Kulsoma lives in a makeshift shelter in Unchiprang refugee settlement. 29 October, 2017
Kulsoma lives in a makeshift shelter in Unchiprang refugee settlement.
Kulsoma is 30-years-old, married and has five children. Her children are: Asma who is nine-years-old, Mukkar who is six-years-old, Shahita who is five-years-old, Toslima who is two-and-a-half-years-old (not present at time of interview) and Omar who is 18-months-old.
Kulsoma’s story in her own words
“After four girls, my husband and I wanted a boy so badly. We prayed to Allah, and along came our boy - finally!
We spent nearly two weeks just sleeping on the roadside, then we came here 15 days ago. Living on the road was hell. We had to desperately grasp for food whenever aid trucks stopped nearby, and I had to go out and beg with the children. But there were so many people in need, and so few people giving out money. We just slept where we sat, by the side of the road.
The Bangladesh Border Guards took pity on us, and they drove us here where we were able to build this shelter. I brought this tarpaulin from home. We were given it when our home was destroyed after a cyclone. It has been very useful. We got another plastic sheet when we arrived here, and we use that for the floor so we don’t have to lie on the mud.
I have a card now, so we can get food from the aid agencies. For me, not having any drinking water is the hardest thing. Though the heat is also unbearable. And we are all so dehydrated.
My husband brings the water, as the lake where we collect it is very far away. Just now, we ran out and I had to use dirty water to wash and cook my rice. I don’t want my babies to eat brown rice - it isn’t healthy for them.
And of course, I am thinking of how dirty the water is and that it is going to make my children sick. All I can do is pray to Allah. All the family have had diarrhoea since we arrived in Bangladesh.
And now we are running out of money, so we can’t supplement the rice we are given with vegetables and fish for much longer. So soon, all we will have is rice. My children will not grow up healthy on this diet, and this frightens me so much I cannot sleep at night.”
Interviewed by Kathleen Prior on 29 September 2017. Approved by CARE Bangladesh CD.
