Imagine being a new mother on a cold winter’s night in a third world country. Imagine giving birth to a premature baby and being told that 9 out of the 11 incubators in the neo natal care word are malfunctioning. Imagine being told that your precious newborn baby is now in line behind twenty other precious newborns waiting for two incubators. Imagine 24 new born babies dying because there were not enough incubators. This is no surreal imagining. It is the harsh reality of one night at Dhaka Medical College in Bangladesh. A reality Probasy is striving to change.
Probasy is a not for profit organisation founded and run by girls in the Sydney area who have a passion to give back to their community. Probasy is currently in its 11th year of operation with a total collection of approx. AU$45,000.00 (approx. TK. 37 lakh) to date. It has had a successful run of campaigns and projects and consistent energetic effort from its members. Previous projects successfully completed include raising AU10K for the Queensland flood appeal and AU5K to fund 28 fistula operations in Bangladesh among other smaller fundraising efforts focused on Australian events and charities and abroad.
Probasy is working to create a society free of exploitation, discrimination and gender based violence that supports the disadvantaged in achieving their full potential. We were saddened to hear that while we enjoy the luxuries of a first world country, innocent lives are taken due to the lack of neonatal care and awareness in Bangladesh. We resolved to raise awareness of neonatal care and malfunctioning equipment and focus our attention on providing a feasible solution which will have continued effects long after our project is complete.
To this end Probasy held several events throughout the year to fundraise and spread awareness. We held a stall at the annual Bengali book fair in Ashfield. We held a walkathon titled ‘walk 4 a cause’ in Glenfield in which many adults participated as a way of improving their fitness as well as donating to the cause. We were joined by our local MP Laurie Ferguson as well as the Mayor of Campbelltown. Probasy then held a mother’s day movie screening event for which they played an iconic Bangla film (deya neya) and raised over $1000 in ticket and snack sales. Mid year Probasy had reached the halfway mark and were looking for ideas to fundraise. A charity BBQ at Parramatta Park raised another $1,000 and suddenly the team was only $1,000 away from their goal.
At this time, I happened to be speaking to a friend’s father about Probasy and he in turn told his friend. Together they are members of the Bangladeshi Australian Welfare Society and they encouraged the society to donated $1,000 to Probasy to help us reach our goal. We are really grateful for all the love and support we have received from friend’s family and well wishers. We now have sufficient funds to purchase two open incubators (warmers) and two phototherapy units to donate to Bongobondhu Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. We will continue to fundraise for and raise awareness of social and wellness issues affecting those in need. If you have any ideas or initiatives we can help with please let us know.
Probasy aims to provide support and empowerment to disadvantaged women and children in Bangladesh with special emphasis on their health and wellbeing. Please feel free to contact the Project Manager Shafeen Mustaq, or any Probasy member via email or our FB page.
Email: probasy.incorporated@gmail.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/6994762074/
Visit our website www.probasy.com to keep up to date on our events, projects and how you can help
Surreal Soliloquies 