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Right
to education for the children of Mohammadpur
Context
: The schooling rate in the urban slums of Bangladesh is 20%
lower than the national average. In particular the area of
Mohammadpur in Dhaka recently encountered an important demographical
growth and the number of primary schools is insufficient to
welcome all the school-age children. The ones which exist
cannot manage to maintain a minimum standard of quality. Not
enough place, not enough teachers, not enough means and educational
support, a strong absenteeism, and no encouragement for the
participation from parents or the local community, are the
many factors which contribute to the situation.
Project
: A local association, Jagorani Chakra, has decided
to launch a project allowing 450 children of the area
of Mohammadpur to receive a quality education and later
on professional orientation and advice regarding employment.
Moreover
they have access to recreational and cultural activities
within the children centres and in the schools. Finally
the teachers, parents and school management committees
of 12 local primary schools are encouraged to contribute
to the improvement of education and are supported in
their efforts.
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Partner
: The NGO Jagorani Chakra (JC) was founded in 1976
and obtained its official recognition from the Department
of Social Services of the Government of Bangladesh the following
year. In 25 years, it has developed a vast programme of activities
in Jessore and the surrounding area, in areas as various as
non-formal education for children and adults, health, water
and hygiene, plantation of trees, fishery, gardening, handicraft
and finally small credit.
JC
began its activities in the 70's in the field of adult education,
with social change as an objective. Thereafter, always with
the same objective, JC involved itself in children's non-formal
education, in the shantytowns of Jessore where the majority
of its activities is concentrated.
Today its annual volume of activities amounts to approximately
1million Swiss francs, financed by various financial partners,
private and public, among which Enfants du Monde is one of
the most important. EdM collaborates since 1996 with JC, in
particular within the framework of programmes of community
development .
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Enfants
du Monde decided to support the education project in
Mohammadpur, not only financially to ensure the school's
operation but also fundamentally by guaranteeing a satisfying
level of quality of education.
This
project also enters in the framework of the international
programme of ILO (International
Labour Organization) for the elimination of child labour.
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Community
development in Jessore
Context
: About 80% of the population of Bangladesh lives in
rural areas, of which half have an annual income of less than
100 US$. Many of them think they will be able to improve their
lot by fleeing to the cities. They then find themselves in
a worse situation in terms of work, housing, hygiene, education
and social relations. The provincial town of Jessore, located
at 40 km of the Indian border, is not different, with a population
that has more than doubled in about 8 years, particularly
in the slums.
Project
: A first programme of urban community development was launched
by Jagorani Chakra (JC) with EdM support in 1996. Its principal
objective was reached, to set up sustainable community organizations
in 34 marginal districts of the city of Jessore. EdM decided
to scale-up the experience in 20 other districts. The broader
objective is to launch a process of community participation
and voluntary co-operation in favour of 8'000 women and 600
children to enable them to obtain better living conditions,
to know their rights and their potentials and to acquire social
and economic autonomy.
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Partner
: The NGO Jagorani Chakra was founded in 1976
and obtained official recognition from the Department
of Social Services of the government of Bangladesh the
following year.
Over
25 years, JC has developed a vast programme of activities
in Jessore and the surrounding area, in areas as various
as non-formal education for children and adults, health,
water and hygiene, reforestation, fishery, gardening,
handicraft and finally micro credit.
The NGO's annual volume of activities today amounts
to approximately 1million Swiss francs, financed by
various financial partners, private and public, among
which Enfants du Monde is one of the most important.
