A Father’s Story of Farid, Feni and Floods

Ali Ashraf, as told to Stuti Sharma

18 December 2025

“Farid loves being photographed. Once, when we went to the market, he insisted we stop for a photo. He wanted to look like Bapparaj [the actor]. So, we got his hair cut in VIP style. We found a small studio and the photo came out just beautiful as he had imagined. We got it printed and brought it home.”

Every morning, my day begins with my son Farid. He is 18 years old. I start my morning by helping him out of bed, freshening him up, changing his clothes, and feeding him breakfast. My son is a person with disability. He cannot walk, sit, or eat by himself. He loves having tea and biscuits, and music even more.

Farid enjoys going to the market. He is fond of the noise, the colours and the people...it makes him very happy. But I am already sixty-eight years old, and I cannot carry him everywhere anymore. It’s not easy. His wheelchair broke long ago as the muddy roads and potholes in our area are not made for wheels.

I cannot leave the house for work or errands as I need to make sure he is safe, away from water and fire. Once, when I was not home, he fell from the bed and broke his arm. Since then, I have always been alert. So, most days, he sits on the bed listening to songs stored in a memory card in an old device we have. If I am away for too long, he starts looking for me. The truth is that I cannot imagine a day without him either. 

Farid has always loved being around people, which is why I enrolled him in school. Every morning, I used to carry him there by myself. He couldn’t hold a pen properly, but he tried. Using the toilet was hard for him because he always needed someone’s help. After a while, the teachers told me that it would be better to teach him at home. But how could I? Neither I have the education nor the means to teach him myself. Eventually, he had to drop out and it broke his heart. He loved going to school.

My son has faced more hardship in his eighteen years of life than many do in a lifetime. Last year (2024), there was a massive flood in Feni. It was so bad that the floodwater rose higher and higher until it reached three feet inside our home. We had to flee in order to survive. I lifted Farid in my arms and waded through the knee-deep water to reach the shelter. But living in the shelter was challenging. Each time he had to use the toilet, I had to carry him all the way down from the fifth floor and back up again.

We stayed there for three or four days until the water finally began to recede. When we returned, we saw that everything was ruined. The rice we stored was spoiled. Our beds were soaked with dirty floodwater. The toilet was no longer usable. 

Later, we received some help. UNICEF and the people who work with them built a new toilet for us. The toilet is easier for my son to use. They also made a concrete path leading to it and gave him a pair of knee guards to move around without hurting his knees. Now, after I help him out of the house, he can crawl along the path on his own and reach the toilet independently. I just have to help him get seated.

In our community, we now have a solar-powered deep tube well with an elevated tank and several water taps. We’ve formed a committee to look after it, so it will run well for years to come. Since it’s powered by the sun, the running cost is very low, and everyone contributes a little to keep it going. Today, everyone can collect clean water just a few steps away from their home. It has made our lives easier, and the reputation of our neighbourhood has also improved. I know you have spent millions of takas on this work, and for that we are very grateful.

I love my son Farid with all my heart. He loves me just as dearly. The future, I leave it in Allah’s hands. I have no job, money or wealth of any kind, but so far, we are getting by with my older sons’ support. So whatever Allah has given us, I accept with gratitude.

About the UNICEF programme

When devastating floods struck southeastern Bangladesh in 2024, floodwaters swallowed homes, schools, and playgrounds, leaving entire villages under water. Children and families were forced to flee with what little they could carry, seeking shelter on higher ground.

With generous support from the European Union (EU), and in partnership with the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & co-operatives, UNICEF helped bring clean water and sanitation closer to families impacted by the floods.

Across Comilla, Noakhali, and Feni, over 12,500 people, including nearly 5,000 children, now benefit from solar-powered water supply networks, climate-resilient latrines, and deep tubewells fitted with submersible pumps, handpumps, and raised platforms.

To further strengthen resilience, a few additional features have been added to the network, including a lightning arrester at the elevated tank structures to protect the village from lightning strikes and a solar-powered battery with charging ports. During disasters, community members can use these to charge their mobile phones and torchlights, helping them stay connected and safe.

For Farid, the project has meant more than just infrastructure. The new accessible toilet designed with handrails and a foldable commode has made his life safer and more comfortable. Today, he is protected from germs, unhygienic conditions, and diseases. With a little help from his father, he can use the toilet safely, and with dignity.