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Darren's Blog
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About Me
Hi. My name is Darren Tye and I'm the UK Operations Manager for The Student Support Centre (UK). I joined the company in 1998 as a School Liaison Officer and when Anthony Lee, our Chairman, called me into his office as he had some "exciting news", I thought great maybe a long service award, surprise party...etc.
"We're going to be sending you to Bangladesh", he said, "for a week".
"What!" "Is it something I've done?" "I'm so sorry please forgive me", kind of thoughts raced through my mind.
Of course, when he explained it was to visit our sponsored project in Nalitabari I felt nothing short of honoured. We're incredibly proud of our relationship with World Vision and particularly our sponsored education project in Nalitabari. What's been achieved there in a relatively short space of time is amazing and it will be a pleasure to share my experience with you and, hopefully, give us all an insight into the altruistic dedication of the World Vision project team and the courage and determination of the people of Nalitabari.
It would be great if you could visit either Darren's, Sarah's or Mark's blog for regular updates, particularly if you happen to be my wife (Paula) or sons (Ben-8yrs old, Nathan-5yrs old)!
Please choose a Blog item from below to view it.
- You don't have to say you love me, just be close at hand...This is my final Blog and before I've even written it, I'm already feeling emotional (you do realise I'm NEVER going to live some of these comments down!).13th November 2010
- I said 'fork handles' not 'four candles'Aah the art of communication. Difficult enough back at home in England but you try it at 11pm in a crazily busy market/shopping district of Nalitabari, with a crowd of at least 50 locals following you everywhere you go!12th November 2010
- Bangladesh 2 England 1The emotional roller coaster continues.
First stop a BRAC centre, which is where selected children from the poorest families in the village attend. Out of the 20 or so kids there were two lucky enough to be part of World Vision’s child sponsorship scheme. They get there at 7am and put a couple of extra hours in BEFORE they go to school. They concentrate on the core subjects of English, maths and12th November 2010
- Pack up your trunk and don't you come around here no more, no more.What a day! Fearing the worst, our first visit was to a school for children at work. These are 'children' that attend school from 8am to 10am and then go to their job. We heard from children as young as 9 years of age who work as mechanics, blacksmiths, tailors and one 11 year old girl (who looked nearer 7 years old to me!) who was a servant.11th November 2010
- Didn't we have a lovely day the day we went to Bangla (desh)Today was a good day! We knew we were to visit a remote Catholic primary school and a Muslim girls’ high school but what we weren't expecting was just how remote! At both schools we were enthusiastically welcomed with singing and dancing and beautiful floral gifts (I know, did I really just say that?!)10th November 2010
- That's the politest way in which I've ever been robbed!Ok I'm exaggerating but it was interesting! We passed through the last real town (on attached video clip) before continuing our 6 hour journey to the rural north. Suddenly on a one track road we came across a roadblock where we were persuaded by a dozen men dressed in Spanish football tops (only in Bangladesh eh?) that in order to continue our journey it would be better to pay a small 'toll'. No f9th November 2010
- I don't want to blow smoke up your pipe but ......!I can't help it since my lungs feel as though they're so full of smog that every time I speak a little dust cloud appears. Having arrived in Dhaka yesterday we were all a little on guard on the walk from the airport to the waiting car. But do you know what, it wasn't anything like I expected. All I saw were very hungry, desperate human beings, many who come to the airport every day (men, women, ch8th November 2010
- You can lead an elephant to water but a pencil must be lead!So, why an elephant and not a horse? Well, elephants have been on our minds for some months here at The Student Support Centre ever since a wild herd stampeded one of the villages in Nalitabari, devastating the area. No less than 30 homes (mud huts) were all but destroyed leaving those effected families homeless....in the middle of the monsoon season!2nd November 2010
- This trip is starting to give me the needle!Another week and another two injections, not to mention a so-called 'flavoured' oral medicine for cholera or was it Hepatitis A. No. Wait, B or was it the Japanese Encylathingymajig...although I'm sure the nurse said something about rabies. I think you get the point and reading Sarah's blog I'm sure, after thirteen injections each, she's also starting to feel like a pincushion.22nd October 2010
- A fools guide to making your wife cry!We've had our World Vision 'Trip Awareness Day' (soon to be renamed, 'Let's Scare The Pants Off Them Day!!') this week. The day started with an interview (interrogation) from an independent assessor.15th October 2010
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