A day of river journeys, mangrove exploration and cultural exchange gave BARCIK colleagues an informal setting to connect while experiencing the Sundarbans and local Munda heritage.
Employees from the Manikganj Plains Region and Shyamnagar Regional teams of the non-governmental development research organisation BARCIK spent a day exploring the Sundarbans, combining nature activities with cultural experiences and informal gatherings.
The teams jointly organised the day-long trip to the Akashleena and Kalagachhia eco-tourism centres in Shyamnagar, Satkhira, as an opportunity for colleagues to step away from their regular work routines and spend time together.
The day began at the BARCIK Shyamnagar Resource Center, adjacent to the Akashleena Eco-Tourism Center, where members of the Manikganj and Shyamnagar teams gathered for breakfast.
The eco-tourism team welcomed the visitors with local honey-water, known as Modhupani, and provided forest safety guidelines. The group then explored the area around the Chuna and Malancha rivers and the surrounding mangrove forest.
At Akashleena, the visitors walked along a long wooden trail and crossed a hanging bridge while observing the mangrove vegetation of the Sundarbans. They later climbed a watchtower overlooking the surrounding landscape and took group photographs and selfies.
The second part of the trip involved a boat journey from the Malancha River to the Kalagachhia Eco-Tourism Center. During the journey, colleagues sang unplugged songs, talked and shared laughter aboard the trawler.
At Kalagachhia, the group encountered deer and troops of monkeys. The visitors followed Forest Department guidelines and did not feed Keora leaves to the deer or give food to the monkeys.
In the afternoon, the group travelled to Datinakhali Munda Para, where they observed the traditional Karam Puja of the Indigenous Munda community. Anandita Munda, an Indigenous women leader, shared stories about the community’s heritage and life struggles with the visitors.
The group returned to the BARCIK Resource Center in the evening. After dinner, colleagues held an acoustic singing session and shared conversations in the premises.
The day-long trip concluded with the teams returning to their work after spending time together among the mangrove forests, rivers and communities of the Sundarbans.