EdM
collaborates with JC since 1996 mainly within their
community development programmes. During these last
years, JC has appreciably developed and improved the
methodologies and approaches employed, and have succeeded
in supporting the formal organization of 50 rural communities
and 34 urban communities, encompassing more than 11'000
community members. |
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Professional
insertion for adolescents
Context
: Although overall the primary school attendance rate in Bangladesh
has increased over the past years, only 47% of children that
enter first grade complete their fifth grade. This is explained
by the poor quality of teaching offered in most schools, by
the inadequacy of education to meet the needs and expectancies
of children and their families, and by the poverty of the
latter which obliges them to send their children to work rather
than to study, notably in the rural environment. Hundreds
of thousands of children arrive thus at adolescence without
any formal education worthy of this name. Consequently, in
order to offer them a ‘second chance' in terms of education,
the system must include a hands-on training that gives young
people immediate access to remunerated employment.
Project : The Centre for Mass Education in
Science (CMES) education programme offers this kind of curriculum,
combining a curriculum of non-formal basic education with
parallel teaching and supervised practical experience in appropriate
technologies. The pilot project in partnership with EdM, started
at the end of 2002, adds a new dimension to this programme,
especially for adolescent girls, by establishing closer links
and follow-up with small businesses or trades near to the
CMES training centres.
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A
first batch of 125 students found an internship in 2003
and nearly 200 other places were found for the students
of the second batch, in trades as varied as electricity,
welding, garments, mechanics, health, computers or carpentry.
The results of
this first year are encouraging. CMES and EdM continue
their efforts to increase the diversification of the
internships and are establishing a mechanism of follow-up
for the professional insertion of adolescents after
their internship
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Partner
: The CMES ( Centre
for Mass Education in Science ) was founded in 1981 with
the aim of bringing science and technology closer to the everyday
life of the ordinary citizens of Bangladesh. Its founder and
current director, Dr. Ibrahim, is a professor of physics at
the university of Dhaka. In 20 years, the CMES developed an
innovative educational approach which closely associates basic
education, technical teaching and acquisition of practical
competencies.
Intended for children and adolescents excluded from the official
school system, the CMES programme aims to give them a stimulating,
practical and immediately useful education, while making them
aware of their potentials and rights. Developed over the years
on the basis of continuous learning and practice, the programme
at present comprises two principal aspects:
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the programme of basic education (BSS - Basic School System),
is attended by 20'000 students
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the programme for adolescent girls (AGP – Adolescent Girls'
Programme), consisting of continuous training for adolescent
girls from 11 to 19 years of age, recently opened its doors
to adolescent boys and young couples.
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Participative community development
Context
: In Bangladesh, poverty is concentrated in the rural zones
where 87% of the population lives. In the rural districts
of Jamalpur and Netrokona, the agricultural lands belong mostly
to large landowners who employ day labourers or expensively
rent the lands to the families of landless peasants. There
are no popular organizations which would make it possible
for the villagers to understand and take hold of their problems
for a sustainable improvement of their living conditions.
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Project
: This is why PARI, a local association, launched
a programme to help the villagers acquire knowledge
and skills in writing, reading and calculation, develop
competencies in the management of meetings, and in decision-making
and follow-up of these decisions. A regular savings
system makes it possible for the villagers to grant
themselves small credits for profit-making activities.
Particular
importance is given to activities in favour of women
who play a determining role in the well-being of the
family and children: 775 children receive regular follow-up
for health (weight, prevention of malnutrition, follow-up
of vaccinations, etc.).
In parallel,
PARI regularly organizes discussions on education, health,
human rights, gender, involving all of the villagers
and respecting all the ethnic minorities present in
this area close to India. |
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Partner
: PARI, which means “We can”, began
its activities in 1986 under the impulse of the Christian
Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC), an international
ecumenical organization. In February 2003, PARI obtained its
recognition as an independent non-governmental organization.
PARI carries out the work of raising awareness and of social
mobilization and encourages the organization of the marginalized
rural population, then strengthens basic groups and community
organizations in the villages.
EdM cooperates with
PARI since 1997. From now on, in agreement with EdM, PARI
will place emphasis on the existing educational components
of its programme and will develop the WHO approach of “Individuals,
families, and communities” for maternal and child health,
as suggested by EdM.
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