Our Special Project-Cementing Futures
Cementing Futures
In 2008 our then President Debbie Rogers,assisted by Soroptimists and others set up a new charity to help build a new school in Dhaka,Bangladesh.Our club has been supporting educational and other projects through our Friendship Link Club,SI Dhaka.
More details about the charity can be found by visiting www.cementingfutures.org
The Educational System in Dhaka
The National Policy:
Free education for all, but
- lack of proper monitoring hinders the quality of education
- no compulsion for children to attend.
- huge drop out rate and high levels of illiteracy in Bangladesh.
The main problems for children accessing state education
- Lack of money to be able to afford school books and uniforms
- Distance to nearest school is too great and again lack of money is an issue
- Parents do not encourage children to attend school as they either need the children to babysit the younger children or they send the children out to earn extra money to help support the families.
Nijera Shikhi (Non-Governmental Organisation)
Overcome these obstacles by
- providing educational facilities near to the slum areas
- providing textbooks, uniforms and ‘tiffen’ (a nutritional snack) for each child
- schooling is only carried out for half a day
- parents are encouraged to send children to school as vocational skills are also taught alongside literacy, numeracy and social and health education classes
- classes for the parents on health and hygiene, family planning and parenting skills
The main problem for the NGO’s is that all the ‘schooling’ is given in rented properties. They have no continuity to the site of their schools and only have access to the buildings as dictated by the landlords.
Because the buildings are often used for other purposes, there are no storage facilities and the premises are often run down and in a dilapidated condition.
A purpose-built school would be a real help to stabilising the support that can be given to a community and it is envisaged that the school building could also be used to provide medical services, adult education and also serve as a hurricane shelter in severe weather conditions.