About the Charity
What are its aims? | How did it start? | How is it growing? | Who are the trustees? | Who funds it?
What are its aims?
Bhola’s Children was registered as a UK charity (no. 1118345) in March 2007. It was established to provide a permanent source of funding for the home and school for orphaned and disabled children at Bhola Garden which had been set up by Howlader Ali with assistance from an ad hoc group of individual donors.
The main aim of Bhola’s Children is to provide accommodation, education and medical treatment for orphaned and disabled children on the island of Bhola.
The aim is to provide more than just funds. Many of the current donors take a close personal interest in the charity and seek to support Ali by keeping in regular touch by telephone and email, and visiting the island. Europeans on Bhola are a rare sight and it is hugely appreciated when they make the effort to go there – the welcome is tremendous.
How did it start?
The home and school were started by Bruna Colombo-Otten and Howlader Muhammad Akkel Ali in 2004. Bruna was first introduced to Ali on a visit to Bangladesh, where she had hoped to be involved in another charitable project.
Ali told her of his dream. He dreamt of a home and a school catering for every kind of disability, and was certain that disabled and orphaned children would benefit from living together, helping each other, learning together and supporting each other.
Bruna said that she would finance such a project. Ali then returned to his home district, Barisal, and found the empty property Bhola Garden which belonged to Interlife Bangladesh. He established the WOD Trust (Welfare for Orphan and Disabled) with trustees from the Barisal Technical College, collected a group of orphaned and disabled children and young people – and moved in.
Bruna, together with Lars-Erik Wallhagen,a friend of Ali who had been working in the country since 1970 in various capacities (associated with Interlife Bangladesh), and Lars-Erik’s contacts, financed Ali and the home for the first three years.
At the end of 2005 Bruna met Dinah Wiener, a literary agent, in London. Dinah had become interested in visiting Bangladesh thanks to a young author Anne Hamilton, who had written a delightful travel memoir A Blonde Bengali Wife, about the time she had spent in that country. Dinah, together with José-Luis Andarias from Madrid, joined Bruna on her first ever visit to Bhola in November 2006. The three decided to buy the property together with the Swedish supporter group formed by Lars-Erik. It was also decided to set up a charity and raise money so that the orphaned and disabled children could have a happy and secure life, and Ali could fulfil his dream.
(A Blonde Bengali Wife has just been e-published http://anne-ablondebengaliwife.blogspot.com)
How is it growing?
In 2008 Dinah funded the purchase of waterlogged land behind Bhola Garden. The ponds have been infilled and the land is now planned to be used as a playground once the boundary wall has been relocated. The present playground area is no longer large enough for the number of children we have to play safely.
Also in 2008 Bruna and others funded the purchase of land at Valumia, 10kms away. There are fields, fishponds and a caretaker's dwelling. A tube-well was installed and, in 2011, a small house was built to provide toilet facilities for the caretaker's family and for visitors. A tractor, trailer and rotovator have been bought. Fruit-trees have been planted. Nets have been set over the ponds for beans to grow on. With this land the home and school are now not just self-sufficient in fruit and vegetables apart from rice but producing a surplus for sale in the market. They also produce fish, and there is the possibility of other livestock. So Valumia is now a fully-fledged training centre for horticulture, aquaculture and, possibly in future, animal husbandry.
In 2009 the new children's hostel and kitchen were completed raising the residential capacity to 50 initially and perhaps 80 in future.
In 2010 half the pond at Bhola Garden had been infilled to provide the site for a new building. This was built between the infilled pond and the existing classrooms. It will provide a large tailoring room on the first floor, accommodation for married staff and some rooms for volunteers.
Also in 2010 another piece of land, 10 minutes walk from Bhola Garden, was purchased for a technical training centre in metal and woodwork in place of the existing tiny shack at Bhola Garden. It is called Supari Bagan, which means Nut Tree Garden, and is full of nut trees. Ali and the children have now harvested the second season of nuts which are stored until the prices rise.
Who are the trustees?
(in chronological order of involvement with Bhola)
Bruna Colombo-Otten
Originally Italian from Rome Bruna was involved in various humanitarian projects in Africa and South America before going to Bangladesh and falling in love with the country and the people. And never before had she come across anyone else with Ali’s approach to helping the disabled.
Bruna has worked in many fields – PR, teacher, fund-raiser – and in many countries. She loves cooking (the Italian connection), travelling and reading.
Bruna is always on the move and is known as “The Girl with the Suitcase”.
Dinah Wiener
Dinah has run her own literary agency for over 25 years. Her clients include the scientist David Deutsch, historians Malcolm Billings and Daniel Snowman, war correspondent and journalist Sandy Gall and novelists Wendy K. Harris and Marcia Willett. She had always loved India, then became interested in Bangladesh from reading a young author’s travel memoir.
She knew she would need an introduction to visit the country and fate intervened. She had recently met Bruna who was bubbling over with enthusiasm about Ali and what, with her support, he was doing for the children of Bhola. Dinah decided to visit Bhola with Bruna in November 2006 and immediately knew she had found a new and important cause.
Dinah chairs the trustee meetings and runs the charity day to day from her office.
