Luxembourg minister lauds climate-impacted char people's resilience 

Luxembourg's Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs Franz Fayot lauded the resilience of climate-impacted river island communities and their determination to always improve their living conditions.

He was leading an 11-member Luxembourg delegation during a visit to the river islands in Gaibandha and Kurigram districts to observe the circumstances firsthand, recently.

More than 20 years ago, Friendship, a Social Purpose Organisation (SPO), arrived at the Jamuna-Brahmaputra River islands with a floating hospital, environmental and climatic challenges such as isolation, river erosion, and floods had left communities there in an inescapable cycle of poverty and lacking access to vital services. Since then, there has been major progress in multiple respects.  

Luxembourg has been providing substantial support to Friendship's programmes in those areas over the last 15 years, reads a press release. 

Franz Fayot said, "By visiting the projects of Friendship in the north of Bangladesh, I was able to see first-hand the positive impact our long-standing partnership has had on the local population over the years. The work and passion that Friendship puts into implementing their projects are exemplary."

During the two-day visit, the Luxembourg delegation discovered the char environment and met with its inhabitants, observing altogether the challenges they are facing, and their resilience in doing so by making the best possible use of the support they are benefitting from.

Christophe Schiltz, director of Cooperation (Luxembourg), and Peggy Frantzen, designated ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to Bangladesh, Runa Khan, founder of Friendship, and Marc Elvinger, chair of Friendship Luxembourg, accompanied the team.

Friendship takes pride in having contributed its share to the progress achieved in being committed to Saving Lives, Poverty Alleviation, Climate Adaptation, and Empowerment, thereby bringing major changes to these communities and their living conditions. 

The delegation also visited various Friendship programmes co-funded by the Luxembourg government, including a hospital ship -- a three-tier health care system-- a raised plinth cluster village, a solar village as well as programmes for agricultural support, vocational training, inclusive citizenship, and char theatre.