YOU helped over 1,500 families, thats between 4,500- 7,500 people. Thats like 83 x  double decker bus loads of people! Thank you
(Each family contains typically 3-5 people at the very least, sometimes more)
On 15th November 2007 , a powerful cyclone caused many deaths and a great deal of devastation to the poor and rich alike, in mostly southern Bangladesh. The poor were the worst hit because if they had homes, they were poorly built and many were simply blown away. Our own director was in Cox's Bazaar on a project and was made to evacuate his hotel around midnight and move further inland, away from the seashore. He witnessed the poor people hurriedly walking past in search of shelter.
Here is a news report from the BBC - click here
And here is map of the worst affected areas. It covers the sundarbans, the area occupied by Bengal Tigers, crocodiles, black bears and other wild animals. Most of the official deaths include an are called Barguna.
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"Please, please help me," pleaded Feroz, who had lost four children in the storm."
" I need something to eat and my home is destroyed." - BBC NEWS
WHAT DID MERCY MANKIND DO?
We placed an appeal on our website which can be viewed here. With your kind help and genorosity, and with donations from friends , family and personal work colleagues, we raised enough money to help some of the affected people on 5th December 2007.
We travelled from Dhaka by ship and a motorised boat, on an 12 hour plus journey to a village in Barguna. Our route is marked in red.
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Relief goods were bagged into parcels (which should last an average family a week) and contained quantities of rice, biscuits, Diarrohea rehydration packs, water purification tablets (these were in short supply on the market , so not all bags contained them). Baby food was distributed to mothers. Blankets and warm clothes, are being distributed separately in another area as there wasn't enough for everyone and we did not want a mass riot. Photos will appear at the end of the month.
Here are the photos. And thanks to all those who helped these people. A special thanks to our many volunteer friends who worked hard for free.
This is where we went. Total devastation.
 Unloading Relief Goods
Aid sorted and bagged.
Bags Being arranged for Distribution &
OVER 1,500 people line up outside the cyclone shelter, each from
one family
Relief goods were purchased locally to save money and a team of volunteers identified over 1500 cyclone affected families and gave them special tickets to bring with them them to the distribution centre in order to prevent riots. Without a ticketing system, we would not have been able to ensure our own safety.
 A man displays his "ticket"
 The queue as seen from outside the cyclone shelter
 Gates Open
 Some of our volunteers who toiled for free. Thank you.
The voluteers and police officers who helped us voluntarily THANK YOU
Blankets and warm clothes, are being distributed separately in another area as there wasn't enough for everyone and we did not want a mass riot. Photos will appear at the end of the month.WE HAVE BUILT HOMES FOR SOME OF THEM, CLICK HERE
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Boxes of Diarrhoea Rehydration pouches 
