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A dash to Bangladesh and India - Five highlights

21/12/2018

After a double trip to our projects in Bangladesh and India this month, our International Director - Rachel Bentley shares five highlights that reflect some great progress for the children we work with.

1. Schools are full of life

Rachel says, "We’ve been supporting nine Community schools for slum dwelling children in Cox’s Bazar for eight years now, and they are the best I’ve ever seen them. The children are absolutely full of life and energy".

Catering for over 900 children in the slums of Cox’s Bazar, these schools have become model learning environments which have shaped our work an hour down the road in the Kutupalong camp, which leads us nicely to the next highlight…

2. Colourful classrooms

“The 150 classrooms we run in Kutupalong camp for Rohingya refugee children are now fully up and running, and extremely vibrant, colourful and creative. Children that have been through such trauma need a safe and happy place to come, where they are free to express themselves. This is certainly evident in these spaces that are filled top to toe with their artwork. After what they have witnessed and what they are going through, these children lack the confidence of their counterparts in Cox’s Bazar, but we know that this model works to bring about a sense of safety and well-being as time goes by and the teachers are well trained to make learning fun and to address trauma.”

3. Oasis areas in the camp

"Not only are the classrooms colourful on the inside, but the shrubs and flowers that were planted when we began building in May are now growing and blooming. The idea is that we create an oasis feel in the barren, cramped landscapes of the camp. There isn’t much room to do this, but we’ve used the space we have to help the children feel they are entering a whole new environment, that is just for them”.

4. Schools on a shoestring

“In India what struck me was how much we are in the right place, supporting Navjeevan in their work. They’re currently providing 20 schools on a shoe string in some of the most awful slums I’ve seen. These areas are worse than Kutupalong, yet they get no media attention or support. Despite the continual oppression Dalit children live under, they are clean, happy and confident at the Centres and learning well, this is an incredible achievement when you see where they live each day”.

5. Computer classes

“Our partners here in India, thanks to the generous support of our donors, have begun IT classes for children and young people in the slums. These have been incredibly popular and are already resulting in young people being able to get jobs they would never have been able to without developing these skills”.

Read about our work in Cox’s Bazar, Kutupalong refugee camp and Patna, India and consider supporting this work as we grow it in 2019 by clicking the buttons below.