May News From Bangladesh

CRP has a new Executive Director
Following the resignation of Emdad Moslem, CRP have appointed a new Executive Director, Major General Shafiqul Islam, who started work in April 2011.

New Centre Opens in Chittagong
Foreign Therapists work alongside Bangladeshi professionals in the new location, Valerie Taylor has sent this update.

“The Chittagong centre has got off to a good start I feel with 2 therapists being seconded there from 1st February, 2011. A few weeks ago CRP sent a team of therapists (among them 4 foreign therapists) to conduct a mobile clinic in two different places in Chittagong. The aim of the clinic was to spread the word about the start of a service in Kalurghat. More than 600 patients were seen over those two days. Now the discussions are on going concerning the re-modelling of the building to adapt it to the purposes of providing services in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech & language therapy and a prosthetics and orthotics department. It is a very exciting prospect with a service centre in Moulvi Bazar commencing in a small way from 1st April and offers of land having being made in Rajshahi town and Khulna for the same purpose.”

Original Cards From CRP Available At The AGM
Twenty four year old Ibrahim has been at CRP for 5 years. He was electrocuted while working on a building site and the resultant fall left him in a wheelchair and without his arms which had to be amputated. The youngest of a family of five, his three sisters are all married and his brother works in the construction business. His mother cares for him
at CRP Savar.

His first year at CRP was spent undergoing treatment, he then began his rehabilitation including painting by mouth. Some of you will be familiar with one of his first paintings of a river scene with trees. His portfolio is now quite wide ranging from groups of people in daily life situations to various subjects of native Bangladeshi flora and fauna.

The CRP printing press has reproduced seven of his paintings as a set of post cards. The subjects include fruit trees, fish and a very striking bull. The set, in a handmade paper envelope, will be available at the AGM .