Reaching more Rohingya refugee children with education on Bhasan Char Island

2 mins read time

We’re delighted to share that the number of classrooms we are supporting for Rohingya refugees on Bhasan Char island in Bangladesh has doubled this summer.

​Take a look at the progress that has been made and meet student, Puri.

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In 2022, we were invited to set up 10 model classrooms on Bhasan Char island, where thousands of Rohingya refugees living in the mainland camps of Bangladesh have been relocated. These classrooms ensured that 500 children were able to access education.

Thanks to their success over the past year, the number of classrooms we are supporting has now doubled and we now have a total of 23 classrooms, offering high quality education for over 1,300 refugee children living on the island. 

The children learn from trained refugee teachers, in a language they understand and are able to access our award winning digital lessons which help to bring subjects to life and make learning fun. 

Children connect with their peers on the mainland by watching ‘Moja Kids’ video newsletters, which are a highlight of the week.​

GALLERY: CLASSROOMS ON BHASAN CHAR

MEET PURI

Puri is 7 years old and attends one of our classrooms on Bhasan Char island. She was relocated with her family here from Kutupalong refugee camp.

She was born in Myanmar and brought to Bangladesh as a baby in 2017. Puri cannot remember the horror of that year but she has heard about it from her parents. 

Puri went to school in Kutupalong, but said she lived in a constant state of fear.

"All the time there was tension on all people’s faces, because fighting had broken out among the groups in the camp. Hearing about shootings and killings became normal there”.

​PURI JANNAT​

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​Puri had been scared about moving to the island and didn’t know what to expect. Kutupalong camp was all she had ever known as home. When she arrived she felt like it was “not my place”. She missed her friends, was fearful and worried about her parents, who, without work, were struggling to pay for essentials.

But, since joining the learning centre, she is feeling much more hopeful about the future and enjoys her lessons. The new classroom with play equipment and creative materials has made her feel at ease and she loves being able to play. 

Puri has made lots of new friends which has helped her fears to ‘vanish’. She now feels safe.

She was very pleased to be given new books, a school bag, pens and pencils, and is particularly excited about the video lessons and the ‘Moja Kids’ video newsletters that she gets to watch.
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Attending school has helped Puri to recover from the chronic trauma of living in Kutupalong, the fear she felt after the family’s relocation and the stress of their financial situation. She says: “I have got a normal life now”.

read more about WHY WE WORK ON BHASAN CHAR ISLAND >>

Help more children like Puri access safe classrooms where they can learn, play, and recover from trauma.

£8 can help educate a child in a safe space for a month.

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