Caryl Stern's letter from Bangladesh

George Harrison is beloved here, and traveling with Olivia Harrison is like traveling with a rock star. Our day started at the UNICEF Office. The staff members who are old enough to remember George's Concert for Bangladesh expressed their gratitude to Olivia - we all cried.

George Harrison is beloved here, and traveling with Olivia Harrison is like traveling with a rock star. Our day started at the UNICEF Office. The staff members who are old enough to remember George's Concert for Bangladesh expressed their gratitude to Olivia - we all cried.

Caryl Stern is the President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. This is a note from her recent visit to Bangladesh with Olivia Harrison and other UNICEF supporters.

We are nearing the end of our second day in Bangladesh and I want to share some of what I am seeing, feeling, experiencing.

At first glance, Dhaka is a very dirty city--with throngs of people everywhere and traffic that barely moves and when it does move, ignores all traffic rules, signs, lights, etc.

But it is also a city of flowers and politeness and warmth -- great spicy food and phenomenal breads. We spent time at an open air school, where kids from the slums are taught basic alphabet and numbers in a 6 month program so they can go to regular school. Malnutrition has stunted most of them so it's is hard to tell how old they, are but I believe they were all under 12 or 13. Yet, many have jobs -- in factories, etc.

George Harrison is beloved here, and traveling with Olivia Harrison is like traveling with a rock star. Our day started at the UNICEF Office. The staff members who are old enough to remember George's Concert for Bangladesh expressed their gratitude to Olivia - we all cried.

As for the children to young to remember George, we take joy in seeing how his legacy continues to affect their young lives. For instance, at a UNICEF-supported center for street children. Kids from age 8 to teenagers come to the center because they are in Dhaka without a home or a safe place to sleep. They learn crafts here as well as music and dance, and they participate as peer educators and activists for children like themselves.

Bangladesh 2.14.11 029.JPG
U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2011
Apple Records' Jonathan Clyde and children from a UNICEF-supported center in Dhaka.

They sang for us. When they sang, "We Shall Overcome," my eyes filled with tears once again.

For us, George is a legendary member of the Beatles and a humanitarian who used his talents to benefit others. I have to remember that for Olivia he is the husband she lost, the Dad Dhani lost. It is a bittersweet trip in some ways as we watch Olivia experience it, feel pride, and, I am sure, also feel the absence of George.