Surviving the Cyclone: PayBito Reports The Emotional Story of Sundarbans’ Locals

Cyclones are prevalent in the delta islands of the Sundarbans. In the past decades, the archipelago has been attacked by thirteen cyclones, which are only getting worse with the passing years. Amphan in 2020, took away more than a hundred lives of the people in the village. Also known as the ‘Cyclone capital of India’, Sundarbans are at threat of extinction due to the impacts of climate change. Although the villagers manage to survive the cyclones, devastating consequences are leading to the loss of houses, damage of agricultural lands, saltwater intrusion in ponds destroying the fisheries, and more.

On the mission to end global hunger, the PayBito team embarked on its ‘Brokering World Hunger Away’ movement in the UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site of Sundarbans. While exploring the villages and the islands, the team came across several problems among the villagers that leads to poverty and hunger. One of the major problems the people is climate change, leading to food scarcity, malnutrition, poverty, saltwater intrusion, unemployment, sex trafficking, lack of quality education, dropouts, lack of menstrual hygiene, maternal mortality, infant deaths, transportation issues, and more. The multidimensional problems among the villagers have forced Paybito to take up new initiatives and help the villagers who are fighting for their survival every day.

Heart-Wrenching Story of Ashish: A 14yr Old Boy Battling Nature’s Fury

“My village is floating….”
- Ashish Mondal (14yr old, Gosaba village)

While exploring the core villages of Sundarbans, the PayBito team came across a young boy who drives a steamer in the river and helps the locals and tourists to travel from one island to other.

“I lost my father due to covid-19 in 2020, and the same year, my mother died during the Amphan cyclone. I lost my house, along with all our belongings.”

While Sundarbans is far away from the cities, the villagers had to suffer from severe consequences and were not safe from the virus. While many people from the villages died, cyclone Amphan only worsened the situation. Several people who were already suffering from food scarcity, and poverty, were now homeless. Among many, Ashish becomes an orphan, with the wrath of Amphan.

“My house was washed away, along with my mother in it. I was standing at a distance, and I kept crying helplessly.”

Asish described his harrowing experience with teas in his eyes. The 11-yr old Ashish had no parents and was taken by his aunt in Gosaba village. The resident of Ghoramara village is now homeless and has no one to call his own.

“After my aunt took me in, I stopped going to school. I started working with my uncle on farms, and in steamers to help the villagers travel from village to village. Today, it’s been 2.5 years that I am working in the steamer.”

Ashish was taken home by his aunt after his mother expired in the Amphan cyclone. Ashish had to drop out of school due to financial issues and started helping his uncle on farms. Later, he joined the steamer services in Sundarbans and worked as a daily wager. Today, he meets new people and tourists from all over the world who come to visit the islands.

Sundarbans delta islands were formed by the confluence of three rivers, the Ganga, Meghna, and Bramhaputra. While the diverse ecosystem and the magnificent beauty of the mangrove forests attract several tourists from all around the world, the islands are not safe for humans. While the forests are full of resources, it is also home to dangerous species and animals such as man-eating crocodiles, the Royal Bengal Tigers, poisonous snakes, and more.

PayBito’s ‘Brokering World Hunger Away’ Campaign Metamorphosed Ashish’s Life

PayBito embarked on its journey to end global hunger with its ‘Brokering World Hunger Away’ movement. PayBito’s crypto broker platform is for individual brokers, institutional investors, entrepreneurs, and anyone who is looking to venture into the crypto industry. The white-label platform is customizable and can kickstart your business within minutes. The “Dollar for a dollar” movement initiated by PayBito shares that for each dollar a broker earns as a commission from PayBito’s crypto broker platform, the same amount will be spent in the movement. The brokers can directly contribute to the movement with zero investment.

Ashish’s story was an eye opener of the harsh reality of the struggle for survival for the Sundarbans villagers. PayBito initiated some of the ways to help people like Ashish live a better life and get the education that he deserves.

• Provide free stationery items and education courses to needy children in the village. This includes collaborating with the local communities, NGOs, and schools to help the children thrive in education.
• Provide shelter, and work opportunities to earn money. PayBito has started providing training courses on clay and pottery to help the children create products that the team sells in nearby cities.
• The storm survivors are also provided with funds and shelter until they receive a permanent household. These children are also provided with daily nutritious meals and clothes collected through donations.

It is not possible to stop the cyclones, however, there are several ways the PayBito team can help the survivors. The ‘Brokering World Hunger Away’ movement which started as a mission to end global hunger, is no more limited to providing nutritious meals. The team is working and collaborating with organizations and NGOs to provide a better lifestyle to the survivors and help them thrive. As an investor or individual broker, join PayBito’s crypto broker platform today and get a chance to help the needy with zero investment.