Free Dhaka's Children from Toxic Landfills Now.

Rafiq, 11, is now in Class Four at Grambangla School — a place his family once thought was entirely out of reach.

His parents originally came from Tangail, moving to Dhaka in search of a better living. Work never quite materialised the way they'd hoped, and eventually, with no other options, both parents began working as informal waste pickers at the Matuail dumpsite. Rafiq's elder brother, unable to attend school because of the family's poverty, now works at a nearby brass recycling factory.

Rafiq's parents always dreamed of educating their children, even when circumstances made it nearly impossible. They once enrolled Rafiq in a boarding madrasa, hoping to give him a religious education, but couldn't keep up with the costs — and his place there was eventually cancelled. With few alternatives left, they brought him along to the dumpsite to help with the family's waste collection, the way they once had to bring him along simply because there was no one else to look after him.

Everything changed when teachers and staff from Grambangla visited the family's home. They explained that Rafiq could attend the school's daycare centre while his mother worked, receive a free midday meal, and study in a safe, healthy environment — all at no cost to the family. Given how precarious their finances were, that last point mattered enormously: nobody at Grambangla would ever turn Rafiq away for being unable to pay.

Today, Rafiq attends school every day, wearing the new uniform he receives each year from Grambangla. He often arrives without having eaten breakfast at home, so the snack and midday meal the school provides — usually a banana and bread, or an egg — make a real difference to his day. He's also begun learning basic computer skills in the school's computer lab, and enjoys the simple pleasures of indoor games and watching television during break time, alongside his lessons.

His family's income remains modest — his parents together earn around BDT 24,000 (roughly £148) a month, and his brother a further BDT 6,000 (around £37) — and the physical toll of dumpsite work means medical costs often eat into what little they have. Food and new clothes for festivals remain hard to come by. But for Rafiq, the door to a different future is now open.

After finishing primary school, Rafiq will be eligible for a 50% tuition waiver at Mridhabari Secondary School, a benefit extended to Grambangla's students. From there, he hopes to sit his SSC exams and continue on to college. His dream, he says, is to become an army officer one day.

Thank you for helping make second chances like Rafiq's possible.