Farah Kabir

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya families have fled to Bangladesh since violence erupted in North Rakhine, Myanmar, late last month. In the past few days alone I have seen thousands of vulnerable women and children flooding over the border into Cox’s Bazar, sleeping on the roadside, in the open air, with barely even the clothes on their backs.

In the slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh, two young girls are growing up. They share the same surroundings, and the same dreams, but their lives couldn’t be more different. While one girl dresses her baby brother, the other puts on her school uniform. While one girl looks for litter on the streets to sell, the other learns English and maths. And while one girl is scared of the boys who shout at her on the street, the other plays with her friends in safety. I’d like to tell you the story of Halimoon and Jharna, and how you can transform a girl’s life through child sponsorship this Christmas. 

Climate change is happening now, and is threatening the poorest women and children in society. Before our governments meet in Paris this November, it’s up to us to act, and hold them to account. 

To say climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing women and children living in poverty today, is an understatement. Countries like Bangladesh are at the receiving end. We see women and children already living in poverty losing whatever little resources they had, frequently being threatened by the next disaster. Even before they can overcome one storm, the next one is around the corner.