We started small! Now our dream is growing bigger each and every day with the wonderful performances of our kids – be it their academic credit, be it their hard work to support their family! We are proud to have all these wonderful souls with us!
Rubel is JAAGO’s new intern
One of the bright JAAGO students who performed well in the PEC Exam is Mohammed Rubel. He achieved GPA 4.33 though he comes from a very underprivileged background: His only surviving parent is his mother but she cannot work and his sibling suffers from a lethal disease. Due to his unfortunate family circumstances, Rubel does not have any support from his family. That’s why JAAGO gives him the possibility to intern at the administrative department of JAAGO. Through this paid internship Rubel is now able to support his 3 headed family. “I like the internship. It’s very good. I’m supporting the Administration officer and I’m learning how to use the PC, how to browse the Internet – things which are not included in the lessons”, Rubel says. He loves to play Cricket as well as playing in general and wants to be a famous Cricket player.
Primary Education Completion Examination (PEC) success
Most of JAAGO’s students live in tiny rooms which they share with their parents and siblings. Only few have the privilege to have a calm space for preparing school lessons or even a proper desk for the children to study at. But nevertheless the JAAGO children are strong and confident individuals: The JAAGO 3rd graders recently reached a 100% pass rate at PEC Examinations English version hosted by the NCTB.
The students were tested in Bengali, English, Mathematics, Islam & Moral Education, Bangladesh & Global Studies as well as Elementary Science. While there was a 100% pass rate, the majority even scored a perfect GPA (grade point average).The successful passing the PEC examination has gotten the JAAGO students a 5 years of schooling certification which is nationally recognized. The good grades earned by the students also show that JAAGO works very hard to maintain a quality English Medium Education for its students.
Martyred Intellectuals Day& Victory Day
"A Nation that Forgets its Heroes is a Nation Destined to be Forgotten..." – that’s why the 14th of December is observed every year in Bangladesh to commemorate the martyred intellectuals who were killed by Pakistani forces during the Liberation war on 14th December 1971. They fought for Bangladesh’s freedom and just two days after the massacre, Bangladesh became independent on December 16, 1971.
The JAAGO children from the JAAGO branches in Rayer bazar, Banani, Rajshahi, Gaibandha, Chittagong, Bandarban, and Gazipur honored both days. On December 14, 2013, for example the JAAGO branch Rayer Bazarpaid homage by gathering 64 liberation war flags from 64 districts at Rayer Bazar Boddhobhumi along with some of our national heroes, the freedom fighters, and JAAGO students. On December 16, 2014, Victory Day, the JAAGO children celebrated by singing Bangladesh’s national anthem, reciting poems and telling stories.
Laura Cortese and the Dance Cards
On 27th of February, 2014, the band Laura Cortese and the Dance Cards from the U.S.A. surprised the JAAGO children. The trio which includes Laura Cortese (fiddle, vocal), Mariel Vandersteel (fiddle, vocal) and Valerie Thompson (cello, vocal) brought different shades of blues, gospel, country, blue jazz and dance to the children. The band performed, sang and danced with the students later. The famous American folk music band was presented by the American Center and enjoyed playing for the JAAGO children very much. They were moved to tears by these kids and by everyone working at JAAGO.
Thank you so much!
That is all we want to say to our sponsors! Without you we could not get this far. We are proud of your wonderful contribution as much as we are proud of our kids! We would love to have you with us along this journey. Connect with us any way you want. You can come to our place and spend some wonderful moments with these innocent children. You can also help them out through sponsoring their education. Thank you again for being with us through thick and thin.
Universal Children’s Day 2013
A fine blend of work and play
The JAAGO Foundation in collaboration with its volunteer wing, ‘Volunteer for Bangladesh had celebrated ‘Universal Children’s Day’ 2013 during the month of November with a fresh new campaign to raise awareness for children rights. JAAGO’s UCD 2013 campaign had comprised of two elaborate segments; “Innovation Lab 2013” and “UCD Carnival 2013”.
The Innovation Lab 2013 has been a platform that has successfully managed to beautifully bridge field experience with infinite future possibilities. The Innovation Lab opened its doors to a group of 50 young aspiring entrepreneurs who walked in with ideas worthy of the right start up! Through a rigorous ’36 hours Mentorship’ program the participants were made to sculpt every aspect of their social entrepreneurship model into perfection. Each idea had to relate a business plan with a social cause focusing on child development and education. The Innovation Lab had invited some of the brightest, most successful and experienced entrepreneurs of Bangladesh to mentor and evaluate these talented participants who were simultaneously participating in Dhaka and Chittagong.
