbans — the ethics of DIY relief work
Posted on 20. Jan, 2008 by Mikey Leung in Responsible Travel
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(Jan 20 – DHAKA) What do you do when a devastating cyclone strikes the area that you’re about to visit?
If your name is Michael Mangano, you raise funds from your friends and family and bring money for the relief goods with your own two hands. That’s exactly what the Boston graduate student did in early January.
Mangano used online merchant Paypal to successfully raise $1,005 USD (or approx 68,000 Bangladeshi Taka) for victims of Cyclone Sidr, especially in the hard hit Sundarbans region of Bangladesh.
Watch the video:
“It’s a kind of ‘do-it-yourself’ relief work,” says Mangano. “My whole trip feels much more worthwhile because of it.”
Mangano’s original purpose was to visit Bangladesh as a tourist and to meet fellow traveller and Information Technology Specialist Mikey Leung. Upon news of the cyclone, Michael decided to raise funds from his family and friends before his visit.
With Leung’s voluntary technology support, the duo produced a Youtube.com video from the field showing the relief goods being handed over, while a series of audio podcasts tracks their progress. The purpose of the volunteer work was to prove to donors that their funds were being used and to demonstrate the idea of “Relief Tourism” to a wider audience.
“The idea of relief tourism fascinates me,” says Leung. “If travellers only knew which organizations are trustworthy, they could help support Bangladesh’s development initiatives while experiencing them first hand.”
After bank fees, a total of 65,000 Bangladeshi Taka was donated to various branches of Rupantar, a Bangladeshi non-government organisation that is supported by several international donor agencies, including USAID, ActionAID and CIDA.
“This is responsible travel in action,” says Leung. “By taking away all gaps between philanthropists and benefactors, we cut out all the bureaucracy and experience the plight of cyclone survivors first hand. It proves to be an educational and positive experience for both local and visitor.”
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Funds involved:
-65,000 BDT raised after Paypal and bank transfer fees
-40,000 BDT ($580 USD) was used to purchase 17 fishing boats and milk for the village of Dhangmari
-20,000 BDT was ($290 USD) donated to an orphanage supporting child victims of the cyclone
-5,000 BDT ($75 USD) was used to purchase musical instruments in support of Rupantar’s cultural change initiatives
Background:
- Michael Mangano covered his own travel expenses personally—none of the donated funds were used for this purpose.
- Mikey Leung is currently researching a new Bradt travel guidebook to Bangladesh in which he plans to encourage travellers to visit Bangladesh in a bid to reduce poverty
- Rupantar is a well-known and respected organization supporting the development of Bangladesh’s south-western region. A branch of the organization supports eco-tourism in the Sundarbans.
Contacts:
DHAKA, BANGLADESH
Mikey Leung, Freelance Journalist and IT Specialist
+880 1714 361 173 // www.joybangla.info // joybangla.info [AT] gmail.com
KHULNA, BANGLADESH
Nazmul Azam (David)
+880 1711 829 414 // ret [AT] khulna.bangla.net
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA
Michael Mangano, Boston University
+1 617 721 4749 // mjmangano [AT] hotmail.com
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