Area-to-area relief link
Dry food, water and medicine from one area to another after a flood or storm.
- 0/12 people
- About 40 hours
- 50
- points
About this task
Gaibandha, among the chars of the Brahmaputra–Jamuna and the Teesta, often floods in the monsoon, and help is hard to get to the far chars. Linking an area hit by flood or cyclone with another: a real needs list from someone local, collecting and packing dry food, drinking water, medicine and saline, then handing it out from the list, with signatures.
Why it matters
After a disaster help goes mostly where the roads are good, and the far villages are missed. Giving from a list, with local people, gets help to the right hands and wastes nothing.
What changes after
Every family on the list received, with signatures; receipts public; a local coordinator’s number kept for next time.
Who can join
Over 18. Anyone can pack; for delivery, people fit and used to moving in water.
Step by step
0 of 3 steps doneHow to do it, in order.About 22 hours across all steps
- 1
Needs list
From a local person: how many families, what they lack most, how to reach them.
120 min
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet - 2
Collect and pack
Dry food, water, saline and medicine by family, the same in every pack.
600 minবস্তা, পলিথিন
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet - 3
Deliver and distribute
From the list, one pack per family, a signature or thumbprint for each.
600 minট্রাক
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet
What you need
- Transport · ১টি ট্রাক
When it counts as done
- Every family on the list received, with signatures
Proof required
- Photo
- Signatures
- Receipt
Safety
Life jackets on boats. Never cross fast-flowing water on foot. Go only when the warning signal is lowered. Keep cash out of sight.
The full guide
What it takes, and how to do it
Never done this before? No matter. The cost, the timeline, who does what, whom to speak to, the day hour by hour, the risks and ready words to send are all here.
- About
- ৳42,000–67,000
- People
- 12
- Time in all
- 40 hours
- Age
- 18 or older
Best timeMonsoon floods (June–September) and after cyclones (April–May, October–November). Go once the water starts to fall and the signal is lowered.
PermissionNo formal permission, but tell the union parishad and the upazila PIO office, so no family gets twice and none is missed.
What it costs
Prices differ by district and season; this is a 2026 estimate. Keep receipts and put them in the proof.
| What | How much | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Dry food pack (2 kg flattened rice, 1 kg molasses, puffed rice, biscuits)50 familiesWhere: Wholesale grocer | 50 families | ৳450–650 |
| Drinking water, 5-litre bottle50Where: Wholesaler or distributor | 50 | ৳90–130 |
| Oral saline and water purification tablets50 familiesWhere: Pharmacy | 50 families | ৳60–100 |
| Basic medicine and first-aid box (paracetamol, bandage, antiseptic)1 setWhere: Pharmacy | 1 set | ৳1,500–3,000 |
| Sacks and thick polythene (keeps packs dry)50 setsWhere: Sack and polythene shop | 50 sets | ৳25–40 |
| Truck hire, one day1Where: Truck stand | 1 | ৳6,000–12,000 |
| Engine boat hire, one day1Where: Local ghat | 1 | ৳3,000–6,000 |
| Total (about) | ৳42,000–67,000 | |
Getting ready, step by step
7 days before (or the day the news comes)
- Talk to someone local: how many families, what they need most, how to get there.
- Take pledges on the task page; money goes straight to the team, not through the site.
- Tell the union parishad which ward you are going to.
3 days before
- Have the family list with names, addresses and household size; the local coordinator keeps a copy.
- Buy the goods; keep every receipt.
- Book the truck and boat; check the boat has life jackets.
The day before
- Pack every bag the same, wrapped in polythene, into sacks.
- Check the warning and weather on 1090.
- Print the signature sheet; take pens and an ink pad.
The day
- Leave at dawn so you are back by daylight.
- One pack per family from the list; a signature or thumbprint for each.
The week after
- Put all receipts and the signature sheet on the task page.
- Ask the local coordinator whether anyone was missed.
Who does what
Lead and list keeper1
Runs handout against the list, takes signatures.
Purchase and accounts2
Compares prices, buys, keeps every receipt.
Packing team5
Makes identical packs, counts them, loads sacks.
Delivery and boat team3
Used to water; carries packs, keeps the line.
Photos and proof1
Takes photos, keeps the signature sheet and receipts in order.
Whom to speak to first
Union parishad chairman's office and ward member
- Why
- They know which families got government relief and who was missed.
- How
- Visit or call: which village, how many families, what day.
Upazila Project Implementation Officer's office
- Why
- Upazila relief is coordinated here; they can say where the gaps are.
- How
- Hand in a short letter; keep a copy.
The area's CPP or local volunteer group
- Why
- They know the way, the boats and the safe spots.
- How
- Reach them first through the local coordinator.
The day, hour by hour
- 06:00Meet at the store, count packs, load the truck.
- 07:00Set off; lead phones the coordinator.
- 09:30Reach the ghat, load the boat; life jackets on.
- 11:00Reach the village; set the handout table on high, dry ground.
- 11:30Hand out by name from the list; elders, disabled people and pregnant women first.
- 14:00Take packs to the homes of those who could not come.
- 15:00Count leftovers, hand them to the coordinator in writing; head back.
- 18:00Check everyone is back safe; write up the day's accounts.
How to take the proof
- A clear photo of every page of the signature sheet.
- A photo of every receipt, and one sheet adding them up.
- One photo of what is inside a pack, laid out.
- Handout photos of hands and packs, not faces; no faces without consent.
Common first-time mistakes
- Sending old clothes or cooked food without asking what is needed.
- Throwing packs from a truck by the road; the weakest get nothing.
- No signature sheet, so no accounts later.
- Boarding without life jackets.
What can go wrong, and what to do
Water rises fast or the current is strong
Stop the trip; never cross a current on foot; follow the boatman.
A crowd of people not on the list
Stay calm, write their names, promise them the next round or via the union parishad.
Running short of packs
Never drop the list; note the rest and deliver within two days.
Carrying cash
Buy as much as possible beforehand; keep cash hidden, split between two people.
Ready words to send
Copy, fill the [brackets], send.
Invitation to volunteers (WhatsApp/Facebook)
Assalamu alaikum. We want to get dry food, water and saline to [number] flood-hit families in [village/union]. Packing: [date], [time], [place]. Delivery: [date], leaving 6 am. Anyone can pack; for delivery, over 18 and used to water. Join on the task page or tell [name]. Pledges on the task page; every receipt will be shown there.
Letter informing the union parishad
To: The Chairman, [union] Union Parishad, [upazila], [district] Subject: Dry food distribution to flood-hit families. Sir/Madam, Our volunteer team [team name] plans to hand out dry food, water and oral saline to [number] families in [ward/village] on [date]. The list was made locally; a copy is attached. If any family was missed by government relief, please tell us and we will add them. After the handout we will give the parishad a copy of the signature sheet. Yours faithfully, [name], team lead [date]
After it is done
- Keep the local coordinator's number and the family list for the next disaster.
- After two weeks, ask whether waterborne illness or new needs have appeared.
- Publish what money or goods are left on the task page.
Questions people ask
How do we raise money?
Take pledges on the task page. Money goes straight to the team; put every receipt in the proof.
What should we not send?
Heaps of old clothes and cooked food that spoils. Nothing outside the needs list.
Can I join if I cannot stay the whole time?
Yes. Say in your request which step or which hours you can do. The lead will give that step to you.