Doorstep learning for girls in domestic work

Executive Summary: In Bangladesh, the issue of child labour remains prevalent, with approximately 3.2 million children under the age of 14 engaged in domestic and hazardous work. Despite the government's prohibition on child labour since 2005, the number of child labourers continues to rise. The socio-economic conditions, extreme poverty, and lack of viable alternatives force families to send their children to work. The COVID-19 pandemic and frequent flooding in 2022 have further exacerbated this problem, leading to an increase in child labour and child marriages. Our organization, UKBET, recognizes the urgent need to address this issue and has implemented the Doorstep Learning program to combat child labour and provide educational opportunities for working children. The growing awareness among stakeholders about the illegality and immorality of child labour, as well as the importance of education for every child, has increased the demand for our programs.

Program Description: The Doorstep Learning program specifically targets child domestic workers, who have proven to be a challenging group to identify, engage, and support. Prior to the pilot phase in 2018, there was a noticeable absence of state or NGO interventions for these children. However, through collaboration with the International Domestic Workers Federation and subsequent piloting, we have developed an effective model that has been measured and evaluated over four years.

Impact and Progress: To date, the Doorstep Learning program has successfully engaged and supported 1,193 working children and their families, benefiting a total of 7,158 family members. In 2022, 54% of girls enrolled in the program progressed out of child labour, highlighting the significant positive impact of our intervention. We firmly believe that the Doorstep Learning model is ready to be scaled up nationally, with the potential to contribute significantly to ending child labour in Bangladesh.

Current Status and Achievements: At present, we have 18 dedicated community teachers actively working with 248 children, with girls accounting for 90% of the beneficiaries. This targeted approach ensures that the most vulnerable and marginalized children receive the support they urgently need. By providing access to education and vocational training, we empower children like Parul (not real name), who would otherwise be trapped in a cycle of poverty and exploitation.

Case Study - Parul's (not real name) Story: Parul (not real name), a fictional name representing a real beneficiary, faced the harsh realities of extreme poverty, forcing her to forgo her education and work as a domestic helper. However, thanks to the intervention of UKBET's community teacher, Bushra (not real name), Parul (not real name) was enrolled in the Doorstep Learning project, opening up new educational opportunities for her. Furthermore, with financial support from UKBET, Parul's (not real name) mother started a duck farming business to augment the family's income. Parul's (not real name) dream of returning to school and achieving academic success has been reignited, while her mother aspires to expand the duck farm's income to ensure all her children can access education. UKBET remains committed to supporting Parul (not real name) and her mother in fulfilling their dreams, and we invite you, as a valued donor, to stand with us in this endeavor.

Conclusion: Child labour continues to be a pressing issue in Bangladesh, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and other socio-economic challenges. The Doorstep Learning program has proven to be effective in combating child labour and empowering working children with education and vocational training. By supporting our efforts, you can help transform the lives of children like Parul (not real name), providing them with a brighter future and contributing to the eradication of child labour in Bangladesh. Together, we can make a lasting impact.

Links:

• http://www.facebook.com/ukbet
• Parul(not real name) and her mother's duck farm

Despite the employment of children in domestic work being against the law it is both accepted and rife. Over 400,000 children as young as five are employed as domestic workers (90% are girls). Many reside with their employers where they are at risk of abuse, are on call 24/7 and are forbidden to attend school.

Our Doorstep Learning model was developed from our pioneering work providing education centres and learning opportunities for boys doing hazardous work. We wanted to build on our learning about interventions with working children – and provide literacy, numeracy and life skills for working girls too. We realised children doing domestic work may not be allowed to travel to a local centre, so we designed this programme to take learning directly to the domestic settings where children work. Our specially trained community teachers support individual children or small groups who work near each other, with the employers’ permission, in their homes. At the same time, different awareness activities like one to one meeting, event at local Counsellor office with community people, meetings at neighbourhood of families of the working children are arranged to raise awareness on child labour, child right, child protection, child marriage etc.

 At this moment, our 18 community teachers are working with 248 children (90% girls) and their families.

 Story of Onjona ( Not real name)

 When Onjona ( Not real name), age 12, was asked about her work as a housemaid, her normally cheerful expression would turn somber. She said, "I'm not proud of what I do for a living but I've no other option." She has been employed as a domestic servant for the past nine months. The small business her father runs selling various kinds of chips doesn’t always do well. She and her father are the sole providers for their six-member household. In July of this year, our community teacher, Miss Nisa ( Not real name), included Onjona ( Not real name) in the Doorstep Learning Project of UKBET.

Miss Nisa ( Not real name) addressed her family's dire financial situation and gave her father a loan from UKBET to launch a more stable business. Her father used the loan to launch a small cosmetics business. As a mark of his gratitude to UKBET, he promised to remove Onjona ( Not real name) from her employment as a domestic worker and work to provide her with the life she deserves by sending her back to school.

 Story of Khadija (Not real name)

 13 years old Khadija's (Not real name) family consists of seven members. She has four siblings, with two brothers and two sisters. Her mother works as a domestic helper, and her father has been out of work for quite some time due to his sickness. Then, like her mother, she was forced to work as a domestic helper. Her aspiration to finish her education and be self-sufficient has not yet faded. A UKBET community teacher, Ms. Jhorna (Not real name), found Khadija(Not real name) through a UKBET survey in 2021. Fortunately, Khadija's(Not real name) employer was very co-operative. Ms. Jhorna(Not real name) was given permission to teach Khadija(Not real name) for 1:30 hours, four days a week. Ms. Jhorna's (Not real name)Khadija (Not real name) was one of the few pupils who never gave up on their dreams, no matter how difficult life became. With the support of UKBET, Ms. Jhorna (Not real name) has enrolled Khadija (Not real name) in a school. Khadija (Not real name) is overjoyed by this. Now she continuing her study.

 On a recent trustee visit to Bangladesh,  our Executive Director shows first-hand the impact of our Family Futures project to  our founder and Chair. Pplease see the video : https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnZYg_EhVUI/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet 

Providing stable sources of income for families as well as our Doorstep Learning programme can allow families a route out of child labour and importantly afford them choice. This means the freedom to keep their children in education and not feel forced to send them into labour.

 Please support us supporting the children.

Links:

• https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnZYg_EhVUI/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=