Adult Literacy Classes and Village Primary Schools

Thank you for responding with compassion to the needs in Bangladesh. Your partnership with RED and HRDP’s community development work of providing access to education is opening up new doors and giving hope for a child, and going beyond to impact the whole family. Here is one young girl’s story.

“My name is Rupa. I am eight years old. In my family we are two girls. I am disabled and an orphan. My father died a few years before. I really miss my father. My mother is very poor. She works as a day labourer. However, our situation changed when HRDP set up a school near my house and provided all that was needed for me to attend school. Last year, I started my education at HRDP’s primary school and it has been very helpful for me. Now I am in Class 2. I am writing this with my left hand because my right hand is disabled. Now, I can read books, calculate maths, sing songs and dance too. I can read and write all of the English alphabet and I also learned many English poems. I love my school and my school teacher. My mother and grandfather are so happy for me to study at HRDP’s primary school.”

With a wide network of HRDP students, the teachers and school supervisors meet every few months for training and development. This allows teachers to collaborate and to hear stories of the student’s progress in their studies. Even local primary school teachers are impacted through their work with our organization.

“My name is Mst. Nazmun. I am married and I have a baby girl. My husband is a teacher at a different school. I am really proud to be a teacher with the HRDP primary school here in my village.

Every day I prepare my lesson for my students. I follow the study guide, which I got from HRDP for teaching my students the right way. My students are now able to read Bengali books and also they can speak some Bangla, which they were taught in the school. Students can calculate simple math, like addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. All students have regular attendance in the class and they enjoy my teaching in the classes.

One year ago, my life was not valuable and I was not very special in the society, but now I am an important person and people honor me in my village because I am a teacher.

Now I have a dignity and honor in the society, even also in my house. My husband helps me a lot with for my present job. Through my job as a teacher, I can also help my family financially. Now we have a happy family. I am really thankful to HRDP for opening a Village primary school here and selecting me as a teacher.”

Stories like these encourage us in our development work, though needs are vast and challenges continue. It is a privilege to be involved in changing lives and communities in Bangladesh through education! We continue to seek worldwide partners who desire to make a difference through education and literacy in some of the most needy places. Thank you from RED and our partner for your support through GlobalGiving!

A new challenge ahead

Monsoon rains and floods have swept many South Asian nations, including Bangladesh. The situation in the north of Bangladesh is declining as water from all the country’s major rivers is flowing together, causing waters to rise.

Two of HRDP’s village primary schools have been flooded and families in the communities where HRDP works have been affected. In some regions education is interrupted; in others teaching continues. As a response, HRDP staff are aiming to raise funds to provide basic emergency food and medicine for 200 families in several districts across Bangladesh; families, who were already poor, have now lost everything.

If you would be able to support this project please follow the link below and also share it with your friends. This is the worst flood Bangladesh has had for twenty years and the results are devastating. Thank you for helping bring hope.

Links:

• Bangladesh Flood Relief