Hi, I am Tahmina. My family is originally from Feni, Bangladesh. I am currently living in SF Bay area, California, USA.

I am reaching out with a heavy heart to seek your support for those affected by the devastating floods in Feni, where many of my extended family still reside. While my immediate family is safe, many of our extended family members and their neighbors/friends are enduring unimaginable hardships as their homes have been submerged under water.

In light of this crisis, I am organizing a fundraiser to provide crucial aid to the people of Feni. Every contribution will be used to deliver immediate rescue, food, and shelter, with any additional funds allocated towards long-term rehabilitation. Your support can make a significant difference in helping these families rebuild their lives. Thank you for your generosity and compassion during this challenging time.

This is how I am planning to help:

The situation is still not stable, the first priority is rescuing people, especially from remote areas. Some of my cousins, who are local to Feni, know the area intimately and are tirelessly working around the clock to assist with rescues. They’ve informed me that while many volunteer teams are already providing relief in Feni town, the critical need is to reach those in isolated locations. I’m in regular contact with them to assess the most urgent needs and am already providing them funds to get the essential items like lifebuoys aka boa, and boats.

Regarding relief efforts: Initially, there will be a surge of volunteer teams and aid, but this support often diminishes after a few days. Some friends of mine plan to travel to Feni in the coming days to offer assistance. I’m discussing with them what specific help they anticipate needing. They are thinking about helping with dry food, medicine, and clothes.

My initial strategy is to focus on immediate rescue operations followed by rehabilitation, but this will depend on how quickly the flood situation improves. If the waters recede soon, we can shift our focus to rebuilding efforts. My preference is to provide substantial help to a smaller number of people rather than offering minimal assistance to a larger group. Therefore, I plan to leverage my local connections in Feni to identify 10-20 families in urgent need and provide targeted support, whether financial assistance or resources like cattle, tin roof depending on the funds we can raise.

If someone has any better ideas please let me know.