An Unexpected Journey There I was, being hugged by a young boy not more than 8, his cheek on my cheek. He was a Rohingya orphan, far removed from his land, his community, his family. An orphan whose childhood innocence had been cruelly snatched and was left longing for the care, love and company of his departed parents. It was four years ago that Sister Sabria and I were in Malaysia visiting many orphanages housing Rohingya children. We observed that...

How our eyesight restoration program opened my eyes OBAT Canada posted this short video interview put together by students at one of the OBAT vocational centers- they did everything, including the subtitles in English. This product is amazing to see from our students, all from displaced population camps; it shows how OBAT has made – and continues to make – a difference, by imparting skills and bringing about a generation of leaders and changemakers. But the content of the video...

My Dream Come True…13 Years in the Making! Thirteen years ago, I was in Bangladesh for the very first time and ended up visiting some displaced population camps that I had read about. Seeing the condition of the people, it was impossible not to help. I was particularly motivated to help orphans in that forgotten part of the world. Prior to that, I’d tried to support orphans through existing charities, but was consistently disappointed by the experience. On one occasion, I even...

The man punched the child in the eye, right in front of us, as another man was holding the child from behind. Remarkably no one among the throngs of people around reacted. ...

The man punched the child in the eye, right in front of us, as another man was holding the child from behind. Remarkably no one among the throngs of people around reacted. ...

Keeping the ‘charitable’ in charity Volunteer work isn’t easy. You spend countless hours – hours that you don’t really have, after a demanding full-time job and between familial and other responsibilities. Often it’s after hours, when your body and (more so) your brain is craving relaxation. Other times it means taking time off from work not to go on a vacation, but for charity-related events or meetings. When it came to OBAT Canada, a charity I founded, lots of people recommended that we...

Warning: The following article contains content that may be disturbing for some readers. By Dr. Shujaat Wasty What do I say to someone who was tortured and raped repeatedly, by numerous armed men, a handful of minutes after witnessing her husband and young children have their throats mercilessly slit, their bodies lit ablaze? The thought raced in my mind, on repeat, as I sat there trying to grasp the overwhelming magnitude of what Khatoon* recounted, and yet failing to reconcile it with...