A Twickenham man hoped to use pedal-power to raise money for Tearfund as he cycled 100km across Bangladesh this week.
Guy Calvert-Lee, 46, is the Bangladesh representative for Christian relief and development agency Tearfund and is raising money for the Satkhira district, in the south-west of Bangladesh, which was hit by a devastating cyclone in 2009.
Sea defences and embankments broke down, leaving hundreds of square miles of farmland flooded and many homes destroyed. Last September, the district was flooded again during heavy monsoon rains, access to fresh water is still limited and many communities were unable to cultivate crops.
Tearfund partners are helping locals rebuild their homes and set up rainwater harvesting systems to reduce their vulnerability to future disasters.
Mr Calvert-Lee was accompanied by two local staff from Dhaka and representatives from Tearfund partners, Koinonia and Bangladesh Nazarene Mission as they cycled from Monday, March 5, to Wednesday, March 8.
Before the cycle, Mr Calvert-Lee said: “I want to experience the conditions people are living in as well as to see the amazing work that our partners are doing to help.
“We plan to do the ride over three days, which won’t impress serious cyclists, but with many paths damaged by the floods and in a state of disrepair the conditions will be very challenging, and at times progress may be slow.”
To donate, visit justgiving.com/GuyCL.
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