HRDP, our partner in Bangladesh mostly works in rural and inaccessible areas with adult literacy particularly among women and children who have missed out on primary education. Our vision is to transform the lives of the poorest of the poor by breaking the bonds of illiteracy and the barriers to education. Illiterate women attain self-respect and can participate in their children's education. Children who have had to drop out of education have hope and future opportunities restored.
The adult literacy rate in Bangladesh averages at about 50% but drops considerably outside of the towns and especially amongst women. Our partners work in helping schools takes them to distant village areas, often on the banks or on the islands of Bangladesh's huge rivers. There school availability is limited and adult literacy is low. Many children do not start school and among those that do there is a 50% drop-out rate by class 5, driven by the need for children to earn money.
In three districts HRDP run five adult literacy classes each, 10 for women and 3 for men. This year they will run a total of 29 class primary schools. The single class primary schools run for just three years after which these children, having gained a good foundation and caught up with where they should be, will be able to re-join the government system. For both the adult literacy and schools we train the teachers in interactive teaching techniques and the use of a modern curriculum.
Each year 240 poor women and 60 men gain self-respect, learn about social issues and their human rights. These women and men will gain basic literacy and numeracy skills. 870 previously excluded children will catch-up on lost ground in their education. These children and their parents are learning to appreciate the value of education. These outcomes enable the adults to avoid being cheated in everyday transactions. Children having learned Bengali & English improve their employment opportunities.
