Bexhill shop worker spents week in Bangladesh on charity mission

Kevin Davis, 49, from Sainsbury's in Bexhill, was joined by staff from other branches around the country, as well as representatives from the Comic Relief charity.

He said: "The Bexhill store raised the most amount of money out of the 122 branches across the South. We collected nearly 5,000 in March.

"The company raised 11 million in total.

"I was selected by the store in Bexhill to go to Bangladesh to see how Comic Relief was using the money towards projects."

Mr Davis, who lives in Eastbourne, spent his week in the capital Dhaka.

Comic Relief is putting in 1.3 million into schemes to help the country's children, of whom a vast majority live on the streets.

Mr Davis said: "There is an estimated 400,000 street children in Bangladesh, 75 per cent of whom live in Dhaka.

"Comic Relief has set up outreach centres for them around the railway station, docks and other areas.

"These centres offer a safe haven for the kids and also give them some education. They can also learn cooking, have a wash and feel secure.

"Most of the street children pick rubbish out of dumps and try to make a bit of money by recycling what they find.

"The children are very vulnerable and the charity is trying to rescue kids from dangerous occupations such as sorting out car batteries, welding and working in the docks.

"An awful lot of them are forced into prostitution. We heard a lot of scary stories from people. One nine-year-old boy had been kicked out on to the streets after his parents divorced because they did not want him anymore.

"Getting some sort of education gives these kids a better opportunity to get out of grinding poverty."

Children living on the streets of Dhaka usually are aged five up to 16 or 17.

Mr Davis also visited some of the slum areas of the capital where the houses, usually made out of corrugated iron, stand on bamboo walkways with sewage underneath.

He said: "The living conditions are just awful for the people there. The smell was also overpowering."

Mr Davis said the clothing industry in Bangladesh was very popular and lots of children were eager to learn how to sew.

He added: "The week-long trip was definitely a real eye opening experience for me and is something that will live with my for the rest of my life.

"The children out in Bangladesh were very focused on what they wanted and were grabbing every opportunity they got with both hands.

"It was also great to see that the money raised is going to an end destination and really does make a difference.

"Thank you to all of our customers and staff who helped raise money for Comic Relief."