What the Rivers Teach Me
Ma says the rivers of the delta are like family — alive, and needing care. A gentle story about loving and protecting the water around us.
What the Rivers Teach Me HerStory Foundation
Ma says that we are from the delta and the rivers are our sisters. We often walk along the river bank to pick up rubbish. “The rivers are alive, they are our family,” Ma says. “We have a lot to learn from them and they need our help.” And so wherever I go, I listen to the rivers.
In Chandpur, I met the Padma and the Meghna. In the place where these two great waters mix they become one mighty river. There, I watched the nouka baich, the amazing longboat race. Some boats have up to 100 rowers working together to race to the finish line. From the rivers and the boatmen, I learn that teamwork is a great superpower.
My river sisters teach me sharing. Wherever they go, rivers spread their arms and share their waters. I see how the marshland called Arial Beel is fed by the Padma River. Farmers grow rice there and it is home to many creatures, big and small. Beautiful birds from Siberia spend their winter in the wetlands. And like the rivers of my land, I spread my arms to share good things with the world.
My sisters have a Queen, she is made of silver and has 1,000 bones. She is the Hilsa fish. The Queen lives in the coastal sea water. But to lay her eggs, she fights her way up the river, against the current, to find a place for her babies to hatch and grow. Ma says that it is this difficult journey upstream that makes the Hilsa taste so tender.
Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Buriganga, Rupsha, Tetulia - my big siblings teach me to travel towards my goal. The rivers start as small streams in the mountains and grow bigger and stronger as they flow towards the sea. My sisters are helpful, they carry everything they meet along the way. But often they get dirty. And so I learned to be careful with my garbage, to not pollute the things I love.
NoteBangladesh is a delta, through which hundreds of rivers run on their way from their origin in the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. The people of the delta love the rain and the rivers; they are a source of food and water and a way to travel. But global warming and pollution are a great danger. Think about what you can do to protect the water around you.
Wonderful Wordsnouka baich - the amazing longboat race
🔒 Read to the last page to unlock the game!
Story from Global Digital Library · "What the Rivers Teach Me" — Global Digital Library, CC BY 4.0 · CC BY 4.0
