RACH’S WISH LIST:

1. copper slinky cage bikini {topshop USA}

2.  riyad el mezouar {marrakech, morocco}

3. lady cameo ring {charmming on etsy}

4. freedom tank {allsaints}

5. rose #2 on canvas (jenny liz rome on society 6}

ALLISON’S WISH LIST:

1. orange tangerine + french lavender soap {etsy}

2. plaid pigeon planters {soda pop girl}

3. work of art {erica sara designs}

4. sea foam wind farm patterned throw {crane & company}

5. tricia square clutch in cognac {ethica}

photography by Jennie Andrews

model: Emily Martin

This color story was completely outside of the box for me——which is one of the reasons I loved doing it!

I was inspired by a recent trip to a museum with some other makeup artists where we all chose a favorite art piece that resonated with each of us. That particular exercise made me think about how differently we look at the same thing and how varied our experience with art is (evidenced by the fact that none of us chose the same piece). Art is so very subjective.

With this color story I wanted to juxtapose two completely different interpretations of the same idea . . . an exercise at interpreting color differently on each side of the face. I basically built the makeup as an artist might on a canvas, and we photographed it as it progressed. One side of her face is somewhat of a contemporary or modern art interpretation of the other side of the face——the side that most of us might consider mainstream. It was a true exercise in pushing the boundaries and playing with color, texture, and layering.

words by Saima Hassan

OBAT Helpers’ Work in Bangladesh.

Location: Located in various cities of the South East Asian country, Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of the poorest and most densely populated countries of the world.

History: OBAT Helpers was formed in 2004 to address the large scale suffering that came about in 1971 when Pakistan split into two countries: Pakistan and Bangladesh. Half a million people of Bihari ethnicity  living in Bangladesh, expressed their desire to be repatriated to Pakistan, as they were already faced with tremendous discrimination based on their minority status and  ethnic and linguistic differences. The Biharis were temporarily housed in camps until they could be sent to Pakistan; however, only about 170,000 could be repatriated and the remaining have been stranded in the camps or shanty towns for the last 41 years. This population is scattered across 66 camps in different cities of Bangladesh.

Behind the scenes: 

Anyone visiting these camps would see a family of seven to ten people sharing a living space of 8×10 feet, open sewers and overflowing drains, a single toilet or two for 100 or so people, innocent six or seven-year-olds who should be in schools working for a living, high-infant mortality rates due to absence of medical facilities, lack of clean drinking water, terrible or no sanitation facilities, and nothing but abject poverty.

OBAT Helpers is the only organization in North America committed to helping the Biharis become self-reliant and empowered through proper education, health care, and micro-financing projects. OBAT started providing help to one camp in 2004, and now, it is improving the lives of people in almost 35 out of the total 66 camps.

The following programs are run and managed by OBAT Helpers in Bangladesh:

• Educational Aid and Scholarship Program

-seven different schools in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, and Rangpur

-four tutoring and computer training centers

-two vocational centers

-20 preschools

-education scholarships for continuation of studies, distribution of books,  and uniforms to thousands of students.

• The Micro-Financing Program

With the help of ISDCM, a local non-profit in Bangladesh, OBAT initiated a pilot micro-financing program in 2006 in the city of Syedpur. The families in the camps received micro-financing loans for small family and individual business projects. The businesses are now up and running. Presently, more than 8000 people (almost 50 percent of the camp population) are being self-empowered through our program. OBAT thus provides opportunities for self-sufficiency and empowers individuals and communities, rather than sustaining their dependence on external assistance.

• Construction & Improvement Projects

-housing project in Mirpur camp, Dhaka

-deep tube well, drinking water projects in Dhaka and Chittagong

-improvement and construction of drainage/sewage system.

-construction of community bathrooms in Dhaka, Rangpur, and Chittagong

• Health Care Program

OBAT runs two health care clinics in Rangpur and Syedpur and sponsors cataract eye surgeries. These clinics help thousands of patients every year. It also runs a mobile health service in Syedpur.

• Family Assistance Program

OBAT carries out food distribution to thousands of families every year. It also distributes Zakat (an annual tax on Muslims to aid the poor in the Muslim community) on behalf of others as well as meat (on the annual Muslim festival of Eid-Al Adha when Muslims sacrifice cattle and distribute its meat to the needy). Besides these, monthly monetary help is extended to deserving families on a regular basis; financial assistance is given for marriage ceremonies and funeral arrangements; legal assistance is also provided.

• Emergency Relief Projects

Relief projects are undertaken by OBAT in case of a disastrous situation . . . a camp fire, for example, or a natural calamity such as floods or cyclones.

How you can help:

-Adopt a clinic, a tutoring or vocational center or an education facility.

-Fund a scholarship that will change a promising student’s life.

-Help someone achieve self-empowerment.

-Feed or clothe a destitute person.

-Make clean drinking water a reality.

-Contribute to camp improvement projects.

Please visit the website www.obathelpers.org to learn more about our current needs. Ninety percent of donations received by OBAT go directly towards its humanitarian projects.

Interesting fact about Bangladesh: On streets and roads you can find pretty much everything, ranging from regular vehicles like cars, buses, and rickshaws to animals such as cows, ducks, and goats. They add to the already chaotic traffic where the only rules are no rules.