Education for Ten Children
Chittagong, Bangladesh
Ruhul Amin, aged 7, is out of the house by 6:30 in the morning. With a belly barely-filled with parathas, he swings his metal tiffin carrier with the lunch Ammu packed for him before she left for work. Hurrying along he watches the other children, carrying their slates and books in tow, on their way to school. His destination is different. He is on his way to the local brick factory. After a relentless day of breaking bricks, still not having enough money to eat, he makes his way to the local factory pond hoping to catch a fish.
This is the typical day of many children within slums in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Although accessible, an education or even a childhood is a dream for the few that can afford to eat.
Working at the brick factory, a child earns about Tk.40 a day
(approximately CAN$0.72).
Tk.110 (CAN$2.00) would provide for
healthy daily sustenance.
Project Scope
This is an after-school support program with the goal of creating an environment for the children that is conducive for learning while simultaneously developing the area through local employment and education. The activities begin at 2:00 with a nutritious lunch from MAA, after the children have attended the formal government school, and go on till 7 in the evening. During this time the children learn social concepts like hygiene, nutrition and the environment and engage in extracurricular activities such as sports, music, crafts, as well as enhancing their formal education with cognitive understanding.
In terms of community development and capacity building, other programs that are sponsored by MAA include teacher trainings, monthly parent teacher meetings, doctor's check ups and field trips. These projects then serve to uplift the community as a whole and encourage the parents to take a more active role in their children's education.
We are pleased to announce that this project has been remarkably successful. Currently, two centers have been set up each with 10 children per teacher and supervisor. These centers are located in the Khulshi Colony and the Jungle Battiari within the community area. With the first year of monthly mother's meeting and several teacher training sessions already underway, the performance has so far been heartening. From never having held a pencil before, the children went on to learning the entire Bengali alphabet and most of the English alphabet within months, with 2 of the children coming in first in their respective grades.
MAA together with Mamata, a local Bangladesh registered non-governmental organization, hopes to continue providing these services with the highest possible standards.
Project Bangladesh Team
Our team in Bangladesh comprised of our two teachers and our logistics officer. From left to right: Lutfa (teacher for Jungle Battiari), Koli (teacher for Khulshi Colony), and Abul Kalam (logistics officer).
Though a small team, they are each highly dedicated and crucial to the project. They have formed between them, as well as with the famililes they work with, an incredible bond of friendship and trust. Although many are skeptical of working with locals in development projects in Bangladesh, due to the high rate of corruption, these particular individuals have displayed a great sense of trust and motivation. There have been many months, when we have been unable to pay them their salary, and yet they have continued working just as committedly.
The smiles and love from the children are a testament to their work.
Project Fundraisers
The entirety of the funds so far has been raised through a variety of fundraisers and personal donations. Other than the teachers and the local project manager in Bangladesh, everyone involved with these projects work on a voluntary basis. By keeping such low overheads, we are able to ensure that the entirety of the funds reach the children.
Financial Details
1 Canadian Dollar = 55 Bangladeshi Taka (as of March 4, 2009).
To support one child for one day the approximate cost is CAN$ 2.00,
which amounts to approximately CAN$ 730.00 per child per annum.