José Luis Andarias
José Luis Andarias y de Prado has been actively involved in this project from the beginning. During a stay in Morocco, he met Bruna Colombo-Otten who talked to him about the work she was starting in Bhola. Her project captured his attention and he made two visits to Bhola with Bruna. José is particularly good at signing, the principal means of communication with the children.
José Luis lives in Madrid. He is now a marketing manager, but his earlier career was in the film industry.
Anne Hamilton
Were it not for Anne Hamilton, Bhola's Children as a charity might not exist. When she was thirty Anne spent several months in Bangladesh, working for an NGO. She subsequently wrote an enchanting travel memoir A Blonde Bengali Wife and sent it to Dinah who took her on as a client. It inspired Dinah to go to Bangladesh and meet Bruna who some months later sent her to Bhola Island. A Blonde Bengali Wife was published in October 2010 by LL-Publications, with all proceeds going to Bhola's Children. Anne lives in Edinburgh, where she combines freelance writing and social work with studying for a PhD and caring for her young son.
Alexander (“Sandy”) Anson
Sandy’s family already had deep connections with India (before independence), East Pakistan/Bangladesh and Burma when he met his future wife, who is an Indian born in Burma.
Sandy works as an economist providing consultancy and research services on government policy issues in particular relating to taxation and pensions. He is a qualified chartered accountant.
Barnaby Wiener
Barnaby is married with two children. he works in London as a fund manager.
Barnaby previously had no connection with Bangladesh, but his mother Dinah's enthusiasm for Bhola did not exactly go unnoticed. he was touched by Ali's story and saw the opportunity to extend the family involvement in the venture.
Jessamy Gould
Jessamy first heard of Bhola's Children from Dinah, her aunt, and was immediately impressed with what was being achieved at Bhola Garden, and the passion and commitment of those involved. Already working as a fundraiser for a UK music charity, and currently for Teach First, a charity which aims to address educational disadvantage in the UK, she was delighted to become a trustee of Bhola's Children, and to help in any way she can for such a wonderful cause. A keen traveller, Jessamy looks forward to visiting Bhola Island one day soon, to see the charity's wonderful achievements at first hand.
Acknowledgement
The trustees are not the only people to have given generously of their time and skills to Bhola’s Children. The trustees wish particularly to acknowledge the work done by
· Jamie Anson who originally designed our website
· Jem Hanbury who designs the charity’s brochure
· Lars-Erik Wallhagen who coordinates the Swedish supporter group and provides technical advice on construction and solar power.
Who funds it?
· Who funds Bhola Garden?
· Who funds Bhola’s Children (the UK charity)?
· Who are the non-UK support groups?
Who funds Bhola Garden?
Initially Bhola Garden was run by WOD Trust, a charity registered in Bangladesh (WOD = Welfare for Orphan and Disabled), which was funded by the ad hoc group of donors (see How Did It Start?). In 2007 those donors paid for WOD Trust to purchase the land and buildings at Bhola Garden. Then from April 2007 Bhola’s Children took over as WOD Trust’s principal source of funds. The ad hoc donors and associated supporters have continued to provide some funds and in particular have financed the purchase of additional land.
By 2009 it was clear that WOD Trust was not structured in the most efficient way for developing Bhola Garden. So in April 2009 Bhola’s Children Protobondi School Trust (“BCPST”) was established as a charitable trust registered in Bangladesh and took over the running of the home from WOD Trust. The UK charity Bhola’s Children is represented on both Trusts.
Who funds Bhola’s Children (the UK charity)?
In keeping with its ethos of being a small “family-style” charity Bhola’s Children is funded mainly by personal donations from the trustees and other individuals in the UK. Fund-raising activities include an annual Golf Day at The Richmond Club, bridge evenings and the sale of Christmas cards. In 2010 we have been fortunate that two churches and some other organizations have run very successful appeals on our behalf among their parishioners/members.
Approaches are made to relevant trusts and foundations for support for particular projects. Grants from a charitable foundation in 2009 and 2010 have helped us bring forward the timing of two of our building projects.
Who are the non-UK support groups?
Bhola’s Children liaises closely with supporters groups in other countries.
Swiss and Italian Support Groups
Bruna Colombo-Otten, a trustee and one of the original donors, set up Bhola’s Children Foundation Stiftung (“BCFS”), as a charitable foundation, in Liechtenstein to channel funds to Bhola Garden from donors in Switzerland, Italy and elsewhere in Europe. The address of BCFS is
c/o Consilia Anstalt
Am Schrägen Weg 2
FL - 9490 VADUZ
Liechtenstein
Donations can be made through its website www.bholaschildrenfoundation.com.
Swedish Support Group
There are a number of Swedish families who have been working at Bhola and also have had a working relationship with Ali. Lars-Erik Wallhagen and Jan Bergdahl have been particularly involved in this work.
The support group is a loose formation. Lars-Erik, their contact person, says “The support group is very happy to support the present development of Bhola Garden under the leadership of Bhola's Children and its Board with Dinah as Chairman. The Swedish support group hope to be able to continue to help as much as possible with financial support of the work.” He can be emailed at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .