A commitment to justice & dignity for all

In a recent interview Beth Ashbridge, one of AzuKo's major donors, talks about her yearning for enlightenment, her deep family ties with public interest design (PID) and... her connection to pear trees.

At AzuKo, we look to shape a family around the work that we do. We believe it's crucial for the health of our craft, ourselves and those we serve.

Beth speaks of the care she has for AzuKo's work - the care of a sister - and why it's important that she is vested in it. She shows why support for AzuKo is a voice to the voiceless and a commitment to justice and dignity for all people and all generations.

(From New York by way of Newcastle)

• Beth, tell us a little bit about yourself...

I am a Novocastrian 30-something chocophile who plays a spot of tennis now and then. A scientist by trade, I now work in the field of pharmaceutical patent law litigation in New York City. I currently live in Harlem and enjoy jogging around Central Park, primarily for the purposes of people-watching. New Yorkers are a fascinating species.

• What is it about your experience and your life that has inspired you to give back?

I have led a privileged and protected life. I have been given every opportunity by my parents to develop knowledge, travel to other countries and cities, try new things and meet so many wonderful people. I don't have an 'aha' moment per se, I just have a sense of fortune and love and I want to pay it forward. Giving money to a cause that directly impacts the comfort and ease of others is one way to thank the universe for a life loved.

• How would you describe your personal mission?

To learn as much as I can. Live as fully as I can. And be there for others in any way I can.

• What do you believe would most disrupt the challenges associated with poverty? And why is AzuKo the right organisation to do that?

I am not at all in this field of expertise but it seems like putting a spotlight on issues that perhaps do not make for 'good media' or are not 'social media worthy' are key...

“Working out how to humanise a problem is always going to be challenging and so an organisation like AzuKo is here to champion the communities who do not get the recognition they need to make real change in their daily lives. By facilitating development and change from within, AzuKo offers a sustainable way to improve the human condition.”

• What is meaningful to you about donating to AzuKo?

Jo is my favourite and only sister. I have seen firsthand how tirelessly she works to do the most with every penny she receives in donations. Her determination and dedication towards impacting people's lives is inspirational. This is the easiest donation I have ever made and will continue to make going forward.

• What would you like to pass on to future generations?

You only live once. So live every day to its fullest. And be kind.

• What makes you hopeful and happy?

When I see a kind gesture on the subway or while I am wandering through the world, I am reminded that human kindness is all around us and that small gestures are happening all the time between friends and strangers without fanfare or expectation. I believe that these little and large kindnesses far outweigh the evil in the world, and that makes me hopeful and blissfully happy.

• Fun one... If you were a tree, what species would you be? And why?

A pear tree. It feels classically British. Pear trees tend to live together in orchards, happily supporting one another and feeding their human neighbours with sugary sandy goodness.

If Beth's generosity has inspired you to give, please get in touch or visit our donate page.

An inconvenient truth - urgency & cause for hope

From the outset of the flood, our local partners responded to what the IFRC called "one of the most serious humanitarian crises this region has seen in many years". You are almost certainly thinking of the tragic flooding that took place in Houston, which was widely featured on mainstream media.

The flood we were responding to however, dominated the Indian subcontinent for nearly a week, even before the rain in Texas began - a flood that has affected more than 41 million people across Bangladesh, India and Nepal. An area roughly the size of the UK was underwater.

“Monsoon floods have affected millions in south Asia. But the world is still ignoring disasters that are happening more often and becoming more severe.”

— The Guardian

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In a moment of respite our Project Manager from SAFE, Apu Roy, was able to interview residents of Jogen Babu Maath slum in northwest Bangladesh about their experience during the disaster. One man recalled the shock and speed of the rising floodwaters,

“... we did not have time to bring our clothes outside. When we saw how fast the water was coming into the rooms we started to pack our emergency stuff... during this time our JBM committee was helping people out. They tried to go to every house to ask if anyone needed help. They helped bring the children, the old and disabled people.

I saw the water coming to my house very fast and making very big sounds. After a few minutes, the water was about 6ft high. Then I heard people starting to cry...”

Such events are intimately linked with climate change. These 'Black Swans' not only cause intense suffering and loss, but the long-term implications are felt far beyond. In Bangladesh, there is concern about food shortages and spread of disease in the coming months, as well as severe knock-on effects to the rice harvest and livelihoods over the coming year.

One woman we spoke with said she had never experienced anything like it,

“... it took me more than 25 years to make my family self-dependent, but everything is gone and now I’m thinking how we can recover.”

Another resident talked of the conditions in JBM, the aftermath and growing concerns,

“In JBM, there are more than 7,000 people and now they are homeless... they are on the road, watching the destruction of the flood.

The water rose very high - at the danger line... they don’t have any place to live, no food, no clothes and no drinking water. I gave them some money - what I had at the time. I tried to communicate with the local primary school and the local high school for the victims to stay.”

In the face of such adversity we appreciate the heroism, resiliency and care shown by our team on the ground, and the community committee in JBM. Our collective response, thus far, has led to the decontamination of 47 tubewells, the repair and opening of our recently completed WASH facility, and disinfection of people's homes and belongings.

With your help, we've been able to act swiftly and effectively to ensure access to clean drinking water and sanitation, as well as reduce the potential spread of disease - thank you. 

We know there is still much work to be done. Upcoming challenges include drainage, house repairs / rebuilding and road surfacing.

If you would like to contribute to the further recovery of JBM, please donate here.

 Author: N. Ardaiz

Chased by thunderstorms, pain & adversity to support a good cause

Over the last year, Ed Sayce and Ruth Baker both initiated personal journeys to push forward AzuKo's mission. Ed completed his first marathon in under 3 hours 45 minutes, and Ruth devoured 1001 miles.

Having been chased by thunderstorms, pain and adversity, what it means to support humanitarian work has taken on new meaning for our fundraising heroes. In a candid reflection, they discuss their adventures and connection to AzuKo.

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Edward Sayce / MTT

Ed has known the AzuKo team since 2012, when he worked as a volunteer with SAFE in northwest Bangladesh. He joined the team to build a new double-storey bamboo house for the Rana family in Jogen Babu Maath slum.

His marathon efforts raised a whopping £1384.

• Tell us a little bit about the challenge you took on...

I've always wanted to physically push myself and I had never run a marathon so decided in a 'weak' moment in May that 2017 was to be the year in which to run my first. I had run a couple of half marathons previously and kept fit, but the challenge of a marathon was another level in terms of commitment and effort.

“It was fantastic to raise funds for AzuKo. The work they undertake is so relevant but often overlooked by traditional social and international development organisations. I wanted to provide support to enable them to continue growing the scope and influence of their projects.”

• What were you thinking when you crossed the finish line?

About beating 3hr 45 mins. The big clock above the finish line was looking like it might tick over my target, and I wasn't going to have that! I was also buzzing from the support of the crowd; they were simply fantastic and really helped. The uplifting effect was so much, that there were stories of several people speeding up to such an extend that they pulled muscles in the last 100m.

• Who would you like to thank?

I'd like to thank every single person who donated on my behalf to AzuKo. I have been overwhelmed with the support people have given me (both through messages and donations).

• Why was this experience meaningful?

It staved off my midlife crisis for another year! But in all seriousness... it gave me a real sense of achievement. The feeling of working towards a goal and then achieving it is the most satisfying thing.

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Ruth Baker / Ryder Architecture

Ruth is an AzuKo champion, and has been since we began. As well as supporting our projects with her design skills, she set herself the challenge to devour 1000 miles over the course of 2016/17.

Ruth raised a fabulous £554 for AzuKo, and CRASH.

• What has the last year been like for you?

The aim was to run and cycle 1000 miles... the only catch was it had to be an official organised event, so the commute to work didn't count. In order to achieve the distance, I undertook 19 events in total. It took 90 hours, 45 minutes and 40 seconds.

• Who is someone who donated to your cause, you'd like to highlight?

Can I mention five amazing people, who were game enough to actually join me for events. They are Emma French, Ronan Rasheed, Cathy Russell, Alex Menezes and my sister Claire Baker. I need to give an extra special thanks to my sister who, as well as running a 10K with me, also let me crash on her sofa and drove to events on the south coast. Without her I would never have been able to reach them!

• What have you learnt?

I was surprised how mentally tough the challenge was and I found I put a lot of pressure on myself. The planning and logistics of getting to events turned out to be a challenge in itself. Once across the start line, running or cycling, I spent many hours by myself and, when battling with a second puncture of the day in the rain, it took a lot of guts to keep going.

“Mile 141 was the toughest... I took on the Kings of the Downs cycle sportive. After 11 hours around the hills of Surrey, on my own, in the rain, I crossed the finish line and realised that I still had 859 miles to go. This, teamed with a bit of a crazy time at work, was a huge blow to my motivation. I’m really grateful for support from family, friends and the AzuKo team who helped me push on.”

Most people I have spoken to about it are either in awe of the distance or think I'm mad. I hope however, I have inspired a few people to take on a challenge of their own.

• What are you interested to see the money that you raised go towards?

The reason I support AzuKo is because as an architect I know how much good design can improve people's lives. As the challenge has taken over a year it has been great to see projects like JBM slum upgrading go from design to completion... and getting updates on this project definitely helped motivate me to keep going. I hope that the money will help similar grassroot level projects really make a difference to communities.

Inspired by our fundraising heroes, and would like to join #teamazuko? Check out our fundraising resources, or get in touch.