Not Contempt or Derision towards Shafi Sami and the others, Asking for Forgiveness from Valerie A. Taylor
- GOLAM MORTOZA
The world goes on in its own course. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. People also lead their lives in this world capitulating to the laws of nature and society. They perform their duties towards the society. But there are some that even abuse the responsibilities that are bestowed upon them. And the consequences of these abuses encumber on all the innocent people of the society. And thus the life goes on-
The veteran Freedom Fighters of the 1971 Liberation War – the Pakistani forces wounded and crippled them by the help of Nizami and some others. They had become handicapped. Bangladesh was a newborn nation, recently liberated from the shackles of oppression and coercion. It did not possess the effective and necessary infrastructure or the compulsory rehabilitative system and provisions.
It was during these hard times that a person came to Bangladesh from England. She was here once before in 1969. But she had to return to London during the Liberation War. However, she did not forget Bangladesh. To prove that she came back to this country in 1972 after the Liberation War.
She initiated to serve and care for all, from the handicapped Freedom Fighters to the innocent girl who is victim to the society’s repression and despotism. She did not do it for her own gain. She did not expect any profit for herself. She just did it for her own humane and philanthropist idealisms. “Human Welfare”, that is her axiom, that is her motto of life. It was the part and parcel of her life to serve and care for the poor and oppressed people of this country. That great human being, that great person is Valerie A. Taylor.
This British citizen is a Physiotherapist by profession. She has passed many days, months and years of her life helping and caring for the exploited and deprived of this country. Now and then she went back to London, collected financial aid, came back to Bangladesh and started to pursue the goal of her life, which is – “Human Welfare”.
The question remains, ‘how did she collect the financial aid to pursue her ventures in Bangladesh?’The answer – She begged.Though it would seem a bit weird but it is the truth. She used to wander around the streets and railway stations of London and beg to the people. She asked for five pounds from him, ten pounds from her. She saved these alms, which were in “Pound Sterling” and brought them back to Bangladesh. Here that currency was converted to Taka, which was then spent for the welfare of the people of Bangladesh.
Literally, she used to go from door to door of London to collect aid and go from door to door in Bangladesh to provide help and assistance.
In 1979, she thought about establishing an organization. But how could she establish an organization? She did not have the necessary capital and logistics.But she converted her will to serve humanity as her capital and her confidence to pursue her goal of live as the logistics.
At first, she chose an abandoned stockroom of Sohrawardi Hospital as the office for her organization. The organization that was first incepted in this abandoned stockroom is now known as CRP.
Today, CRP stands on 14 acres of land in Savar in addition to a building situated in Mirpur of the capital. The area of its work and project is the entire Bangladesh. The engineer of this dream come true is Valerie A. Taylor, whose motto is to work for the welfare of humanity and not seek any personal gain in exchange for it.
This is a details article written by Golam Mortoza, Acting Editor of Shaptahik 2000 . To get the full article please log on to:
http://www.shaptahik2000.info/issues/2007/year-10/issue_02/pdf/crp.pdf
