The New Nation - Internet Edition

Last week Mrs. Buffie Wilson, wife of Chevron Bangladesh President Steve Wilson, visited the families of Champa Begum and Jotsna Dev at Karimpur, a village located next to the Bibiyana gas field in Habiganj, to officially present the new houses built for them by Chevron. The devastating flood of 2007 destroyed the homes of both women. To mark the inauguration, the new houses were decorated with ribbons and flowers, and the excited family members greeted Mrs. Wilson with warm, welcoming smiles.

It was a fresh start for Champa Begum and Jotsna Dev, who finally found reason to smile after the devastation of last year's flood, which caused widespread damage across the country.

Countless homes were wrecked in the flood, and Champa Begum and Jotsna Dev's were among the 25 families whose homes were severely damaged in the Karimpur area. Chevron, through a post-flood rehabilitation campaign, made sure all 25 families became the proud owners of new homes under a community engagement program.

With the support of its partner-NGO FIVDB, Chevron identified families whose houses were damaged and initiated a house building program in the wake of the flood that affected some 2,000 households in the Bibiyana area.

Chevron initiated a number of rehabilitation programs aimed at assisting the flood-affected community residing adjacent to the Bibiyana 'area. In' addition to building new houses, Chevron launched programs to clean ponds and wells in order to ensure safe and hygienic water supplies; to reinforce pond dykes to withstand future flooding; and to provide assistance in fish farming.