Action: Mehndi Magic

They are a bunch of innocent kids. They will greet you with twinkling eyes, extending palms that are decorated with henna. You will find their faces shining brightly with heavenly smiles, ecstatic with boundless joy. And before you can realise what happened, you too will start smiling with them. The reason behind all this happiness is just that they could put henna on for the upcoming Eid.

I was flipping through the snapshots from last year's Action: Mehndi Magic when their faces greeted me with expressions that are sure to make you smile, whatever your mood is. Action: Mehndi Magic is one of the actions under the project 'Eid for Everyone' of CommunityAction, a registered charitable organisation. Its aim is to help the underprivileged children touch the merriments of our biggest festival, Eid. In this action, Actioneers go around the city several days before Eid, decorating little street children's hands with henna, and sharing small gifts, like chocolates, with them. No doubt it is a very small event, but seeing the cute little kids in raptures is priceless.

CommunityAction organises this event every year. This year is going to be no exception. Eid is already knocking at the door, with only a few days left of the holy month of Ramadan. Plans have already begun for Action: Mehndi Magic. Last year, it took place in several areas, such as Dhanmondi Lake, Lalmatia, Dhaka University, and Palashi. This year, this event will take place in many more areas, as more and more volunteers are joining in. It will take place on the 29th of August, 2011, and CommunityAction invites everyone to share in the happiness! Keep an eye on CommunityAction's Facebook page (facebook.com/communityactionbd) for more information on how you can attend this event! Or you can call the Actioneer in charge at 01677242800.

These awe-inspiring events can be undertaken by anyone and anywhere. Over the last two years, many volunteers have participated in the project 'Eid for Everyone' and around three thousand children have shared the joy of Eid with us. This event shows how small contributions on our part can bring smiles to thousands of faces. Sharing happiness is what Eid is all about, isn't it?

By Samira Musleh

Some Perspective on Eid

Eid is fast approaching. It's very noticeable, in the increasing amount of traffic that we're forced to wade through, in the packed buses already departing the city, in the hustle and bustle of aunties flocking to shops and markets, flanked by humongous bags. For most of us observing Eid in typical Dhaka fashion, the day is marked by bowls of shemai and plates of polau, car rides to relative's houses and (hopefully) a wallet stuffed with Eidi. But how is it on the streets? So, to find out where the street kids go and what they do, RS interviewed them.

RS: Hi, how are you? Mind if I ask a few questions?
Kid 1: Na, Apu; go ahead.
RS: Well, Eid is coming up and I wanted to know how you spend your Eid. What do you guys do on Eid day?
Kid 1: We walk around on the streets, close to here.
Kid 2: We go to the fair in Mohakhali. We walk around in the fair. Sometimes we go on the rides.
RS: That sounds like fun. Do you guys save up for Eid? To go to the fair?
Kid 2: Well, if and when we can. Sometimes we do.
RS: Do you guys buy anything at the fair?
Kid 1: No…
Kid 2: *nudges Kid 1and giggles* Sometimes we do.
RS: Really?
Kid 2: *still giggling* Yeah, really nice things.
RS: What about your parents? Where are they during Eid?
Kid 1: They're here and there.
RS: Don't you guys spend Eid with them? Do you guys walk around on your own?
Kid 3: They stay close by. We see them on the streets sometimes. They don't move around much. [His dad is handicapped and in a wheelchair. We met him later.]
RS: Do you guys have a lot of fun on Eid?
Kid 2: *grinning*Yes, it's really fun.
RS: So, when you said you guys walk around, where do you spend most of your time?
Kid 4: I like to just walk around on the streets where there are shops and on the main roads. They're so empty, moja laage.
Kid 5: During Eid prayers, we go to the masjid. There are lots of people; we can get a lot of money.
RS: So, I guess people give out more during Eid.
Kid 5: The people that give always give. (Jara dey, shobshomoye dey.)
RS: Do you ever go out of Dhaka during Eid?
Kid 6: We used to. When I was younger, we used to, but these days we can't.
RS: What do you guys wear on Eid?
Kid 2: Just these clothes.
Kid 4: What I'm wearing now.
RS: What do you guys eat on Eid?
Kid 6: Just what we normally eat.
RS: Really? You guys don't eat different things on Eid?
Kid 6: No.
Kid 5: Sometimes some people give out food. Then we eat that.
RS: What do you like most about Eid?
Kid 2: I like seeing all the people. They act differently.
Kid 4: It's just fun. Dhaka seems like a different city.
Kid 5: It's different from every other day. We don't have to work. We get to do whatever we want.
And that's how they spend Eid in typical Dhaka fashion.

By Sifana Sohail

Nanotale

Food
Eid. The only time of the year when you're allowed to eat as much chotpoti as your mind could possibly desire. Every house, every visit. With the salami come the beans. Different cooks, different flavors -one yummier than the other. A wide eyed glance from mom? A crying stomach in the background? But mommy! It's Eid!

By Neshmeen

Outsource
She was hunched under the weight. She was carrying two large bundles in hand as she sped up the stairs. She was greeted with a grin, as she opened the bundles to reveal her coveted treasures. She described to him with diagrams and details the result she hoped to see. She left hoping this year the tailor wouldn't mess up.

By Selima

Corrigendum

Last week, a eulogy was published regarding the late Tareque Masud. In the article, the name of the movie he was shooting was mistakenly titled as “Kajoler Ful”. The correct title is “Kagojer Ful”. We regret the oversight.