In the second phase, JAAGO Foundation’s signature event, ‘UCD Carnival’ was celebrated in its full glory in 7 districts of Bangladesh. The ‘Carnival’ has always been about giving back a day from their childhoods to the children we see on the streets. While in their fight for bare survival they completely miss out on their childhood and the happiness that every child should otherwise have been entitled to. JAAGO every year tries to organize for these children a day of fun and frolic where all worries and miseries disappear amongst the celebration of one’s childhood. The ‘Carnival’ this year has been daylong visits to parks and zoo for street children across the country. The carnivals across the country indulged the children in bioscopes, puppet shows, merry-go-rounds, exotic zoo animals and some wholesome meals. Volunteers had been assigned nationwide to keep company of the children and to attend to their needs.
Bithi in Nepal
JAAGO 4th grader makes it as a panelist at SAARC UNICEF Regional Policy Dialogue on Adolescence
Suborna Bithi a 4th grader at JAAGO was selected as a panelist at the SAARC UNICEF Regional Policy Dialogue on Adolescence. Bithi, an exceptionally bright student at the JAAGO Foundation attended this three day conference in Nepal. She brought attention to troubling issues such as memorization of course material without giving much thought to it. This practice is very common in a much in practice in a large number of schools in rural and urban Bangladesh. She also spoke on how technology used in schools needs to be upgraded in order for the Bangladeshi students to keep up with the fast changing world. She pressed towards the set up of computer labs and vocational training for high school students who have entered their adolescence years. Bithi is confident that if these aspects are incorporated into the traditional education curriculum then the Bangladeshi youth would have much higher chances of succeeding professionally. She strongly feels that, acquainting high school students with technology and giving them various trainings that could come handy in their professional lives is the way forward!
Nepal has been a wonderful experience for Bithi. Bithi who comes from very humble beginnings has had many firsts in this beautiful land. Not only because this was her first trip abroad but the feeling of being heard was immense for her. “I have met some wonderful people from countries all around the globe. I felt so privileged while exchanging my views with all the delegates at the conference. I can’t thank JAAGO enough for making me a part of this organization. I hope I can play an active role at generating awareness of issues faced by adolescents in my community in the years to come.”
JAAGO School Bandarban Inaugurated
We are now in Bandarban
Bandarban is known far and wide for its lush greenery and mighty mountains. The beauty of the place being so inherently overwhelming, it tends to take away from the parallel truth of the tremendous need of standard education institutions in Bandarban. Funded by Grameenphone Ltd., the JAAGO School is located at Kanapara, Bandarban. This latest venture of the JAAGO Foundation targets to cater to the educational needs of numerous ethnic minority groups. The locals have a minimalistic income and the introduction of a free school has taken a significant burden off their shoulders and ensures a secure future for their children. The school has started its first academic year during September 2013 with 43 intakes in Reception. The JAAGO Bandarban School is an ‘Online School’ that benefits from the high-caliber teachers holding classes in metropolitan areas without compromising education standards. Presently, the Reception students are being taught alphabets, numbers colors and so on.
JAAGO 4rd Graders sit for the PEC Examinations
Now the Guarantee of NCTB certification at every stage of schooling
The JAAGO 3rd graders have recently sat to undertake the PEC Examinations by the NCTB. The PEC examination is mainly taken by 5th grade students who pursuit their schooling under the National curriculum. The subjects that the students were tested on are Bengali, English, Mathematics, Islam & Moral Education, Bangladesh & Global Studies and Elementary Science. Successfully passing the PEC examination with entitled the JAAGO students to the certification for 5 years of schooling. The students who go to JAAGO being financially disadvantaged constantly get exposed to family mobilization and pressure from their family to drop out from school in order to start earning. With the students having some kind of nationally recognized certification it becomes more likely for them to get a decent job in case they decide on dropping off. Also, the students’ performance will assist our educators to assess the quality of education being delivered at JAAGO keeping the national curriculum as a yardstick.
JAAGO Teachers' Training Session by SPEED
35 teachers of the JAAGO Schools from the Rayerbazar and Banani branches attended a training session hosted by SPEED. Services for Professional Education and Enterprise Development (SPEED) is an adult education and training centre that offers training programs for professionals working in various sectors, including teaching, the corporate world, and retail. This training session was held from 21st September to 12th October of 2013.Alongside the teachers from Rayer bazar Branch and Banani Branches, the Education Coordinators, Asst. Manager, Training and Development and Research and Development Asst. Manager attended this program. Some of the issues that were focused on during this session were; Classroom Management and Control Strategies, Methods of maintaining discipline and attention amongst students, Student Motivation, Professionalism, Creation of a Positive Learning Experience, Methodology to Assess Learners and the Markings of an Ideal Educator The sessions were thoroughly interactive and took place in the format of workshops. The lectures, role plays, games, group discussions, case studies aided in the creation of very well balanced learning environment.
