Border Telegraph | News | Kirsty hopes to raise awareness of Cyclone horror

Saturday, 26th July, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 30th April, 2008 09:00

Kirsty hopes to raise awareness of Cyclone horror

A young Galashiels woman who has recently returned from Bangladesh is about to embark on a tour of the UK, where she will share her experience and relive the horror of a recent cyclone that hit the region.

Kirsty Young, 18, a former pupil of Galashiels Academy worked alongside her three friends Hannah Page, Vicki Ibbett and Anna Power, as a BMS World Mission Action Team, experiencing first hand the devastating effects of Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh.

It is estimated that the storm caused the deaths of between 5,000 and 10,000 people and the evacuation of hundreds of thousands.

Over a million hectares of cultivable land was destroyed amid widespread flooding.

People of the cyclone-affected area suffered severe health problems as diseases like diarrhoea spread due to shortage of drinking water.

The team was based in Dhaka where they worked alongside the AG Student Centre and Compassion Schools, helping in Bangladeshi hospitals and teaching children of the city’s slums.

A hectic programme has been arranged for the team, which includes visits to several Border schools and local groups during the week of 5th-12th May 2008.

From late April to late June the Action Team will be on tour across the UK where they will further share their adventures.

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